Sunrise ShopRite Names Mike Jacob VP of Operations

Sunrise ShopRite Inc., the family-owned company that operates the ShopRite of Parsippany and ShopRite of West Caldwell in New Jersey, appointed grocery industry veteran Mike Jacob to the position of VP of operations on Monday.

Jacob, a Pennsylvania resident with more than three decades in the grocery business, will oversee operations for both supermarkets and the company’s freestanding liquor stores, the grocery retailer said in a statement.

“I am thrilled that Mike is joining Sunrise ShopRite as a key member of our leadership team. His commitment to community and associates is in keeping with our traditions. We look forward to working with Mike to provide the best possible shopping experiences at our stores,” Dara Sblendorio, president of Sunrise ShopRite, said in a statement.

Prior to working with Sunrise, Jacob worked at Wakefern Food Corp., the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the United States, as a special projects manager. Past experiences in the grocery industry for Jacob also include store director for ShopRite, where he oversaw hundreds of associates and operations for a top-performing ShopRite location.

“It really is a family operation, and we welcome Mike to our family,” said Sblendorio, whose great-grandfather opened Sunrise Market in 1940 in Caldwell. “Mike’s knowledge and experience will be important as we continue to build our strong team culture, elevate our shopping experiences and grow our business.”

Sblendorio’s family joined the Wakefern cooperative in 1951 and later opened their ShopRite stores. Ned Gladstein, Sblendorio’s father, was named president in 1982 and today serves as adviser and CFO. Sblendorio became president in 2017 and her husband, Frank Sblendorio, is manager of the ShopRite of Parsippany.

From a small, local cooperative that began with eight grocery store owners, Wakefern Food Corp. has now grown into one of the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the United States, with its members operating more than 300 stores under the ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Dearborn Market, Gourmet Garage and Fairway Market banners throughout the Mid-Atlantic and New England.