EXECUTIVE CHANGES: Ralphs Reassigns Personnel

Elliot Zwiebach

COMPTON, Calif. -- Ralphs Grocery Co. here has reassigned three executives in its marketing department.

Tim Snee has been named vice president of nonperishable buying and merchandising -- a new title -- and is responsible for all buying and merchandising in grocery, general merchandise and liquor. Formerly vice president of the grocery division, he reports to Dave Kuri, group vice president of nonperishables divisions. Tom Thomas succeeds Snee as vice president of the grocery division and is responsible for procurement and execution of grocery marketing programs. He reports to Snee. Thomas previously was vice president of inventory management, a position that is not being filled. Graham Lee has been named to the new post of vice president of corporate brands. He handles the procurement, merchandising, packaging and promotion of Ralph' private-label program. Lee, formerly vice president of general merchandise, reports to Kuri. Snee is taking over Lee's previous general merchandise responsibilities. According to Tom Dahlen, senior vice president of marketing for Ralphs, "We will face enormous challenges in the coming years, from nontraditional competitors to the changing buying habits of consumers to the emergence of new technological advances. These promotions and management changes should help us meet those challenges while also providing us the ability to better service our customers."

In other personnel changes, Tom Whitby, manager of promotions, has been named director of sales development and promotions, a new position. He reports to Frank Lazaran, group vice president of sales and merchandising. Larry Brunn, manager of Food 4 Less merchandising planning, has been named director of Food 4 Less merchandising planning. He reports to Bob McKee, group vice president of Food 4 Less nonperishables divisions.

Richfood Suspends Executives

MECHANICSVILLE, Va. -- Richfood Holdings here has suspended two executives at its Super Rite subsidiary in Harrisburg, Pa., after finding more than 100 barrels of a petroleum-based substance buried near the Super Rite distribution center. Peter Vanderveen, president and chief operating officer, and Wilbur Shirey, vice president of distribution, were suspended in mid-May pending the outcome of an environmental investigation by APEX, a private consulting firm Richfood has hired, according to Donald D. Bennett, Richfood's chairman and chief executive officer.

Neither Vanderveen nor Shirey could be reached for comment. Vanderveen and Shirey's long-term futures with Richfood will be determined by the results of APEX's probe. Richfood hired the company within days after discovering the barrels, Bennett said. The substance in the barrels is being tested at APEX laboratories "but several had grease stored in them, and there was a high lead content in some samples," Bennett said. "However, none of the substances had any impact on the warehouse or the products shipped from there." The cost of cleaning the area where the barrels were buried could total $250,000 to $500,000 "depending on what's there," Bennett told SN. He said he expects the investigation to be completed soon.

Richfood had planned to build a freezer expansion and install a parking lot for its tractor-trailers on the site where the barrels were uncovered "but we got word [about the barrels] before we put a shovel in the ground when some people came forward," Bennett said. He declined to name those people. Before his suspension, Vanderveen had been working with Metro Markets, the retail arm of Super Rite, which Richfood acquired in late 1995, as well as on real estate projects for Richfood.

Shirey's distribution responsibilities have been taken over during his suspension by Rich Fanning, director of warehouse operations, who previously reported to Shirey and currently reports to Gary Conrad, executive vice president of warehousing and logistics for Richfood Holdings.