Sunrise ShopRite taps Mike Jacob as VP of operations

New Jersey independent grocer Sunrise ShopRite has appointed Mike Jacob as vice president of operations.

Jacob, a Pennsylvania resident with more than three decades in the grocery business, will oversee operations and activities at Sunrise’s ShopRite locations in Parsippany and West Caldwell, N.J., along with the company’s freestanding liquor stores.

“I am thrilled that Mike is joining Sunrise ShopRite as a key member of our leadership team,” Dara Sblendorio, president of the family-owned company, said in a statement. “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.”

Before joining Sunrise, Jacob was a special projects manager for retail operations at Wakefern Food Corp., the retailer-owned cooperative and distribution and merchandising arm for ShopRite stores. He previously was a longtime store director at ShopRite of Hunterdon County in Flemington, N.J., while supervising construction of the Yardley (Pa.) ShopRite store. He was also assistant store director at ShopRite Supermarkets Inc. in the Philadelphia area.

Jacob joins a company with an 82-year history and long commitment to community, Sunrise ShopRite said. Sblendorio’s great-grandfather opened Sunrise Market in 1940 in Caldwell. Her family joined the Wakefern cooperative in 1951 and later opened the two ShopRite stores. Ned Gladstein, Sblendorio’s father, was named president in 1982 and today serves as adviser and chief financial officer. Sblendorio became president in 2017 and her husband, Frank Sblendorio, is manager of the Parsippany location.

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“It really is a family operation, and we welcome Mike to our family,” added Dara Sblendorio. “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.”

Overall, Wakefern’s ShopRite retail network includes about 280 supermarkets in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware and Maryland.