There’s been a change in the originally announced plans on who will lead the recently merged Price Chopper/Market 32 and Western NY-based Tops Markets.
When the deal was completed last November, it was announced that Scott Grimmett, the president and CEO of Schenectady-based Price Chopper/Market 32 would lead the new parent company, called Northeast Grocery. And the plan had been for Tops Markets Chairman and CEO Frank Curci to serve on the board of directors of the new parent company along with Grimmett.
But in a statement released on Wednesday, Northeast Grocery announced the upcoming retirement of Grimmett and said that Curci will be the CEO of the parent corporation.
After 10 years at Price Chopper/Market 32, Grimmett recently informed the Northeast Grocery board that he felt this was the right time for him to retire to spend more time with his family in Arizona and turn over leadership of the company. Grimmett will be working with Curci “to ensure a smooth leadership transition and provide consulting going forward in support of the merger integration process.”
The board of Northeast Grocery said it is enthusiastic about Curci’s appointment as CEO and points to his 40-year career and leadership positions with multiple grocery organizations. Curci spent 14 years as the CEO of Tops, working with the supermarket chain after it separated from the Dutch company Ahold.
Curci said he is “excited about the future of this company” and said that with the now combined footprint of nearly 300 stores, they are better positioned to leverage increased value for customers and advance opportunities for innovation.
The headquarters for Northeast Grocery will remain in Schenectady and Curci will work from those offices. The company said there are no other leadership changes.
As previously announced, Blaine Bringhurst serves as president of the Price Chopper/Market 32 business and John Persons as president of the Tops Markets business.
