Wakefern Food Corp., the largest grocery wholesale co-op in the country, reported it had reached a record sales level of $14.1 billion in retail volume for the fiscal year ending September 28, 2013, a 3.9 percent increase from the same period last year. Additionally, the Keasbey, NJ firm said its achieved $11.4 billion in consolidated sales. Wakefern chairman and CEO Joe Colalillo, and president and COO Joe Sheridan made the announcement at the Wakefern’s annual shareholder meeting in East Brunswick, NJ on October 24.
During the past 12 months, the cooperative opened 10 new ShopRite stores, four new PriceRite stores and one new The Fresh Grocer store during the same period. In addition, the company expanded its ShopRite from Home services to 172 stores.
At the meeting, the company also welcomed Charles Gallagher, Joseph Cowhey and Patrick Burns as new members of the cooperative. Gallagher owns and operates the ShopRite of Selden, NY; Cowhey owns and operates the ShopRite of Warminster, PA; and Burns owns and operates one ShopRite store in Drexel Hill, PA and seven The Fresh Grocer locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.
“Since its founding 67 years ago, Wakefern has continued to thrive in an ever-evolving and rapidly changing marketplace,” stated Colalillo. “As our customers’ needs continue to change, it is no longer enough for our stores to have the same logo to deliver a unified shopping experience. We will – and must – unite in a shared purpose and commitment to our communities, our customers and our associates to build upon past successes and achieve the next level of excellence.”
Wakefern shareholders also re-elected Colalillo as chairman and CEO; James Sumas, Larri Wolfson and Irv Glass as vice chairmen; Lawrence Inserra Jr. as treasurer; Richard Saker, Jeffrey Brown and Kenneth Capano as assistant treasurers; Dominick J. Romano as secretary; Ned Gladstein, Joel Perlmutter and Steven Ravitz as assistant secretaries; and named Rocco Cingari, Robert Clare, Lawrence Collins, Jon Greenfield, Charles Infusino, Bernard Kenny, Vincent Lo Curcio III, Leonard Sitar, Richard Tully and Richard McMenamin to its board of directors. Sheridan was also re-elected as president and COO.