Krasdale Foods, a 110-year-old, privately owned company providing grocery distribution, merchandising, and marketing to independent grocery store owners, announced that Gus Lebiak has been promoted to chief operating officer of Alpha 1 Marketing, an affiliate of Krasdale Foods Inc.

Lebiak, who joined the company more than six years ago, will continue to oversee key departments such as advertising, digital services, customer service, community relations, retail operations, marketing, meat and produce, merchandising, as well as retail regulatory compliance and training. In his new role, Lebiak will work on unifying the departments starting with a focus on merging skill sets of employees with various backgrounds and experience levels.

“Gus’ extensive industry background has been a significant asset to our team,” said Thatcher Krasne, CEO and president of Alpha 1 Marketing, Krasdale’s marketing and merchandising division. “He brings a unique perspective from his years working on all sides of the grocery industry and, in his time at Krasdale, has helped to spearhead key programs for both our employees and customers.”

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As part of the ongoing strategic plan for the company, Lebiak will continue to focus on implementing new value-added programs to improve overall efficiency and drive brand growth.

“We’re thankful to Gus for his expert leadership of the Alpha 1 Marketing team, which has helped us meet our growth goals,” said Steve Silver, Krasdale President and COO. “With this elevated role, we know that Gus will continue to build and expand the Krasdale brand in both the East Coast and Florida markets, putting us on a path toward another century of success.”

With more than 38 years of grocery industry experience, Lebiak has a diverse skillset that has made him indispensable within many areas of the business. He began his career working in-store at Mayfair Supermarkets before moving to the wholesale side of the business as a category manager at Twin County Grocers. From there, Lebiak assisted in the launch of Allegiance Retail Services, a supermarket cooperative, serving as director of grocery and then vice president of center store, before leaving to join Krasdale Foods as a vice president.

“I’m tapping into the lessons I’ve learned working in both in-store and wholesale operations to create a cohesive strategy that ultimately benefits all sides of the business,” Lebiak said. “As I step into this new role, my goal is to aid in the consistent, long-term growth of both new and existing markets throughout the East Coast.”

A fully integrated grocery service and supplier, Alpha 1 Marking is one of several companies affiliated with parent company, Krasdale Foods. Others include, Beta II Marketing, Consolidated Supermarket Supply, and KoolTemp Foods.