B. Green & Co., the Baltimore-based retailer and cash & carry operator, has promoted Rick Rodgers to the post of chief executive officer. He had most recently served as chief operating officer of the company. Former chief executive Benjy Green now becomes chairman of the firm that was started by his grandfather in 1915 as a wholesale grocer in Baltimore. He has spent his entire career with B. Green.
Rodgers joined B. Green in 2008 and has helped supervise the growth of the organization which now includes two Food Depot discount supermarkets in Baltimore City; three Green Valley conventional supermarkets in Elkridge, Arnold and Pasadena, MD; two cash & carry stores in Baltimore; and a redistribution wholesale business. Prior to joining B. Green, Rodgers was with Shoppers Food & Pharmacy and its predecessor firm Basics, beginning there as director of produce merchandising in 1986. During his 22-year tenure with Shoppers, he held many varied positions including store director and senior VP of both merchandising and operations.
Also promoted at B. Green was Matt Battaglia, who joined the company in 2010 from Shoppers Food & Pharmacy as director of IT. Over the years, he has also supervised center store procurement. In his new job as VP-merchandising & procurement, he will add fresh procurement and marketing to his duties.
Another Shoppers alumnus, Dave Mariano, has joined B. Green as VP-operations. Mariano began his career in 1987 with Shoppers where he served as a store manager and district manager over 27 years with Shoppers. Most recently Mariano was district leader/regional safety leader role at Petco. Prior to that, Mariano was director of sales and merchandising for Grocery Outlet, running the East Coast operations for three years.
Upon stepping down as CEO on April 15, Benjy Green penned this letter to the associates of B. Green & Co.:
To my extended B. Green & Co., Inc family,
As some of you may have heard, I will be “retiring” at the end of business tomorrow, April 15th. I made the decision over 2 years ago to step back and for those 2 years, we have put into place a transition plan that will allow B. Green not only to sustain itself, but to continue to improve on a daily basis. With this in mind, Rick Rodgers will now become the CEO effective Thursday, April 16th. Rick has already been a game changer for the Company since the day he joined our family in 2008. He and I have worked closely for the last 2+ years to assure the success of this transition. He is one of the hardest working, most humble people I know. He knows our business at every level, inside and out…and is the right person at the right time to lead B. Green into the future.
I believe the Company has its best days ahead…and I have never been more convinced of that given current events. I have always said that our entire team is as good or better than any other area grocer and that when times call for that team to step up…and go beyond for the customer…we are at our very best! I have been witness to that over the years…but never, ever, have I been more proud of what you and everyone at B. Green, Food Depot and Green Valley Marketplace are doing right now. You are the face of B. Green and I can’t thank you enough for all that you always do and continue to do to support the customer and the Company.
I have had the privilege and the pleasure to be the CEO for 25 years. For 23 years before that, I held various positions within the Company but the highlights were to be able to work alongside my cousins, my brother, my mother and my father. My parents inspired me to work hard and more importantly, to do the right thing. They were both my mentors in different but important ways. I have also been incredibly fortunate to have the most supportive wife, children and now a grandson that anyone could ever have. My hope is to spend more time with my family. Don’t worry, I suspect that my wife, Barbara, will continue to be the pie lady at the FD stores and to help the GVM team during Valentine’s Day.
My father was the President of B. Green for about 50 years and my grandfather founded the business in 1915. We are, by any measure, unique in that we have been in business for over 100 years. It is an accomplishment that few businesses can claim. Throughout those 100+ years, the family has been blessed by having so many wonderful associates choosing to be part of our business. It is therefore fitting that I turn the reins over to Rick, the first non-family member to lead the Company and to whom I refer as my little brother. More importantly, Rick shares with me common values and the same moral compass.
It has been the honor of my life to serve as CEO. I will remain Chairman of the Board and will therefore still be involved, but at a different level than before. I will miss my frequent visits to our stores and seeing and talking to many of you. You have been my energy and I think you for all that you have done for me.
With deepest affection,
Benjy