Gourmet News

Daul to Retire From Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits

Published February 12, 2024

Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits announced the retirement of Patrick Daul, president, West Region, effective July.

“I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Patrick for many years, whose journey at Southern Glazer’s reflects not only his deep industry expertise, but also his unwavering dedication,” said John Wittig, chief commercial officer, Southern Glazer’s. “His strategic leadership has left an indelible mark and his mentorship has been instrumental in the career development of numerous leaders. As Patrick embarks on a well-deserved retirement, we celebrate his legacy of excellence and thank him for his outstanding contributions to the company.”

Commencing his career journey at Southern Glazer’s in 1992 as the director of wine sales in Northern California, Daul has navigated through several pivotal roles at the company. He assumed the role of vice president, general sales manager for the American Wines & Spirits division in 1997 and was promoted to Northern California general sales manager for the newly created Pacific Wine & Spirits division in 2002.

From 2005 to 2011, Daul served as vice president, general manager for the California division of PWS, focusing on Diageo and Moët Hennessy USA portfolios. Daul’s trajectory continued with leadership positions of increasing responsibility, including senior vice president of sales & marketing and senior vice president of commercial strategy for the state of California. Currently, Daul serves as president, West Region, marking the latest milestone in his accomplished career at Southern Glazer’s.

“Patrick’s retirement is a significant occasion, and we express our deepest gratitude for his exemplary leadership at Southern Glazer’s,” said Wayne E. Chaplin, chief executive officer, Southern Glazer’s. “His strategic foresight has been significant, and his legacy will continue to resonate throughout our organization.”

An announcement for Daul’s replacement will be forthcoming.

Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits is the world’s preeminent distributor of beverage alcohol, building brands for moments that matter. The multi-generational, family-owned Company has operations in 44 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and Canada, as well as brokerage operations through its WEBB Banks division in the Caribbean, Central and South America. The company urges all retail customers and adult consumers to market, sell, serve, and enjoy its products responsibly. For more information visit www.southernglazers.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @sgwinespirits.

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Dollar Tree Expands COO Creedon’s Leadership Duties

Published February 12, 2024

Dollar Tree, Inc. announced a key role expansion for the company’s Chief Operating Officer Mike Creedon, who will add leadership of Dollar Tree & Family Dollar Merchandising and Supply Chain to his scope.

“We are fortunate to have an incredibly talented and dedicated leadership team at Dollar Tree and Family Dollar. As we’ve worked together over the last year to build our transformation strategy, Mike has served as a key leader driving our operational path forward,” said chairman and CEO Rick Dreiling. “In this expanded role, Mike will have full end-to-end accountability for delivering a best-in-class store experience for our customers. As I shared with our associates, while Mike and I will continue to work closely together, I am committed to leading this company and I remain fully engaged in all areas of the business.

Lead Independent Director Edward J. Kelly III said, “The organization is at an important inflection point as it executes its transformation plan. With Mike in this expanded role, working closely with Rick at the helm, we bring together key elements of that strategy that will have a significant positive impact on the company.”

With this alignment, Dollar Tree Chief Merchandising Officer Rick McNeely, Family Dollar Chief Merchandising Officer Larry Gatta and Chief Supply Chain Officer Mike Kindy will report to Creedon.

Before joining Dollar Tree in 2022, Creedon held several leadership roles at Advance Auto Parts for almost nine years, most recently as EVP and president of U.S. Stores. He also held executive positions with Tyco International and ADT Security.

Dollar Tree, a Fortune 200 Company, operated 16,622 stores across 48 states and five Canadian provinces as of Oct. 28, 2023. Stores operate under the brands of Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree Canada.

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UNFI Concludes First Selling Show of the Year

Published February 12, 2024

United Natural Foods, Inc. concluded its first comprehensive product and solution regional selling show, reinforcing the company’s customer and supplier-focused strategy. The UNFI show featured the company’s complete range of natural, conventional, fresh, and organic products and total store solutions, all focused on supporting UNFI’s western region customers.

The two-day event brought together more than 5,500 attendees, representing hundreds of UNFI customers, and connected them with UNFI’s extensive network of suppliers offering a comprehensive product assortment, spanning grocery, fresh, natural, organic, and specialty departments. The show also featured UNFI’s Professional Services, which is focused on driving growth and efficiency for retailers.

“We are excited to showcase our wall-to-wall representation of natural, organic, fresh, and conventional products,” said Steve Dietz, UNFI’s chief customer officer. “We’re helping our suppliers expand their product reach while helping our retailers access more of the right products for their markets, at competitive prices. Our suppliers and products span from top-selling national brands to local one-of-a-kind innovators, and are ready to connect with our retailers, whether single store operators, small local chains, larger regional chains, or national accounts. Our professional services team and vendors are on-site as well, to help retailers save money.”

UNFI’s first comprehensive product and solution show included:

More than 5,500 attendees, including domestic and international retailers and suppliers.
Over 700 suppliers, covering more than 100,000 square feet, showcasing more than 1,000 brands.
Hundreds of new products, with more than 40 selected and featured in UNFI’s New Product Showcase Area and several dozen highlighted as UpNext emerging brands.
More than 60 Certified Diverse Suppliers.
UNFI Professional Services experts, providing solutions to help retailers drive traffic, save money and time, and enhance their shoppers’ experience.
UNFI’s unique Pitch Slam competition, where contestants pitched their innovative new products to a live audience. The San Diego winners were Tea Drops, which makes a fair-trade, eco-friendly alternative to tea bags, and Fishwife, which produces premium, ethically-sourced, tinned seafood.

“It was great to see the full range of products and services that UNFI offers all in one show,” said Ryan White, program category manager at New Seasons Market. “We appreciate the way they partner with us and help us identify new trends and bring us new products, assist in supplier negotiations, and source great deals. They are key to our continued growth and success.”

The San Diego show was also the first time the company recognized its customers and suppliers with Circle of Excellence and Customer- and Supplier-of-the-Year awards. These awards honor innovation, market positioning, size, and geography of our customers and suppliers across the country. Following the Orlando show later this month, the company plans to publish the complete list of customer winners from both shows.

UNFI’s upcoming shows:

UNFI’s 2024 Spring and Summer show is scheduled for Feb. 20-21 in Orlando (Central and East). The company’s Holiday and Winter shows are scheduled for June 5-6 in Uncasville, Conn., (East), and Aug. 6-7 in Minneapolis (Central and West), respectively.

For more information on UNFI Shows, customers or suppliers can visit: https://www.unfi.com/shows-events or email events@unfi.com.

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