Bergmann to Lead Supervalu’s Independent Business Group

Minneapolis-based Supervalu Inc. has named Leon Bergmann as president of its Independent Business organization, reporting to Craig Herkert, CEO and president.

Bergmann succeeds Mark Anderson, who will be retiring from Supervalu effective Aug. 31 after 30 years with the company.

Bergmann has been the company’s group VP of independent sales, marketing and merchandising since January. In his new role, he will be responsible for the overall strategy and growth of the independent retail segment of Supervalu’s business. He will continue to oversee the independent sales, marketing and merchandising team, as well as lead the Independent Business regions that are strategically positioned throughout the United States. Bergmann will assume his new responsibilities immediately.

“We believe Leon’s strength and innovation in sales, his understanding of and passion for the independent retail business and Supervalu’s wholesale model, as well as his breadth of experience within the very competitive wholesale landscape nationwide make him ideally suited for this position,” Herkert said.

Prior to Bergmann’s current role at Supervalu, he worked for C&S Wholesale Grocers, where he served as senior VP of sales and customer service for the Northeast. In that position, he was responsible for customer satisfaction and sales for Ahold accounts. Before that, he was responsible for customer satisfaction and sales for West Coast accounts including independent retailers, Kroger, Save Mart, Lucky, FoodMaxx, Target and FoodLand.

He has been a member of the board of directors of IGA USA and the California Grocers Association. His connection to the grocery industry began early, with a father who worked at a Supervalu-supplied store for 28 years.

“I am looking forward to leading the Independent Business organization and building on Supervalu’s rich heritage and long-standing history of serving some of the best and most successful hyper-local independent retailers in the nation,” Bergmann said. “Supervalu has an unparalleled suite of professional retail support services, boasts a vast distribution network that reaches coast-to-coast and border-to-border, and is able to leverage the power of a $38 billion company to serve independents and help them compete in an ever-changing marketplace. All of these things are top of mind as we move forward, and we are absolutely committed to growing our Independent Business.”

Supervalu Inc. operates 1,114 traditional retail stores, including 805 in-store pharmacies; 1,280 hard-discount stores, of which 899 are operated by licensee owners; and 1,900 independent stores serviced primarily by the company’s traditional food distribution business.