Big Y Names New Director of Frozen Food and Dairy
Big Y Foods, Inc. has appointed Eric A. Swensen its director of frozen food and dairy. In his new role, Swensen, who reports to VP for fresh foods Michael P. D’Amour, will oversee all aspects of these departments, from hiring and training to sales and marketing, including financials for the entire New England chain. Swensen succeeds Valentino Vivenzio, who recently retired.
Swensen began his career with Big Y in1985 as a part-time service clerk at the company’s Southwick, Mass., supermarket. During his time there, he rose to grocery clerk and then frozen foods and dairy clerk until he joined the full-time grocery night crew in 1987. Eventually, he held the positions of night crew manager and then grocery manager. In 1994, he was accepted into the store manager-training program and became assistant store manager at the Big Y World Class Market in Worcester, Mass., the following year. By 1997, he was named store manager, a position he held at Big Y’s in Mansfield, Conn., store, as well as the Palmer, Worcester, East Longmeadow and Springfield, Mass., locations. In 2006, he became sales and merchandising assistant for one of the grocer’s districts of 14 stores, as part of the Big Y Store Support Center’s operations team. That same year, he was appointed manager of space management, with responsibility for all shelf space allocations for the entire chain.
Springfield, Mass.-based Big Y, one of the largest independently owned supermarket chains in New England, operates 57 stores throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts, with over 9,100 employees.
Swensen began his career with Big Y in1985 as a part-time service clerk at the company’s Southwick, Mass., supermarket. During his time there, he rose to grocery clerk and then frozen foods and dairy clerk until he joined the full-time grocery night crew in 1987. Eventually, he held the positions of night crew manager and then grocery manager. In 1994, he was accepted into the store manager-training program and became assistant store manager at the Big Y World Class Market in Worcester, Mass., the following year. By 1997, he was named store manager, a position he held at Big Y’s in Mansfield, Conn., store, as well as the Palmer, Worcester, East Longmeadow and Springfield, Mass., locations. In 2006, he became sales and merchandising assistant for one of the grocer’s districts of 14 stores, as part of the Big Y Store Support Center’s operations team. That same year, he was appointed manager of space management, with responsibility for all shelf space allocations for the entire chain.
Springfield, Mass.-based Big Y, one of the largest independently owned supermarket chains in New England, operates 57 stores throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts, with over 9,100 employees.