Brookshire Brothers CEO Johnson to Step Down

Brookshire Brothers' President and CEO Jerry Johnson will step down from his role at the end of April 2017, to be succeeded by John Alston, currently COO and a 35-year veteran of the Lufkin, Texas-based grocer.

Johnson, who will remain on Brookshire Brothers' board, which he joined in 1997, was a member of the team that assisted the grocer in becoming a majority employee-owned company in 1999 and began full time as its chief administrative officer at that time. During his tenure at the regional retailer, Johnson served as chairman from 2003 through 2007, at which time he assumed his current role of president and CEO, with Milton Hixson becoming chairman of the management board.

Under Johnson's leadership, Brookshire Brothers grew from 69 supermarkets throughout East Texas and Western Louisiana to its current 114 stores, and from a family-owned company with 5,700 employees to employee-owned with nearly 7,000 employee-owners.

“Jerry’s legacy as a great leader is firmly embedded in the hearts and minds of our Brookshire Brothers’ family,” said Alston, who also has served as store director, district director and a board member at the grocer. “From transitioning the company from private family ownership to an ESOP, Jerry has worked tirelessly as an advocate for our employee-owners.”

Returned Johnson: “John has the leadership ability and experience to lead our company through the challenges ahead, and has the confidence of both the board and Brookshire Brothers’ employee-owners.”

Brookshire Brothers was founded in 1921 and became a majority employee-owned company in 1999. In 2006, the employees bought the remaining shares of the company to become one of the largest 100 percent employee-owned companies in the country.