Warehouse Management

BRATTLEBORO, Vt. - C&S Wholesale Grocers here, the country's second-largest wholesale grocery distributor, has announced plans to close its warehouses in Andover, Mass.; Cranston, R.I.; and Portland, Maine. Three hundred and seventy-five jobs at the Andover, Mass. warehouse; 276 in Cranston, R.I.; and 116 in Portland will move to nonunion facilities in Windsor Locks, Conn. and Brattleboro.

SEATTLE - Safeway Inc. has awarded the Seattle office of Turner Construction with the contract to build a $95 million, 1.2 million-square-foot distribution center in Auburn, Wash. for the Pleasanton, Calif.-based retailer.

CHICAGO - USF Corp.'s USF Logistics Services, Inc. subsidiary has signed an agreement with the Kroger Co. to manage grocery unsaleables within the Cincinnati/Dayton Kroger marketing area (KMA).

BRATTLEBORO, Vt. - C&S Wholesale Grocers Inc. said it will close its Cranston Logistics grocery warehouse operation in Cranston, R.I., in April and will lay off 226 workers, the Providence Journal reports.

TULSA, Okla. - About 200 workers at Hale-Halsell Co. will lose their jobs today after the grocery distributor announced layoffs in a series of meetings yesterday at its headquarters here, according to the Tulsa World.

RA'ANANA, Israel - Software provider Retalix Ltd. has acquired all of the outstanding stock of OMI International Inc., a leading provider of supply chain execution and electronic commerce solutions designed for complex buying, warehouse management and replenishment capabilities.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. - Supervalu's third-quarter earnings dropped 15 percent because of increased costs, including a strike at its St. Louis stores and the company's exit from its Denver operations.

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. - Fresh Brands, Inc. a supermarket retailer and grocery wholesaler through corporate-owned retail, franchised, and independent supermarkets, today announced the appointment of John H. Dahly as e.v.p., c.f.o., treasurer, and secretary, and Louis E. Stinebaugh as e.v.p. - operations.