Morganthall to Lead Kroger's Retail Divisions

Fred Morganthall, longtime president of Harris Teeter Supermarkets, has been named SVP of retail divisions for The Kroger Co., Harris Teeter's parent company since early 2014.

Rod Antolock, currently Harris Teeter's EVP, will succeed Morganthall as president of the southeastern regional banner.

Morganthall has been president of Matthews, N.C.-based Harris Teeter since 1997, and remained at the helm after Kroger acquired the chain as a wholly-owned subsidiary. "Fred is an exceptional leader who is respected throughout the industry," said Mike Ellis, Kroger's president and CEO. "We continue to learn a lot from Fred about building even stronger connections with our customers. We are delighted that he is taking on this broader role at Kroger."

With nearly four decades of grocery industry experience, Morganthall began his career in grocery retail in 1978 at Spartan Stores in Grand Rapids, Mich. He joined Harris Teeter in 1986 as director of grocery merchandising, and went on to serve in several key leadership roles including vice presidents of merchandising, distribution and operations, before taking his current role as president. Morganthall has also been an active leader in industry organizations, including the Food Marketing Institute.

Antolock began his retail career in 1978 with Albertsons, where he held a number of leadership roles before joining Harris Teeter in 2000. Antolock has served in several executive positions, including SVP of operations, and of operations and merchandising. He has been serving in his current role since 2012, where he is responsible for merchandising, operations, marketing, human resources, loss prevention, store development, quality assurance and distribution, as well as manufacturing.

"Rod's leadership has contributed to Harris Teeter's success for more than 15 years," Ellis said. "He has been instrumental in developing Harris Teeter's exceptional customer service and product quality. We look forward to his continued leadership in his new role."

Cincinnati-based Kroger operates 2,625 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 34 states and the District of Columbia under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry's, Harris Teeter, Jay C, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith's. Harris Teeter operates stores in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Maryland, Delaware, Florida and the District of Columbia.