New Seasons Turns Over New Leaf

Portland, Ore.-based New Seasons Market has acquired New Leaf Community Markets and will operate its eight San Francisco Bay Area stores as a wholly owned subsidiary.

“Joining with New Leaf will advance both companies’ missions and values, and creates smart scale on our own terms,” said New Seasons Market President and CEO Wendy Collie. “We see combining with this like-minded, B-Corp certified grocer as a way to grow thoughtfully and sustainably. As we learned about their history, their progressive business, their culture and mission, we realized they were a perfect match for New Seasons Market. Together, we can leverage the power of good, share best practices and strengthen our positions as independent natural grocers.”

Founded in 1985, New Leaf is a pioneer in the natural and organic grocery industry with eight stores located in Santa Cruz, San Jose, Half Moon Bay, Pleasanton and Capitola, Calif. Like New Seasons, New Leaf is a certified B-corporation, which uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. Both grocers also give back to the community by donating 10 percent of their after-tax profits to nonprofits in the communities and neighborhoods they serve.

The combined company will be based in Portland, Ore., and Collie will lead both companies. New Seasons will operate from Portland and New Leaf will operate from Santa Cruz, with the founders and management team of New Leaf continuing to run their stores.

To ensure a successful partnership, New Leaf Founder Scott Roseman will join New Seasons’ board of directors. “I can say with confidence that the same people at New Seasons Market and at New Leaf will continue to make operating and purchasing decisions on a local level, our values will remain the same and our commitments will stay unchanged,” Collie said.

“We are very excited to join with New Seasons Market,” said Roseman. “When we determined it was the right time to consider options to support healthy growth, we wanted to align with a company with a similar culture and values, and an authentic dedication to supporting local communities, local farmers and staff. New Seasons Market is that company.”

Together, the companies will gain long-term benefits from collaboration and sharing best practices in a fast-growing marketplace. Over time, they will look for opportunities where their combined strength and scale can be leveraged, including providing farmers and local food producers new opportunities to grow their businesses, and giving staff more opportunities for professional advancement.

New Seasons Market Co-founder and Board Chair Stan Amy addedd, “from the founding of New Seasons Market, we have had the goal of stable and sustainable growth that advances our values and benefits the community and the regional food economy while ensuring local focus and independence for the long haul. New Leaf is a terrific match for our values and mission. I have known of Scott Roseman’s work for nearly 20 years and have respected the company he’s built and their commitment to using the power of business to benefit his community and the local food economy.”

Founded in 2000, the independently owned New Seasons Market operates 13 stores in the Portland, Ore./Vancouver, Wash., area, with three new stores scheduled to open between fall 2014 and spring 2015.

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