Left to right: Mark Law, John Naylor
Rosemont Market & Bakery, a seven-store independent grocer with 170 employees in Portland, Falmouth, Yarmouth, Cape Elizabeth and Scarborough, Maine, has a new CEO: Mark Law, who has been a consultant to the business for the past year. In a letter to the Rosemont community, his predecessor, John Naylor, explained that “while I will continue to guide the mission of the company as Rosemont’s president and chairman of the board, I am taking a step back from my day-to-day role at Rosemont.”
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Naylor also noted that Law “brings with him a wealth of industry experience. Most importantly, he shares my core values in operating a business that cares about people.” A grocery industry vet of 20-plus years; standing, Law worked at Whole Foods Market and New Seasons Markets, in Portland, Ore, most recently as its president and COO. He has also been a consultant and advisor to such food producers as King Arthur Flour, in Norwich, Vt., and serves on the board of Jacobsen Salt Co., in Portland, Ore.
“I am incredibly excited to officially start in this role with Rosemont. I have a strong affinity for this brand,” Law wrote in a letter to staff. “Working hand in hand with Rosemont’s team, we will continue to build a business that is a model for other small businesses looking to make an impact in their communities. Providing a small grocery experience built around great food and great people, we will continue to make a difference by supporting quality agricultural growers and food businesses, helping change the way people eat and the way food is grown and produced, both in Maine and other parts of the world.”
For his part, Naylor said that he intended to expand his involvement with local nonprofits and to spend time with his children and grandchildren, although he assured community members that he’d “also still be around to mop floors, shelve wine and chat up anyone willing to listen to me talk about just about anything related to eating or my family.”