Strack & Van Til Appoints New President/CEO

Board members of Midwest grocery retailer Strack & Van Til have appointed Jeff Strack as the company’s president and CEO.

Grandson of the chain’s founder, Strack will succeed Kenneth Diehl, who has stepped down to return home in the Western United States, the company explained in a statement.

Diehl, hired in October 2014, came to SVT from A&P, where he served as EVP and chief merchandising and marketing officer.

'Refocus on heritage and roots'

Strack had most recently served as chief marketing and strategy officer for the chain, which includes 37 stores in Indiana and Illinois and has a staff of just under 6,000. The changes are effective immediately.

“I’m honored and humbled by the trust placed in me by the Board,” said Strack, who has already begun working with staff and stores to initiate the transition. “Our company has a heritage going back seven decades and I intend to work with all of our dedicated associates to re-establish the values on which this company was founded.”

Strack indicated that the grocery industry, and the needs and habits of customers, have changed dramatically in recent years. As the company continues to modernize operations, Strack said he feels the success and growth of the business will continue to be rooted in community involvement, service to shoppers, treating employees like family and building partnerships with vendors and suppliers that enable Strack & Van Til to better serve people in the neighborhoods where they operate.

“We are in a highly-competitive, rapidly changing marketplace, but with our stores, associates and management team, I feel that Strack & Van Til is uniquely positioned to succeed and flourish in the years ahead,” Strack said. “We intend to refocus on the heritage and roots of our success immediately.”

Founded in 1960, Highland, Ind.-based Strack & Van Til is a subsidiary of Joliet, Ill.-based wholesaler-distributor Central Grocers.