Last updated on May 20th, 2016 at 10:04 am
The board of directors of Midwest grocery operator Strack & Van Til has announced the appointment of Jeff Strack as president and CEO. Strack replaces Kenneth Diehl, who has stepped down to return home in the Western U.S. Diehl had led the company since October 2014. The change is effective immediately.
Strack, the grandson of the chain’s founder, 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.
“I’m honored and humbled by the trust placed in me by the board,” said Strack, who already has 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 added 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 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,” said Strack. “We intend to refocus on the heritage and roots of our success immediately.”
Founded in 1960, Strack & Van Til operates its stores under the Strack & Van Til, Ultra Foods and Town & Country Market banners. The Indiana-based retailer is a subsidiary of Central Grocers.
