GRAND RAPIDS, MI - SpartanNash has welcomed a strong addition to its produce leadership with Vic Savanello, who just joined the retailer as its new Regional Vice President of Produce and Floral Merchandising.

I had the opportunity to discuss this big next step with Vic, who shared a little insight on what’s to come.

“In SpartanNash, I saw an organization with a topflight reputation and multifaceted business model, which I felt gave me an incredible opportunity to utilize my diverse background and career experiences. I look forward to being truly challenged and enjoying immense success as a part of SpartanNash’s produce team,” he said of the decision to sign on.

As part of what Vic tells me is the “marketing and merchandising center of excellence,” he will be responsible for supporting SpartanNash’s more than 155 company-owned retail stores, establishing and maintaining customer and vendor relations and satisfaction levels, negotiating national vendor contracts, and leading the fresh distribution procurement team and their processes.

“Together with the produce team, I’m hoping to continue to establish SpartanNash stores as the go-to produce destination in each of our retail markets, leading the way through innovation, variety, and value,” Vic shares. “At the same time, we want to help our independent retail customers compete and excel in the ever-evolving competitive landscape!”

In this new role, he will report directly to the Vice President of Fresh Merchandising, Jerry Goldsmith.

“Vic joins SpartanNash with many years of produce experience in all facets of the business,” Jerry said when I reached out about Vic’s joining the team.” With produce being such a key strategic focus for SpartanNash, we felt Vic’s experience would continue to elevate the business to best in class. We look forward to his contributions to the success of the organization.”

That experience includes two New Jersey-based retail cooperatives and, most recently, Vice President of Produce for The Fresh Market.

“My background working for two New Jersey-based retail cooperatives gives me a lot of insight into what the independent supermarket owner wants and prioritizes as keys to their business’ success. The two different models gave me a view from a self-distributed and then a third-party distributed model. Working with SpartanNash’s independent retail customers will not be foreign in the least to me; in fact, I am really looking forward to it,” Vic said of how his background will complement this new position. “But, at the same time, my recent experience at The Fresh Market gave me great insights into building programs, together with our operations team, which are designed to succeed at the store level! It’s the best of all possible produce distribution worlds, and I’m right in the thick of it! It’s going to be a lot of fun!”