Wakefern appoints industry veteran Stigers as grocery co-op’s next president

As Wakefern Food Corp.’s longtime president Joe Sheridan prepares to step down at the end of 2023, industry veteran Mike Stigers is set to assume leadership of the nation’s largest retailer-owned grocery cooperative.

According to Wakefern, Stigers will take on the role June 1, while Sheridan, who announced his retirement last year, will remain with the Keasbey-headquartered company through the end of December to ensure a successful transition.

Stigers has served as chief executive officer of Minnesota-headquartered Cub Foods, a subsidiary of organic and natural food company United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI), since 2019.

Prior to that, he spent eight years at SuperValu, beginning in 2011 as president of Shaw’s/Star Market in New England. In 2013, he went on to lead SuperValu’s northern wholesale region and then, in 2014, he was named president of Cub Foods. In 2016, he was promoted to the position of executive vice president, SuperValu Wholesale and Supply Chain Services, and occupied that role until it was acquired by UNFI in 2018.

Stigers is also active in industry trade associations, having served as the past president of Western Association of Food Chains. From 2020-2021, he was chair of the National Grocers Association (NGA), an organization that represents thousands of independent, community grocery stores across the country.

In a statement, Stigers said, “I am excited to join Wakefern at this important time in its history. The strength of the cooperative and its solid position as a regional grocery is well-known in the industry. I am looking forward to joining the team and working alongside the cooperative membership to help shape its future.”

Wakefern’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Colalillo praised Stigers, saying the incoming president “brings with him five decades of industry leadership, proven success and respect among his peers and the supplier community. Wakefern will benefit from that broad knowledge base and leadership experience.”

“On behalf of the board of directors, I want to thank Joe Sheridan for his decades long dedication to Wakefern and for his role in the search and selection process – it has been invaluable,” added Colalillo.

Founded in 1946, Wakefern’s 48 member companies – which include ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Gourmet Garage, Dearborn Market and Fairway Market – own and operate 365 stores across New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

The co-op reported record retail sales of $18.6 billion for the fiscal year ending Oct. 1, 2022, a 4.69% increase from the prior year.

In 2022, Wakefern also underwent several changes to its leadership, including the retirement of Senior Vice President Brett Wing and the promotion of Kevin McDonnell to president of Price Rite Marketplace.

Sheridan’s upcoming departure concludes a 47-year career with Wakefern, including the past 11 years as president.

“Wakefern’s unique culture and structure is at the heart of its success,” said Sheridan, who went on to describe Stigers as “the right leader to preserve the best of who we are and at the same time continue to move Wakefern forward.”