A shift in power is happening at Coborn’s Inc., as President and Chief Operating Officer Dave Meyer has announced his retirement, reports WJON. David Best will replace him, and will also become manager of Coborn’s board of directors. Best will ultimately take over as president and chief operating officer when Meyer retires.
Meyer, who will officially exit at the end of the year, started at Coborn’s in 1985 as an evening shift manager at a store in Mason City, Iowa. He moved up in the ranks and served as store manager, deli buyer and supervisor, district manager, and vice president of operations before he was named president and COO.
Most recently, Best was a vice president, general manager of omnichannel for General Mills, where he was a leader of the company’s omnichannel strategy. According to LinkedIn, Best launched new assortment analytics, shopper insights, and revenue management tools.
Best also previously served as a senior vice president, merchandising/merchandise planning, at Target.
Back in April, Coborn’s, based in St. Cloud, Minn., signed a purchase agreement to acquire the Sullivan’s Food grocery stores (and several other retail business units), in northern and central Illinois. It marked Coborn’s first entry into the state.
With this acquisition, Coborn’s portfolio of grocery stores expanded to 77 locations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota, North Dakota, Michigan, and Illinois. The company operates approximately 135 business units, including grocery stores, retail liquor stores, fuel centers, pharmacies, and franchised restaurant businesses.
