Frank Curci to replace retiring Scott Grimmett as CEO of Northeast Grocery

Northeast Grocery Inc. (NGI), the company formed by last year’s merger of Price Chopper/Market 32 and Tops Markets, has named former Tops Markets Chairman and CEO Frank Curci as CEO, succeeding Scott Grimmett, who is retiring.

Schenectady, N.Y.-based NGI said Wednesday that Grimmett, the former president and CEO of Price Chopper/Market 32, is slated to retire in February, at which time Curci will take the chief executive’s reins. Curci currently serves on NGI’s board and as a consultant to aid in the post-merger transition. Price Chopper/Market 32 and Tops finalized their merger in early November.

“We have been extraordinarily fortunate to have Scott Grimmett lead us through the merger process and develop the strategies and plans to move the company forward,” NGI Board Co-Chair Jerry Golub said in a statement. “First at Price Chopper/Market 32 and most recently at NGI, Scott has shown exceptional leadership qualities and vision. We wish him the best as he retires.”

Grimmett’s retail grocery industry career spans 48 years, including 10 years at Price Chopper/Market 32. NGI said Grimmett recently informed the the board that he felt this was the right time for him to retire to spend more time with his family in Arizona and turn over leadership of the company. Plans call for Grimmett to assist Curci with the leadership transition and serve as a consultant for the ongoing merger integration process. 

Related:Merger of Price Chopper/Market 32 and Tops Markets will build on greater scale and expertise, say CEOs

“Working at Price Chopper/Market 32 and helping to lead the organization through this merger has been the opportunity of a lifetime,” Grimmett (left) stated. “I want to thank all of the teammates and associates at Price Chopper/Market 32 and Tops who have worked so hard to serve our customers, especially during these difficult times. I also want to thank the Golub family for trusting me to shepherd this exceptional company into the next phase of its near century of industry leadership.”

Curci’s 40-year career includes a range of c-suite leadership posts at multiple retail grocery organizations, most recently 14 years as the CEO of Williamsville, N.Y.-based Tops. NGI said Curci built the Tops organization “from the ground up” after it separated from Royal Ahold and that he led various growth initiatives, including the acquisitions of 79 Penn Traffic stores in 2010 and 21 Grand Union stores in in 2012.  

Having worked with Grimmett during the merger process, Curci is “intimately familiar” with NGI’s integration and strategic plans, the company noted.

“I’m excited about the future of this company and implementing the plans Scott and I have put in place,” Curci (left) stated. “With our now combined footprint of nearly 300 stores, we are better-positioned to leverage increased value for customers; advance shared opportunities for innovation; and fortify the depth of our expanded workforce, community and trade partnerships, making us stronger and more competitive.”

Related:Price Chopper/Market 32 and Tops Markets complete merger

Curci will work out of NGI’s headquarters in Schenectady, where Price Chopper/Market 32 also is based. NGI said no other executive changes have been made, with Blaine Bringhurst serving as president of the Price Chopper/Market 32 business and John Persons as president of the Tops business, as previously announced. Dave Langless, formerly the chief financial officer of Tops, serves as NGI’s CFO.

Overall, NGI’s retail network spans over 290 stores — including about 130 under the Price Chopper, Market 32, Market Bistro banners and 160 under the Tops Markets banner — in New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.