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McLane Co. names Tony Frankenberger to succeed Grady Rosier as CEO

New chief executive to continue overseeing McLane Grocery

Russell Redman

August 7, 2020

2 Min Read
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Tony Frankenberger (left) will take the helm as McLane’s president and CEO on Aug. 28, when Grady Rosier is slated to retire after 36 years with the Temple, Texas-based grocery and foodservice distributor.McLane Co.

Longtime McLane Co. President and CEO Grady Rosier is retiring later this month and handing the reins to McLane Grocery President Tony Frankenberger.

Plans call for Frankenberger to take the helm as McLane’s president and CEO on Aug. 28, when Rosier is slated to retire after 36 years with the Temple, Texas-based grocery and foodservice distributor. He has been president and CEO of McLane, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, for the past 25 years.

In becoming CEO, McLane said, Frankenberger will retain his responsibilities as president of McLane Grocery, a $33 billion business unit providing supply chain solutions to more than 70,000 retailer locations. A 35-year McLane veteran, Frankenberger began his career at the company as a washer, fueler and mechanic in the transportation department. Since working his way up in the ranks, Frankenberger has attained more than 15 years of senior management experience, including various leadership positions in merchandising, procurement, and operations.

“I have personally known Tony for more than 30 years and feel this is a tremendous opportunity for him to continue building the sustainability and growth of McLane into the future,” Rosier said in a statement yesterday. “He is an exceptional leader, with a track record of operational excellence, building high performance teams, and extraordinary customer service.”

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McLane noted that, during Rosier’s tenure as CEO, the company has boosted its market share and annual revenue, which climbed from less than $6 billion to more than $50 billion. In that time, the grocery division expanded distribution from convenience stores to other retailers, including drugstores, mass merchants, warehouse clubs, value stores, supermarkets and alcoholic beverage stores.

In addition, Rosier played a pivotal role in the 2003 sale of then-Walmart subsidiary McLane to Berkshire Hathaway, and he spearheaded the creation of a new foodservice distribution division servicing QSR, fast casual and casual restaurants, which the company said is now one the largest in the industry.

“McLane is not just a company to me,” Rosier commented. “It has been my passion, and the people at McLane are my family.”

Before joining McLane, Rosier spent more than a decade in various executive roles in the convenience store channel. He was inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame in 2015 and currently serves on the board of directors of NVR Inc. and NuStar Energy.

“I am thrilled for Grady, and I wish him nothing but health and happiness in this new chapter of his life,” Frankenberger stated. “I am honored to follow in his footsteps at an incredible company with outstanding teammates.”

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One of the nation’s largest supply-chain companies, McLane distributes grocery, foodservice and nonfood products to convenience stores, mass merchants, drugstores, supermarkets and chain restaurants. Its McLane Grocery and McLane Foodservice divisions operate more than 80 distribution centers and one of the country’s largest private fleets. The company supplies more than 50,000 consumer products to nearly 110,000 locations nationwide. McLane also distributes alcoholic beverages through its Empire Distributors subsidiary.

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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