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GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2018 www.gourmetnews.com RETAILER NEWS 1 4 Cheese Importers Continued from PAGE 13 Moskowitz, Lyman found himself im- mersed into the esoteric world of dairy, and he was able to taste European cheeses like Brie and Gruyère, as well as other specialty cheeses from around the world that had not been well distributed in the United States before. "Back then cheese was pretty dull and bland tasting," Samm said. "These were the days when cheese was made with more oil than milk. You know, cheese was just this orange gelatinous block. This area of the food industry was just start- ing, really. I mean, of course, there were cheeses, but as for some of these specialty cheeses, well there wasn't a market for it. The American palate hadn't been intro- duced to it yet." Lyman decided to capitalize on his dis- covery by finding the artisanal cheeses that were being made at dairies near where he lived in Colorado. He traveled to the dairies and bought barrels full of cheese that he sold from his Longmont home. "I remember he bought extra re- frigerators for our house to store all the cheese in. He would go out with a block of cheese and walk through the back door of restaurants, and my dad, being a very charismatic man, would ask and beg to speak with whoever he needed to so he could sell cheese," Samm said. "He could usually get a chef to stop and try these cheeses, and the taste was worlds apart from what they'd been using. Good cheese is unequal to the stuff that was being used at the time. That's how it all started, and from then on, slowly, Cheese Importers blossomed." Now, Samm White says he's proud of where Cheese Importers has come from, and he's excited about where it's going, but really, he intends to sit back and enjoy what Cheese Importers is all about, which is bringing people the joy of cheese. "Peo- ple are really receptive to what we love and want to share with them," he said. "It's just great being able to help people identify what brings them happiness. To allow that joy to be created is great. There's not much better than food than happiness, and combine the two, and you don't need anything else." GN Kroger Names Gil Phipps Vice President of Branding, Marketing and Our Brands The Kroger Co. has named Gil Phipps, for- merly vice president of Our Brands, to Vice President of Branding, Marketing and Our Brands, effective August 15. Phipps joined the company in 2012 and led the transfor- mation of Our Brands by evolving existing brands and introducing new brands that resonate with customers. Through elevat- ing recipes and product formulations, in- serting personality into packaging and more, Phipps has increased customer loy- alty and driven record Our Brands sales growth. "We are fundamentally changing how we market to and engage with our cus- tomers, and Gil is the perfect talent – a personality full of creativity, imagination and fun who loves food and new meal ex- periences – to lead the way," said Stuart Aitken, Kroger's Group Vice President and CEO of 84.51°. "Kroger's new marketing approach is more engaging, cross-func- tional, data-driven, and customer-led in support of Restock Kroger. As we redefine the customer experience, we are using compelling marketing communications to create uplifting connections with our shoppers that earn even more of their sales, trust and loyalty." With Phipps' leadership and influence, the Our Brands business has substantially increased. If Our Brands were a unique consumer packaged goods company on the Fortune 500 list, it would rank number 138. Phipps was instrumental in introduc- ing Simple Truth ® , now the largest natural and organic brand in America with more than $2 billion in annual sales. "The retail industry is dynamic, excit- ing and changing, and I'm thrilled to take on this role at this very moment to trans- form the way Kroger connects with our customers to elevate our brand across America," Phipps said. "We will continue to build on how we use data points pow- ered by 84.51° to create marketing com- munications and experiences that are even more relevant, meaningful and per- sonalized." Phipps started his grocery career in 1987 as a store director for Fresh Plus Grocery in Austin, Texas. Following the role, he be- came brand manager for Guiltless Gourmet before moving into brand marketing posi- tions at both Michael Angelo's Gourmet Foods and Hormel Foods. In 2001, Gil joined H-E-B as a brand manager before earning a series of promotions that placed him as the leader of H-E-B's store brands program. GN Valerie Jabbar Named Group Vice President of Merchandising at Kroger The Kroger Co. has promoted Valerie Jab- bar, currently President of the Ralphs divi- sion, as Group Vice President of Merchandising for the company, effective September 1. Mike Murphy, currently vice president of operations for the Columbus division, will succeed Jabbar as President of the Ralphs division. Jabbar began her Kroger career in 1987 as a clerk in the Fry's division. She has held several leadership roles, including assistant store director, category manager, drug/gen- eral merchandise coordinator, corporate seasonal manager, and director of drug/general merchandise, as well as dis- trict manager in the Fry's division. In 2012, she moved to the Mid-Atlantic division to serve as vice president of merchandising before joining the Ralphs division in 2013 as vice president of merchandising. She was promoted to division president in July 2016. "Valerie brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and insight to this role," said Mike Donnelly, Kroger's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. "As we continue the work of Restock Kroger, her ability to lead and deliver for our asso- ciates and customers will continue to trans- form our business." Jabbar serves as the president of the Food Industries Circle and is a board mem- ber for the Western Association of Food Chains, as well as the food industry execu- tive in residence for the USC Marshall School of Business. GN

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