Kroger Names Mark Tuffin President of Smith's Division

CINCINNATI, July 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) announced today the promotion of Mark Tuffin as president of the Smith's Division. Mr. Tuffin succeeds Jim Hallsey, who announced his retirement after 47 years of service with Smith's and Kroger.

Mark Tuffin

Mr. Tuffin brings more than 30 years of experience in the grocery industry to this important role.  He joined Smith's in 1996 and has held several key leadership roles before being promoted to Vice President of Merchandising in 1999.

In 2009, Mr. Tuffin was named vice president of transition for Kroger. In this role, he led Kroger's efforts to implement significant organizational changes between all areas of the business.

"Mark possesses remarkable leadership skills and experience in both the Smith's division and leading Kroger's transition efforts," said Rodney McMullen, president and chief operating officer of Kroger. "Despite the challenges of organizational change, he never lost sight of our core mission to put the customer first. We are pleased Mark has accepted this new role."

Mark lives in Bountiful, Utah, with his wife, Tami, and their three daughters. He will assume responsibilities upon Mr. Hallsey's retirement at the end of July.

Jim Hallsey

Mr. Hallsey joined Smith's in 1964. He served in several management positions for Smith's, including senior vice president of its drug division. In 1995, he was named senior vice president and manager of the division's regional office in Phoenix. He was later appointed executive vice president of sales and marketing in 1998.

In 2001, Mr. Hallsey was promoted to president of Smith's Division. Under his leadership, Smith's significantly improved its customer service, associate engagement and financial results. He also played a critical role in the merger of Fred Meyer and Smith's operations in 1997.

Mr. Tuffin joins Mr. McMullen and the Kroger organization in wishing Mr. Hallsey and his family all the best as he retires.

"Jim is the executive and leader we all strive to be," said McMullen. "He is respected throughout our company for his commitment to associates and our Customer 1st Strategy. He is a beloved friend and mentor to many people. Jim is leaving an inspiring legacy at Smith's and Kroger and he will be deeply missed."

Kroger, the nation's largest traditional grocery retailer, employs more than 338,000 associates who serve customers in 2,449 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 31 states under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Jay C, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry's, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith's. The company also operates 785 convenience stores, 359 fine jewelry stores, 1,035 supermarket fuel centers and 40 food processing plants in the U.S. Kroger, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, focuses its charitable efforts on supporting hunger relief, health and wellness initiatives, and local organizations in the communities it serves. For more information about Kroger, please visit www.kroger.com.

Smith's is a division of the Kroger Co. From its division office in Salt Lake City, Smith's 13,000 associates serve customers in 133 stores throughout 7 western states. For more information about Smith's, please visit www.smithsfoodanddrug.com.

SOURCE The Kroger Co.