Robert A. Sigel named President of Associated Food Stores

HEWLETT, N.Y., Sept. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Associated Food Stores, LLC is proud to announce today the appointment of Robert A. Sigel to the position of President. Mr. Sigel, who started his career at a family-owned business, has over 35 years of experience in the food industry including a long and successful tenure as the CEO of Millbrook Distribution Services. He is also a Director of Associated Food Store Holdings, LLC and an Operating Executive at AUA Private Equity.

Associated Food Stores is a portfolio company of AUA Private Equity Partners, supplying hundreds of independently-owned supermarkets throughout Connecticut, New Jersey, and the New York metropolitan area. As President, Mr. Sigel will report to the Board of Directors and be responsible for the overall management of the business. 

Andy Unanue Managing Partner of AUA and Chairman of Associated Food Stores, LLC said "We are very pleased to have someone of Bob's caliber and experience at Associated. The breadth of his experience in leading family owned, publicly held, and private equity backed businesses in the supermarket industry will be instrumental as the company  continues to grow its store banners and its market share in the New York tri-state area."

"Associated Food Stores has a long history of providing value added services enabling independent supermarket owners to successfully grow their businesses. I look forward to working with our store owners, suppliers, and associates as we embark on our mission of expanding our services and our store concentration in the New York Metro area and beyond," said Robert Sigel, incoming President of Associate Food Stores, LLC.

Robert Sigel – President, Associated Food Stores, LLC
Most recently Mr. Sigel has been an Operating Executive at AUA Private Equity Partners. He started his career at Millbrook Distribution Services, a value added distributor of health, beauty care, general merchandise, and specialty food products founded by his father in Worcester, Massachusetts. He was instrumental in helping to rapidly grow the business, which became one of the largest distributors of its kind in the Northeast. He also played a key role in the sale of Millbrook to McKesson Corporation and ultimately became president and chief executive officer of McKesson's Service Merchandising Division.

When McKesson decided to focus strictly on health care-related businesses in the late 1990s, Mr. Sigel worked with an investment partner to purchase Millbrook from McKesson. His vision was to grow the specialty food portion of the business, as well as to vertically integrate the company by acquiring food brands. Mr. Sigel and his partners formed a branded food group and eventually bought Manischewitz®, Guiltless Gourmet®, and Rokeach®.

In 2007, Mr. Sigel led the successful sale of Millbrook to United Natural Food (UNFI) where he held the titles of president and CEO of Millbrook, and was named an executive officer of UNFI and president of specialty distribution. Mr. Sigel assisted in the transition and worked on the integration of Millbrook into UNFI Specialty before retiring from the company in 2008. He then established R.A. Sigel and Company to acquire, invest in and consult to branded food businesses.

Mr. Sigel graduated from Bowdoin College with a BA in Economics, and the Whitman School at Syracuse University with an MBA in Accounting and Finance.

Associated Food Stores, LLC
Associated Food Stores, LLC supplies over 350 independently owned supermarkets in the New York tri-state area, providing procurement, distribution, marketing, merchandising, advertising and promotion services, as  well store financing.  Its banners include Associated, Compare, Met, Pioneer, and Met Fresh.

AUA Private Equity Partners, LLC
AUA Private Equity Partners, LLC is a New York-based, operationally-focused, lower middle market private equity firm. The firm makes equity investments in companies in the consumer,
media and business services sectors with a particular focus on Hispanic-oriented companies and
family-owned businesses located in the United States.

SOURCE Associated Food Stores, LLC