Nash Finch hires Kevin Elliott to lead Nash Finch Wholesale/Retail

Minneapolis-based Nash Finch Co. said it appointed Kevin Elliott executive vice president, president and chief operating officer – Nash Finch Wholesale/Retail. Elliott previously served as senior vice president of merchandising, logistics and marketing for Dallas-based 7-Eleven Inc.

Elliott worked at 7-Eleven from 2001 to 2010, where he was responsible for overseeing the corporate store and franchise operations, as well as 7-Eleven’s national distribution network. He led many sales growth initiatives for the organization, and delivered a steady increase of consecutive, annual same-store sales for eight years while maintaining strong margins, Nash Finch said. He has worked as a consultant with a focus on retail/distribution since leaving 7-Eleven.

As president and chief operating officer – Nash Finch Wholesale/Retail, Elliott will be responsible for the company’s food distribution and corporate retail operations, reporting to Alec Covington, president and CEO of Nash Finch Co. Elliott’s top priority will be leading the company’s sales-growth strategy, building on its customer/consumer-focused approach to serving independent retailers and its quality execution, the company said. Elliott will also focus on strengthening the performance of the company’s corporate retail banners.

“Kevin Elliott brings extensive experience in driving top line growth, which will serve us well in this economic environment,” Covington said. “We have positioned ourselves for growth with the impressive programs we have built to serve our independent retailers, including our private label and category management programs. Kevin’s unique blend of distribution and retail experience makes him well suited to run our food distribution and retail businesses. We are excited to have Kevin join our team.”