Consumer >> CEO Interviews >> February 27, 2002
JAMES B. MEYER was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer of
Spartan Stores, Inc., in August 1996. In July 1997 his role was expanded
to President and Chief Executive Officer. In August 2000 the board
elected him Chairman, in addition to his roles as President and CEO. He
has provided the vision as well as the operational and strategic
leadership for the company as a major driver behind Spartan's re-entry
into the retail supermarket business. Since the company's first
supermarket acquisition in 1999, Spartan Stores' retail store base has
grown to 102 supermarkets and 25 deep discount food/drug combo stores,
with annual sales approaching $4 billion. Mr. Meyer joined Spartan
Stores, Inc., in 1973 as director of retail accounting and served in a
variety of positions before his promotion to senior vice president and
CFO in 1989 and COO in 1996. Mr. meyer is board chair of Heart of West
Michigan United Way and Davenport University. He is a Board member of
Food Distributors International, Standard Federal Bank, Hope Network and
Food Marketing Institute. He also serves on the board for the Employers
Coalition for Healing Racism, and has served as Corporate Chair for the
Year 2000 Juvenile Diabetes Foundation Walk. Profile
Mr. Meyer: The company was organized in 1917 and up until the last two
and a half years, functioned primarily as a
