Diversity & Inclusion

Atlanta - S. Truett Cathy, founder and chairman emeritus of Chick-fil-A Inc., died at the age of 93 on Sept. 8.

Cathy got his start in 1946, when he opened a diner in a suburb of Atlanta. He invented the Chick-fil-A sandwich in 1964 and opened the company's first restaurant in Atlanta in 1967. Under his leadership, the quick-serve eatery grew into one of the nation’s largest family-owned companies, with annual sales of $5 billion in 2013. Currently, there are more than 1,800 Chick-fil-A restaurants operating in 40 states and Washington, D.C.

In a few weeks, retailers across the country will set out to begin to interview, hire and train workers for very busy holiday season. There is nothing new about these hiring trends. What is new is that we can translate and apply military methods to train, integrate and improve workers effectiveness for a more successful retail season.
 

Woonsocket, R.I. - CVS Health has completed the purchase of Miami-based Navarro Discount Pharmacy, the largest Hispanic-owned drugstore chain in the U.S. The acquisition includes Navarro's 33 retail drugstore locations and Navarro Health Services, a specialty pharmacy serving patients with complex or chronic diseases.

The retail drugstores will retain the Navarro Discount Pharmacy name.

Welch's has appointed Mari Rodriguez as the VP of R&D/corporate quality. Most recently, Rodriguez was the senior director of beverage R&D with Campbell’s, where she developed and helped launch numerous V-8 products.

“Welch’s is the leader in Concord grape research and product development,” said Rodriguez. “I’m thrilled to be joining their team of grape experts to help further expand the brand’s portfolio of delicious products and bring the benefits of the Concord grape to more families.”

Coppell, Texas – Alco Stores Inc. has named director Stanley B. Latacha as Interim CEO, effective immediately. Richard Wilson, who served as CEO for the past four years, has left Alco by mutual agreement with the board of directors.

Latacha has more than 30 years of retail experience, including overseeing turnarounds at Richman Gordman, Goody's, and more recently Pamida.

Cincinnati - The Kroger Co. is hiring to fill an estimated 20,000 permanent positions in its supermarket divisions. The company has created more than 40,000 permanent new jobs in the past six years, not including the 25,000 employees who joined as a result of the Harris-Teeter acquisition.

"Kroger's growth trajectory creates more job opportunities for current and future employees," said Katy Barclay, Kroger's senior VP of human resources.

Hudson's Bay Company has appointed Andrea Wong as a director of the company. Including Wong, who is considered an independent director, the board is now made up of 10 directors.

San Francisco -- Over two-thirds (68%) of women are more likely to buy from a company that uses models of varying sizes, according to a new study by online fashion retailer ModCloth. And only 13% of women agree that "real women" are accurately portrayed in the fashion industry.