Labor & Employment

HOUSTON — Stage Stores has announced that Mike Searles has joined the company as president and COO of its South Hill division, which is headquartered in South Hill, Va. Searles, who will report to Rich Maloney, EVP and chief merchandising officer, will be responsible for all operations of the South Hill division, including merchandising, planning and allocation, and store operations.

PHOENIX, Ariz. — The Global Market Development Center, the trade group for health, beauty, wellness and general merchandise retailers, announced that it has awarded its 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award to Terry Cox, retired group VP at Kroger, at its Health Beauty Wellness Marketing Conference in Phoenix, Ariz.

The wheels of justice turn slowly. So slowly in fact that just last week a former adviser to President George W. Bush was stripped of his license to practice law in Washington, D.C. for one year in connection with a fraudulent return scheme perpetuated at Target and other retailers in early 2006.

Houston -- Stage Stores announced that Mike Searles has joined the company as president and COO of its South Hill Division, which is headquartered in South Hill, Va.

Searles will be responsible for all operations of the South Hill Division, including merchandising, planning and allocation, and store operations. He has served as chairman and CEO of Wilsons Leather Stores, and Factory 2-U Stores, in addition to holding senior executive level positions at several other national retail chains.

Los Angeles -- CB Richard Ellis Group announced Monday that Grayson Gill has been promoted to COO of the company’s Asset Services business line.  

Gill previously held the title of Senior Managing Director.

In his new role, he will be responsible for the operations of Asset Services in the United States, overseeing all of the business line’s operational departments, including Legal, Employee Relations, Finance, Technology, Procurement, Human Resources, Technical Services, and Client Accounting.

Philadelphia -- Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services said that it has promoted Mark E. Taylor to first VP investments.

Most recently, Taylor held the title of VP investments. He specializes in the sale of retail shopping centers and net-leased property investment real estate.

Syracuse, N.Y. -- Sutton Real Estate Co. announced that Larry J. Socia, has joined the company as retail director.

Socia’s focus will be expanding the client representation business, seeking new business opportunities and overseeing existing retail real estate services.

Socia was previously retail division director for the Cushman & Wakefield Strategic Alliance Partner in Upstate New York.
 

By Robert Machson,

GARNER, N.C. — Butterball LLC, the nation’s largest turkey producer, has announced the appointment of Rod Brenneman as the company’s new CEO. After an extensive search, the company came back to its first and number one candidate, who has been filling the role as interim CEO and is already familiar with the organization.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Sears Holdings announced that former UPS executive Raj Penkar is joining the company as SVP and president of the company's supply chain.

In his new role, Penkar will be accountable for all aspects of the company's supply chain, including logistics, warehousing, inventory management and distribution. Prior to joining Sears, Penkar worked at UPS for 24 years and most recently served as president of UPS' customer solutions division.