Mergers & Acquisitions

Jacksonville, Fla. - Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is investigating potential claims on behalf of purchasers of the securities of Stein Mart Inc. The investigation focuses on whether Stein Mart and/or certain of its officers complied with the federal securities laws when making statements to investors.

Wroclaw, Poland — Atrium European Real Estate has acquired the Galeria Dominikanska shopping center in the Polish city of Wroclaw for E151.7 million, according to Dentons Europe, which advised Atrium on the transaction.

Atrium owns operates and develops retail real estate and shopping centers in Central and Eastern Europe.

HAMPSTEAD, Md. — JoS. A. Bank has appointed Byron "Bud" Bergren to the company’s board of directors. Bergren will also serve on the audit committee.

Bergren was formerly chairman of the board at Bon-Ton Stores from February 2012 to June 2013. From 2002 to 2011, he served as president and CEO of Bon-Ton, where he led the company's acquisition of Saks Northern Department Store Group. Bergren received a B.S. degree from St. Cloud State University. He served on the board of directors of the National Retail Federation from 2008 to 2012.

Brussels, Belgium – Delhaize Group has named Franz Muller as CEO, effective Nov. 8. Muller will succeed Pierre-Olivier Beckers, who will remain available to advise the new CEO until year-end and continue to serve on the board of directors in a non-executive capacity thereafter.

Muller, 52, has more than 15 years of senior leadership experience in retail, most recently as a member of the management board of Metro AG and CEO of Metro Cash & Carry. He will start with Delhaize on Oct. 14, prior to assuming the role of CEO.

BRUSSELS, Belgium — Belgian international food retailer Delhaize Group announced that Roland Smith, CEO of Delhaize America, and Pierre-Olivier Beckers, CEO of Delhaize Group, are leaving the company.

New York -- Brinker International chairman Doug Brooks and First Horizon National Corp. CEO Bryan Jordan were elected to the AutoZone board of directors.

The addition of Brooks and Jordan give AutoZone a total of 11 board members. The company is due to report fourth quarter financial results on Sept. 25.

CHICAGO — The Hillshire Brands Company has signed an agreement to acquire the maker of Golden Island jerky products.

Terms were not disclosed, and the transaction is expected to close by the end of the month, pending closing conditions.

New York -- Yankee Candle has agreed to be acquired by global consumer products company Jarden Corp. for $1.75 billion in cash from its private equity owner Madison Dearborn Partners. Yankee Candle, based in South Deerfield, Mass., operates about 575 stores in the United States and Canada.

Madison Dearborn bought Yankee Candle in 2007 for $1.4 billion cash and the assumption of $300 million in debt.