Corporate Governance

Serta Simmons Holdings has announced that Bob Sherman, CEO of National Bedding Company (doing business as Serta International), has decided to leave the company to pursue other interests, effective immediately.

The company stated that during his 25-year tenure, Sherman drove a combination of groundbreaking product innovation, strong customer relationships and operational excellence that led Serta to become the top mattress brand in the United States. 

SMS Assist, a leading technology-driven facilities maintenance and management company, has appointed Geoffrey Wigner as its EVP of facilities.

Wigner previously served as senior director of store services for Dollar General, where he managed more than $500 million in capital and expense budgets while directing major projects affecting more than 10,000 stores. Wigner helped the nationwide retailer open 625 new stores and renovate 525 others in fiscal year 2011. 

ConAgra has appointed Thomas “Tony” K. Brown to its board of directors, effective Oct. 15. With the addition of Brown, ConAgra’s board has increased to 12. 

Meijer plans to address the need many consumers have for more information about the health insurance exchanges that are part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

New York -- The Container Store late Monday filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission for an initial public stock offering.

The retailer, which operator of 62 stores in 22 states with annual sales of $702 million,  said it sees the potential for  c as many as 300 U.S. Locations,  with international growth also a possibility. It expects to open six stores during the current fiscal year and seven stores next year.

Thibodaux, La. -- Southern grocery store operator Rouses Markets will take ownership of six former Belle Foods stores in Alabama from Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG), a retail-owner cooperative of which Rouses Markets is a member. AWG and its group of grocers and operators submitted the winning bid last week at the Belle Foods bankruptcy auction in Birmingham.

This is Rouses Markets' first expansion into Alabama. The company currently operates 38 stores in Louisiana and Mississippi. Three new stores in Louisiana were also recently announced.

CHESTER, Pa. -- Fare & Square, the nation's first nonprofit grocery store of its kind, opened in Chester, Pa. It is the first full service grocery store to open in Chester, a “food desert” area, since 2001.

Fare & Square will sell a full array of food with a focus on fresh products in a 16,000 sq. ft. store with six departments including produce, deli, fresh meat, seafood, dairy, frozen and dry goods featuring brand name and private labels.   

Montreal -- Luxury jewelry store operator Birks & Mayors Inc. announced that effective Oct. 1, its corporate name will be changed to Birks Group Inc. and its ticker symbol will be changed to BGI.

Altoona, Pa. -- Joe S. Sheetz, executive VP of finance and store development for Sheetz, will assume the position of president and CEO, beginning Oct. 1.

Current chief executive Stan Sheetz leaves the presidency after 18 years and will stay active in the convenience store chain in the role of chairman.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Walmart announced that Kathleen McLaughlin, 48, has been named president of the Walmart Foundation, effective Oct. 15.

In addition to leading corporate giving, she will have responsibility for the company's global sustainability, women's economic empowerment initiatives and healthier food initiatives.

McLaughlin, previously a senior partner at global consulting firm McKinsey & Company, is a dual American-Canadian citizen and was based in Toronto.