Kroger eyes greater growth in Texas

Kroger is thinking big in Texas with a three year, $1.2 billion investment plan and just created a new senior leadership structure to execute the growth strategy.

Kroger’s growth aspirations in Texas will be overseen by two key executives tasked with leading newly created divisions. The retailer created a new Dallas division and a Houston division. The stores in both areas were previously part of the company’s 214 unit Southwest division.

Leading the new Dallas Division will be Dana Zurcher who was promoted from the role of vice president of operations of the Southwest division. The new Dallas division includes 105 stores in the Dallas and Fort Worth markets and in the Shreveport and Alexandria, Louisiana area. Leading the Houston Division will be Bill Breetz who has served as president of the Southwest Division since 2002. The new Houston division includes 109 stores in the greater Houston region, as well as stores in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

"Kroger is committed to growing and serving our customers in the great state of Texas, and in our important Louisiana markets," said Rodney McMullen, Kroger's chairman and CEO. "We see opportunities for growth in both Dallas and Houston thanks in large part to Bill's leadership the past 13 years. This move will bring resources closer to our store teams, customers, and communities."

Currently, only about 8% of Kroger’s nationwide network of 2,625 supermarkets are located in Texas and Louisiana, the nation’s second most populous state. That situation is poised to change as the company has previously outlined capital investment plans of approximately $700 million in Dallas-Fort Worth and $500 million in Houston over the next three years.