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Feeling that its 1999 move into the Southwest worked, Raley's Inc. has made some changes in its executive suites to prepare for further expansion in that market.
"We're looking toward expansion in Las Vegas," said Carolyn White, spokeswoman for the West Sacramento-based supermarket chain. "We're looking for new store sites. We are there to stay."
To better handle its stores in Nevada and New Mexico, Raley's has split its superstores division - made up of the Raley's brand stores - into one division for California and another for the Southwest. Existing managers were promoted to vice presidential positions to oversee the new geographic divisions.
The Southwest Raley's stores will be overseen from a new division office in Las Vegas.
"As we see it, it sharpens our focus geographically," White said. "Northern California is quite different from southern Nevada and from Albuquerque."
Meanwhile, Raley's is settling in with its relatively new 56,000-square-foot distribution center in Las Vegas. Before opening the center several months ago, Raley's handled Las Vegas distribution solely from its North Natomas warehouse. New Mexico stores were served separately
by a variety of sources.
Separately, Raley's has hired two executives from outside the company and promoted others from within to fill newly created and existing positions.
"It probably was a smart move for them," said Don Beaver, former president...