Bi-Lo, Winn-Dixie Complete Merger

Bi-Lo has successfully completed its merger with Winn-Dixie and will eventually relocate its corporate offices from South Carolina to Florida, according to published reports.

The announcement follows approval of the transaction by Winn-Dixie shareholders Friday. Bi-Lo purchased Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. in December.

“With the merger of Bi-Lo and Winn-Dixie now complete, we can begin delivering on this exciting combination for the benefit of our customers, team members and communities,” said Randall Onstead, CEO and president of Bi-Lo Holding. “Together, we are a stronger company that will be focused on meeting and exceeding our customers’ expectations by offering even greater value with the service and shopping experience that they have come to expect.”

Bi-Lo and Winn-Dixie are now subsidiaries of privately held Bi-Lo Holding, which is the ninth-largest supermarket chain in the country. The company has 688 grocery stores and 63,000 team members in eight states throughout the southeast.

Following the merger, Bi-Lo said it will relocate from Greenville, S.C., to Winn-Dixie’s headquarters city of Jacksonville, Fla., because it is centrally located within its operating area, according to published reports. The eventual move will host the combined Bi-Lo and Winn-Dixie support center, corporate office and distribution facilities. Bi-Lo reportedly said it plans to maintain a strong regional presence in the Greenville area with regard to distribution and local store support needs.

The combined company will employ 63,000 workers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.