Long-Time McLane President & CEO Grady Rosier Announces Retirement
TEMPLE, Texas — Grady Rosier, a more than 36-year veteran of McLane Co. who’s served as president and CEO for the past 25 years, will retire at the end of this month. He will be succeeded by Tony Frankenberger, president of McLane Grocery, a $33-billion business unit that provides supply chain solutions to more than 70,000 retailer locations.
Under Rosier’s leadership, McLane has become a world-class leader in supply chain services for the grocery and foodservice industries. During his tenure, McLane experienced significant market share growth and substantial annual revenue increases, from less than $6 billion to more than $50 billion. The company’s grocery division has expanded from convenience stores to other classes of trade, including drugstores, mass market retailers, warehouse clubs, value stores, supermarkets, and alcoholic beverage distribution.
Rosier was also instrumental in the sale of McLane from Walmart to Berkshire Hathaway in 2003, and he led the charge for a new foodservice division servicing quick-service restaurants, fast casual and casual restaurants, which quickly became one of the largest in the industry.
“McLane is not just a company to me. It has been my passion, and the people at McLane are my family,” said Rosier, who’s also provided an unwavering commitment to charitable organizations such as Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and United Way.
Prior to joining McLane, Rosier spent more than a decade in various executive roles in the convenience channel. Before that, he had six years of honorable service in the United States Marine Corps and several more in the reserves. He was inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame in 2015, and currently serves on the board of directors of NVR Inc. and NuStar Energy.
The leadership transition will take place Aug. 28. Frankenberger will assume the president and CEO role, while also maintaining his McLane Grocery division responsibilities.
Frankenberger, who holds Bachelor of Arts and Master of Business Administration degrees from the University of Phoenix, began his career with McLane as a washer, fueler and mechanic in the transportation department and worked his way up in the organization. Today, he has more than 15 years of senior management experience, including past leadership positions in merchandising, procurement and operations.
“I have personally known Tony for more than 30 years and feel this is a tremendous opportunity for him to continue building the sustainability and growth of McLane into the future,” Rosier said in a statement. “He is an exceptional leader with a track record of operational excellence, building high-performance teams and extraordinary customer service.”
Frankenberger said he’s “thrilled” for Rosier and honored to be given this opportunity.
“I wish [Grady] nothing but health and happiness in this new chapter of his life,” he said. “I am honored to follow in his footsteps at an incredible company with outstanding teammates."