This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Kroger Co. has announced the promotion of Mark Tuffin to president of the Smith's Food & Drug Stores division, headquartered in Salt Lake City.
He succeeds Jim Hallsey, who announced his retirement after more than 50 years of service with Smith's and its Ohio-based parent company. Tuffin will assume responsibility at the end of July.
Tuffin brings more than 30 years of experience in the grocery industry. He joined Smith's in 1996, and held several key leadership roles before being promoted to vice president of merchandising in 1999.
In 2009, Tuffin was named vice president of transition for Kroger in a role that involved organizational changes among all areas of the business.
"Mark possesses remarkable leadership skills and experience in both the Smith's division and leading Kroger's transition efforts," said Rodney McMullen, Kroger's president and chief operating officer. "Despite the challenges of organizational change, he never lost sight of our core mission to put the customer first."
Tuffin lives in Bountiful with his wife, Tami, and their three daughters.
Hallsey, who joined Smith's in 1964, served in several management positions, including senior vice president of its Drug Division. In 1995, he was named senior vice president and manager of Smith's regional office in Phoenix. He was later appointed executive vice president of sales and marketing.
In 2001, Hallsey was promoted to president of the Smith's Division. He played a critical role in the merger of the Oregon-based Fred Meyer and Smith's operations in 1997. Two years later, Smith's was purchased by the Kroger Co., making the chain the nation's largest traditional retail grocer.