Dive Brief:
- Brookshire Grocery Company announced Monday that CEO and Chairman Brad Brookshire is retiring. Jerry LeClair, Brookshire’s chief operating officer, will serve as interim CEO.
- Brookshire, the grandson of BGC’s founder W.T. Brookshire, has worked for the grocery company for nearly 50 years, 20 of which were as board chairman and 10 as CEO.
- As CEO, Brookshire grew the company’s store footprint from 152 stores to 222 stores.
Dive Insight:
BGC credits its longtime chairman and CEO with not only expanding the retailer’s store footprint but also with strengthening its focus on innovation and customer service, according to the press release.
During his half-century with BGC, Brookshire served as store director, vice president, executive vice president and president, and the announcement noted he played a vital role in the development of the company’s Super 1 Foods banner more than 40 years ago.
As CEO, Brookshire established and expanded the grocery company’s Spring Market, Super 1 Foods and Fresh by Brookshire’s banners as well as acquired Reasor’s.
“From growing up in this company and watching my grandfather lead the company, to stepping into the shoes myself, it has been the greatest honor to be Chairman and CEO of Brookshire Grocery Company,” Brookshire said in a statement.
Brookshire was inducted into the Food Industry Hall of Fame in 2020 and received FMI — The Food Industry Association’s Sidney R. Rabb Award in 2024.
LeClair joined BGC in 2019 as executive vice president and chief merchant officer, bringing more than 40 years of grocery retail experience to the company, per the press release. He was promoted to chief operating officer in 2025 and has led retail operations, marketing, category management, merchandising, fuel, logistics and facility services in the role.
In his final months as CEO, Brookshire oversaw the acquisition of two Uptown Grocery stores in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, which were converted to the Fresh by Reasor’s banner. The grocery company purchased two Winn-Dixie stores in Louisiana’s capital city and announced plans to rebrand them under the Super 1 Foods banner.
BGC currently operates across four states — Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma — and has three distribution centers.
