“I met Peter early in the morning at a diner,” Ruocco recalls. “We were going to have breakfast, talk a little bit and go out and look at stores. But we remained at the diner until 2 p.m. and had both breakfast and lunch. “Peter knew more about the market than anyone else. He was brilliant. I was just blown away.” Ruocco later persuaded Brennan to join him at Daymon, his new employer. In his earliest years with the company, Brennan helped manage the A&P account in Cleveland, Ruocco recollects, noting that at the time Daymon was a brokerage business that drew commissions from private label suppliers while helping retailers develop and implement their private brand programs. What set Brennan apart during that period was his deep understanding of the need for better and more strategic relationships with suppliers and his recognition of the tremendous potential of store brands in the grocery sector. Until Brennan was named director of supplier relations, a new position at the time, Daymon’s account managers across the country often preferred to work with different private label vendors, Ruocco explains. Brennan strategically streamlined Daymon’s approach to bringing high-quality, visionary suppliers and retailers together. “Each of us back then had been doing our own thing,” remembers Thomas Schulke, who nominated Brennan for the Hall of Fame and now works for CHEP. “Peter was moved into a position where he became the mastermind between developing relationships with vendors and working strategically to ensure that Daymon was aligned with those manufacturers that were positioned to take private label where the more progressive people realized it needed to go. “He had to convince all of us mavericks within Daymon that we needed to trust him,” Schulke continues. “That was a hard sell because we each had our own little fiefdom. But he was able to accomplish that.” Dan Muller, who worked for Brennan during two stints at Daymon and now is a national sales manager for Merisant, emphasizes that “Peter redefined the private label broker.” His leadership ability recognized from the beginning, Brennan rose rapidly through the ranks at Daymon to become a The late Peter Brennan was widely regarded as a charismatic and persuasive speaker. (Photo courtesy of Daymon Worldwide)
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partner and then president and vice chairman of the company. He was a highly analytical thinker but also personable. “Whenever you spent time with him, it fueled your interest in the industry, your excitement to be a Daymon associate and your motivation to be better at your job,” says Dave Harvey, Daymon’s vice president of thought leadership. “He possessed that wonderful skill of focusing on the moment so that when you spoke to him, he was fully concentrating on you and your question. Simply put, Peter was a relationship person. He made all associates feel valued — regardless of title.”
Bob Mariano: Revolutionized ‘own brand’ concept
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lthough honored to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, Bob Mariano is quick to point out that he has always viewed the definition of “own brand” to be much more than private label packaged goods. A grocery retailer’s brand, he says, is the complete impression it makes on customers through the synergy of its private brands, unique specialty offerings, freshprepared food, deli and bakery items, the produce and meat departments, in-store events, and store ambiance. The Mariano’s banner in the Chicago area exemplifies his philosophy, attracting customers with its hip, cosmopolitan vibe, affordable prices, and blend of made-to-order stations, ethnic food, piano music, and atmosphere of adventure and fun. “All of these parts differentiate the brand for customers and add to their shopping experience,” Mariano says. Mariano began his grocery industry career in 1967 as a part-time deli clerk at a Dominick’s Finer Foods supermarket in Chicago. His passion for quality and leadership ability evident from the beginning, he served in roles of increasing responsibility before being named president and CEO of Dominick’s in 1995. He left the company after it was acquired by Safeway in 1998. In 2002, Mariano became the chairman and CEO of Milwaukee-based Roundy’s Inc., which operates several Wisconsin chains. He launched Mariano’s Fresh Market in 2010 with a store in Arlington Heights, Ill.; the banner now includes 40 stores. Retiring last September, Mariano currently serves as a strategic adviser to Cincinnati-based The Kroger Co., which acquired Roundy’s, including Mariano’s, in 2015. “When I first met Bob, he was the senior vice president of perishables at Dominick’s and I was the vice president of groceries,” remembers Don Fitzgerald, a group vice president