WESTMINSTER, COLO. – Luke LaPerriere has been named vice-president of retail innovations for Perdue Premium Meat Co., a subsidiary of Perdue Farms.
Mr. LaPerriere brings to Perdue more than 40 years of experience in retail, grocery, operations and procurement. Most recently, he was vice-president of meat and seafood sales and procurement for Harris Teeter, a position he held for 13 years. Before that, he was vice-president of meat and seafood for Stop & Shop for six years, and earlier he spent three years as the category manager and director of meat and seafood sales and procurement for Harris Teeter. Earlier in his career, Mr. LaPerriere spent 18 years with Shaw’s Supermarkets in a variety of leadership roles, including category manager of meat and seafood.
“I have admired Perdue Premium Meats and its family of trusted brands for many years, and I am excited to join such a high quality, innovative company that truly cares about animal welfare and U.S. ranch and farm families,” Mr. LaPerriere said. “This is exactly what the current consumer and future generations are demanding. My first procurement position was on the poultry desk in the early 90s, and I quickly saw firsthand that the Perdue companies have always stood for the upmost quality. I look forward to utilizing my combined experiences in retail operations, supply chain, perishable procurement and planning to help grow the premium meat brands with progressive grocers across the country. My goal is to help transform the meat case with superior product that today’s consumers want to buy but have difficulty finding.”
In his new role, Mr. LaPerriere will support Perdue’s Niman Ranch, Coleman Natural and Panorama Grassfed Beef brands through outreach, merchandising, consumer acquisition and case ready programs to reach a larger nationwide audience looking to better understand their progressive meat choices, Perdue said. He also will be tasked with assisting Perdue Farms with new opportunities and relationships with mainstream grocers.
“With innovative and successful leaders like Luke, we stay true to consumer demand and expand our mission-driven support of domestic family farmers and ranchers, their land and the humane treatment of animals,” said Jeff Tripician, president of Perdue Premium Meat Co. “Luke brings a spirit of developing collaborative working relationships between meat brands and outstanding retail partners. Luke has led some of the most progressive grocery store meat departments in the country. As we continue to grow our ability to make positive change in the industry, we need Luke’s help to translate this successfully to other leading grocers that want to attract and retain a superior, long-term consumer who demands products that fit their lifestyle today. Bottom line, the addition of Luke to our senior management team makes us a better company and a better partner with our grocers.”
