The 2023 Packer 25 — Ron Ferri
Editor’s note: The following profile is from the 2023 Packer 25, our annual tribute to 25 leaders, innovators and agents of change across the fresh produce supply chain. (You can view all honorees here.) This feature has been edited for length and clarity.
Ron Ferri — President, Tops Friendly Markets
You began your Tops career in the produce department 34 years ago and, earlier this year, assumed the role of president. What is it about the grocery business and the fresh produce industry that has kept you engaged all these years and led to an executive role with Tops Friendly Markets?
When I first started working in 1989, I learned at an early age how important Tops is to our local communities. Many of the residents who shopped my store were locals who lacked transportation and walked or took a bus to our store. That experience helped shape my vision for our organization today. I am keenly aware of how operating a full-service supermarket in the communities we serve is vital in order to provide access to fresh produce and other items that they may not have access to if Tops were not present.
Tops is a family! I have several lifelong friendships that would not have taken place had it not been for my career at Tops.
My experience in produce was the bedrock for my career. My first produce manager taught me that produce freshness and quality is paramount to the whole store experience. His mentorship and belief in me is what motivated me to grow with Tops and is something I will never forget. That experience and advice he provided has helped form who I am today.
What do you hope your legacy will be in the grocery business and why?
I would like to look back one day and see all the associates that I have had the opportunity to impact in a positive way during my career. Providing opportunities for growth and development in the organization so we can provide lifelong careers at Tops is extremely rewarding. In addition, being able to give back to all the communities we serve and seeing how it impacts their lives is something that will stick with me forever.
In the near term, what is one goal you hope to achieve at Tops in the year ahead?
Continued outreach to our community leaders, vendor partners and associates to listen and provide the opportunity for feedback to help me make better decisions in the future.
More about Ron Ferri
Ron Ferri currently serves as president of Tops Friendly Markets, a Williamsville, N.Y.-based company that operates 149 full-service supermarkets and 60 gas stations in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont.
Ferri began his career at Tops as a produce clerk in 1989. Over the next 34 years, his roles included store manager, director of asset protection, district manager, regional vice president, vice president of distribution and senior vice president of distribution and logistics. Prior to becoming president, he served as executive vice president of operations and distribution since 2016.
He recently completed his ninth year serving on the board of Goodwill Industries of Western New York and was named to the “Top 40 Under 40” list by Buffalo Business First in 2011.
Ferri holds a bachelor’s degree from Houghton University and an MBA from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
