Lifelong grocery professional Price Mabry has accepted the role of vice president of fresh at Hattiesburg, Miss.-based Roberts Co., which owns grocery chains such as Corner Market.
Mabry began his career at United Supermarkets in Oklahoma, according to a news release.
His experience includes sales management, merchandising, procurement, warehouse management and strategic marketing. He prides himself on his collaborative communication style and strong work ethic, and his ability to connect with people and exceed objectives have earned him the respect and trust of colleagues, customers and suppliers, according to the release.
Mabry comes from HAC Inc, an 80-store grocery chain that features eight banners with stores across Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Georgia.
Before joining HAC, Mabry was sales manager with Associated Wholesale Grocers-Gulf Coast Division, where he oversaw every aspect of produce sales, procurement and operations. Prior to AWG, he held roles as produce manager and produce merchandiser with Albertsons.
The late H. David “Doc” Roberts founded the family’s first grocery store in 1968. The Roberts and Martin Foods Co. became a limited liability corporation in 1972, and 30 years later, the Roberts family bought out the Martins, naming it Roberts Co.
Doc Roberts’ son, Forrest Roberts, eventually took over the family business, and his son, David Roberts, is the third generation of family grocers.
Sunflower Market was Roberts’ original chain, and County Market stores followed. The Roberts Co. has kept the grocery chains small — about 16 to 20 stores — with locations across Mississippi.
Then Forrest Roberts traveled the country with some of the store’s wholesalers to look at different concepts before creating the first Corner Market.
Corner Market stores introduced new items, like an olive bar, gourmet cheeses and exotic fruits and vegetables, while keeping basic grocery store items in stock.
“My dad kinda wanted a new vision for the grocery store role,” David Roberts said in the release. “That (first) store was the bomb.”
The new Corner Market idea expands on the original concept.
“It really just evolved from there,” David Roberts said in the release. “Now we’re going bigger. We used to be a boutique (chain). But Hattiesburg has needed a larger grocery store for a while, and we saw the opportunity to grow.”
