Don Harris leaves Wild Oats
Don Harris leaves Wild Oats
HOUSTON -- Don Harris, who has served as the top produce executive at Wild Oats for the past five years, did not survive as the melding of the chain into Whole Foods was completed.
"I am happy that everyone on my team found positions with Whole Foods or with the Smart & Final aspect of the deal," he told The Produce News during the recent Produce Marketing Association annual convention. "But at the end of the day, there just wasn't a spot for me." He confirmed Oct. 13 "that as of midnight last night, I am out of a job and looking for another one."
Mr. Harris has been involved in a number of retail mergers and acquisitions during his 34 years in the supermarket industry, "and so I know how these things work," he said. "I have always advised people that all you can do is the best job you know how and work until the end. That's what I've done. I've thoroughly enjoyed myself the last six weeks merging Wild Oats and our operations into Whole Foods."
The merger of the nation's two largest natural food store chains began earlier this year when Whole Foods offered to buy all the outstanding stock of Wild Oats. The acquisition was held up for several months as the deal was opposed by the Federal Trade Commission. However, in August, a court approved the deal and quashed the FTC's effort to delay it.
Mr. Harris said that there were systems in each company that were superior to those of the other and that Whole Foods did adopt some of the Wild Oats practices, especially on the business end of the spectrum. "All of my support people were asked to stay," he said, "and I am proud of that."
After 29 years with Safeway, Mr. Harris joined Wild Oats five years ago with the directive to "build an organization" from the bottom up. He enjoyed that aspect of the job and hopes he has that opportunity again with another company. Although he has spent his entire career on the retail end of the produce industry, he is not married to that concept. "I am going to look at all segments of the industry for my next position," he said.
And he has no geographic bias. "My kids are in the Northwest, so we love that area, and my wife loves our home in Colorado," he concluded, "but I'm open to whatever opportunities are out there."
"I am happy that everyone on my team found positions with Whole Foods or with the Smart & Final aspect of the deal," he told The Produce News during the recent Produce Marketing Association annual convention. "But at the end of the day, there just wasn't a spot for me." He confirmed Oct. 13 "that as of midnight last night, I am out of a job and looking for another one."
Mr. Harris has been involved in a number of retail mergers and acquisitions during his 34 years in the supermarket industry, "and so I know how these things work," he said. "I have always advised people that all you can do is the best job you know how and work until the end. That's what I've done. I've thoroughly enjoyed myself the last six weeks merging Wild Oats and our operations into Whole Foods."
The merger of the nation's two largest natural food store chains began earlier this year when Whole Foods offered to buy all the outstanding stock of Wild Oats. The acquisition was held up for several months as the deal was opposed by the Federal Trade Commission. However, in August, a court approved the deal and quashed the FTC's effort to delay it.
Mr. Harris said that there were systems in each company that were superior to those of the other and that Whole Foods did adopt some of the Wild Oats practices, especially on the business end of the spectrum. "All of my support people were asked to stay," he said, "and I am proud of that."
After 29 years with Safeway, Mr. Harris joined Wild Oats five years ago with the directive to "build an organization" from the bottom up. He enjoyed that aspect of the job and hopes he has that opportunity again with another company. Although he has spent his entire career on the retail end of the produce industry, he is not married to that concept. "I am going to look at all segments of the industry for my next position," he said.
And he has no geographic bias. "My kids are in the Northwest, so we love that area, and my wife loves our home in Colorado," he concluded, "but I'm open to whatever opportunities are out there."
