Stop & Shop announces Quincy Center Plaza as location of Stop & Shop New England division
Quincy, Massachusetts, United States – Ahold USA today announced a $4 million reinvestment in Quincy Center Plaza (QCP), 1385 Hancock Street in Quincy, Massachusetts. The facility is a hub location for Ahold USA support staff and will be the headquarters of the Stop & Shop New England Division, headed by Mark McGowan. Approximately $2.9 million will be used for capital improvements and the balance for investments in IT infrastructure.
“In reorganizing, our goal was to continue to grow our business and reinvest back into our grocery stores, product offerings and customers,” said Carl Schlicker, chief operating officer, Ahold USA. “We have created a strong divisional structure that allows us to respond quickly to the needs of our customers and stay closely connected to our local communities. Now that we have completed the major restructuring of our business, we are pleased to reinvest in one of our key facilities located in Quincy, where we have long been a centerpiece of the downtown community.”
The Quincy office is one of two main Ahold USA support offices with the company’s finance, real estate, construction, legal and human resources functions based there. Stop & Shop New England, a division of Ahold USA, will relocate its headquarters to the QCP office by early summer. In addition to Stop & Shop Division associates, Ahold USA also is relocating several smaller offices in the region to Quincy. With these consolidations, there will be approximately 950 people working in QCP, which will be fully occupied by the end of 2011.
“Ahold USA and Stop & Shop are important employers in Quincy and we are thrilled by their commitment to reinvest in our City, keeping their ties to our community strong,” said Quincy Mayor Tom Koch. “Quincy Center is poised for a dramatic rebirth, and this $4 million reinvestment by one of our longest-standing corporate citizens sends an unmistakable message that the future is now for our historic, vibrant downtown.”
The Stop & Shop New England and Stop & Shop New York Metro Divisions operate more than 390 Stop & Shop stores throughout the northeast. Stop & Shop is one of the largest private sector employers in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with more than 20,000 associates. Stop & Shop’s 1.2 million square foot distribution center in Freetown, MA, continues to serve stores in the New England region.
“We are delighted to announce that our building in Quincy, which we own, will once again be fully occupied later in 2011 as we relocate Divisional staff to the building,” said Mark McGowan, president, Stop & Shop New England Division. “As one of the largest local employers in Quincy, we intend to remain actively involved in the quality of life of the downtown Quincy community.”
In 2005, the Stop & Shop real estate team introduced Street-Works to Quincy to help improve the downtown environment around the building. Five years later, Stop & Shop continues to work with Quincy Mayor Tom Koch’s office to support redevelopment efforts that will enhance the work experience for the people who work in downtown Quincy. In addition, Stop & Shop operates several stores nearby including one on the Southern Artery within walking distance of the Downtown Redevelopment Project.
"Stop and Shop has a long history of support and investment in Quincy and this is another testament to their commitment to this community. We are proud to have their time, energy and financial resources demonstrate their confidence in the downtown redevelopment and its position for future success," said Ken Narva, Co-managing Partner, Street-Works Development.
In November 2009, Ahold USA announced organizational changes to provide a foundation for accelerating the growth of its US retail businesses. In order to support its growth objectives, Ahold USA announced a plan to better leverage its size as one of the largest food retailers in the US by simplifying back-office functions and creating even stronger and more responsive Divisions.
Ahold USA supports four regional Divisions in the US – Stop & Shop New England, Stop & Shop New York Metro, Giant Landover, and Giant Carlisle. These Divisions together operate 750 supermarkets and employ more than 106,000 associates in 13 states and the District of Columbia along with Peapod, the nation’s leading e-commerce grocery business.
