Big Y in the News
Big Y Foods, Inc. is one of the largest independently owned supermarket chains in New England. Big Y operates 84 locations throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut including 70 supermarkets, Table & Vine Fine Wines and Liquors and 13 Big Y Express gas and convenience locations with almost 12,000 employees. Big Y has been recognized by Forbes as a Best-in-State Employer in Massachusetts and Connecticut, as well as Employer of Choice by the Employers Association of the Northeast. Founded in 1936 by brothers Paul and Gerald D'Amour, the store was named after an intersection in Chicopee, Massachusetts where two roads converge to form a "Y".
Big Y in the News contains excerpts from press releases that have been sent to local media.
John P. Fraro
Vice President of Fresh Foods
Steve Nordstrom
Vice President of Center Store
Big Y Appoints New Vice Presidents of Fresh Foods & Center Store
SPRINGFIELD, MA (September 5, 2024) – The Board of Directors of Big Y Foods, Inc. has announced the following new appointments:
- John P. Fraro, of Somers, CT Vice President of Fresh Foods
- Steve Nordstrom, of Southbridge, MA Vice President of Center Store
Both report to Michael R. Cormier, Senior Vice President of sales and marketing.
John P. Fraro has been appointed vice president of fresh foods where he will be responsible for all aspects of Big Y’s fresh departments including meat, seafood, bakery, deli, kitchen, produce and floral.
Fraro started his career at Big Y in 2005 as an assistant food service/kitchen manager after having held positions in meat, bakery and deli for two other retailers previously. In 2006, he was appointed sous chef at Big Y’s Fresh Acres Market and later in 2008 as their meal solutions manager. In 2009, he was appointed junior deli buyer followed by bakery sales manager. From 2014 - 2017, he was a deli then produce sales manager, until his 2017 appointment as director of deli, bakery and kitchen.
In 2017, Fraro was recognized as one of the 40 Under 40 Food Industry Rising Leaders by The Griffin Report of the Northeast and in 2020, he was on The Shelby Report’s list of People to Watch. He completed the National Grocers Association Executive Development Program and last year he received the 2023 Emerging Leader Award from the Massachusetts Food Association. He and his partner, Michael, live in Somers, CT.
Steve Nordstrom has been appointed vice president of center store where he will be responsible for center store sales, marketing and merchandising programs for grocery, health and beauty care, general merchandise, frozen, dairy as well as space management.
He joined Big Y in 1996 as an assistant grocery manager and later held other roles within the operations division, including store director, sales and merchandising mentor and district director. In 2014, he moved to the sales and marketing department as a sales manager and one year later became director of frozen and dairy. By 2018, he was director of health and wellness, including pharmacies, and in 2020, he was named director of center store followed by senior director of center store in 2023. Nordstrom's grocery career spans 30 years. He holds a BA from Assumption College. Nordstrom and his wife, Meredith, have 2 children and live in Southbridge, MA.
According to Michael P. D’Amour, Big Y president and CEO, “Our people are and always will be the heart of our company. They foster and grow our culture of caring, continuous learning and service to each other and our communities. I am excited to have John and Steve join our vice president leadership team as they will help us to challenge how we think, innovate and grow. The most important thing we do as a leadership group is to help educate and empower all our employees to have a voice and to be a part of a team that is committed to Big Y remaining a great place to work and shop for generations to come.”