Keasbey-based Wakefern Food Corp., the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the United States, announced the appointment of Travis Riepenhoff as group vice president, Fresh. The move places a seasoned industry leader with more than two decades of experience at the helm of the cooperative’s critical fresh food sectors.
Riepenhoff will oversee all of Wakefern’s fresh divisions, which include Food Service, Bakery, Meat, Seafood, Produce, and Floral. His responsibilities will center on upholding the cooperative’s high standards for quality and innovation while actively driving growth across these key in-store categories.
“Travis’s deep industry experience and passion for fresh foods make him the ideal leader to guide our fresh divisions,” Darren Caudill, Wakefern’s chief sales officer said. “His leadership will help us continue to deliver the exceptional quality and variety our customers expect while supporting our retail members in growing these key categories.”
Extensive retail and merchandising background
Riepenhoff brings over 23 years of experience in the supermarket industry, with deep expertise in retail operations and merchandising across all fresh departments.
He most recently served as Vice President of Fresh Merchandising at Giant Eagle, where he was instrumental in developing high-impact merchandising programs, optimizing product assortment, and elevating product quality chain-wide. Before that, he held the role of Senior Director of Meat and Seafood at Kroger, managing a massive team across over 2,700 stores. He is recognized for his strategic vision, operational excellence, and commitment to innovation across all fresh categories, including Deli and Prepared Foods.
Riepenhoff holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Shawnee State University and completed Leadership Education and Development at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Leadership changes across divisions
Riepenhoff succeeds Mark Van Buskirk, who has now transitioned to the role of Group Vice President of Center Store. Van Buskirk takes over from Paul Patten, who is retiring after a distinguished 43-year career with the cooperative.
