Dennis Russo Email & Phone Number

Mauldin, South Carolina, United States

Responsible for daily quality inspections of multiple Fresh Produce, Meat, and Seafood items at Food Lion Distribution Center servicing full line supermarket stores.-Inspect items upon arrival and follow up daily to ensure freshness and best quality products are maintained.-Work with Buyers to ensure product is moved through in a timely fashion to ensure freshness to stores.-Receive, gas and ripen bananas and mangoes.-Retail Food and Seafood HACCP Certified.

Piedmont, South Carolina

Responsible for inventory management, quality and sales in multi-million dollar produce distribution facility.Responsible for coordinating/maintaining inventory for over 1100 produce items. Work with buyers to ensure correct items, inventory levels and quality are optimum to service customers. Engage with retail customers and sales team to handle questions, resolve issues and move excess inventory timely by effectively working with the sales team in negotiating price ensuring profitability. Create weekly Ad planners and identify special buy opportunities to offer retailers.

Corporate Office

Directed, assisted, and enforced corporate retail operations in the fulfillment of Save-A-Lot (SAL) Risk Management Safety protocols and helped achieve Dept goals by analyzing data, monitoring local, state and govt agencies for safety policy changes, and communicating to stores and field new programs/SOPs as needed to ensure compliance at all times. Developing and reviewing all corporate training documents and SOP’s to address the proper way associates are to handle a situation or perform a job safely. Ensured proper safety procedures are put in place. >Reduced Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Recordable Worker’s Comp and Customer Incidents by 587 total fewer incidents and reducing incurred spending by 1.1 million dollars. >By training and coaching helped the Ohio Region stores achieve an OSHA Workers Comp rate of 1.7 compared to the grocery industry average OSHA rate of 4.7 for fiscal year. >Developed Company’s first OSHA required Stepladder Usage guidance policy for associates for government compliance. >Updated all of the company’s Safety Programs to reflect all new OSHA Mandates. >Created largest First Responder team in SAL history having 39 associated trained in both CPR, AED usage to further ensure safety of all corporate office associates. >Worked with Facility Dept and General Contractor to help build and create a floor plan identifying safe area for evacuation, AED, First Aid Kit and Fire Extinguisher placement where none existed before.

Corporate Office

Leveraged extensive Produce knowledge in support of the execution of assortment, promotions, pricing and presentation strategies. Collaborated with the VP and Directors of Produce, Procurement, and Retail Operations. Set Produce departments at new stores and reset existing departments as necessary. Conduct training with new associates. >Developed How-To-Build and Merchandise instructional documents detailing step-by-step the process of building and merchandising the refrigerated case and dry rack fixtures for use by corporate and licensed field staff and stores when a member of Merchandising team could not be present to set the produce department. >Established the company’s first Order Guide training documents for field staff and stores to use in order to properly train associates on how to order product correctly thereby ensuring adequate supplies of the freshest product for the customer and maximizing profit by reducing shrink caused by over/under ordering. >Helped achieved produce department ID sales of over 11% in fist year alone and 4900 plus basis points in 3 years. >Recognized by CEO as part of team that opened 4 new stores in 3 days. >Created first specific Produce department equipment list for stores and field staff. >Assisted in developing company’s first Locally Grown Produce campaigns specifically for Florida and Michigan.

Corporate Office

Worked directly with stores, field staff and upper level management to maintain key department areas of retail operations. Dealt directly with state and local governments for compliance resolutions and communicated any changes to affected departments. Managed all national retail service providers including contract negotiations and invoice approval. Created, maintained and analyzed data files as needed. >Successfully renegotiated MUZAK contracts to allow early termination saving SAL $112,000. >Developed and launched Save-A-Lot’s first Food Bank Donation program creating both the SOPs and training materials. >Established and initiated Waste Removal “Right Sizing” which saved SAL over $402,000 annually. >Collaborated with Distribution in developing a cardboard recycling program whereby all corporate SAL stores would return cardboard to the DC. This initiative earned SAL over $200,000 in extra revenue. >Worked closely between state, divisions, and accounting to locate and recover $29,000 in “lost” WIC money. >Founding member of Save A Lot “Zero Waste” team. Assisted in creation and roll out of centralized baled cardboard and soft plastic recycling programs. >As member of Corporate Crisis Response Team was recognized by CEO for exemplary services performed during Hurricane Irene in support of stores and associates.

Bowling Green Area, Ky

Guided departmental operations in 54 stores across 15 states.Interfaced directly with store personnel to champion corporate GM standards and ensure achievement of sales and inventory goals. Trained associates and communicated objectives at all levels. Merchandised and set departments spearheading new planograms for GM sets, as well as merchandising changes implemented company-wide.

Bowling Green, Ky

Bowling Green, Ky

Port Washington, Ny