 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Grocery store |
| Founded | August 17, 1936; 89 years ago (1936-08-17) Yucaipa, California, U.S. |
| Founders | Cleo Stater Leo Stater |
| Headquarters | 301 S. Tippecanoe Ave.,San Bernardino, California, U.S. |
Number of locations | 171[1] stores throughout Southern California, primarily in the Inland Empire (San Bernardino and Riverside Counties) |
Key people | Pete Van Helden (CEO)[1] Greg McNiff (President)[1] |
| Products | Bakery, dairy, deli, floral, frozen foods, general grocery, liquor, meat, produce, seafood, snacks |
| Revenue | US$4.2 billion (2015)[2] |
Number of employees | 18,000[1] |
| Parent | La Cadena Investments |
| Website | staterbros |
Stater Bros. Markets is a privately heldsupermarketchain, based inSan Bernardino, California, consisting of 171 stores located throughoutSouthern California. It was founded inYucaipa, California, on August 17, 1936, by twin brothers Cleo and Leo Stater when they purchased the market owned by Cleo's boss, W. A. Davis, with a $600 down payment ($13,596 in 2024 dollars[3]).[4] Cleo recalled to theInland Empire Business Press in 1998, that the owner of the market across the street from Davis' gave him the other $300 to make the full down payment. Stater Bros. went public in 1964; Cleo, Leo, and their brother Lavoy sold their interests to the now-defunctLong Beach–based Petrolane Gas Service in 1968.[5] The chain has been owned fully by Stater Bros. Holdings, a subsidiary of La Cadena Investments, owned by Stater's late chairman, president and CEO, Jack H. Brown, since 1986.[6][7]
In 1999, Stater bought 43 plus one futureAlbertsons and Lucky supermarkets during Albertsons' merger withAmerican Stores. This acquisition expanded Stater into new areas, including theAntelope Valley andSan Diego County.[8] It entered theFortune 500 for the first time in 2006 at #493,[9] the first notableInland Empire–based company to do so. In 2006, the headquarters began construction of a 2,000,000-square-foot (190,000 m2) facility atSan Bernardino International Airport (formerlyNorton Air Force Base) from its former location on theColton–Grand Terrace border.[10] In 2018, Stater sold its SuperRX pharmacy division toCVS.[11]
Throughout itsInland Empire home turf, Stater Bros. stores are concentrated heavily throughoutSan Bernardino andRiverside counties in Southern California. The chain also has a presence throughoutOrange County.
InLos Angeles County, Stater Bros. stores are mainly in communities east of theLong Beach Freeway (I-710) and in communities connected by theAntelope Valley Freeway (SR 14) fromSanta Clarita toLancaster. Stater Bros. also has stores in northern areas ofSan Diego County generally located between theTed Williams Parkway (SR 56) and theSan Luis Rey Mission Expressway (SR 76) fromOceanside toRamona. There is also one store in Ventura County, located inSimi Valley. Also, there are two stores in easternKern County, located inRidgecrest andMojave.[12]
Jack H. Brown joined Stater Bros. in 1981 as the company's president.[13] He served as chief executive and president for 35 years. In January 2016, Pete Van Helden was appointed president and chief executive, and Brown became Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors.[14] Brown died on November 13, 2016. On December 12, former CFO Phillip J. Smith was elected chairman.[15] Smith was also elected chairman, president and CEO of Stater Bros. Holdings.
For many years, Stater Bros. Markets did not have an official corporate slogan. The unofficial phrase was "It's our meat that made us famous." In the early 1990s, "The Eco-Friendly Leader in the Heartland" was introduced as the official slogan, which was later changed to "The Low-Priced Leader in Your Hometown", then supplanted by an unofficial slogan "An American Tradition To Serve Your Family Well". As of 2006, the slogan had been replaced with a lengthy phrase with an emphasis on rhymed words. Found on almost every single plastic bag and VHS tape: "Lowering PricesEveryday to Help YouSave on What YouPay!" Currently, the slogan is "Fresh. Affordable. Community First.”
Since 1990, Stater Bros. has hosted the annual Stater Bros.U.S. Route 66 Rendezvous classic car cruise. However, because of bankruptcy of the city ofSan Bernardino in 2012, the event was cancelled until further notice. In 2014, San Bernardino hosted an alternative show, "Rendezvous Back to Route 66".[16]
