Leadership Team
Gary Bickmore, CSO
Gary Bickmore started his career as a courtesy clerk for Skaggs Alpha Beta in California. After a year or so, Gary moved to Texas to get married and went to work for Weingarten’s stores as a night crew manager and assistant store manager. The Weingarten’s stores soon after were purchased by Safeway. “I was quickly moved to Store Manager with Safeway, where I stayed for several years. After about 10 years on the retail side of grocery, Gary had an opportunity to move to the wholesale side and moved to Memphis, TN, with Fleming Companies in progressive responsibilities, ending his time with Fleming as Division President of the Lafayette Louisiana Division. He stayed in grocery wholesale for the bulk of his career in senior leadership roles with Nash Finch where he ran the Lima and Bellefontaine divisions, VP of the Great Lakes Region, and as Sr VP with responsibility over all 13 operating divisions. Gary also spent time as Sr VP and Division Manager with Associated Wholesale Grocers at the Kansas City Division and as Sr VP and West Coast Region Manager with C&S Wholesale Grocers. After leaving C&S and wondering what he wanted to do “I connected with some old friends and colleagues at FMS and I found a company with a great product and even better reputation and ultimately I found a great home in FMS. My whole career has been serving the grocery community, specifically the independent grocer and family-operated businesses. FMS gave me the opportunity to continue that passion with many of the same and lots of new friends but in a very different way.”