CEO of Oregon grocery chain Market of Choice dies at 62

The CEO of the local supermarket company Market of Choice, Rick Wright, passed away at his Eugene home on Sunday. He was sixty-two.

In a statement released Monday, the Eugene-based family-run business revealed Wright’s passing, calling him a pivotal player in the company’s expansion and a champion of charitable and community initiatives around Oregon. The death was ascribed to natural causes by the firm.

Wright got involved in the grocery business at a young age. In 1979, his father, Richard Wright Sr., purchased a Thriftway store in Cottage Grove. He then added four Food Warehouse stores to the family’s holdings, which were subsequently renamed Price Chopper stores.The corporation claims that Wright worked in the stores as a young man.

In a 2002 interview with the Eugene Register-Guard, Wright stated that he worked for supermarket distributor Supervalu after graduating from college in 1984 before entering the family business in 1990.

After his father retired in 1997, Wright assumed control of the family business, which he later restructured under the Market of Choice name. In order to reach a wider clientele, he revised the company’s strategy to provide a combination of conventional, organic, and natural supermarket items.

Market of Choice grew to 12 locations throughout the state under Wright’s leadership. In May, their newest location debuted in Hillsboro.

According to the corporation, Wright prioritized helping local businesses and producers in Oregon. According to the company’s statement, over 7,000 locally sourced products are available in the stores.

According to Market of Choice, Wright liked to travel, surf, and race cars while he wasn’t working.

Children Zach, Staci, and Sydney; siblings Suzyn, Craig, and Laurie; wife Debbie; mother Marsha; and grandchildren Mina and Finley survive him.