Sunflower market to sprout in Longmont

BOULDER – Sunflower Farmers Market plans to open a new store in Longmont by the end of the year at 1101 S. Hover St., in the former Borders Bookstore space.

The 24,895-square-foot store is expected to bring 100 jobs to the area, the company said in a press statement. The natural and organic grocery store company is based in Boulder.

Sunflower and Sprouts Farmers Market in March said the two companies would merge by the end of May. The combined company will operate 139 stores and will have approximately 10,000 employees.

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Under terms of the merger, the stores Sunflower operates will be rebranded to Sprouts by the end of the year, according to a press statement.

Currently, the nearest Sunflower market to Longmont is located 15 miles south, at 555 W. South Boulder Road in Lafayette. It also operates a store at 2525 Arapahoe Ave. in Boulder.

“Our commitment to supplying natural and organic groceries at the lowest possible price point – including locally grown produce when possible – makes us a great fit for Longmont’s health-conscious, budget savvy consumers,” Chris Sherrell, Sunflower’s chief executive, said in a press statement.

The transaction was facilitated by SRS Real Estate Partners in Denver and Larimer Associates, a commercial real estate firm in Denver.

Sunflower Farmers Market operates 36 stores in eight states, including 12 stores in Colorado. The grocer has plans to open a Grand Junction store in September and a Denver location in spring 2013.

The new Sprouts will have projected 2012 annual revenue approaching $2 billion, and plans to open 13 additional stores in 2012. Sprouts’ corporate office is in Phoenix, Arizona.

Sunflower was co-founded in 2002 in Boulder by Mike Gilliland, Libby Cook and Randy Clapp, co-founders of Wild Oats Market. Wild Oats was acquired by Whole Foods Market in 2007.

Sprouts is majority-owned by investment funds affiliated with Apollo Global Management LLC (NYSE: APO).

Sunflower is privately owned by the co-founders, top managers and KMCP Advisors, a provider of private expansion capital. The combined company will continue to be majority-owned and controlled by Apollo.