Hy-Vee Inc. president and chief operating officer Randy Edeker on Thursday was named as the company's chairman and CEO.

Hy-Vee's board of directors picked Mr. Edeker, 49, to succeed current chairman and CEO Ric Jurgens, according to a Hy-Vee news release.

Mr. Jurgens is retiring June 1 after 43 years with the company. He has been Hy-Vee CEO since 2003 and chairman since 2006.

Mr. Edeker, who began as a part-timer, is an Iowa native and a 30-year veteran of Hy-Vee. Supermarket News magazine named him as one of five Executives to Watch for 2012.

Hy-Vee is headquarted in West Des Moines and has more than 235 retail stores in eight states, including 10 in the Quad-Cities, according to Hy-Vee's website, hy-vee.com .

Mr. Edeker will be the fourth company officer to hold the chairman and CEO titles since Hy-Vee's founding in 1930.