Rosemont Market & Bakery’s founder is handing over control of the business’s day-to-day operations to Mark Law, a grocery industry veteran who has been working as a consultant for the Portland-based chain of small, local markets for the past year.

John Naylor, who has led the company since its founding in 2005, will remain involved as president and chairman of the board, while Law serves as chief executive officer.

Mark Law, left the new CEO of Rosemont Market & Bakery, stands with co-owner John Naylor. Contributed/Rosemont

Since Naylor and co-founder Scott Anderson opened the first Rosemont market on Brighton Avenue, the company has grown to include seven retail locations across Cumberland County, plus a production facility, with 170 employees.

In an email to Rosemont’s customers, Naylor said that he believes Law’s background makes him better suited to take on the demands of running a business with multiple locations.

“To  thrive, a business of this size, and at this point in its growth, not only requires a leader who is driven with passion and a love of good food, but it also requires someone with more business expertise than I have,” Naylor wrote.

Law has worked for over 20 years in the grocery industry, including as chief operating officer and president of New Seasons Market in Portland, Oregon, and as an adviser to King Arthur Flour in Norwich, Vermont.

Naylor, who plans to spend his newfound spare time working with local nonprofits such as Farms for Food Equity and Fork Food Lab, expressed confidence in Law’s ability to continue Rosemont’s attention to community and quality food.

“I am incredibly excited to officially start in this role with Rosemont. I have a strong affinity for this brand,” Law said in a prepared statement. “Working hand in hand with Rosemont’s team, we will continue to build a business that is a model for other small businesses looking to make an impact in their communities.

“Providing a small grocery experience, built around great food and great people, we will continue to make a difference supporting quality agricultural growers and food businesses, helping change the way people eat and the way food is grown and produced, both in Maine and other parts of the world.”