Joe LaManca, the manager of the Ashton Place Kroger, has his picture on posters in Kroger stores in several states.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Joe LaManca was surprised by his brush with fame.
LaManca, manager of Kroger at Ashton Place, had his picture taken, along with several other employees, a couple of years ago. The pictures were taken at that time because the company liked to place an employee’s picture in an ad occasionally, with words such as “thank you for shopping at Kroger.”
LaManca didn’t think much about having his photograph taken until about six months ago.
“I opened an advertising packet and saw myself,” he said. “It sort of surprised me. I felt good about it. I felt honored. I really did.”
His photograph has since been placed on posters that greet Kroger shoppers in 120 stores in the Mid-Atlantic Division. These stores are located in West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and the eastern portions of Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio.
Customers frequently point out LaManca’s current celebrity status…