Florida-based Publix broke ground Thursday in Ballantyne on its first North Carolina store, as rival Harris Teeter remained silent on whether it will sell itself to another company.
Harris Teeter said six weeks ago that it has hired J.P. Morgan to look into selling the grocer. Matthews-based Harris Teeter said it had been approached by two private equity firms interested in buying the company.
But rumors have swirled that a rival grocer such as Publix or Giant’s parent company Royal Ahold could be interested in purchasing Harris Teeter. On Thursday, Publix executives played down the possibility of buying Harris Teeter’s 211 stores. It would be the largest purchase ever for the privately-held grocer, which has grown to 1,070 stores, mostly without acquisitions.
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