ShopKo Stores, Inc. has completed its merger with an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners, Inc. ShopKo Stores will continue to operate 137 ShopKo stores, 216 Pamida stores and three ShopKo Express Rx stores, in 22 states primarily in the Midwest, Mountain and Pacific Northwest regions. Based in Green Bay, Wis., ShopKo Stores will continue to function as an independent company.

“Our new owner brings us additional expertise and resources that will allow us to build on our successes and take advantage of new opportunities,” said acting ShopKo co-chief executive officer Paul White. “Today's completion of the merger is good news for our teammates, vendors and customers.”

“We thank the management team and employees for the dedication and hard work that allowed us to close this investment in an expeditious manner,” said managing director of Sun Capital Partners, Inc. Gary Talarico. “ShopKo, Pamida and ShopKo Express Rx have superior name recognition in their markets, loyal customers and suppliers and excellent teammates. We look forward to helping position the company for long-term growth and prosperity.”