ASSOCIATIONS/ORGANIZATIONS:

USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC), Stone Mountain, Ga.
Jim Wayt, managing director of Intervision Foods, was elected chairman of the board, succeeding outgoing chairman Mike Little, vice president of sales at Mountaire Farms. As chairman, Wayt will head the 8-member executive committee, which sets policy and gives direction to USAPEEC. Also elected to the executive committee are Steve Monroe, manager of export sales for Sanderson Farms, as first vice chairman; and Steve Lykken, senior vice president at Jennie-O Turkey Store, as second vice chairman. Joel Coleman, vice president and general manager of international sales at Butterball, was re-elected secretary-treasurer. Meanwhile, Neil Carey, vice president of poultry sales for Simmons Prepared Foods, was re-elected chairman of USAPEEC’s marketing committee. Newly appointed at-large members are Scott Chapman, senior vice president of sales for Lineage Logistics, and Marc Killebrew, vice president of international sales for Tyson Foods.

PROCESSORS/RETAILERS/DISTRIBUTORS:

Phillips Foods, Baltimore, Md.
Sarah Palmer was promoted to director of foodservice sales, responsible for leading overall sales strategy and business growth and maintaining direct sales for the Mid-Atlantic region. Palmer joined Phillips Foods in 2010 as a product specialist. She also served as a territory manager and seafood specialist with US Foodservice, where she developed new and existing business with restaurants, universities, healthcare facilities, business and industry cafeterias and K-12 schools in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. She has also been a national sales manager for a major poultry producer and has served as an inside sales representative for Sysco Eastern Maryland.

Flocchini Family Provisions, Carson City, Calif.
The refrigerated meats processor named previous owner of the Sausage Factory Joe Tonino as vice president, aiding in the management and strategic development of the business. Meanwhile, Steve Church was named general manager.

Land O'Lakes, Inc., Arden Hills, Minn.
Kim Olson was welcomed as the company’s first chief communications officer, effective July 20. Olson brings more than 25 years of experience, where she will lead the strategic development, direction and implementation of corporate communications programs. Previously, she was chief marketing and communications officer for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, and has held various leadership positions at United Health Group, Carlson, General Mills and Weber Shandwick.

Hormel Foods Corp., Austin, Minn.
On the heels of acquiring Applegate Farms, LLC, Steven Lykken and Eldon Quam will assume leadership roles with Applegate, contingent on the official closing of the acquisition. Lykken, senior vice president of commodity and supply chain at Jennie-O Turkey Store, will become chief operating officer of Applegate. Lykken began his career in 1992 in grocery products as a sales representative. In 1996, he became the grocery products brand category development manager for ethnic foods at Hormel, and in 1997, became a product manager in grocery products. In 1999, he was named senior product manager, in 2001, became a group product manager in grocery products and moved to Jennie-O Turkey Store in 2003 to become the senior vice president of the retail division. He assumed his current role in 2011. Quam, director and business unit controller of Hormel, was named chief financial officer of Applegate. Quam began his career in 1998 as a staff accountant at the Austin, Minn., plant. The same year, he moved to the corporate office to become manager of expense analysis and control. In 2002, he became the controller of Hormel Health Labs, and in 2003, became the controller and treasurer of HFIC.

He moved to the Austin plant in 2007 to become the manager of cost accounting and back to the corporate office in 2008 as controller and treasurer of HFIC. He assumed his current role in 2013. Additionally, Jennifer Ehresmann, director of marketing for retail and deli at Jennie-O Turkey Store, will advance to senior vice president of commodity and supply chain at Jennie-O Turkey Store. Ehresmann began her career in 2001 as commodity sales manager at Jennie-O Turkey Store. In 2002, she became manager of export sales, and then in 2005, became a product manager for deli at Jennie-O Turkey Store. She advanced to senior product manager in 2006 and then director of marketing in the deli division in 2008. She assumed her current role in 2010.

Meanwhile, Jeffrey Tobak, foodservice area manager for the Chicago sales office, will advance to president of Dan’s Prize, a wholly-owned subsidiary, replacing Mark Morey, who was named president of Farmer John, a Vernon, Calif.-based subsidiary. Tobak began his career at Hormel Foods in 2002 as a foodservice sales representative at the Pittsburgh, Pa., sales office. The same year, he became a territory manager in Charleston, W. Va., and then assumed the same position in Pittsburgh. In 2005, he became the foodservice chain accounts marketing manager at the corporate office, then foodservice area manager at the San Francisco sales office in 2007, and then in Memphis, Tenn., in 2010. He assumed his current role in 2013.

Westby Cooperative Creamery, Westby, Wis.
Jason Levendoski was promoted to quality compliance manager, responsible for quality assurance and regulatory compliance in creamery operations, including continuance of SQF certification. Levendoski has been with the company for three years, serving as lab manager.

FOODSERVICE:

Famous Dave's of America, Inc., Minneapolis
Ed Rensi stepped down from his role as chief executive officer, effective immediately. Rensi joined the board in January 2014, and assumes the CEO role in February 2014 following the unexpected resignation of his predecessor. Adam Wright, an independent director of the company since 2013, was elected to serve as interim CEO.

SUPPLIERS:

TricorBraun, St. Louis, Mo.
Suzanne Fenton was promoted to vice president, brand marketing, who will continue to direct the company’s corporate and brand marketing and marketing communication activities.Fenton joined TricorBraun (then Northwestern Bottle Co.) in 1980 as the assistant to the director of operations, and moved through other positions within the operations department. In 1995, she became the sales and marketing coordinator, and has since moved up through the department, serving as director of custom package management and marketing and as director of marketing. Fenton has also been heavily involved in the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP), and has served as president and chairman of the Missouri Gateway Chapter of IoPP. She is currently a member of the Natio0nal IoPP board of directors.

Eco-Safe Systems USA, Inc., Tarzana, Calif.
James Hartman was appointed chief operating officer. Hartman bring more than 25 years in manufacturing, marketing, sales and design experience. He has founded a variety of companies and has produced eight patents and 12 trademarks.

Johnson Controls, Milwaukee, Wis.
Greg Guyett was appointed executive vice president, corporate development, effective Aug. 10. In this role, Guyett will be responsible for maintaining and developing relationships with external financial advisory firms, leading merger and acquisition activities and working with the businesses on growth initiatives. Guyett most recently served as head of investment banking, Asia Pacific for J.P. Morgan. Prior to that, he served in a number of assignments with J.P. Morgan across the globe. Earlier in his career, he was a senior banker, advising many of the largest industrial and automotive companies on a broad range of strategic issues.

SPX, Charlotte, N.C.
Gerard Langwas named global product manager for pumps and valves and strategic marketing, tasked with leading product development and targeted growth initiatives for the company’s APV and Waukesha Cherry-Burrell pump and valve product lines. He will also coordinate marketing efforts globally across the product lines. Lang brings a wealth of experience in engineering, product development and marketing from positions with Newell Rubbermaid, Titus Tool and e- commerce start-up Chewy.com.

Mespack, Spain
On the heels of being acquired by Duravant, chairman of the board and CEO Enric Marti announced his retirement. A long-time packaging industry influencer, Marti transformed Mespack into a leading designer and manufacturer of highly sophisticated and versatile flexible packaging machinery. Marti will be succeeded by Reinout Van Zijp, who will be leading Mespack as managing director. Van Zijp joined Mespack in 2001, responsible for the company's global growth and expansion throughout Europe, China, India and Latin America.

Lineage Logistics, LLC, Colton, Calif.
The warehousing and logistics company sponsored by Bay Grove Capital LLC, San Francisco, announced that logistics and transportation veteran W. Gregory Lehmkuhl will become new chief executive officer, effective mid-July. Current CEO Bill Hendricksen will transition into the role of vice chairman at that time. Lehmkuhl comes to Lineage from Con-way Inc., where he was corporate executive vice president and president of Con-Way Freight, Inc., Con-Way’s less-than-truckload motor carrier and largest subsidiary. In those roles, he was responsible for overall company operating and financial performance, strategic planning and business plan development and direction of the company’s continuous improvement processes.

During his 14-year career at Con-Way Freight and its sister organization, Menlo Worldwide Logistics, Lehmkuhl catalyzed organizational growth, implemented process transformation, developed complex customer partnerships and engineered large business-line expansions. Hendricksen will continue to help support key customer relationships, ongoing strategy development and Lineage’s participation in industry groups and boards.

AFFLINK, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Mark Bozich was added as new vice president of business development, responsible for leading the company’s field sales teams, calling on both members and end-users, as well as overseeing operational functions. Bozich joins AFFLINK with a wide variety of industry experience, most recently serving as president of the NISSCO organization. Before NISSCO, he served in various sales, marketing and leadership roles with manufacturers such as Nilfisk-Advance, and in the 1990s, was also co-owner and vice president of a distributorship marketing janitorial and building maintenance supplies, chemicals, paper and equipment.