ASSOCIATIONS/ORGANIZATIONS:
Southeast Produce Council (SEPC), Millen, Ga.
Teri Miller, senior category manager of The Fresh Market, was elected the association’s first female president, effective Sept. 29. Miller has sat on the SEPC board of directors for seven years, and was on the founding committee of Southern Roots, an SEPC program.
American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), an arm of Global Cold Chain Alliance, Arlington, Va.
David Congdon, vice chairman and CEO of Old Dominion Freight Line, and Robert Low, president and CEO of Prime Inc., were elected to the board of directors. Congdon has been in the LTL business for the last 43 years, serving in positions ranging from dockman to driver to director of safety to CEO. Low founded Prime Inc., and is a past chairman of the Truckload Carriers Association. Also joining the board of directors is Chris Spear, president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations.
North American Meat Institute (NAMI), Washington, D.C.
Mike Townsley, president of Bob Evans Farms, Inc., will serve as chairman of the board of directors, while John Vatri, vice president of operations at Cardinal Meat Specialists Ltd., will serve as vice chairman. Sara Lilygren, executive vice president of corporate affairs for Tyson Foods, Inc., assumed the position of treasurer, and Joe Maas, co-owner and vice president of operations at JTM Provisions, will be the new secretary. Brian Coelho, president of Central Valley Meat Co., will serve as immediate past chairman.
Produce Marketing Association (PMA), Newark, Del.
Lauren Scott was named chief marketing officer, effective Oct. 13, responsible for global strategic leadership to increase consumer demand for fresh produce and floral products through association and industry marketing initiatives and establishing and working with a volunteer Marketing Committee to guide strategy. Scott boasts 20 years’ experience in consumer goods marketing, innovation and brand management. Scott, a self-described foodie, has worked as a marketing executive in beverage companies such as Diageo and PepsiCo, where she led marketing, global brand and category strategy; innovation concepts; and brand activation and development.
PROCESSORS/RETAILERS/DISTRIBUTORS:
Generation Farms, Lake Park, Ga.
Agricultural industry veteran Jim Gallagher was appointed president, effective Sept. 1, responsible for building out the company’s revenue stream, improving operations and strengthening sales management, food safety and environmental stewardship. Previously, Gallagher served as chief executive officer of Fruit Patch, where he led diversification efforts into new fruit categories. Prior to that, he was general manager of organicgirlä, where he accelerated retail sales.
Applegate, subsidiary of Hormel Foods Corp., Bridgewater, N.J.
Nicole Glenn joined as vice president of marketing, effective Oct. 11. Previously, Glenn was a marketing director for WhiteWave Foods, where she was responsible for leading the Earthbound Farms organic produce business. In this role, she managed one of the company's largest brand refresh initiatives and was responsible for strategic promotions, consumer engagement initiatives and portfolio innovations. Glenn's brand marketing experience also includes positions with Constellation Brands, Terlato Wines International and Procter & Gamble.
J&J Family of Farms, Loxahatchee, Fla.
Michael Butler was named senior vice president of operations. Butler brings more than 25 years of operations and logistic experience, having previously served as vice president of group operations for Castellini Group of Cos. Prior to his role at Castellini, Butler held leadership roles with Hexion Specialty Chemical, Reynolds Consumer Products, Old Dominion Freight Lines and United Parcel Service. His certifications include Six Sigma Green Belt Certification and APCIS (CPIM). Butler has also been an active leader in the produce industry for over seven years, including roles with the Produce Marketing Association and United Fresh.
Market Fresh Produce, Nixa, Mo.
Cybil Louderbaugh was named customer satisfaction specialist, responsible for seeking out and developing new leads and other opportunities to expand profits, as well as drive sales efforts by promoting Market Fresh Produce branded products. Louderbaugh began her career working as a territory manager at Allen Foods, and then became a territory manager at US Foodservice, where she worked her way up to regional manager during her 14 years with the company.
Tops Friendly Markets, LLC, Williamsville, N.Y.
Mark Lumadue was promoted to vice president, distribution, responsible for overseeing all aspects of operations, including grocery, perishable and freezer operations, transportation and logistics, process quality and facilities at the distribution centers. He will also develop and ensure the execution of long-term strategies in distribution operations. Lumadue previously served as manager of supply chain for Tops, and most recently as director of logistics. Prior to his employment with Tops, Lumadue held positions with Ahold USA and Fisher Price.
Shuman Produce, Reidsville, Ga.
Johnny White joins as sales manager. White comes with a production agriculture background and over 25 years of experience in the produce industry. His previous experience includes sales within the vegetable division of Asgrow Seed Co. (later known as Seminis Vegetable Seeds) and over 10 years in sales in other fresh produce businesses.
CAMPOSOL, Lima, Peru
Jorge Luis Ramirez Rubio was promoted new corporate general manager, effective Oct. 11. Ramirez Rubio has been general manager of Camposol's aquafarming division since 2015. He also was the company’s chief financial officer from 2008-2013. He’s also previously worked for the Amanco and Mexichem Group, where he held several positions in Ecuador, Costa Rica and Brazil and was the last chief financial officer for Latin America.
FOODSERVICE:
Famous Dave’s of America, Inc., Minneapolis
Michael Lister was appointed chief executive officer and chief operating officer, replacing Adam Wright, who resigned from the company, effective immediately. Lister is an accomplished restaurant industry executive with more than 35 years of experience, including a 19-year history with Famous Dave’s. He has been a franchisee of the company since 2001, and served as senior vice president of operations from 1997-2001. Prior to that, Lister was owner and president of Famous Dave’s franchised restaurants in Tennessee, and was senior vice president of operations, opening 46 stores within four years. Lister also held senior level leadership positions at Brinker International.
SUPPLIERS:
Beverage-Air Corp., division of the Ali Group, Winston-Salem, N.C.
Tim Szejbach was named new regional sales manager, effective Oct. 3, responsible for territories in the southwestern and central regions. Szejbach maintains several years of industry experience in manufacturing and foodservice. For example, he’s held various titles ranging from territory and product manager for Everpure and Techtronic Industries, and national accounts manager for various "big box" retailers.
Nercon, Neenah, Wis.
Tom Van Doorn was named vice president of sales, responsible for establishing sales processes, coaching and mentoring the sales team, developing new business and helping with the company’s strategic direction for continued growth. Van Doorn has built and led sales and service teams throughout the North American and international food industry for over 30 years.
Cambridge Security Seals (CSS), Pomona, N.Y.
Kris Hedstrom was tapped to oversee production and spearhead the company’s manufacturing expansion. Hedstrom, who was previously manager of design engineering and advanced technology at Maytag Appliances and director of engineering and technology for Polymer Technologies, brings an extensive manufacturing background focused around product and line design, lean manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies. Earlier in his career, Hedstrom served as the industrial design manager for Big Ass Fans and global director of innovation for CHEP Equipment Pooling Systems.
United States Cold Storage (USCS), Voorhees, N.J.
Matthew Hughes was hired as assistant manager for the Covington, Tenn., facility. Hughes maintains distribution center management and administrative experience. Most recently, he served as an operations manager at Target’s Memphis, Tenn., distribution center. Prior to that, he served as operations manager for Exel Inc. for more than nine years.
Stellar, Jacksonville, Fla.
Brian Kappele was promoted to executive vice president, food and beverage facility services. A 17-year veteran of the company, Kappele will now oversee all of food and beverage facility services, including refrigeration services. Kappele began as an intern at Stellar in 1999. He has since served as a field engineer, superintendent, project manager and division manager. He was named vice president in July 2006, food and beverage facility services vice president in September 2008 and senior vice president in October 2013. Likewise, Brian Reeves was promoted to vice president of operations in refrigeration services, overseeing all refrigeration project management, automation and controls, commissioning and refrigeration field services. Reeves has been a part of Stellar for two decades, serving as a refrigeration engineer, project manager, and most recently, as the refrigeration services division manager.
Greenbrier Cos., Inc., Lake Oswego, Ore.
Upon the merger of Greenbrier and Astra Rail Management GmbH, Astra Rail's chairman Thomas Manns will become chairman of the Supervisory Board of Greenbrier-Astra Rail, leading the new company's commercial operations, working closely with its management board and Jim Cowan, president of Greenbrier International. Also serving on the Supervisory Board will be Bill Furman, chairman and CEO of Greenbrier; and Alejandro Centurion, president of Greenbrier global manufacturing operations. Daily operations will be led by Bernd Böse, chief executive officer of Astra Rail, who will become president and CEO, and Bogdan Lesnianski, chief financial officer and the head of Greenbrier's Wagony Swidnica operations.
Empire Co. Ltd., Canada
James Dickson was appointed chair of the board of directors, replacing Robert Dexter, who announced his intention to retire as chair. Dickson joined the board in September 2015. He is also a director of Clearwater Seafoods Inc. and chair of the board of Regents of Mount Allison University. Previously, Dickson spent 20 years as chairman of law firm Stewart McKelvey, where he practiced mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and securities for more than 20 years.
