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GOURMET NEWS OCTOBER 2014 www.gourmetnews.com Specialty Distributors & Brokers SPECIALTY DISTRIBUTORS & BROKERS 1 1 BRIEFS KeHE Distributors Completes Acquisition of California Healthy Foods Distributor Nature's Best KeHE Distributors LLC has completed its acquisition of Nature's Best, a California- based distributor of health and natural food products. The acquisition, first announced on July 18, supports KeHE's strategic focus of being the preferred supply chain partner in the natural, specialty and fresh products marketplace in North America. The precise terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The Nature's Best transaction further ex- pands KeHE's national distribution capabil- ities and broadens its natural and organic expertise. Already the largest distributor of specialty food products and the second largest distributor of natural food products in North America, KeHE will now employ over 4,000 employees, operate 14 ware- houses, distribute to over 35,000 store doors weekly and export to 32 countries. "Now that the acquisition is complete, we are thrilled to be welcoming the highly tal- ented Nature's Best team into the KeHE family and building upon the more than 45 years of Nature's Best marketing, logistics, and distri- bution excellence," said KeHE's President and CEO, Brandon Barnholt. "Our industry is rap- idly evolving, and this transaction allows us to serve our customers with more efficiency and innovation, while delivering on our strategic promise of being the best supply partner to retailers ranging from the smallest independent grocer or natural food store to the largest regional or national chain." KeHE Distributors LLC provides natural and organic, specialty and gourmet, inter- national and multicultural and fresh prod- ucts to natural food stores, chain grocery stores, independent grocery stores and other specialty product retailers through- out North America. For more information on KeHE Distributors, including informa- tion about the company's recent acquisition of Nature's Best, visit www.kehe.com. Nature's Best was built by organic pioneers Gladys and Walter Lindberg who opened the doors to a retail nutrition store in Los Ange- les in 1949. The store grew into a chain that was considered the first health food "super- store" in Southern California. Acquiring Na- ture's Best in 1969, the family has grown the company into the largest privately-owned wholesaler-distributor of health and natural food products in the country, with certified organic distributor credentials. GN Mike Green, Sysco Executive Vice President and President of Foodservice Operations, to Retire Sysco, a leading North American foodser- vice distributor, recently announced that Mike Green, Executive Vice President and President of Foodservice Operations, will retire at the end of the year after a 24-year career with the company. Green has over- sight responsibility for all Sysco broadline and specialty operations across the United States, Canada, Ireland and the Bahamas. "Mike has been a strong and impactful leader throughout his 24-year career with Sysco, playing an important role in the de- velopment of several of our key leaders," said Bill DeLaney, Sysco President and Chief Executive Officer. "We greatly appre- ciate his many significant contributions to Sysco's success, and we wish him the best upon his retirement." Green began his foodservice career in 1981, serving 10 years in various manage- ment positions before joining Sysco Chicago in 1991 as part of the company's manage- ment development program. He quickly progressed to Vice President of Marketing and Merchandising in 1992, and later that year was named Executive Vice President of Sysco Chicago. Green was appointed Presi- dent of Sysco Detroit in 1994. He was pro- moted to Senior Vice President of Foodservice Operations for Sysco's Midwest Region in 2004 and later became Executive Vice President for the company's Northeast and North Central U.S. Foodservice Opera- tions in 2008. He was named Executive Vice President for U.S. Foodservice Operations in 2010 and Executive Vice President and Group President in 2011, before being pro- moted to his current position in 2013. Sysco is in the process of identifying Green's successor. Sysco is the global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other customers who prepare meals away from home. Its family of products also in- cludes equipment and supplies for the foodservice and hospitality industries. The company operates 193 distribution facili- ties serving approximately 425,000 cus- tomers. For fiscal year 2013 that ended June 29, 2013, the company generated sales of more than $44 billion. For more information, visit www.sysco.com or con- nect with Sysco on Facebook at www .facebook.com/syscocorporation or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/sysco. GN California-based Golden State Foods Acquires New Zealand-based Snap Fresh Foods Golden State Foods, one of the largest di- versified food processors and distributors in the United States, recently announced that it has acquired ownership of Snap Fresh Foods, a New Zealand-based provider of premium salad greens, veg- etable mixes, baby-peeled carrots, fresh sprouts, dressings and condiments. The ac- quisition of Snap Fresh Foods includes two facilities in New Zealand that service that region as well as export to China. "We look forward to expanding our re- gional produce foodservice business into the fast-growing retail sector with such a strong and successful brand as Snap Fresh Foods," said Neil Cracknell, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Offi- cer of GSF. "The addition of Snap Fresh provides great growth opportunities for GSF particularly in the retail salads seg- ment, while providing new products and capabilities to our existing foodservice customers in the region." Snap Fresh Foods has cultivated leading retail brands including Krispkut™, Farmer Bill's™, Dashboard Diner™, Salad Shakes™ and Sproutman™. GSF is acquiring the pro- cessing assets of Snap Fresh Foods' brands, and the company's farm suppliers will con- tinue its existing operations and contract ex- clusively to the distributor. Established in 1947, GSF is a value- based company with proven performance in superior quality, innovation and cus- tomer service. With approximately 4,500 employees worldwide, GSF services more than 100 customers and 125,000 stores on five continents from its 44 facilities. Its core businesses include the processing of liquid products, meat, produce and dairy, as well as providing other services, including full- line distribution to restaurants The com- pany also runs a national non-profit organization, the GSF Foundation for kids. For more information, visit www.golden- statefoods.com. Snap Fresh Foods is a leader in food safety and quality standards, with a com- mitment to providing healthy and conven- ient fresh food choices to consumers. Snap Fresh Foods produces various wholesome food options, including baby carrots, baby leaf products, slaws, stir fries, fresh salad dressings and sprouts. It was also the world's first salad company to achieve car- boNZero certification. For more informa- tion, visit www.snapfreshfoods.co.nz. GN Agropur Acquires Davisco Foods International Agropur, Canada's largest dairy cooperative, and Davisco Foods International, a U.S.-based cheese and dairy ingredients company, recently announced they have entered into an agreement for Agropur to acquire the dairy processing assets of Davisco. This transaction will double Agropur's U.S. processing operations and increase its global milk intake by 50 percent. The deal will also strengthen its position in the North American and international dairy industries. Headquartered in Le Sueur, Minnesota, Davisco processes 3.8 billion pounds of milk annually and has 900 employees. The Agropur acquisition includes three Davisco cheese processing factories in Le Sueur, Jerome, Idaho and Lake Norden, South Dakota. It also includes an ingredients plant in Nicollet, Minnesota, a Friendly Confines Cheese Shoppe in Le Sueur and sales offices located in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Shanghai, China, Singapore and Geneva, Switzerland. Sealand Natural Resources Announces Agreement with Kosmonte Foods Sealand Birk is officially launching in Australia and New Zealand, imported by Kosmonte Foods. Kosmonte Foods distributes to leading super and hyper market chains around the world, including Carrefour, Geant, HyperPanda, Spinneys, Auchan Hypermarket, Megamarket, LuLu Hypermarket, Al Maya, Chiothram, Aswaaq and others. Kosmonte Foods is a leader in the distribution of food products in UAE, Oman, Kosovo, Albania, Croatia and Ukraine, as well as Australia and New Zealand. Sealand Natural Resources is a research and new product development company that manufactures, markets and sells functional beverages, organic nutraceuticals, health supplements, medicinal raw materials and health food worldwide. Its product line features harvested raw materials from the birch tree, as well as other natural and organic harvested compounds. The company offers products through direct sales, wholesale and retail sales, as well as through distribution and licensing. Performance Food Group Names New EVP of Operations Performance Food Group Inc. recently named Jim Hope to the new role of Executive Vice President of Operations reporting to George Holm, the company's President and CEO. Among Hope's primary responsibilities, he will focus on PFG operations and procurement. He also will oversee the company's internal initiative to strengthen operational best practices. Hope joins PFG after serving in various executive leadership roles during his 26-year career with Houston-based Sysco Corporation. He initially joined Sysco's staff as a Corporate Financial Analyst in 1987. Hope then served in several financial and sales leadership positions before being named President and CEO of the Kansas City operating company in 2000. He was promoted to Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing in 2007 and then to Executive Vice President of Business Transformation in 2010, his most recent position before joining PFG.

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