DISTRIBUTION Briefs 2004-03-30

Mike Buzalka

Honolulu—HFM Foodservice is acquiring Maui-based Morrad Foodservice.

Chicago—NutraSweet Co. has promoted President/COO Craig Petray to CEO and named William DeFer—the former head of the company’s Korean business unit—president/COO, and James Stanley as CFO. Stanley, a former vp-finance at Northwest Airlines, takes over for William Schumacher, who is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities.

Grand Rapids, MI—Gordon Food Service breaks ground today on a 300,000-sq.ft distribution center in Shepardsville, KY, its seventh center in the U.S. and second in Kentucky. The facility is scheduled to open in 2006. Earlier this year, Gordon abandoned plans to build a distribution center in Crown Point, IN.

Atlanta—Newell Rubbermaid plans to sell its Anchor Hocking Glass division to investment firm Cerberus Capital Management for $310 million in order to concentrate on core businesses. Rubbermaid’s intended sale of the unit to Libbey Glass in 2002 was blocked by the Federal Trade Commission. This deal is expected to pass muster with regulators.

Saco, ME—Holman Cooking Equipment plans to close its commercial foodservice equipment plant here and shift production to St. Louis.

Torrance CA—Longtime Farmer Brothers CEO Roy Farmer passed away recently at age 87. Farmer served as CEO at Farmer Brothers—a major Western coffee roaster that was founded by his father—from 1951 until last March, when he was succeded by his son.

Sheboygan, WI—The Vollrath Co. has added Tom Dragotta, formerly of Brady Corp. and Great Lakes Instruments,as product manager.

Plymouth, WI—Sargento foods has promoted Janet Raddatz to vp-quality systems and Kristi Jankowski to vp-research & development.