in brief 2001

Carolyn Watkins

ASFSA, with support from the National Dairy Council, will conduct a pilot test this fall to evaluate how enhancements in school milk products can help improve students’ daily nutrition and participation in school meal programs. The year-long project will be managed by Beverage Marketing Corporation and will include a nationally representative sample of elementary, middle and high schools.

HFM has added 160 Veterans Administration foodservice directors to its membership roster, under a new contract with the administration. The addition brings HFM’s total membership to more than 3,500 operators and suppliers.

Nomination forms are now available for the 13th annual FAME awards. The awards recognize innovators in the school foodservice industry. To be eligible, nominees must be school foodservice professionals who are members of ASFSA or avid supporters of child nutrition. Deadline is Sept. 14, 2001. For more info, click onto www.fameawards.net or call 1-800-879-7687.

Check out the website for September’s National Food Safety Monthat www.nraef.org. This year’s theme is "Be Cool, Chill Out—Refrigerate Promptly." The website contains weekly activities and promotional materials that can be downloaded.

All Seasons Services, Inc. has acquired certain assets from Bottling Group LLC d/b/a The Pepsi Bottling Group, Keeseville, NY, where it operates a vending and distribution business. All Seasons purchased the rights to operate Pepsi’s entire snack and food vending business in Keeseville and the rights to operate a portion of its beverage vending business.

Compass Group Canada has acquired Double D Vending, Chatham, Ontario. The company serves Chatham and the surrounding areas.

Morrison Management Specialists has unveiled a new logo. It incorporates the brand image of parent company Compass Group’s European healthcare division, Medirest. The new logo combines the visual components of Medirest’s logo
with components of the company’s previous logo.

President Bush has nominated Elsa Murano for the post of USDA’s undersecretary for food safety. She is a microbiologist who advocates the use of irradiation to kill food-borne pathogens. Murano is currently director for the Center for Food Safety at Texas A&M University.

Aramark has secured a contract that allows it to provide foodservice to Florida’s 128 prisons, work camps and other department facilities nationwide. It is the third largest state corrections system in the U.S.

Al Bono, former CEO of Favorite Brands, Inc., has joined San Diego-based Quality Candy Co. as president/CEO and a principal of the company. Bono immediately tapped former Favorite Brands sales executive Gary Matthews as director of sales for Quality Candy. Matthews had headed the $100 million Favorite Brands sales division before overseeing the launch of the Chuck -E-Cheese brand frozen pizza product.

Pest control specialist Copesan and heating services provider Rupp Industries have entered into a strategic alliance to provide an effective insect control fumigation alternative to foodservice and other operators.

Home Products International has completed the sale of its Plastics, Inc., division to A&E Products Group for $71 million in cash, which it will use to retire debt. Plastics, Inc., markets serviceware to the foodservice channel.

Campbell Soup Co. has appointed Jim Goldman president of its North American Beverages & Sauces business unit. He had previously served as president of Nabisco’s Life Savers Candy Co. unit and has also worked for General Mills and McKinsey & Co.

T. Marzetti Co. has appointed Tim Monaghan culinary manager/executive chef in research and development. He will be responsible for assisting chains with menu development and facilitating new product idea sessions.

Maytag Corp. has named Ralph Hake chairman/CEO. Hake is a former CFO for rival appliance maker Whirlpool Corp. For the past two years, he served as CFO of engineering/construction firm Fluor Corp..

Smithfield Foods has named Robert Slavik corporate vp-sales/marketing, a new position. Slavik had most recently served as vp-meat products for Hormel Foods Corp. before embarking recently on a brief retirement. His career achievements at Hormel include leading the sales and marketing initiatives for the company’s institutional products business and establishing the early foundation for the Hormel foodservice unit.

Distribution Market Advantage (DMA) has launched its contract and program portal, which is designed to automate such processes as customer loyalty incentive programs, deviated billing, rebates and market development funds for the 15 independent distributors who conduct some $900 million in annual sales to multi-unit customers through DMA.

Clark National, Inc., has unveiled version 2.0 of its yourstoreroom.com e-procurement software. The company currently runs $9 million in annualized sales with 450 accounts through the website.

Sysco Corp. has completed its acquisition of Fulton Provision Co., a specialty meat distributor based in Portland, OR. Adding the $25 million specialty house is expected to enhance Sysco’s presence in the specialty meat distribution market on the West Coast.

Linda Feuss, formerly vp/general counsel with responsibilities for the bakeries and foodservice businesses of The Pillsbury Co., has joined Pemstar as vp/general council. Pemstar is a global provider of engineering, manufacturing and fulfillment services for original equipment manufacturers.