Food Engineering
Home

Industry & People

January 1, 2007


Carolina Turkeys purchased Butterball Turkey from ConAgra Foods for $325 million. The acquisition of Butterball makes Carolina Turkeys the largest turkey producer in the US.  The expanded company was expected to produce 1.4 billion pounds in 2006, or 20% of the total US turkey production. Carolina Turkeys’ name has changed to Butterball, LLC.



The board of directors of The Cola-Cola Co. elected Jerry S. Wilson as senior vice president of the company. Wilson is president of The McDonald’s Division, where he leads the company’s business alliance with McDonald’s in 120 countries. Prior to his current role, he served as vice president of The McDonald’s Division, North America.



Cal-Maine Foods hired Tim Eccher to assist in the construction of a new egg products plant in Waelder, TX. Upon completion of the plant, Eccher will be general manager of Texas Egg Products, LLC, which was formed by five major egg production and marketing companies, including Cal-Maine Foods, Feather Crest Farms, Mahard Egg Farm, Maxim Production Co. and Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. Eccher most recently served as manager of Classic Egg Products.

The J.M. Smucker Co. acquired the White Lily brand from C.H. Guenther & Son. Inc. White Lily branded products include all purpose and specialty flours, cornmeal, muffin mixes, grits and frozen biscuits, with sales of approximately $33 million. The products will be co-packed for Smucker by C.H. Guenther at its Knoxville, TN, and Prosperity, SC, facilities.



Key Technology appointed Dr. David M. Camp as president and CEO. Camp has more than 25 years of technology and manufacturing-related experience, including management of process control, capital equipment and service businesses.



PepsiAmericas elected Michael J. Corliss to its board of directors. Corliss is CEO of Investco Financial Corp. and a principal in Tarragon LLC, both real estate development and management firms.



Forty-five Smithfield Foods facilities in 19 states have earned honors from the American Meat Institute and the Virginia Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards for environmental stewardship efforts during the past year.