Baking & Snack - April 2005 - 14

NEWSFRONT
Ashcroft gives Snaxpo keynote address
Former US Attorney General John Ashcroft told snack manufacturers
attending the 68th annual Snaxpo at the Westin Diplomat Resort and
Spa in Hollywood, FL, to always make sure their voice is heard. It is
especially important to not be silent because different groups are trying to regulate where and how you can sell your products, he added.
"There are people in Congress who want to legalize drugs and
make potato chips illegal," quipped Mr. Ashcroft in front of the nearly 950 people from 41 countries who attended Snaxpo in March. The
former US Senator from Missouri
spoke on "Protecting America:
Leadership in Challenging
Times." He recalled the events
of 9/11 and his actions as attorney general during those days
and the weeks following the horrific event. "I am not able to tell you
the United States is safe, but it is safer," he said regarding the actions
that have been taken by the US government since that morning.
In other Snaxpo events, Mike Rice, chairman and c.e.o. of Utz
Quality Foods, Hanover, PA, was inducted into the prestigious Circle
of Honor, for longtime commitment to the industry, his company
and the Snack Food Association. Mr. Rice is a third-generation chipper, and he said that the honor was as much for the people who came
before him and those that continue to make the family business
thrive as it was for him.
Bob Shearer, president and c.e.o. of Shearer's Foods, Inc.,
Brewster, OH, was elected SFA's chairman of the board, replacing Nick Chilton, president and c.e.o. of Wyandot, Inc. Marion,
OH, who served as chairman for the past year. In outlining his
goals for the next year, Mr. Shearer said he would like to increase
the value SFA brings to its members and build membership in the
association by 10%. He also would like to take better advantage

of the Internet for its members, he added.
Other officers for the coming year are: Richard Rudolph, president, Rudolph Foods Co., Inc., Lima, OH, as first vice-chairman and
Thomas Dempsey, vice-president, sales and marketing, Utz Quality
Foods, second vice-chairman. Mr. Chilton and David Ray, Mikesell's Potato Chips Co., Dayton, OH, will serve as past chairmen. Ken
Smith, Printpack, Inc., Atlanta, GA, will serve as the president of the
Associate Executive Committee. Scott Carpenter, The Bachman Co.,
Reading, PA, and Tim Healy,
Ubiquity Brands, Chicago,
IL, are new board members
elected to 3-year terms. Current board member Irene
Britt, Kraft Foods, Chicago,
IL, also will assume a new 3-year term.
Additionally, SFA recognized Judi Barth, vice-president
of marketing and member programs, for 25 years of service
to the association.
Finally, SFA announced that it sold its headquarters building in
Alexandria, VA, at the end of last year. Located at 1711 King St.,
the building had served as the association's home since 1988. SFA
purchased the building in 1982, and after renovating the building,
it moved in during the fourth quarter of 1983.
"The SFA building has been a fantastic investment for the association," said SFA president and c.e.o. Jim McCarthy. "The SFA board
members exhibited great foresight in selecting the present location.
However, the new location, once chosen, will afford us better use of
space to meet our customers needs."
The association is currently leasing back office space at the former
headquarters until a new space is Northern Virginia is leased. Proceeds from the sale were used to establish an endowment for SFA.

Harlan to replace
sake with bagels

Degussa sale shakes
things up

Harlan Bakeries, Avon, IN, paid $2.3 million
for a former sake plant in the Coors Technology Center in Golden, CO.
Harlan, which makes bagels, pies, cookies and bread,
bought the facility from Hakushika Sake USA Corp., which
closed the plant more than five years ago.
According to an article in the Rocky
Mountain News, Doug Harlan, co-founder
of the company, said that 85 people currently work for Harlan in another facility,
which they lease in the Golden metropolitan area. The company is discussing expansion opportunities internally at the former
sake plant, the article stated.

Degussa, Dusseldorf, Germany, announced
last year that it sold its fruit preparation business to Speyside Equity, a private US firm.
The business, which will be called Sweet
Ovations, supplies conventional and aseptic
processed fruit preparations for a range of
food products from yogurts to frozen desserts
and is headquartered in Philadelphia, PA.
According to one report, Degussa, Germany's third largest chemical company, sited
insufficient
leverage to
match the
performance of larger commercial players
in helping make the decision to sell its fruit
system arm.

16 / BAKING & SNACK / April 2005

Peerless ships
milestone mixer to
Fresh Start Bakeries
The Peerless Group, Sidney, OH, has manufactured and shipped the 500th machine
built in its new manufacturing facility in
less than two years.

The spotlighted machine is a 2,000-lb
Peerless High Speed Roller Bar Mixer
built for Fresh Start Bakeries in Melbourne,
Australia.

Baking & Snack - April 2005

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