MEAT+POULTRY - January 2015 - 106

THE INSIDER

LIVING STRONG

Having announced his retirement this past month after nearly three
decades with Cargill, Senior Vice President Bill Buckner will step down
from the Cargill Leadership Team in 2015. But don't look for the company's
longstanding leader of its historically successful beef business and food-safety
programs to slide out of his office chair and into a rocking chair. At 61, the
Canadian-born Buckner says he looks forward to spending more time with
friends and family, but he also plans to continue his active lifestyle. "I still
play hockey," Buckner says, adding that he also is an active hiker, golfer and
scuba-diver. Also, he adds, "I'm a pretty aggressive snow skier," and heliskiing is another extreme sport Buckner plans to continue in retirement. "I
plan to keep my mind active and my body active," he says.

EXECUTIVES EXITING

OVERherd
"Anytime CDC
is involved
and comments,
it is kind of a
big deal."
Dr. Gary Acuff, director of the Center
for Food Safety and professor of food
microbiology at Texas A&M Univ., on the
Dec. 18 announcement by Walmart to
implement enhanced food-safety measures
for suppliers of its poultry products.

NEARLY PERFECT
During a recent visit to Decatur, Ala.,
we took the opportunity to erase Big
Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q from a daunting
bucket list of barbecue eateries in the
US. While the ribs were bone-licking
good and the tender brisket's pink
smoke ring almost looked painted, just
one thing kept Big Bob's from earning
a perfect score from our Kansas Citybased judges: No beer was offered on
the menu to wash down the amazing
meat. BBQ blasphemy indeed.

106

MEAT+ POULTRY | 01.15 | www.meatpoultry.com

Over the course of the past two
months, a flurry of high-profile food
company executives announced
plans to retire, step down, step
away, transition or otherwise leave
their previous positions. Besides
the aforementioned Bill Buckner,
Jody Horner announced she would
be transitioning from president of
Cargill Meat Solutions to assume
the presidency at Midland Univ.,
Fremont, Neb. Kraft Foods Group
also announced Tony Vernon would
retire at the end of 2014. Meanwhile,
Dr. Dean Danilson, vice president
of animal well-being programs with
Tyson Foods, Inc., announced his
plans to slip into a gold watch after 26
years with the company. On the retail
front, The Kroger Co.'s David Dillon,
announced plans to retire on Dec.
31 as chairman of the board while
Texas Roadhouse Inc. reported Steve
Ortiz, chief operating officer would be
passing the torch this month.

SAUSAGE MART
This past November, Ralph and
Shelly Stayer, owners of Johnsonville
Sausage, brought a taste of the
Sheboygan Falls, Wis.-based company
to their fellow snowbirds in Naples,
Fla. Having spent the past five winters
in Naples, the Stayers thought it
made sense to open the first-ever
Johnsonville Sausage Marketplace
in the Sunshine State. The grand
opening drew about 13,000 sausage
lovers in southwest Florida, where all
40 varieties of the company's sausage
are available.
The 1,500-sq.-ft. store, located
in a busy retail strip center stocks
other Johnsonville-branded food
and non-food items along with a
variety of Wisconsin-branded food
items, including: Sartori Cheese,
Gibbsville cheese curds, Sconnie Foods
sauerkraut and Faris gourmet popcorn.

http://www.meatpoultry.com

MEAT+POULTRY - January 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MEAT+POULTRY - January 2015