Legacy Food Group Hires Laurie Bergman as CFO
Legacy Food Group has hired Laurie Bergman, a highly experienced financial executive, as chief financial officer.
With a distinguished career spanning over two decades, Bergman has a proven track record of success in both private equity-backed and public companies, with significant accomplishments in mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and financial operations.
In her previous roles as CFO of Liquid Environmental Solutions, a leading provider of turnkey solutions for non-hazardous liquid waste management, as well as her many leadership roles at UGI Corporation, a fortune 500 energy marketer, Bergman oversaw finance-related activities, including growth strategy, corporate financing, and managing the relationship with the private equity sponsor and corporate boards. Both LES and UGI successfully integrated numerous acquisitions, many of which were family-owned regional businesses.
“I am delighted to join this innovative platform, which is built on the foundation of successful, long-standing operators. Their expertise and commitment to excellence are the backbone of our business. I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to our growth and success in a dynamic and important industry.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Laurie as our new chief financial officer,” said Steve Push, CEO of LFG. “Laurie has a tremendous background in finance, strategic growth, and value creation. She understands the foodservice industry with her strong prior experience, and her proven track record in mergers and acquisitions, finance, and strategic planning make her an invaluable addition to our leadership team.”
Bergman holds a master of business administration and a bachelor of business administration from Temple University. She is a certified public accountant and a certified management accountant. Additionally, she serves on the boards of Arq Inc. and QNB Corporation, bringing her expertise to audit and strategic planning committees.
Bergman’s hire reinforces Legacy Food Group’s commitment to investing in a world class leadership ream, and to driving growth and operational excellence for its divisions through strong financial leadership. Her experience in M & A, corporate financing, and strategic initiatives will be crucial as LFG continues to expand its footprint to new markets and acquire new divisions.
Legacy Food Group is a holding company created to acquire high-quality regional independent distributors that will become owned operating divisions. By knitting together multiple distributors, Legacy Food Group will achieve macro-scale with micro-market nimbleness, preserving the differences that work for independents while achieving synergies that can greatly benefit members.
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McLane Unveils Innovation Kitchen at Texas Headquarters
McLane Company Inc., one of the nation’s largest distributors and an industry-leading partner to retail and restaurant brands nationwide, recently held the grand opening of its Innovation Kitchen at the company’s headquarters in Temple, Texas.
Designed for customers as a full-scale replica of the complete c-store experience, this state-of-the-art space showcases how cutting-edge retail foodservice equipment and products seamlessly fit into various footprints and counter spaces while exploring the world of McLane Fresh, Emerging Brands and CVP private label brands. From visualizing how a range of products and equipment integrates into their store layout and planograms to sampling products and exploring marketing materials, customers will gain valuable insight into how McLane’s offerings can elevate their retail product mix and boost customer experience.
Beyond the showcase experience, the space will serve as a dedicated hub for development and innovation, allowing the McLane Fresh team to conceptualize and test new menu items that cater to evolving consumer trends and customer requests. Customers will be invited to sample these creations, ensuring that McLane remains at the forefront of product innovation and collaboration and delivers data-informed solutions tailored to their needs.
“We are excited to unveil the McLane Innovation Kitchen, a space that embodies our dedication to innovation, collaboration and a world-class customer experience,” said Vito Maurici, McLane customer experience officer. “This facility showcases our commitment to setting new standards for excellence in the industry and underscores our role as a trusted partner in our customers’ success. Through this platform for product testing, creation and display, we have the opportunity to engage with customers at every stage of their retail foodservice journey.”
The Innovation Kitchen provides something to satisfy every craving, with offerings including Cupza!, McLane’s award-winning beverage line, Central Eats grab-and-go products for every daypart, Prendisimo pizza and made-to-order options.
McLane offers customizable solutions for retail and restaurant customers, from ordering and fulfillment to equipment and in-store merchandising, aimed at eliminating barriers to entry for smaller retailers and solving logistical challenges for large chains. More information on convenience store solutions from McLane is available at mclaneco.com/cstore-solutions. To learn more about McLane and its retail, restaurant and e-commerce solutions, visit mclaneco.com.
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Performance Food Group Promotes McPherson, C-Suite Execs
Performance Food Group Company‘s board of directors has approved the promotion of Scott McPherson to executive vice president & chief field operations officer, effective Jan. 1.
McPherson will add the responsibility of leading PFG’s Foodservice business segment, in addition to his current responsibilities overseeing PFG’s Vistar and Convenience businesses. He will also provide strategic oversight to line operations across PFG’s distribution businesses. McPherson will continue to report to Craig Hoskins, PFG’s president & COO.
During his 30-year career, McPherson has held numerous leadership positions with Core-Mark including senior vice president roles for the company’s U.S. Division, Corporate Development, COO, and president and chief executive officer. Most recently, he was promoted to PFG executive vice president and President & CEO of PFG’s Convenience business providing leadership and direction to both Core-Mark and Vistar.
“We are pleased to have such strong leadership across PFG’s family of companies to support our continued growth and provide outstanding products and services to our customers every day,” said George Holm, chairman & CEO. “We will continue to develop ways to grow our company by leveraging the collective strengths of our Foodservice, Convenience and Vistar businesses with a growth-oriented and customer-focused culture.”
With McPherson’s change, Chris Hobson will be promoted to president & CEO, Convenience. Hobson began his career at Core-Mark as a General Sales Manager and held other positions during his more than 20-year tenure including division president, vice president, marketing, senior vice president, and most recently as president & COO. In his expanded role, he will continue to oversee performance, enterprise growth and Marketing/Purchasing/Merchandising, while adding the responsibilities of Finance, Human Resources and IT. Hobson will continue to report to McPherson.
Additionally, Sean Mahoney will be promoted to president & CEO, Vistar, where he will continue to lead the day-to-day operations of the business segment. He joined Vistar in 2014 as channel vice president and has progressed through several leadership roles including Multichannel vice president and senior vice president, Sales & Marketing. Mahoney most recently served as president & COO of Vistar. Mahoney will also continue to report to McPherson.
“These changes support both the continued development for these remarkable leaders today, and into the future,” said Hoskins. “We’ve added so much talent to our organization over the last few years through strategic acquisitions, and we are also fortunate to have so many outstanding associates in our legacy businesses to help lead our company.”
Performance Food Group is an industry leader and one of the largest food and foodservice distribution companies in North America with more than 150 locations in North America. Founded and headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, PFG, and our family of companies, market and deliver quality food and related products to 300,000+ locations including independent and chain restaurants; businesses, schools and healthcare facilities; vending and office coffee service distributors; and big box retailers, theaters and convenience stores.
PFG’s success as a Fortune 100 company is achieved through our more than 35,000 dedicated associates committed to building strong relationships with the valued customers, suppliers and communities we serve. To learn more about PFG, visit pfgc.com.
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