Sysco executive Michael C. Nichols will retire at the end of the year. Also this week: Wilbur Curtis Co., Mallet & Co., High Liner Foods Inc., PRO*ACT, International Foodservice Manufacturers Association, Food Services of America, and the National Turkey Federation.
HOUSTON — Sysco Corp. said Michael C. Nichols, its senior vice president of administration, general counsel and corporate secretary, will retire Dec. 31. Russell T. Libby, the current vice president and assistant general counsel, will succeed him. During his tenure as a Sysco executive, Nichols was responsible for corporate legal and human resources functions, mergers and acquisitions, government and community affairs, and enterprise risk management, among other areas.
MONTEBELLO, Calif. — The Wilbur Curtis Co., a manufacturer of commercials and tea brewing equipment based here, has made two executive changes. The company appointed Dan Schneider vice president of national accounts. Schneider, who joined Wilbur Curtis nine years ago, most recently was vice president of sales for the Northern Region.
The company also named Ron Contaxis vice president of sales and marketing. Contaxis, who will be based in Randolph, N.J., will oversee sales in the company’s Northern Region. Previously, he was vice president of foodservice with Rockline Industries.
ATLANTA — Private-equity firm ICV Partners said it has made an investment in Mallet & Co., a Carnegie, Pa.-based manufacturer of proprietary oils, ingredients and equipment used in the commercial bakery industry. Willie E. Woods, president of ICV, said the partnership with Mallet will allow the firm “to leverage expertise learned from our successful investment in Sterling Foods to help Mallet’s future growth.”
SILVER SPRING, Md. — High Liner Foods Inc., a processor and marketer of prepared value-added frozen seafood, will be the principal sponsor of the 2011 Seafood Summit in Vancouver. The Summit, which will be held from Jan. 31 through Feb. 2, 2011, in Vancouver, Canada, is organized by SeaWeb’s Seafood Choices Initiative. The conference draws representatives of the global sustainable seafood industry, conservation organizations, scientists, members of academia and media professionals.
MONTEREY, Calif. — Furr’s Buffet has chosen PRO*ACT as its primary produce supplier. PRO*ACT, which distributes fresh produce to the foodservice industry, will supply Furr’s 48 locations in seven western and southern states. Furr’s is owned by Buffet Partners LP in Dallas.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The International Foodservice Manufacturers Association named Food Services of America, the seventh-largest broadline foodservice distributor in the country, the winner of the 2010 Excellence in Distribution Award. IFMA honored FSA at the fourth annual Distributor Awards during the IFMA/IFDA Presidents Conference earlier this month. The award honors “distributor leadership and overall excellence within the foodservice industry,” IFMA said.
CHICAGO — The National Turkey Federation honored the 95-unit BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse with its eighth annual Turkey on the Menu, or T.O.M. award. The award recognizes casual-dining chains that offer turkey in a variety of applications. BJ’s features three turkey sandwiches on the menu — classic turkey, roasted turkey Cobb and turkey club. The chain also offers a turkey burger. BJ’s is based in Huntington Beach, Calif.