Don Heffner and John Dika have been named market managers to spearhead the company's frozen dessert and cultured dairy products commercial activities.



Kerry Bio-Science, Hoffman Estates, Ill.- Don Heffner and John Dika have been named market managers to spearhead the company's frozen dessert and cultured dairy products commercial activities. Heffner will lead the company's sales and technical service activities for the frozen dessert market, and will coordinate application and development projects. Heffner brings more than 20 years of experience in the dairy industry, during which time he held positions at both Kroger and Chiquita Brands, and most recently as a gen. mgr. for Pierre's Ice Cream in Cleveland. Dika is now market manager for cultured products, which includes sour cream, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc. He has more than 20 years of experience at consumer dairy companies, including Yoplait-Columbo and Dannon, as well as his most recent position at SunOpta, an ingredient supplier, where he was director of applications and technical services.

GTC Nutrition, Golden, Colo.-Coni Francis, RD, PhD, has been named scientific affairs mgr., responsible for managing and communicating the scientific nutrition support behind the health benefits of the company's specialty ingredients and identifying emerging nutrition science. Prior to joining the company, Francis served as a nutrition research manager for the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. She earned her master's degree in Nutritional Science from San Jose State University and her doctorate in Nutrition from Texas Women's University.

Randolph Associates, Inc, Birmingham, Ala.-Dave Caton joins as a food safety & quality assurance consultant. Caton has more than 20 years quality assurance experience in the dairy industry. He will assist with food safety and quality assurance programs, auditing programs and technical training.

Fristam Pumps, Middleton, Wis.-Larry Cook has been promoted to sales mgr. of American operations, where he will oversee Fristam's North, Central and South American sales departments as well as customer service functions. He has been with Fristam for nearly five years as southeastern regional sales mgr. Before joining Fristam, Cook spent more than 11 years with a Fristam distributor where he held various positions. Also at Fristam, Steven Faith has joins as industrial business development mgr., responsible for initializing Fristam's industrial distribution network. Faith has more than 17 years of industrial marketing, sales and sales management experience.

Sherbrooke Capital Health and Wellness, Newton Lower Falls, Mass.-Cory J. Comstock has been named operating partner. Comstock has broad operational experience with premium-branded companies, having held a variety of sales, marketing and operational positions with PowerBar, Odwalla, and most recently Oregon Chai, Inc., where he served as CEO. As operating partner, Comstock will be responsible for finding and investigating potential new investments and working with existing portfolio company management teams.

Hanson Logistics, St. Joseph, Mich.- Hollis Pace joins the company in a newly created position of transportation coordinator for the company's expanding transportation services. Hollis joins Hanson Logistics from DHL Express, where he was Field Services Supervisor, responsible for shipping flow in the greater Colorado region. He had previously worked at Penske Logistics as lead logistics analyst, managing all inbound transportation for Ford Motor Company assembly plants. Pace will oversee the company's Carrier Management Program. He will also assist in the day-to-day operations of load planning, freight consolidation and customer service, while supervising the Hanson fleet and regional LTL activities.

Symrise, Teterboro, N.J.- Blake Anderson took over as president, Symrise North America Flavors Division. Anderson was president and gen. mgr. of Dean Specialty Food Division, Green Bay, Wis. Before that, he held senior management positions with Dean Foods in Dallas. He began his career in sales, marketing and supply chain at Campbell Soup Company in Camden, N.J. and subsequently spent 23 years with the company, participating in new-brand introductions and the acquisition and integration of new businesses.