BOULDER, Colo. — Breyers Yogurt Company, LLC ("Breyers" or "the Company") today announced that James W. Nolan has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. He succeeds Chuck Marcy, who has decided to leave the Company to pursue outside interests.
Mr. Nolan brings three decades of food industry experience to Breyers Yogurt Company. Most recently, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of Sara Lee Fresh Bakery, a $2 billion division of Sara Lee Corporation, where he was responsible for sales, manufacturing, finance, human resources and marketing. Prior to this role, he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of Sara Lee's $2.1 billion Foodservice Division, where he developed and implemented sales, marketing, supply chain and consolidating strategies that supported revenue growth and margin expansion.
"I am proud of the significant progress that Breyers Yogurt Company has made and am equally confident in the Company's future success under Jim Nolan's leadership," said Mr. Marcy. "Breyers Yogurt Company is fortunate to have a leader of his caliber."
Andrew Taub, a partner at Catterton Partners, said, "We are delighted to have Jim join the Breyers team as CEO. Jim has broad operating experience and is highly-regarded in the food industry among both customers and peers. His background and experience are perfectly suited for Breyers as it focuses on product development and enhancing relationships with retail partners and consumers to further strengthen its leadership in the yogurt category.
"We also thank Chuck for his partnership and wish him the best in his future endeavors. Indeed, Chuck and his team have done a solid job in building the Company to where it is today," continued Mr. Taub.
"My decision to join Breyers Yogurt Company from Sara Lee reflects my belief in the Company's prospects for continued growth and product innovation," said Mr. Nolan. "Among the most respected brands in the U.S. food industry, consumers recognize Breyers and YoCrunch yogurts for their great taste, all natural heritage and healthy-indulgent positioning. Breyers has also been a leader in introducing new products into the yogurt category with successful launches of Breyers Inspirations, YoCrunch 100, and Breyers Disney products. In joining Breyers, I see an opportunity to build on this success by continuing to launch new products and further strengthening our retail partnerships to accelerate both growth and profitability."
Prior to joining Sara Lee, Mr. Nolan served as Executive Vice President, U.S. Operations for PepsiAmericas, Inc.. Previously, he worked for 21-years at PepsiCo, Inc., most recently serving as Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing Development, Pepsi-Cola North America. Mr. Nolan began his career at The Procter & Gamble Company. He received a B.S. from Ithaca College. In the past five years, Mr. Nolan has served on the Boards of Directors of the National Coffee Association, International Food Service Manufacturers Association, and American Bakers Association.
About Breyers Yogurt Company
The Breyers Yogurt Company is the largest independent branded yogurt company in the U.S. The Company's product lineup currently includes YoCrunch, YoCrunch 100, YoCrunch Light, Breyers Fruit-on-the-Bottom, Breyers Light, Breyers Disney, and Breyers Inspirations yogurts. YoCrunch is the leading "indulgent" yogurt brand, which manufactures and markets premium, smooth textured low fat yogurt with mix-in toppings under the Breyers "YoCrunch" sub-brand name, and the Breyers brand is one of the most widely recognized and most well-respected brands in the U.S. food industry. Additional information can be found on the Company's website at www.breyersyogurt.com. Breyers(R) is a registered trademark owned and licensed by the Unilever group of companies.
About Catterton Partners
With more than $2.3 billion under management, Catterton Partners is a leading consumer-focused private equity firm in North America. Since its founding in 1989, Catterton has leveraged its investment capital, strategic and operating skills, and network of industry contacts to establish one of the strongest private equity investment track records in the middle market consumer industry.
Catterton Partners invests in all major consumer segments, including Food and Beverage, Retail and Restaurants, Consumer Products and Services, and Media and Marketing Services. Representative investments that Catterton Partners has led include Breyers Yogurt, Cheddar's Restaurants, Heartland Recreational Vehicles, O.N.E. (One Natural Experience) beverages, Nature's Variety Pet Food and Restoration Hardware. Representative realized investments include Baja Fresh Mexican Grill, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Frederic Fekkai, Kettle Foods, Odwalla, P.F. Chang's China Bistro and Wellness Pet Food.
More information about the consumer-focused private equity firm can be found at http://www.cpequity.com.
Source: Breyers Yogurt Company, LLC