ROME, Ga., April 16, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- G&L Holdings, Inc., the holding company of leading food ingredient manufacturers Grain Craft and Southeastern Mills, announced today the appointment of Frank Smalla as an independent director to their existing board of directors. Boston-based Smalla joins the board with a strong financial leadership background in the global food industry.
The addition of Smalla will be the fourth new board director for the company in the past year. In September G&L appointed three new independent directors – Rhonda Jordan, Steve Dunphy and Rick Strait.
"These additions have been a strategic step in the growth of our existing business platforms," said Linda Owens, president of G&L Holdings, Inc. "While our company has grown organically over the past 25 years, the new directors have been added to continue the long-term growth plan, advise on new acquisition and expansion opportunities and create value for all stakeholders through overall consumer and product insight."
Smalla is currently serving as Chief Financial Officer at the Massachusetts-based Boston Beer Company where he leads all Finance activities and oversees the Information Technology, Legal, and Procurement functions, as well as the International business.
Before assuming his current position in January 2016, Smalla was SVP Finance at Kraft Foods Group, providing financial leadership for all US Business Units, Sales, Integrated Supply Chain, and Marketing Services. During his 20-year tenure with Kraft/Philip Morris, he held various Finance and Strategy roles in the European, Latin American, and North American business segments, with operations based in Switzerland, Italy, the UK, Germany, and the US. He was also involved in the Kraft/Heinz merger and the subsequent integration of the two companies.
Smalla started his career with Philip Morris Corporate Audit in Germany during the time when the company was building the food business in Europe. He broadened his experience by moving into the commodity trading function and helped centralize coffee and cocoa procurement and risk management for Kraft Foods. Following the company's acquisition of Nabisco, Smalla strengthened the Latin America Supply Chain Finance organization. He then transitioned his focus back to Europe and helped integrate the West and Central European regions. During this time Smalla led Finance for the Italian and Greek business units and later the $3B European Coffee category. He also led the global Finance and HQ integration for the Cadbury acquisition.
"As we continue to expand and diversify our board make-up, Frank Smalla's well-rounded experience in risk management, growth and integration is a complement to the existing strengths of our director team," said Chris Labbe, VP of Business Development and board director with G&L Holdings, Inc. "Bringing in leaders like Frank allow us to continually challenge our ideas and assumptions, improve our governance and expand our board management."
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About G&L Holdings, Inc.
G&L Holdings, Inc. was formed in 2014 as a holding company of Grain Craft and Southeastern Mills. In 2001 the Grizzard family shareholders and the Labbe and Kerr family shareholders joined to form a joint venture of the two families' flour milling operations – Milner Milling and Pendleton Flour Mills. In 2014, after the official holding company was formed, they acquired the Cereal Food Processors family of mills, making the expanded milling operation the third largest flour milling company in the United States. The three companies were merged and named Grain Craft, and today operate 14 mills in eight states spread coast to coast. G&L also oversees operations of Southeastern Mills, a manufacturer of food ingredient systems and nationally distributed retail brands including Better Than Bouillon, Louisiana Hot Sauce, Southeastern Mills, Shore Lunch and Better Than Gravy. G&L Holdings is currently one the largest privately-held food ingredient suppliers in the United States serving food service companies, food processing companies, restaurants and consumers.
Media Contacts
G&L Holdings
Chris Labbe, Vice President of Business Development / Board Director
[email protected]
706-290-8319
Grain Craft
Natalie Faulkner, Sr. Communications Manager
[email protected]
423-933-2380
SOURCE Grain Craft
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