Wixon Inc. launches Wixon Foodservice Group. Also: AdvancePierre Foods, Gordon Food Service, Inc., Highland Baking Co., Sugardale Foods, Constellation Wines, Java LLC, Terra Nova Industries, Surlean Foods, Taylor Company, OpenTable Inc., toptable.com, and Exit41.
SAINT FRANCIS, Wis. — Wixon Inc., the food and beverage ingredient provider, has launched the Wixon Foodservice Group, a new division dedicated to the foodservice industry. The company said the new group combines food science and technology with culinary artistry and will provide market and menu trends, innovative menu ideation and creation, and customized formulations for its customers. Wixon Foodservice will be led by Dean Antczak, director of national sales; Scott Cramer, foodservice product manager; and Judson McLester, corporate chef.
CINCINNATI — Pierre Foods, Advance Food Co. and Advance Brands has closed on its merger to form AdvancePierre Foods. The newly formed entity will supply value-added protein and handheld convenience food products to the foodservice, vending, club and convenience store channels. The new company has net sales of about $1.3 billion. The company is headquartered in Cincinnati, and operates bakeries in North Carolina and Oklahoma.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Gordon Food Service Inc., said it has made several changes in its executive leadership team. Dan Gordon, the company’s chief executive, has been named chairman of the board, while Tony Groll will succeed Gordon as president of FGS USA. Randy Piekker was named to the newly created position of executive vice president/chief strategy officer; Jay Zylstra has been appointed president of GFS Marketplace; and Kevin Toren was named chief information officer for North America.
Frank Geier will continue to serve as president of GFS Canada, while Jeff Maddox will continue as chief financial officer for Gordon Food Service North America. All new appointments will be effective Nov. 1, 2010.
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — B.J.’s Restaurants Inc., the casual-dining operator, named its Supplier Partners of the Year for 2010. This year’s awards were presented to Highland Baking Co., Northbrook, Ill.; Sugardale Foods, Canton, Ohio; Constellation Wines, Victor, N.Y.; Java LLC, San Antonio; and Terra Nova Industries, Walnut Creek, Calif. Jerry Deitchle, chairman and chief executive of B.J.’s Restaurants, said the company was grateful to the five suppliers “for their partnership and commitment to helping us improved the overall quality, productivity and leverage of the B.J.’s restaurant concept and business model.”
SAN ANTONIO — Surlean Foods, the custom foodservice manufacturer based here, said it plans to expand production into the Dallas-Fort Worth area through the acquisition of a property in Dallas. The new production facility marks the company’s first plant development outside of the San Antonio.
ROCKTON, Ill. — Taylor Company said it has named two to its executive ranks. Dianna Nielsen was appointed global vice president, McDonald’s Team. She has 17 years of experience in the foodservice industry. In addition, Scott Fitzgerald was named vice president, business development. Most recently, he managed the sales and marketing efforts of a $500 million territory with Schneider Electric North American Group.
LONDON — OpenTable Inc., a provider of free online reservations for diners and guest management systems for restaurants, has finalized the purchase of toptable.com, a restaurant reservation site in the United Kingdom. The transaction was valued at about $55 million. The company said about three million reservations are booked through toptable.com each year.
DALLAS — La Madeleine, the 60-unit café chain, named Exit41 its Vendor of the Year at its 2010 Leadership Conference in Las Vegas. Exit41, which is headquartered in Andover, Mass., helped La Madeleine expand its to-go business with its all channel ordering solution, which includes integrated online, mobile, phone-in and Facebook applications.
