Utz Brands Appoints Chad Whyte to Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Planning and Logistics
Whyte's appointment will help Utz accelerate its supply chain network optimization initiatives to support continued strong consumer demand
Utz Brands, Inc. (NYSE:UTZ) ("Utz" or the "Company"), a leading U.S. manufacturer of branded salty snacks, today announced that Chad Whyte will become Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Planning and Logistics effective January 3, 2022. Mr. Whyte will oversee all transportation and warehousing functions and will further develop the Company's sales and operations planning capabilities as it seeks to accelerate its supply chain network optimization programs and deliver its long-term productivity targets.
"The impact from the COVID-19 pandemic on our supply chain has been significant and we are at a critical point in our journey as we expand our productivity programs", said Cary Devore, EVP & COO of Utz Brands, Inc. "As demand for our Utz portfolio of products grows and we manage through a complicated and dynamic supply chain environment, we have been assessing our organizational capabilities to ensure that we are well-prepared to meet further consumer demand. Chad's experience and expertise are well-suited to further Utz's growth and expand our manufacturing and logistics networks. Chad will collaborate with our senior supply chain leaders to help optimize our network to more efficiently produce and transport our products across the country, and it's a privilege to have him join our team."
Mr. Whyte comes to Utz with 25 years of experience in supply chain roles, most recently as President of Aloe Group, a consulting firm that has been working closely with Utz on several value creation initiatives. Prior to Aloe, Mr. Whyte was Vice President, Supply Chain at Pinnacle Foods, where he was responsible for all transportation, warehousing and network optimization for a $3.5 billion revenue business. Prior to Pinnacle Foods, he was Senior Director, Logistics at Campbell Soup Company; Director, Logistics North America at Reckitt Benckiser; and Director, Supply Chain Planning at Church & Dwight Company. Mr. Whyte received a B.S. in Supply Chain and Information Systems, as well as an M.B.A., from The Pennsylvania State University. He was also an adjunct faculty member for Penn State's Executive Education Program on Achieving Supply Chain Transformation.
"Utz is a phenomenal company with a myriad of opportunities for continued growth and margin enhancement," added Whyte. "I've been working with Utz since 2020 on several supply chain value creation initiatives, and I am excited to join the team in this leadership role. By focusing all of my energy on the transformative opportunities in front of Utz, while working alongside a tremendous supply chain team and strong action-oriented culture, I'm thrilled to help better position the Company to deliver continued profitable growth."
Mr. Whyte will work on transition planning over the remaining course of 2021 with Brian Greth, Utz's Senior Vice President, who currently oversees logistics as well as facilities, fleet and environmental compliance. Mr. Greth, a 30-plus year veteran of Utz, will now become SVP, Enterprise Integration, a newly created role at the Company. In this new position, Mr. Greth will oversee all aspects of M&A integration across the Company as well as oversight of facilities, fleet and environmental compliance.
"Brian has been instrumental in supporting our growth for the past 30-plus years. His experience in logistics, procurement and manufacturing – not to mention his work ethic and understanding of the Utz culture – makes him the ideal leader to further build out our internal M&A integration capabilities," said Mr. Devore. "Brian will continue to oversee facilities, fleet, environmental compliance, and he will be involved in all facets of our M&A program, from due diligence and evaluation, to integration planning and execution. We are excited to unlock Brian's knowledge further in this area of tremendous opportunity and value creation for Utz."
About Utz Brands, Inc.
Utz Brands, Inc. (NYSE:UTZ) manufactures a diverse portfolio of savory snacks through popular brands including Utz®, ON THE BORDER® Chips & Dips, Golden Flake®, Zapp's®, Good Health®, Boulder Canyon®, Hawaiian® Brand, and TORTIYAHS!®, among others.
After a century with strong family heritage, Utz continues to have a passion for exciting and delighting consumers with delicious snack foods made from top-quality ingredients. Utz's products are distributed nationally through grocery, mass merchandisers, club, convenience, drug and other channels. Based in Hanover, Pennsylvania, Utz operates fifteen facilities located in Pennsylvania, Alabama, Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan and Washington. For more information, please visit www.utzsnacks.com or call 1‐800‐FOR‐SNAX.
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