Berry Plastics Names New CEO
The board of directors for Evansville-based Berry Plastics Group Inc. (NYSE: BERY) has promoted Tom Salmon to chief executive officer. Salmon, who previously served as president and chief operating officer, succeeds Jon Rich, who is retiring Friday.
Salmon joined Berry Plastics in 2007 following the company’s acquisition of Covalence Specialty Materials. Since that time, he has served in a variety of roles, including president of the company’s Engineered Materials, Rigid Closed Top and Consumer Packaging divisions.
"Berry’s past has been filled with great leaders who had a clear focus on creating a solid future for the Company," said Salmon. "It is an honor for me to succeed them. Going forward, we will continue to strategically advance the Company by ensuring we produce quality products in the global locations desired by our customers, that our culture provides a safe and rewarding atmosphere for our team members, and that we continue to achieve strong results for our shareholders."
Rich, who has served as CEO since 2010, announced his plans to retire in September. He will continue as executive chairman of the board.
"Berry has extremely talented and dedicated employees, and it has been a privilege to serve as the Company’s CEO for the past six years," said Rich. "The time is now right to pass the baton to the next generation, and I congratulate Tom on his election to the CEO role. I look forward to continuing my role with the Company as Executive Chairman and working with the Berry team, as they take the Company to the next level."
Last week, Berry Plastics announced it had completed its acquisition of New Jersey-based AEP Industries Inc. (Nasdaq: AEPI).