LOS ANGELES - March X, 2006 ¬- Building upon its existing infrastructure, including production, packaging and distribution channels, along with the strength of the Chicken of the Sea® brand, Thai Union International is forming a new division — Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods.
The newly created division will offer premium-quality frozen and refrigerated seafood products to the foodservice and retail industries, and will be led by a group of seasoned executives with a history in sales, marketing, procurement and product development.
"With the formation of Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods, we are leveraging Chicken of the Sea's strong selling, trusted brand name, the product manufacturing capabilities of Thai Union and a leadership team with unbeatable industry expertise," said Thiraphong Chansiri, Thai Union president. "The team that has been selected to lead the company has a dedication to customer service that will prove valuable to retailers, foodservice operators and distributors, and other business partners."
Bryan Rosenberg, an 18-year veteran of the food industry, will serve as president and CEO of Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods. He has extensive experience in domestic and international food sales and marketing, and has held increasingly senior positions throughout his career.
"I'm very excited about the opportunity to build on Chicken of the Sea's tradition of providing quality and trusted products," said Rosenberg, who noted that a changing buying community and consumer mindset with regard to food quality and safety is placing unique needs on everyone involved in the food industry.
"Now more than ever, our customers, and our customer's customers are demanding more information about the food they are buying - from the product's origin, to how it was processed and packaged, to all of the costs involved. Our goal is to bring the buyer closer to the source and to utilize our team's collective expertise to assist them in the purchasing process."
Paul McCarthy, who brings over 30 years of experience in sourcing, product development, process development and market analysis, will serve as executive vice president.
Brenden Beck is vice president of sales and marketing, and has experience in multiple sectors of the food industry, including sales, management, and strategic planning in consumer packaged goods and commodities.
Rob Kragh, who has 17 years of experience in the seafood industry, will serve as director of business development and has an extensive knowledge of the distribution chain, with an expertise in national account management.
Thai Union International is also the parent company of New York-based Empress International and Chicken of the Sea International, based in San Diego, Calif., a shelf-stable seafood category leader. Thai Union International is a subsidiary of Thai Union Frozen Products PCL. Thai Union Frozen Products, established in 1988, specializes in producing and exporting frozen, refrigerated and shelf-stable seafood.
The Chicken of the Sea brand and famous Mermaid are among the most recognized icons in America.