Fresh pork and packaged meats giantSmithfield Foods Inc., Smithfield, Va., said it promoted George Richter to president and chief operating officer for the company's pork group, effective on April 28. The group consists of five processing companies with combined sales exceeding $9 billion. Richter formerly was president of Smithfield's Farmland Foods Inc. business. Succeeding him there will beJames Sbarro, previously Farmland's senior vice president in charge of sales and marketing, research and development.

In other moves, the company said it promoted Smithfield Packing Co. PresidentJoseph Luter IV to executive vice president of Smithfield Foods (responsible for sales and marketing).Tim Schellpeper, Farmland's senior vice president of operations, has been named president at Smithfield Packing.