PROCESSORS/RETAILERS:

Saputo Inc., Canada
Paul Corney was appointed president and COO, dairy foods division (USA), effective April 1. Corney has been with the company since 2001, and has served as senior vice president, national retail sales, dairy division (Canada). Prior to 2001, he held several senior management positions in sales and operations with other dairy processors.

Ready Pac Foods, Inc., Irwindale, Calif.
Tristan Simpson was promoted to the newly created position of vice president, corporate communications, responsible for executive messaging, stakeholder outreach, public and media relations, digital media and internal associate engagement. Simpson joined Ready Pac in 2011, and has held a variety of roles within the marketing area, most recently as senior director of marketing and corporate communications. She has been an integral part of the marketing team through her leadership in launching new products, driving strategic marketing programs and developing Ready Pac’s new website and social media platform. With more than 20 years of experience, Simpson’s career has been dedicated within consumer packaged goods marketing in the retail and foodservice channels.

Tyson Foods, Inc., Springdale, Ark.
Rick Thomason was named president and GM of Tyson de Mexico, the company’s oldest and most established international business, responsible for overseeing all of Tyson de Mexico’s daily business. Thomason joined Tyson Foods’ corporate cost accounting group in 1991, and has held many different positions within the finance and accounting group. Before his promotion, he was vice president of accounting for Tyson Foods’ international businesses.

SUPPLIERS:

Safe Fleet, Belton, Mo.
John Knox was named president and CEO. Knox previously served as chairman of Royal Adhesives and Sealants after its acquisition of ADCO Global. Prior to ADCO, Knox was president and COO of Sovereign Specialty Chemicals and president of Valspar Europe.

Power Automation Systems, Lathrop, Calif.
Mark Schmidt, an executive manager with an extensive background in material handling systems and supply chain solutions, joined as an account manager, responsible for serving customers with their warehouse management needs. Schmidt was a sales engineer with Murata and a system sales senior manager with Daifuku. Schmidt’s background also includes time spent with Remstar, providing a solid foundation for material handling.

Bunting Magnetics Co., Newton, Kan.
Donald Lindstrom was named general manager of Magnet Applications, Inc., a subsidiary in DuBois, Pa. Lindstrom will be responsible for custom magnet design and manufacturing operations, serving manufacturers in North America and Europe with magnet design, prototyping, testing and subassemblies. Additionally, Steven Clark was named territory manager for standard products, with sales responsibilities for upstate New York and the New England states of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. 

IN MEMORIUM: MARJORIE “MAGGIE” SILVER SMITH, AMERICAN SHORT LINE AND REGIONAL RAILROAD ASSOCIATION
Short line railroad pioneer Marjorie “Maggie” Silver Smith passed away March 9.

Silver Smith began her railroad industry experience by working for her father’s railroad business, Pinsly Railroad Co., in 1965. She became president upon his death in 1977. Over time, she grew the Pinsly Railroad Co. to eight short line railroads and railroad distribution companies serving more than 200 customers in Massachusetts, Arkansas and Florida. She turned over the reins of the company to her son John in 2007.

Silver Smith was deeply involved in the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, Washington, D.C., serving on the Eastern region board since 1979, including five years as the Eastern region vice president. She was elected director emeritus in 1994 and remained active in association affairs even after her retirement in 2007.

“Maggie was the leading lady of the railroad industry and my mentor. When I first began attending national industry meetings, it was just me and Maggie,” says ASLRRA board member Judy Petry. “In later years, she often remarked that only she and I remembered when there were no lines in the ladies restroom.”

Silver Smith is survived by her husband, Robert Smith; sons John, Marc and James; daughters Anne, Leslie and Lindsey; and grandchildren Natalie Levine, Samuel Kooris, Lily Levine, Sara Jackson, Jeremy Levine, Evan Smith, Stephen Paolini and Maya Levine.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P. O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284-9168 or at http://bit.ly/1oIIoSX.