Birds Eye Food announces changes in sales organization.

Birds Eye Foods, Inc., the nation's leader in manufacturing and marketing frozen vegetables and a major processor of other food products, recently announced changes in its sales organization.

Birds Eye has created three major sales areas, each with an area vice president who will manage both the retail branded and store brands business.

Rochester-based Larry Hahn becomes area vice president in the East; John Heslin, based in Denver, becomes area vice president for the West and a third area vice president will be appointed to head the Central area. The changes are effective immediately. Prior to their new assignments, Birds Eye Foods had two national districts--East and West, with Hahn and Heslin, respectively, heading those areas.

In order to better focus on business for Super Valu and C&S, two new positions as team leaders have been created. Mark Siebenaller, formerly North Central district manager, becomes Super Valu team leader. Siebenaller, who is now responsible for all Super Valu business across the country, remains based in Milwaukee. C&S will also have a dedicated team leader for its business in a position not yet filled.

Other new appointments include that of David Leferman as senior director customer and category management and Stephen Garrett as district manager Central. Leferman, who brings experience from both A.C. Nielsen and Information Resources to his new position, will be moving from New Jersey to Rochester. Garrett is based in St. Louis. Charles Alexander, formerly with Heinz, has recently joined Birds Eye Foods as a sales manager on the Wal-Mart team.

There were no changes announced to the Wal-Mart team or alternate channels which continue to report to senior vice president of sales, Robert Montgomery.

Rochester-based Birds Eye Foods, with sales of approximately $1.0 billion annually, processes fruits and vegetables in 16 facilities across the country. Familiar brands in the frozen aisle include Birds Eye, Birds Eye Voila!, Birds Eye Simply Grillin,' Freshlike and McKenzie's.

Other processed foods marketed by Birds Eye Foods include canned vegetables (Freshlike), fillings and topping, (Comstock and Wilderness); chili and chili ingredients (Nalley and Brooks); salad dressings (Bernstein's and Nalley) and snacks (Tim's, Snyder of Berlin and Husman). Birds Eye Foods also produces many of these products for the private label, foodservice and industrial markets.

For more information contact Bea Sllzewski at Birds Eye Foods. Tel [phone].