May 17, 2006 - Choice Food Group Names Vice Presidents of New Choice Food of America

Nashville, Tenn. – Choice Food Group, a privately-held investment company that focuses its efforts on the food industry, has named its senior management team for its newly-formed subsidiary, Choice Food of America, LLC, a food manufacturer specializing in customer food solutions for food distributors and restaurant chains across the continental United States.

Philip Connelly, a Nashville resident, was named president of Choice Food of America, LLC. He also serves as president of Vietti Foods Company, Inc. Connelly brings to the management team over 21 years of experience with consumer products giants, including spending over 10 years in Atlanta and Chicago working for Whitehall/Robins (Advil, Primatene), Borden and Sara Lee. As vice president of Atlanta-based Edwards Fine Foods’ Retail Group, Connelly joined former Keebler and Heinz executives and New York-based venture capitalist Ripplewood Holdings in the late 1990’s to build Edwards Fine Foods into the third largest frozen dessert operation in the United States, with sales exceeding $200 million annually.

Steven Schiraldi, a Brentwood resident, was named vice president of operations for Choice Food of America, LLC where he is responsible for the daily manufacturing operations of the plant, including quality control, maintenance & engineering, inventory planning, purchasing, safety, environmental & sanitation, and warehousing as well as the administrative functions such as accounting & budgeting, capital expenditures, management of information systems, and human resources & workers compensation.

He previously served as plant manager of Portion Pac, a division of H.J. Heinz Co. LP for the past six years. Schiraldi has over 24 years of experience in food manufacturing with such food consumer giants as Borden. He has transitioned through five company acquisitions during that period of time which has garnered him facility experience from plants located in Long Island, New York; Chambersburg, Pa.; Jacksonville, Fla. to his current post in Nashville, Tenn.  His career positions started as mechanic, maintenance supervisor and led to management positions as maintenance/engineering manager, production manager. He holds a degree in computer technology from State University of New York.

Ron Brown, a Mt. Juliet resident, was named vice president of sales, marketing & logistics for the Choice Food of America where he is responsible for production, planning and inventory control as well as purchasing, warehousing and customer service. He has over 26 years of experience in the food manufacturing industry. His interest in the food service industry began as a restaurant owner for five years. He left private business in 1980 to pursue working in food manufacturing, with his first job being production manager for the commissary of Shoney’s Inc., a position he held for nine years.

Brown’s job location has not moved since he was anchored at Shoney’s 189 Spence Lane facility in Nashville, Tenn.; only the company names he has worked for have changed through acquisitions.  In 1989, he was logistics manager for Mike Rose Foods for four years. Then, in 1994, he became operations manager for Levmark Holdings for three years. In 1998, he became director of distribution for J.W. Childs. Since 2000, he has remained as logistics manager for International Diverse Food and Portion Pac, a division of H.J. Heinz. He is a graduate of Auburn Community College in Auburn, New York and holds a degree in liberal arts.

About Choice Food of America.

Choice Food of America produces items for food service distributors across the continental United States and for restaurant chains, such as Shoney’s and Pizza Hut. Choice Food of America also maintains production of ingredients for other processors, with focus continuing on salad dressings, sauces and dry-blend coatings and breadings.

About Choice Food Group.

Choice Food Group specializes in wholesale food service distribution of broad line products through its Choice Food Distributors, Inc., and the manufacturing and marketing of canned food products through Vietti Foods Company, Inc. With the addition of Choice Food of America, Choice Food Group now employs over 150 skilled food service employees, and has over 170 years of combined business experience and competence in the food service industry among its senior management staff.

Choice Food Distributors, Inc. (www.choicefood.com ) is an independent wholesale food service distributor of broad line products. Vietti Foods Company, Inc. is a 108-year-old manufacturer and marketer of canned food products that (www.viettichili.com) maintains a USDA-inspected manufacturing facility in Nashville producing canned products, including chilis, stews, pastas, soups, hash, beans & franks, beans & rice and sauces.