TORRANCE, Calif. -- Farmer Bros. Co. said that Roger Rocky Laverty has been elected to the board and will become CEO effective in December 2007. He has served since 2006 as president and COO for the coffee roaster.
Laverty, 60, will succeed Guenter Berger, 70, as CEO. Berger will continue as chairman after retiring in December 2007 after 47 years with the company. Laverty earlier served two years as president and CEO of Diedrich Coffee, and 19 years with Smart & Final, a Los Angeles-based food retailer, where his positions included CEO, COO and general [image-nocss] counsel.
The board also elected James J. McGarry, 53, an attorney, as an independent director. The two newly named directors filled vacancies created by two retirements: Lewis A. Coffman, 88, who served Farmer Bros. for 60 years, including 24 years on the board, and Kenneth R. Carson, 67, who served Farmer Bros. for 42 years, including three years on the board. Coffman was vice president of sales from 1981 to 1986, and Carson was vice president of sales from 1990 to 2004.
Farmer Bros. Co. is an institutional coffee roaster that sells a variety of coffee and allied products to the foodservice industry.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.