HOUSTON, June 27, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- SYSCO Corporation (NYSE:SYY) announced today that D. Michael Downs has been named assistant vice president, real estate & construction. Mr. Downs, who currently serves as senior director of engineering services, will assume his new position effective July 2, 2006, the beginning of SYSCO's fiscal year 2007.
Mr. Downs, 54, began his SYSCO career in 1988 as a project manager at the company's corporate offices in Houston. He was promoted to senior project manager in 1993, was named director of engineering services in 1995 and in 1997 he advanced to his current position. A licensed architect, he served for 11 years with architectural design and project construction firms in Houston before joining SYSCO.
Mr. Downs was born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana. He is a graduate of Louisiana State University, where he earned a bachelor of architecture degree in 1977. He and his two sons reside in Houston.
SYSCO is the global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other customers who prepare meals away from home. Its family of products also includes equipment and supplies for the foodservice and hospitality industries. For calendar year 2005 the company generated $31.4 billion in sales. For more information about SYSCO visit the company's Internet home page at www.sysco.com.
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