HOUSTON, Nov. 7, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- SYSCO Corporation (NYSE:SYY) announced today that Richard E. Abbey and James M. Worrall have been appointed assistant vice presidents, contract sales. Both appointments are effective January 1, 2006. The company also announced that David B. Smallwood, a 25-year SYSCO veteran and currently vice president of multi-unit sales, will retire from the company effective January 1, 2006.
Mr. Abbey, 58, joined SYSCO in 1979 as a district sales manager for the company's Albany, New York subsidiary. He progressed to general sales manager in 1981, a position he held until 1986 when he was promoted to corporate director of program accounts. Mr. Abbey was appointed to his current position as regional vice president of multi-unit accounts in 1991. Prior to joining SYSCO he served for 13 years in various sales and management positions with Interstate Brands Corporation.
Mr. Abbey was born and raised in Syracuse, New York. He has three adult children and five grandchildren and will continue to reside in Clifton Park, New York.
Mr. Worrall, 50, began his SYSCO career in 1978 as a supplies & equipment marketing specialist for the company's Houston subsidiary. He became a marketing associate for that operation in 1982, advanced to district sales manager in 1986 and then became regional sales manager in 1990. Mr. Worrall was promoted to his current duties as regional vice president of multi-unit accounts in 1995.
Mr. Worrall was born in Houston and raised in Pearland, Texas. He is a 1978 graduate of the University of Houston where he earned a bachelor of science degree from its Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. He and his wife, Susan, have a daughter and son and reside in Houston.
Mr. Smallwood, 59, is retiring from SYSCO following a distinguished 25-year career. He joined SYSCO in 1981 as district sales manager for the company's Houston subsidiary and the following year he was named regional sales manager. In 1984 he joined the corporate office as director of program sales and in 1986 he was promoted to his current position. Prior to joining SYSCO he served for 11 years in various sales and management positions with Kitchens of Sara Lee.
Mr. Smallwood is a 1967 graduate of the University of Miami, located in Coral Gables, Florida, where he earned his bachelor of business administration degree. Mr. Smallwood is currently a member of the National Restaurant Association and the Women's Foodservice Forum (WFF) where he also serves as a board member and was a past chairman of the WFF Sponsorship Committee. He also previously served on the Distributor Advisory Council of the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association.
Mr. Smallwood and his wife, Melanie, are the parents of three adult children and have three grandchildren. They will relocate to the state of Florida upon his retirement.
SYSCO, the largest foodservice marketing and distribution organization in North America, provides food and related products and services to approximately 390,000 restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other foodservice customers, generating sales of $30.3 billion for the fiscal year 2005 that ended July 2, 2005. SYSCO's operations, supported by approximately 44,000 associates, are located throughout the United States and Canada and include broadline foodservice distribution companies, specialty produce and custom-cut meat operations, Asian cuisine foodservice distributors, hotel supply operations and chain restaurant distribution subsidiaries. For more information about SYSCO visit the company's home page at www.sysco.com