HOUSTON, Dec. 9, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- SYSCO Corporation (NYSE:SYY) announced today that Michael J. Barr has been named president and chief executive officer of Sysco Food Services of St. Louis, LLC, a SYSCO subsidiary located in St. Charles, Missouri. Mr. Barr, who is currently executive vice president of SYSCO's Dallas operation, will assume his new duties effective January 1, 2006. He succeeds current president and chief executive officer Jerry L. Barash, who was named president and chief executive officer of SYSCO's Oxnard, California operation in a prior announcement.
Mr. Barr, 53, began his 23-year SYSCO career at the company's Houston subsidiary as a supplies and equipment specialist in 1982. He progressed to director of non-foods merchandising in 1990 and in 1992 he assumed the added duties of director of non-foods merchandising and marketing. Mr. Barr transferred to the company's corporate headquarters in 1994 as senior manager - disposables and the following year he was promoted to director of supplies and equipment. In 1996 he relocated to SYSCO's San Antonio subsidiary as vice president of marketing, advancing to senior vice president in 2001 and executive vice president in 2002. Mr. Barr relocated to Dallas to serve in his current position in 2003.
Mr. Barr is a 1975 graduate of Southern Illinois University, located in Carbondale, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in restaurant and hotel management. He and his wife, Ellen, have two daughters and will relocate to the St. Louis area in the near future.
Sysco Food Services of St. Louis, LLC, markets and distributes a complete line of food and related products to restaurants, country clubs, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments, business and industry locations, multi-unit chain accounts and other foodservice customers throughout Missouri.
SYSCO is the largest foodservice marketing and distribution organization in North America, providing food and related products and services to approximately 390,000 restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other foodservice customers. The company generated sales of $30.3 billion for the fiscal year 2005 that ended July 2, 2005. SYSCO's operations are located throughout the United States and Canada and include broadline companies, specialty produce and custom-cut meat operations, Asian foodservice, hotel supply operations and chain restaurant distribution subsidiaries. For more information about SYSCO visit the company's Internet home page at www.sysco.com.
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