SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Oct. 2, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Baywood International, Inc. (OTCBB:BAYW) ("Company") announced the appointment of two new members to its board of directors ("Board") effective September 28, 2008. In aggregate the Company's Board now consists of six members. The two new members are Eric Skae and Scott Ricketts.
Mr. Skae founded Skae Beverage International, LLC as Midnight Sun Brands, LLC in October 2002. Eric Skae has spent the past fifteen years in the beverage business where he worked from 1999 to 2002 as President and General Manager of Fresh Solutions, Inc., a Division of Saratoga Beverage Group. While there he was responsible for a $25 million distribution business as well as advising the CEO on the company's sale to North Castle Partners. He also was responsible for rolling out the Naked Juice brand. From 1997 to 1999, Mr. Skae was Director of Sales at Fresh Samantha Inc. where he managed 7 distribution centers, was responsible for 70% of company's sales and assisted the company's growth from $5 million in total sales to $45 million in 21/2 years. Prior to that, from 1996 to 1997, he was Vice-President of National Accounts at Hansen Beverage Company where he secured and managed National Accounts such as Seven Eleven, Walgreens, Circle K, Publix, Giant Foods, Mobil, Chevron, Texaco and Quik Trip. He also managed all Canadian business. From 1993 to 1996, Mr. Skae was a Regional Manager at Arizona Beverages where he managed the Mid-Atlantic region from $2 million to $10 million in sales in 2 years. Mr. Skae graduated from Northwood University with a Bachelor's in Business Administration.
Mr. Ricketts is the President and owner of RC Industries, Inc. whose primary holding is Mid's Pasta Sauces, located in Navarre, Ohio. Mid's is a high-end food manufacturing company specializing in premium Italian pasta sauces. Mid's products can be found in 2300 stores in 15 states. Mr. Ricketts began his career at the Amster Kirtz Company, an Ohio-based distributor of candy, beverage and food products, where he rose to the position of sales manager. In 1979, Scott left Amster Kirtz to purchase Ewing Sales, a small, Northeast Ohio food brokerage company. Over the next eighteen years, he built Ewing into a $100 million (sales) company handling lines from, among others, Procter & Gamble, Hunt-Wesson, Newman's Own, Fisher Nut and Cadbury. In 1997, he sold Ewing to a Detroit-based brokerage firm and purchased Mid's. Mr. Ricketts is the recipient of many regional and national food industry awards and has been a tireless fundraiser for charitable organizations throughout Ohio. He is also a former board member of the Canton Chapter of the American Heart Association and has sat on the Professional Football Hall of Fame Committee. He attended Kent State University and currently serves on the university's Athletic Board.
"The acquisition last month of Skae Beverage and the New Leaf brand by the Company constitutes a transformational step toward our future in the beverage market. The addition of Eric Skae with his extensive experience in the beverage arena, as well as Scott Ricketts' distinguished career in product sales and distribution is an integral part of moving the New Leaf brand and our business strategy forward," stated Neil Reithinger, President & C.E.O. of Baywood.
Also, effective September 28, 2008, Karl H. Rullich resigned his position as a director of the Company. Mr. Rullich remains as a Vice-President. In aggregate the Company's Board consists of six members: Neil Reithinger, Chairman, Eric Skae, O. Lee Tawes, III, Neil Russell, Scott Ricketts and David Tsiang.
About Baywood:
Baywood International, Inc. (OTCBB:BAYW) ("Baywood") is a nutritional science company that develops, markets and sells nutraceutical and nutritionally enhanced products and new age beverages under its own brands. Baywood merges its expertise in nutritional formulation with its leverage in sales and distribution to deliver the most effective and progressive products to market. Currently, Baywood's products are sold under three brands that are distributed into retail markets nationwide and internationally as follows:
-- New Leaf Tea -- Available in the Northeast and South Florida
through 50+ distributors and approximately 5,000 accounts of
independent grocery/restaurant "street" channel (i.e. bagel stores,
delis, pizzerias, cafes, independent convenience stores, college book
stores etc).
-- LifeTime(r) -- Available in independent and chain health food
stores, natural grocery stores, and other direct-to-consumer channels
both internationally and domestically (www.lifetimevitamins.com)
-- Baywood PURECHOICE(r), Baywood SOLUTIONS(r) and Complete La
Femme(r) -- Available in independent and chain health food stores,
natural grocery stores, and other direct-to-consumer channels both
internationally and domestically (www.baywoodproducts.com)
-- Mamajuana Extreme(tm) -- Available in select convenience stores and
chain stores nationwide (www.mamajuanaextreme.com)
For more information, call (888) 350-0799, or for more information, visit Baywood's corporate website at www.bywd.com.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements, made in reliance upon Section 21D of the Exchange Act of 1934, which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties or other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results, performance, or expectations implied by these forward-looking statements. The Company's expectations, among other things, are dependent upon general economic conditions, continued demand for its products, the availability of raw materials, retention of its key management and operating personnel, its ability to operate its subsidiary companies effectively, need for and availability of additional capital as well as other uncontrollable or unknown factors which are more fully disclosed in the Company's Form 10-KSBs and 10-QSBs on file with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.