Hickory Farms Names Diane Pearse CEO

TOLEDO, Ohio, March 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Hickory Farms, LLC, America's most famous holiday food gift brand, today announced that Diane Pearse has been named the company's new Chief Executive Officer and President. Pearse joins Hickory Farms with more than 35 years of experience in financial management, operations and leadership roles with consumer product and retail companies.

"It is truly an honor to join the Hickory Farms team," Pearse said. "I am excited about the great future we have ahead of us as we grow this great brand and build on its tremendous foundation."

Prior to joining Hickory Farms, Pearse served as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Finance of Garrett Brands, LLC since May 2015. Previously, Pearse held the position of Senior Vice President of Operations & Merchandising for Redbox, where she was responsible for leading the company's field operations, technical support center, inventory and logistics function and strategy and analytics team. She also served as Chief Financial Officer of Crate & Barrel, the home furnishings specialty retailer, from 2001 to May 2010.

"Diane's proven track record of data-driven business growth and innovation, and her extensive and diverse leadership experience with consumer brands makes her the perfect candidate to lead Hickory Farms," said David Veenstra, Hickory Farms Board Member and Modjule, LLC Partner. "We are thrilled to welcome Diane and have every confidence she will build upon Hickory Farms' many successes, and continue to grow the brand in an impactful way."

Mark S. Rodriguez, who served as Chief Executive Officer from October 2007, has stepped down from his role. Hickory Farms' Board of Directors shares their gratitude with Rodriguez for his leadership over the past eight years, and wishes him well in his future endeavors.

About Hickory Farms, LLC.
For more than 60 years, Hickory Farms has been enriching family holiday celebrations with the highest quality, best tasting specialty food gifts. The company's award-winning signature products and eco-friendly gift boxes can be found online, in catalogs, at leading supermarkets year round and in shopping malls throughout the Christmas holiday season. For more information, please visit www.hickoryfarms.com.

About Modjule LLC  
Modjule LLC is a private investment company formed to invest in and operate small footprint, multi-unit retail and consumer businesses. Modjule's philosophy is based on years of successful operating and investing experience with companies including Redbox, Coinstar, McDonald's, Baird Capital, American Capital, Wind Point Partners and Bain & Company.  Modjule investments include Hickory Farms, Gateway Newstands, Ink Cloud, and Digital Golf Technologies.

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SOURCE Hickory Farms

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