Land O'Frost Names David Van Eekeren Chief Executive Officer

LANSING, Ill., Jan. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Land O'Frost, America's third-largest and fastest growing lunchmeat brand, today announced David Van Eekeren will become chief executive officer and president effective immediately. Donna Van Eekeren will continue to serve Land O'Frost in the role of executive chairman and shift her focus from day-to-day operations to long-term strategic planning for the company.

As chief executive officer, David is the family's third generation to lead the fifty two-year-old business. He has served as the company's president since 2008 and started working for Land O'Frost full-time in 1991 as a supervisor in the Searcy, Ark., manufacturing plant. Since then, he went on to work in practically every part of the company before assuming the role of executive vice president in 2005.

"Our management team has developed a comprehensive vision for the future and a strategy for the long-term growth of Land O'Frost. I strongly believe that the time has arrived for David to have the full authority to implement this vision for our future," said Donna Van Eekeren, executive chairman of Land O'Frost.  "The knowledge and experience David has gained from years of working at Land O'Frost coupled with his proven talents as a leader, make him eminently qualified to fill the role of chief executive officer and president. This is a huge step toward keeping the Land O'Frost business in the family for the long-term."

Land O'Frost was founded by Antoon Van Eekeren, David's grandfather. David's father Paul Van Eekeren then ran the company until his death in 2001, when his wife Donna assumed her role as the company's chief executive officer.

"It is an honor to follow in the footsteps of my grandfather, father and mother by leading Land O'Frost," said David Van Eekeren, president and chief effective officer of Land O'Frost.  "I look forward to continuing the long tradition of growth and innovation first established by my grandfather and built upon by my parents.  I also feel very fortunate to be supported by the best management team in the industry and I greatly look forward to continuing to build and differentiate our brand for many years to come."

Van Eekeren earned a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Kansas and an MBA in finance from Loyola University in Chicago.  He is a member of the Leadership Council and a former board member at The Cancer Support Center, and a member of the Board of Governors at Olympia Fields Country Club. He is also active in supporting a number of other organizations in the Chicagoland community.

About Land O'Frost

Land O'Frost manufactures sliced packaged luncheon meats (beef, chicken, turkey, and ham), and is the largest family owned brand of packaged deli meat in the U.S. Some of the leading products marketed by Land O'Frost include: Land O'Frost Premium® One Pound, the top selling deli pouch in the U.S.; Land O'Frost DeliShaved®, and their ultra premium line Land O'Frost® Bistro Favorites™. Information on several additional items can be found on their Web site. The Land O'Frost brand can be found in the supermarkets and mass merchandisers that account for nearly 90 percent of the retail sales in the country, as well as Mexico, Puerto Rico and other U.S. Territories. Land O'Frost also manufactures specialty meat products sold to restaurants and major food manufacturers. The company operates three facilities in Lansing, Ill., Madisonville, Ky. And Searcy, Ark. Visit www.landofrost.com for additional information. In 2010, Land O'Frost launched www.LandOMoms.com, www.Twitter.com/LandOFrost and www.Facebook.com/LandOFrost as a part of a broader consumer branding campaign.

SOURCE Land O'Frost