Industry veterans join Baldor Specialty Foods as VPs

Northeast and mid-Atlantic distributor Baldor Specialty Foods has tapped Scott Crawford to lead as vice president of merchandising and Scott T. King as vice president of sales.

Crawford comes most recently from Fresh Direct, where he was chief merchandising officer. He previously led the prepared foods division at Whole Foods Market across several regions and has an extensive background in kitchens across America, according to a news release. 

Crawford will work to ensure Baldor evolves its catalog by bringing to market new and emerging producers and farms that match the company’s values and customer needs, as well as strengthening relationships with existing partners and suppliers, the release said.

“Working in the distribution business, albeit on the consumer side, I’ve watched Baldor for years and have long seen them as an industry model for their commitment to premium products,” Crawford said in the release. “I am eager to bring the experience gained from Fresh Direct to continue to strengthen our product portfolio, further our commitments to responsible sourcing, and our deepen our relationships with incredible vendors.”

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King previously served as senior director of sales for Tropicana. King worked for more than a dozen years at PepsiCo, including on the Frito Lay and Tropicana brands, leading and developing sales strategies for teams in various divisions.

King will lead the sales organization, building processes and capabilities that improve the company’s partnership with its customers and support growth over the long term, according to the release.

“What attracted me to Baldor is the fact that they’re an industry leading operator that prioritizes the customer experience, focusing on service with a large portfolio of diverse and high-quality items,” King said in the release.

Both Crawford and King will report to Benjamin Walker, senior vice president of sales, marketing and merchandising.

“In the executive search for these roles, we were very careful to look for leaders who could help us strengthen our strategies, systems, and processes, but most importantly who would complement our existing culture,” Walker said in the release. “It is also important that they share our customer-centric approach and have the highest quality food and service standards in the industry. We were fortunate to find that in Scott and Scott.”

Baldor Specialty Foods services more than 10,000 foodservice, retail and corporate accounts from Portland, Maine, to Richmond, Va., and offers over 6,000 fresh produce and specialty food items, with upwards of 20% coming from the local region.

“As our business has grown to its current position — a service area that stretches from Maine to Virginia, a customer base of more than 10,000, and an employee population of more than 2,000 people — we’ve recognized the need to scale up our leadership team,” Baldor President Michael Muzyk said in the release. “We’re purposefully but carefully widening the org chart and strengthening with outside talent that bring best-in-class practices and processes. Our goal is to ever evolve in our promise of quality you can trust and service that delivers, and we’re confident that these hires will help us do that.”