Urban Farmer Appoints Chris Jaromin Chief Executive Officer

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Oct 21, 2024, 08:03 ET

MANTENO, Ill., Oct. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Urban Farmer, a Paine Schwartz Partners portfolio company and leading manufacturer of better-for-you specialty dough products, today announced that Chris Jaromin has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Jaromin succeeds Mark Fleming, who is stepping down as Chief Executive Officer. The Board of Directors will help facilitate and support a seamless transition.

Mr. Jaromin brings almost 30 years of experience driving profitable growth and improving operations in the frozen food and snacking co-manufacturing and bakery industries. Most recently, Mr. Jaromin served as the Chief Operating Officer at Feel Good Foods, a frozen snack and appetizer business, where he led day-to-day operations, long-range planning, and strategic cost and cash improvement projects. Previously, Mr. Jaromin served as the Chief Operating Officer at TNT Crust, managing both of the company's plants, including the production of gluten-free, vegan, keto, and organic products, and all sourcing, manufacturing, planning, quality, and distribution and logistics. He was also a key member of the leadership team that successfully sold the company to General Mills.

"Chris is an accomplished executive in the frozen food co-manufacturing and bakery industries, and we are excited to welcome him as Urban Farmer's next CEO," said Betsy Holden, a member of the Board of Directors. "Over the last few years, Urban Farmer has made significant strides solidifying its position as the leader in the better-for-you frozen food space. As I can attest from working with him at TNT Crust, Chris's deep operational expertise and relevant industry experience will complement the existing leadership team's capabilities and will enable him to lead the company through its next phase of growth. We are grateful to Mark for his leadership and his contributions towards expanding customer relationships and building a high caliber team," said Kyle Heberle, Executive Chairman of the Board.

"I am thrilled to become the CEO of Urban Farmer, a company I have long admired," said Mr. Jaromin. "I look forward to applying my prior experience in the better-for-you frozen food space and working with my colleagues on the leadership team, our partners at Paine Schwartz, and the rest of Urban Farmer's talented employee base to build off of Urban Farmer's strong foundation and lead it to its next stage of growth."

About Chris Jaromin

Mr. Jaromin joins Urban Farmer from Feel Good Foods, a better-for-you, gluten-free frozen snack brand distributed through natural, mainstream grocery, club, and foodservice channels, where he served as Chief Operating Officer. In this position, Mr. Jaromin led day-to-day operations and cost management, in addition to all long-range planning and other bottom-line factors, including strategic cost and cash improvement projects. Prior to this role, Mr. Jaromin held other leadership positions in operations and supply chain, including serving as the Chief Operating Officer at TNT Crust, an industrial bakery supplying pizza crusts and flatbreads to the foodservice, quick-service restaurant, and private label channels. At TNT, he provided day-to-day leadership and operational strategy for the company's two-plants and was a key member of the leadership team that successfully sold the company to General Mills. Prior to TNT, Mr. Jaromin served in various roles overseeing operations at Zesty Paws, Biena Snacks, WellPet, the Topps Company, Dove Chocolate Discoveries, the Longaberger Company, and Stegner Food Products. Mr. Jaromin served in the United States Navy and holds an Executive M.B.A. from Xavier University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Rochester.

About Urban Farmer

Founded in 2013 and based in Manteno, Illinois, Urban Farmer is a fully integrated manufacturer of better-for-you specialty dough products. Its innovative and differentiated portfolio of plant-based specialty dough products includes pizza crusts, topped pizzas, flatbreads, breadsticks, cheese bread, tortillas, empanadas, and sandwich buns. The company has a diverse, rapidly expanding blue-chip customer base, including the leading better-for-you pizza brands and major retailers across North America. The company's state-of-the-art gluten-free facilities meet the highest levels of food safety protocols and have the capabilities to scale and meet evolving customer needs.

About Paine Schwartz Partners

Paine Schwartz Partners is the largest private equity firm dedicated to sustainable food chain investing, with ~$6 billion of AUM and over 20 years of experience. The firm invests across specific segments of the food and agribusiness value chain, with a focus on two core investment themes: productivity and sustainability and health and wellness. Through its proactive, thesis-driven approach, the firm targets value-added and differentiated companies and makes primarily control buyout investments, with a smaller allocation to growth companies. For further information, please see www.paineschwartz.com.

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SOURCE Paine Schwartz Partners