Peter Hjort Email & Phone Number

Rome, Ga, Us

Atlanta, Georgia, Us

Epic Baking (aka Epi Breads) produces and distributes a wide range of artisan-crafted bread products including hoagies, rolls, and buns for foodservice chains and grocery retailers. Epi Breads operates BRC-certified bakeries in Atlanta (176K SF) and Muskegon, Michigan (88K SF). The company is owned by AUA Private Equity Partners.– Lead a team of 500 employees including six members of the Executive Leadership Team.– Transformed the culture of the organization. Put the company on a growth trajectory.– Rebuilt the sales organization to leverage the more profitable retail market.– Negotiated a 10-year supply agreement with the Company’s largest customer.– Identified the root causes of operational issues. Developed a plan to improve OEE by 44%, reduce outsourcing, and deliver an annual margin gain of $10M with a 60-day payback period.

Rome, Georgia, Us

Summit Hill Foods makes gravy and baking mixes as well as food bases for restaurants, foodservice companies, and ingredient providers. Consumer brands include Better Than Bouillon®, Louisiana Hot Sauce®, and Southeastern Mills®.– Led a high-performing team of over 500 people; most recently it was 415 employees.– From 2018 to 2020, led the growth of the Better Than Bouillon® brand at a CAGR of 30% to achieve a 44% market share. This brand has grown 4x since the 2009 acquisition.– Focused on margin growth through continuous improvement, which is now a pillar in the strategic plan. Gross margins almost doubled during tenure.– Divested a mature segment of the business that represented one-third of our revenue. Subsequently acquired a more strategic business segment. Replaced the lost revenue in three years (2020).– After 80 years as “Southeastern Mills,” rebranded the company to better identify the company’s vision.– Developed and implemented a strategic plan to capitalize on the changing dynamics of the food industry.– During the COVID-19 pandemic, grew the business and gained market share due to organizational and operational agility. Company owner described 2020 performance as “stellar.”

Rome, Georgia, Us

– Restructured our Supply Chain and Operations teams to prepare the company for innovation and rapid growth.– Implemented a product development process that improved speed-to-market, gave us a competitive advantage, and improved our market share.

Rome, Georgia, Us

– Spearheaded M&A activity. Identified, negotiated, and integrated strategic acquisitions.– Developed optimal capital structure for company growth and shareholder estate planning.– Redesigned incentive compensation plans based on an economic value added (EVA) model.– Led the divestiture of Mondo Baking Company, maker of Rice Krispies, to Kellogg’s.

G&L is a holding company for Grain Craft and Southeastern Mills. Grain Craft was formed in 2014 after Milner Milling and Pendleton Flour Mills acquired Cereal Food Processors. Served here in a less direct role than at Summit Hill.– Consolidated three sister companies into G&L. Project included major refinancing for the purpose of making the company’s largest-ever acquisition, Cereal Food Processors, the nation’s largest independent flour milling company, and fourth largest wheat miller, with 10 milling facilities located from Portland (Oregon) to Cleveland.

Chattanooga, Tennessee, Us

Pendleton Flour Mills, headquartered in Pendleton, Oregon, was a flour miller that offered a strong distribution network specializing in bulk shipments via trucks, rail, and ocean containers.– Restored banking relationships during the turnaround of this business after we acquired it in 2001.

Milner Milling, headquartered in Chattanooga, was the seventh largest flour miller in the USA. The business had mill locations in Barnesville and Rome, Georgia as well as Birmingham, Alabama.– Negotiated major financing for construction of a new state-of-the-art flour mill in Birmingham.

Thomasville, Ga, Us

Flowers Foods operates 46 bakeries that produce a wide range of bakery foods for retail and foodservice businesses. Brand names include Nature’s Own, Butternut, Tastykake, Wonder, and Dave’s Killer Bread.– Provided financial leadership for this $4B organization.– Negotiated and closed over $1.2B of credit agreements.

Thomasville, Ga, Us

– Evaluated dozens of M&A opportunities.– Directed the accounting function for 40+ subsidiaries.– Assisted the CFO in communicating with investment community.– Played critical role in Keebler’s $279M IPO.– Hired out of college as a Staff Accountant in 1981; promoted to Accounting Systems Manager in 1985.

Bachelor Of Business Administration (Bba), Accounting

Education record

Education record