Lester Lawrence, chairman of the board at Lawrence Foods, Elk Grove Village, IL, has announced that the company’s directors have unanimously voted to appoint Cecil Gregory (right) as the new CEO.

“We enthusiastically support this selection, and feel fortunate to know that leadership has transitioned to someone preeminently qualified to guide Lawrence Foods through this period of rapid growth and dramatic market change,” says Lawrence, who has served as CEO since 1982. “Cecil is ably assisted by corporate officers, including COO, Marc Lawrence. I am particularly pleased to note that this top leadership team strongly reflects the family values and business ethics brought to the company at its inception by my own father and grandfather.”

A full-line manufacturer of bakery ingredients, Lawrence Foods serves a broad customer base, from supermarket bakeries to consumer packaged goods (CPG) industrial customers.