Lancaster Colony’s T. Marzetti Company Appoints Tanya Berman as Retail President

T. Marzetti Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lancaster Colony Corporation, has appointed Tanya Berman as President of its Retail business unit, with the role becoming effective April 21, 2025.

Berman brings 25 years of experience in general management and marketing. She most recently served as Senior Vice President at Mondelez, overseeing the U.S. cookie and cracker portfolio. Her previous leadership experience also includes senior roles at Mars Wrigley, Bayer Consumer Care, and Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products.

Berman holds a bachelor’s degree from Barnard College and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business. Her appointment is expected to include entry into Lancaster Colony’s standard change in control agreement. An offer letter outlining her compensation and terms of employment will be filed in the company's upcoming quarterly report.

The company has expressed confidence in Berman’s leadership to drive continued growth in the retail segment of its food business.

Lancaster Colony Corporation, through its subsidiary Marzetti Manufacturing Company, has completed the acquisition of a sauce and dressing production facility in Atlanta, Georgia, from Winland Foods, Inc. The transaction, initially announced on November 18, 2024, was finalized on February 18, 2025, for a cash purchase price of $75 million, subject to adjustments under the Purchase and Sale Agreement.

As part of the deal, the buyer and seller entered into a co-manufacturing agreement under which Lancaster Colony will manufacture certain products for Winland Foods for up to twelve months.

Lancaster Colony Corporation, based in Westerville, Ohio, reported strong second-quarter results for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024. The company posted record net sales of $509.3 million, a 4.8% increase from the same quarter in the previous year. Retail sales grew 6.3%, driven by successful licensing programs and Marzetti® brand products. The Foodservice segment saw a 3.0% increase in sales, aided by higher demand from national restaurant chain customers. Gross profit for the quarter was $132.8 million, an increase of 9.3%.

However, the company experienced a decline in income before taxes by $3.9 million due to a $14.0 million noncash settlement charge related to the termination of its legacy pension plans. Despite this, Lancaster Colony reported net income of $49.0 million, or $1.78 per diluted share, which was slightly lower than the previous year's $1.87 per diluted share. The settlement charge and incremental SG&A expenditures for a planned acquisition of a sauce and dressing production facility in Atlanta reduced net income by $0.39 and $0.05 per diluted share, respectively.

Looking ahead, the company remains optimistic about the Retail segment's growth, especially with its expanding licensing program and innovations in its own brands. It also anticipates continued success in the Foodservice segment and looks forward to the completion of the acquisition of the Atlanta-based facility, which will bolster its manufacturing capacity and operational efficiency.

For the first six months of the fiscal year, Lancaster Colony reported a 3.0% increase in net sales and a slight decline in net income, from $95.4 million in the prior year to $93.7 million, after accounting for the pension settlement and acquisition-related expenses.