McKee Foods Appoints John Williams President of Prairie City Bakery
American company McKee Foods has announced that John Williams has been appointed president of Prairie City Bakery LLC, replacing co-founder Bill Skeens, who recently retired.
A 25-year veteran of the food industry, Williams most recently served as vice president of marketing and innovation at Prairie City Bakery, joining the Vernon Hills-based company in 2009. During his 10-year tenure, he played a lead role in setting corporate strategy, developing and introducing new products, packaging, and display design and acquiring and managing new suppliers. He also managed key corporate accounts. All of these activities and more were instrumental in growing the sales and profitability of Prairie City Bakery. Williams was also critical in the integration process with McKee Foods since it acquired Prairie City Bakery as a wholly-owned subsidiary in May 2019.
“I am truly excited about the opportunity to lead Prairie City Bakery into its next phase. This company has a strong track record of strategic thinking paired with grassroots execution — where customer relationships, quality and service matter most. I look forward to working with the Prairie City and McKee Foods teams to ensure a prosperous and profitable future,” said Williams.
He previously held leadership roles with several companies, including CSM, Unilever Food Solutions, Miller Coors and Solo Cup Company.
“John has a passion for the bakery industry and a spirit of innovation that fits well with the McKee Foods vision for the future,” said Andy Lang, CEO of Prairie City Bakery LLC and CFO of McKee Foods Corporation. “I am confident that John will do a great job leading the Prairie City Bakery team and continuing to grow the business.”
John will remain in the Prairie City Bakery office location in Vernon Hills, Illinois.
Founded in 1994, Prairie City Bakery provides premium, fully-baked, thaw-and-sell bakery solutions to the convenience store, foodservice and in-store bakery channels throughout the US.