ATCHISON, KAN., October 23, 2012— MGP has announced the appointment of Pam Dickerson to the position of territory sales manager for ingredients. She brings over 15 years of combined experience in food ingredient sales and product development to the position, which primarily focuses on marketing the company’s specialty starches and proteins to manufacturers of branded consumer packaged goods. 

“Pam’s principal responsibilities involve strengthening MGP’s presence among existing and prospective customers through direct interaction and by demonstrating how our ingredients can uniquely add value to their products by way of enhanced nutritional, sensory and functional qualities,” said Dave Szebalskie, regional sales director. “She will perform an essential role in helping identify customer needs and developing key account relationships, as well as go-to-market strategies. With her extensive sales and food science background and in depth knowledge of the food industry, Pam is ideal for this role.  As such, we feel very fortunate for the opportunity to welcome her to our company.”

Since February 2011, Dickerson had been employed by Kerry Ingredients & Flavours, Beloit, Wisc. She began there as account manager for store brands in the eastern U.S., where she developed private brand assortments with retailers. In May 2012, she was named account manager for Kerry’s bakery ingredients, with responsibility for selling value-added solutions across the company’s ingredient technologies in an assigned territory.

From 2006 to 2011, Dickerson served as process leader for food product development with the Target Corporation in Minneapolis. In this capacity, she was responsible for managing the vendor-based development of Target’s private label food products, including creating prototypes, conducting sensory evaluations and quality attribute assessments, leading product team evaluations and providing technical guidance to vendors. For four years prior to that, she was a sales representative for Gregg and Associates, Inc., a food ingredient brokerage business located in Excelsior, Minn.

Dickerson began her professional career with General Mills, Inc., Minneapolis, where, following a summer internship, she started as a food scientist in the company’s Snacks Unlimited Division in 1996. In 1998, she became a research food scientist for both that division and General Mills’ Big “G” Division, collaborating with marketing personnel to create new snack concepts while also leading efforts to identify new snack business opportunities, as well as flavor development projects for several product improvement initiatives. She was promoted to senior scientist I for the Big “G” Division in 2000 and made responsible for developing prototypes for new cereal product concepts and line extensions. She also provided technical leadership on cross-functional project teams and managed flavor development efforts for new product ideas.

“I am enthusiastic about my new role at MGP, a company with which I have been quite familiar and have had much respect for some time,” Dickerson said. “I look forward to working with MGP’s customer partners by delivering high quality solutions to their food formulation needs from the company’s portfolio of specialty starch and protein ingredients. It genuinely feels wonderful and I am deeply grateful to be part of this innovative company’s team.”

Dickerson holds a bachelor of science degree in food science and chemistry from Alabama A&M University, Normal, Ala., where she graduated in 1993. She earned a master’s degree in food science and statistics at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul, in 1996.  

About MGP

In business since 1941, MGP is a recognized pioneer in the development and production of value-added, grain-based starches, proteins and food-grade alcohol products for the branded packaged goods industry. The Company’s facilities in Atchison, Kan., Onaga, Kan, and the adjoined towns of Lawrenceburg and Greendale, Ind., are dedicated to utilizing the latest technologies and innovations to assure high quality products and to maintain efficient production and service capabilities.