Ocean Spray CEO out

Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2002 | 10:54 a.m.

LAKEVILLE, Mass. -- Robert Hawthorne resigned as chief executive of Ocean Spray today, ending a tumultuous three-year tenure characterized by bickering among the cooperative's members and struggles to boost sales to compensate for lower cranberry prices.

Board member Barbara S. Thomas, a former president of Warner Lambert's consumer healthcare division, will serve as interim CEO during the search for a replacement.

"The board will use this opportunity to search out a fresh skill set to take the Ocean Spray cooperative to the next level," said Benjamin A. Gilmore II, chairman of the board.

The cooperative is owned by 804 cranberry growers, mostly in Massachusetts, Wisconsin and New Jersey, as well as 126 Florida grapefruit growers.

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