Broin plans return to lead POET

Jeff Broin has returned to the role of chief executive officer of POET after an absence of three and a half years.
While Broin will resume his duties as CEO, his successor — Jeff Lautt — will continue as president and chief operating officer of the Sioux Falls, South Dakota, company. It’s the parent of POET Biorefining-Portland.
“A few years ago, I wanted to slow down a bit, be less involved in the affairs of POET and have time to do other things and spend more time with my family,” Broin said in a prepared statement.
“In the last few years I have been able to work on broader industry and ag issues and get our new foundation — Seeds of Change — up and running and support several third-world causes. However, I also found myself continuing to work regularly on company issues. The fact is, my passion and love for this company, our industry, agriculture and the people I work with is just too great. I guess you could say my heart has always been in this company. We have so many great opportunities in front of us to change the world.”
Broin praised Lautt for his leadership.
“I could not have asked for a better person to take on this role, and POET will continue to benefit from his direction as president,” he said.

New banker
Darin McDirmit has been named the new retail banking officer for the Dunkirk branch of Citizens State Bank.
McDirmit joined Pacesetter Bank as a teller and moved up to become a loan clerk and indirect lender.
He is a member of the Masonic Lodge of Montpelier and has been active in Relay for Life. He attended Cumberland College, studying business and music education.

Meat donated
Cooper Farms is marking Thanksgiving with the donation of 5,258 pounds of meat to the Ohio Association of Foodbanks.
The donation was on behalf of Ohio and Indiana legislators who toured area turkey farms.
The company makes a practice of regularly donating meat to local non-profit organizations. In 2014, Cooper Farms donated more than 190,000 pounds of meat to non-profits.
“This generous donation from Cooper Farms is an incredible testament to the vital role our local farmers, growers and producers play in making sure everyone has access to nutritious food,” Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, said in a prepared statement.

Hospice hires
State of the Heart Hospice has added three new staff members.
Jennifer Stewart is a registered nurse and will work at the State of the Heart Care Center at Wayne Hospital, Greenville, Ohio.
Erica Wentworth of Ansonia, Ohio, will work as a business development specialist, and Gary Snowden will serve as chaplain, working out of the Greenville and Goldwater offices. Snowden received his doctor of ministry from the Graduate Theological Foundation in 2008.

Going cage-free
Taco Bell is going cage-free.
The fast-food company said this week it plans to switch to cage-free eggs exclusively by 2016. That would make it the first national fast-food restaurant to make the switch.
The company has set a target date of Dec. 31, 2016, for being exclusively cage-free when it comes to the eggs it serves.
McDonald’s announced in September that it would be serving cage-free eggs exclusively within 10 years. Burger King has set a target date of 2017.

Top performers
Several area hospitals were on the Joint Commission’s list of top performers based upon data from 2014.
Lutheran Health Network’s Bluffton Regional Medical Center was among those selected.

Profits shrink
Wal-Mart’s profits declined 8.8 percent in the most recent quarter, the company announced this week.
Revenue was down 1.3 percent to $117.4 billion.