Homan, Tomano are promoted

Adam Homan has been promoted to general manager at POET Biorefining-Portland, and previous general manager Matt Tomano has been promoted to a companywide role as vice president of finance and operations.

Tomano will remain at the Portland plant as he assumes his new duties.

Homan joined POET in 2012 as the plant’s controller.

“I am excited to transition into the general manager role,” Homan said in a prepared statement. “It’s a great crew to be a part of.”

As general manager, Homan will oversee all operations at the Portland plant, including the production of ethanol and other products and lead a team of 40 people.

Matt Tomano, Portland’s previous general manager, was promoted to a companywide role as vice president of finance and operations. He will remain at the Portland plant.

POET Biorefining-Portland began operations in 2007. It has a production capacity of 68 million gallons of ethanol annually.

The Portland facility primarily produces ethanol, a clean-burning, renewable alternative to fossil fuel, and also produces new, innovative co-products, including those that can replace harmful petroleum products.

During the ethanol production process, starch is removed from the grain leaving protein, fiber and oil, which are turned into high-quality and nutrient-dense feed products that are affordable options.



Burger time

Yum Brands Inc., parent of Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC, is making a move into the burger business.

The company last week announced that it is purchasing The Habit Restaurants Inc., for $375 million.

The Habit Burger Grill, based in Irvine, Calif., has more than 270 restaurants with locations in 13 states throughout California, Arizona, Utah, New Jersey, Florida, Idaho, Virginia, Nevada, Washington, Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and South Carolina, as well as seven international locations.

“As a fast-casual concept with strong unit economics, The Habit Burger Grill is a fantastic addition to the Yum family and has significant untapped growth potential in the U.S. and internationally,” Yum chief executive officer David Gibbs said in the release. “With its delicious burgers and fresh proteins chargrilled over an open flame, The Habit Burger Grill offers consumers a diverse, California-style menu with premium ingredients ... The transaction is a win-win because it allows us to offer an exciting new investment to our franchisees and to expand an award-winning, trend-forward brand through the power of Yum’s unmatched scale and strengths in franchising, purchasing and brand-building.”

Founded in 1969, Habit Burger Grill offers a menu of made-to-order items chargrilled over an open flame.



New COO

Pretzels Inc. of Bluffton has named Ku Han as chief operating officer. He’ll have responsibility over manufacturing, quality and product management.

Han brings nearly 30 years of operational and manufacturing experience to his new role at Pretzels. Most recently, he was vice president of operations for Craftmark Bakery, a supplier of frozen bakery products to foodservice and in-store bakery customers. Before that he served as the vice president of operations for Lassonde Pappas, a private brand supplier of cranberry sauces and beverages.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.



Still dropping

The unemployment rate in Mercer County continues to drop.

Figures for November from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services show Mercer with a jobless rate of 2.4% in November, down from 2.6% in October.

Mercer County has had the state’s lowest jobless rate since May of 2016. Ohio’s unemployment rate in November was 4.2%, while the U.S. rate was 3.5%.



Touts Tyson

CNBC financial commentator Jim Cramer says Tyson Foods Inc. should be a major beneficiary of the growing market in China.

Tyson is the largest meat processor in the U.S., and the Chinese market represents a major catalyst for the company, the CNBC host said.

Tyson stock ended 2019 with strong gains, yet the company's China opportunity makes the stock look attractive at current levels, Cramer told his TV audience.

The stock is trading at just 12 times next year's estimates, which is "darned cheap" and implies Tyson has "a lot more room to run," Cramer said.



Talks turkey

Cooper Farms chief operating officer Gary Cooper was the featured speaker at a meeting of the Lima, Ohio, Rotary Club this month.

Cooper is one of three second-generation Coopers who have helped grow the family business into one the top ten U.S. turkey providers and leading turkey producer in Ohio. Cooper Farms now employs 2,300.