January 6/New York/Press Release -- James Wagner has joined Roland Foods Corp. as chief executive officer, effective immediately. He succeeds Charles E. Scheidt, a member of the company’s founding family and chairman and CEO of Roland. Scheidt will remain chairman.

Prior to joining Roland Foods, Wagner was chief operating officer at The Chefs’ Warehouse. Before becoming COO of The Chefs’ Warehouse, he held a number of positions within the company, including chief commercial officer, director of business development and vice-president of the West coast operations. Before joining The Chefs’ Warehouse in 2005, Wagner worked as an independent consultant to a number of start-up companies, including the launch of TrueChocolate, a chocolate-processing company. He was also a principal at Jump Communications and a vice president at Clear!Blue. Both companies provide business consulting services.

“Jim Wagner has a great background for Roland Foods, exactly what we had in mind when we shared our intention to appoint a new CEO this past summer,” Scheidt said. “His successful track record as a senior executive spans exceptional accomplishments in sales, marketing, purchasing, and new product development in the specialty foods industry. Jim is a talented leader who will help Roland Foods accelerate its growth and continue its excellent customer service.”

Vestar Capital Partners VI, L.P. acquired a majority interest in American Roland Food Corp., including the Bruno Scheidt Inc., American Roland Food Corp., Pro Warehouse Corp. and Costamar Corp. companies, in September 2013. Roland Foods imports specialty food products from more than 40 countries. The company has a presence in the foodservice, retail and industrial channels as well as international sales in the Caribbean, Central and South America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

“In the specialty foods business, Roland Foods is an iconic brand, a highly successful company in a sector with a strong growth outlook,” Wagner said. “Specialty foods has a powerful upward trajectory, both near- and long-term, and I believe that Roland Foods can significantly expand its already strong leadership position. I am very familiar with Roland Foods high standards of excellence across-the-board, and it’s an honor to be working at the company. Roland Foods has a great team, and I believe that our talent and product lines form a solid foundation for growth.”