DENVER (May 4, 2001) – U.S. Meat Export Federation president and CEO Philip...

DENVER (May 4, 2001) – U.S. Meat Export Federation president and CEO Philip Seng today announced a refocusing of USMEF senior staff roles “to move this organization to a higher level of service to our members and funding partners.

“USMEF’s record of performance has been outstanding,” Seng noted, citing annual growth rates of more than 9 percent in beef exports and 14 percent growth in pork exports during the past decade.

“I am excited about the changes we are announcing here today,” Seng added. “These three people have outstanding credentials and experience. We believe they now will be able to more clearly focus on improving USMEF member support and advancing the objectives of the funding organizations we work with every day to put U.S. meat on the world’s table.” Seng said no new positions have been created as a result of these changes and all are based in Denver.

Seng said Paul Clayton will continue as Vice President Export Services to provide technical assistance to exporter members, to focus on food safety and regulatory issues affecting red meat exports, to manage USMEF’s role in technical research and to staff the USMEF Packer, Processor, Purveyor, Trader Committee.

“Our members, who daily must deal with a variety of technical issues worldwide, need someone of Paul’s expertise to find solutions to their problems. Paul and his staff now will be able to devote their full energies to this important role,” Seng noted.

Clayton has more than 20 years of research and technical services experience, including 16 years in various positions within the Monfort/ConAgra Red Meat Companies, including vice president of quality assurance and vice president of technical services and research and development, where he oversaw the company’s food safety and R&D efforts. In addition, he served as vice president of technical services for SSI Food Service, Inc., where he was responsible for product integrity, specification, food safety and R&D.

Seng also announced that Tom Lipetzky is being promoted to Vice President International Programs, to manage international marketing program planning and development, and to serve as liaison with USDA-Foreign Agricultural Service on marketing programs. In addition, he will oversee industry relations, will serve as the primary liaison with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and Cattlemen's Beef Board to manage beef checkoff funding initiatives, and will staff the USMEF Beef Strategic Coordination Group.

“Tom is an experienced program leader who understands that international markets are unique and based on relationships built over time,” Seng said.

Lipetzky has served as USMEF Director Program Planning and Evaluation. In addition, he has more than 16 years of public and private sector experience, including director of marketing for the North Dakota Department of Agriculture, economist for USDA-FAS, vice president of international marketing for the National Potato Board and COO of the Association Management Alliance.

Finally, Seng announced that Richard Fritz will become Vice President Trade Development starting May 16. Fritz will focus on trade development and will serve as liaison with USDA-FAS on trade issues. In addition, he will oversee USMEF evaluation and forecasting activities, will serve as the primary liaison with the National Pork Producers Council and National Pork Board to manage pork checkoff funding initiatives, and will staff the USMEF Pork Strategic Coordination Group.

“Richard brings a healthy mix of public and private experience to this important position,” Seng noted. “Most importantly, Richard has demonstrated that he knows how to get things done.”

Fritz was general sales manager and associate administrator of the U. S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service and vice president of the Commodity Credit Corporation in Washington, D.C. Among other responsibilities, he managed operations of USDA-FAS marketing and development divisions, oversaw export credit and food donation programs and served as the chief U.S. negotiator on agricultural credit issues at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris. Fritz has more than 15 years of international trade experience in the public and private sectors.

In 2000, total U.S. beef exports grew by 10 percent in volume to more than 1.2 million metric tons, while value grew 11 percent to $3.57 billion. Pork exports grew 12 percent in volume to more than 566,000 metric tons, while value grew 18 percent to $1.3 billion. Exports now account for nearly 13 percent of U.S. beef production and more than 8 percent of U.S. pork production on a wholesale weight basis. 

The U.S. Meat Export Federation is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn, sorghum and soybean checkoff programs.

-- USMEF --