USA: Alliant Foodservice names Gerald Cobb Austin district President

Gerald Cobb, vice president of sales of the Southwest Division of Alliant Foodservice, Inc., was promoted to president of the company's Austin District, effective immediately. In his new position, Cobb assumes responsibility for all Alliant Foodservice operations in an area that includes Austin, San Antonio and surrounding areas of central and south Texas."Few individuals in our company have developed the depth and breadth of industry experience as Gerald has," said Greg Schaffner, Southwest Division president. "He is a proven leader who will build our record for speed, reliability and service excellence in this important market."Cobb joined Alliant in 1991 as vice president of finance in the Houston district after several years in financial positions at another foodservice distribution company. Beginning in 1995, he worked in the Austin district as vice president for, successively, procurement and marketing, logistics, and sales. He was named the divisional vice president of sales earlier this year.Cobb holds an MBA from the University of Houston and a B.S. in business administration from the University of Alabama. He is a Certified Public Accountant.Alliant Exchange is one of the nation's largest business-to-business e-commerce and information exchange companies, with annualized sales of more than $6 billion. The company, one of the largest privately held enterprises in the U.S., has three operating subsidiaries -- Alliant Foodservice, Inc., a leading broadline foodservice distributor; The Drescher Corporation, a foodservice distribution company; and AlliantLink.com, Inc., an Internet-based service that provides 24/7 access to a catalog of more than 165,000 foodservice items, equipment, related supplies and value-added services.