The Wood Company’s Senior Vice President of Marketing, Damon Liever, announced the appointment of Jon Middleton to director of culinary research and development. In his new role, Middleton will serve as Wood’s primary corporate representative of its culinary initiatives, which include the development of recipes and culinary support of Wood’s retail brands, and its national promotions.

Middleton brings Wood 22 years of diverse culinary experience in national hotels, private restaurants, special events and catering. He joined Wood in 1990 as executive chef for the Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, N.J. Middleton was promoted in 1998 to division executive chef for campus dining services, a position that was created to help maintain the culinary quality and standards for more than 54 colleges, universities, private and public secondary schools.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), Middleton has received several accolades and awards at Wood including the company’s outstanding chef award in 1992 and a leadership award in 1997.

The Wood Company provides hospitality and food service management to national clientele. With over $530 million in annualized sales, Wood’s clients represent prestigious colleges, universities, private and public schools; corporate locations including several world headquarters; skilled nursing facilities; continuing care retirement communities; hospital networks; recreation and leisure facilities such as arenas and entertainment venues; and international sporting events. Additional services include special events planning, consulting services, specialty retail locations, and facilities management.

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact