US sugar producer Amalgamated Sugar has appointed a new chief executive to replace the retiring John McCreedy.

Fran Malecha has been named as the sugarbeet processing company’s new CEO and president as the current boss is set to retire at the end of July after over eight years at the helm.

Malecha was previously CEO of Compass Minerals, a US salt and plant-nutrition business. Prior to that, he was COO at Viterra, a Canada-based grain-handling company.

Amalgamated Sugar, which was founded in 1902, operates three factories in Idaho that produce a total of 2.2bn lbs of sugar each year. The company employs around 1,700 people.

The incoming chief executive said: “With a legacy built on high standards in production agriculture, factory operations, and shareholder value, Amalgamated Sugar has established itself as a trusted leader in the sugarbeet processing industry.”

Mike Garner, chairman of Amalgamated Sugar, said: “We are thrilled to have Fran Malecha join the Amalgamated team. His extensive experience in multiple industries and his proven track record of leadership, performance, growth, and value creation make him the ideal candidate to continue our legacy of excellence.”

McCreedy will continue at the company as an advisor during the transition period, having been with the company since 2004.

Garner added: “We are immensely grateful for John McCreedy’s invaluable contributions to our employees and shareholders, and his leadership will be greatly missed.”

In 2021, Amalgamated Sugar joined forces with local peer Snake River Sugar Company to form one grower-owned cooperative. The group is now recognised as the second-largest manufacturer of sugar from sugarbeets in the US.