Frontier Hires Ex-Celestial Exec as CEO

Frontier Hires Ex-Celestial Exec as CEO

BOULDER, Colo.--Frontier Natural Products Co-op named Stephen Hughes, former chief executive officer (CEO) and president of Celestial Seasonings, as its CEO. Hughes has worked in the food and beverage industry for 20 years; three of those were spent at the helm of Celestial Seasonings.

Frontier began its search for a CEO in December 1999 after founder Rick Stewart voluntarily stepped down. The interim CEO, Tony Bedard, will resume his position as vice president of operations now that Hughes is on-board. According to Bedard, Hughes was chosen because of his extensive industry experience and his enthusiasm for leadership.

"I'm excited to be joining Frontier," said Hughes. "I believe in developing business strategies that exceed the expectations of our customers and consumers. It's an extraordinary opportunity to do this in Frontier's categories--ones that truly enrich people's lives and also enrich our environment and community. With our continued success, we hope to set an example for others to follow." 

Frontier's co-op has more than 15,000 members. In fiscal 2000, it posted annual sales of $40 million. For more information, visitwww.frontiercoop.com.