Buddy’s Kitchen names Thomas Colwell president of Convenience and Co-Pack business group

Buddy’s Kitchen Inc., a Minneapolis-based producer and co-packer of custom food products, announced that Thomas “Pres” Colwell joined the company as president of its Convenience and Co-Pack business group. Colwell also made an equity investment in the company, alongside current owners CEO Dave Smith and the family of the late founder, Buddy Eian.

“Our business model is providing custom frozen food solutions through a very customer-intimate process, and few people in the industry understand that process as well as Pres,” Smith said. “Buddy’s has experienced significant growth, and by adding a guy like Pres, it will allow us to continue our rapid growth without compromising the way we deliver the customer experience.”

Colwell brings to Buddy’s Kitchen more than 25 years of experience in the foodservice industry, including serving as general manager and vice president of sales and marketing at American Food Group as the company entered the cooked meat industry, the company said.

“I’m excited by the opportunity in front of us at Buddy’s Kitchen,” Colwell said. “We are a meaningful industry player with very unique capabilities. We have a lot of capacity, yet we are small enough to execute in a very nimble and responsive way. It is exciting to watch our culinary team continue to grow and exceed the expectations of our customers.”