Refrigerated salad dressing company Litehouse Inc. said its board of directors appointed Kelly Prior company president, effective immediately. Prior previously held the role of chief financial officer and interim president.

“During this dynamic period of transformation we are seeing in the consumer packaged goods space, there is no better individual to lead the go-forward strategy for Litehouse,” said Allen Wright, vice chairman of the board of directors. “Kelly is a proven leader with business vision and a unique ability to bring people together. We are excited to watch Litehouse continue to innovate while maintaining its quality excellence and best-in-class service under Kelly’s leadership.”

Prior also will be joining the company’s board of directors. This move will ensure alignment between the company’s overall mission and the day-to-day execution of its strategic priorities, Sandpoint, Idaho-based Litehouse said.

Prior joined Litehouse in 2002 and became chief financial officer in 2005. In 2010, he was appointed executive vice president of the company; he took on the role of interim president in 2018. During his tenure at Litehouse, Prior led a number of major initiatives, most notably, overseeing strategic facility and equipment investments to position Litehouse for continued growth across all of its business channels. Prior was also instrumental in orchestrating the process of taking Litehouse from a family-owned business to a 100% employee-owned company.

“Over the past 56 years, Litehouse has built a phenomenal business through best-in-class service and a commitment to excellence,” Prior said. “I could not be more honored to have been chosen to lead such a great company and be the representative for our incredible employee owners. I am extremely excited to work closely with our team to continue setting the bar for the CPG industry and writing the next chapter in our company’s rich history.”