Otterbein to Become President and COO at Sysco Food Services of Northern New England, Inc.; Current President Richard Giles Appointed Chairman of the Maine Operation

Business Wire, Dec 8, 2004

HOUSTON -- SYSCO Corporation (NYSE:SYY) today announced that Gregory E. Otterbein has been named president and chief operating officer of Sysco Food Services of Northern New England, Inc., a broadline foodservice distribution subsidiary located in Westbrook, Maine. Mr. Otterbein, who is currently executive vice president of that company, succeeds current president Richard A. Giles, who will become chairman and continue as chief executive officer of that operation. Both appointments are effective Jan. 2, 2005.

Mr. Otterbein, 42, joined SYSCO in 1984 as a dispenser specialist at Sysco Food Services of Syracuse, LLC, progressing to national account specialist and marketing associate before being named district sales manager in 1988. In 1991 he was named director of marketing/merchandising, then vice president of marketing/merchandising in 1994 and the following year he was promoted to senior vice president. Mr. Otterbein transferred to SYSCO's Albany, N.Y., operation in 1996 as executive vice president and in 2000 he joined Sysco Food Services of Northern New England in his current position.

Mr. Otterbein is a graduate of Bryant College in Smithfield, R.I., where he received a bachelor of science degree in business administration. A native of Stamford, Conn., he and his wife, Marybeth, have two sons and a daughter and reside in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

Mr. Giles, 59, is a 38-year foodservice veteran. He began his career in 1966 as a marketing associate at Jenneys Frozen Foods, located in Plainfield, N.H. In 1970 he was named sales manager for that operation and in 1974 he joined Jordan's Foods in Portland, Maine, as general sales manager. While at Jordan's Foods he progressed to vice president of sales in 1978 and then president and chief operating officer in 1984. In 1998, following SYSCO's acquisition of Jordan's Foods, which was subsequently renamed Sysco Food Services of Northern New England, he was appointed to his current duties.

Mr. Giles and his wife, Peggy, are the parents of three grown children and reside in Scarborough, Maine.

Sysco Food Services of Northern New England, Inc., provides products and services to foodservice operations including restaurants, healthcare and educational institutions, lodging establishments, business and industry locations, multi-unit chain accounts and other foodservice operations in Maine and New Hampshire.

SYSCO is the largest foodservice marketing and distribution organization in North America. For the fiscal year ended July 3, 2004 the company reported sales of $29.3 billion. SYSCO provides food and related products and services to approximately 400,000 restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other foodservice customers throughout the United States and Canada. For more information about SYSCO visit the company's Internet home page at www.sysco.com.