Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based Community Coffee has named former Kraft Heinz executive Tom Corley as its new president and CEO.
Corley, who is relocating to Louisiana with his wife Maggie, will succeed David Belanger beginning Jan. 15. Belanger last July announced his intention to retire after 25 years with the company, including the last 12 as CEO.
Corley has spent the bulk of his career with packaged food giant Kraft Heinz, where he eventually served as an executive vice president and president of sales/foodservice. Since leaving Kraft Heinz in 2015, Corley has taken on numerous advisory and board member roles with packaging and packaged foods companies, including Ranpak and Plenty.
Community Coffee, which has remained family owned since its founding in 1919, has expanded its own range of packaged products in recent years. The company continues to offer whole bean and ground coffee, as well as branded single-serve pods. In 2022, the company launched ready-to-drink (RTD) iced latte products, and last year Community Coffee RTD drinks became available on Southwest Airlines flights.
Also in 2023, Community Coffee partnered with “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan for a boutique coffee brand named after Sheridan’s North Texas property called Bosque Ranch Craft Coffee. The move came shortly after Community Coffee opened a Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex satellite corporate office.
“On behalf of the Saurage Family and the Board of Directors, I am very pleased with the election of Tom as our incoming CEO and board member,” Matt Saurage, chairman of the Community Coffee Board, said in an announcement of Corley’s appointment. “Tom joins us with over 30 years of consumer package goods and foodservice experience and has a proven track record of building effective teams and delivering business results.”
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