Flavorman announces leadership changes; new CEO announced

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Flavorman, a leading beverage development company headquartered in Louisville, Ky., has announced substantial leadership changes designed to propel the company into a new chapter and help continue its growing success. 

After a 31-year tenure as the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), founder Dave Dafoe has stepped back, with Chief Operations Officer (COO) Scott Weddle named the new CEO. Dafoe will continue to serve on the executive board of Flavorman as the Chief Commercial Officer, responsible for overseeing the company departments of Marketing, Sales, and Client Relations. 

Dafoe expressed, “Although bittersweet, I look forward to a fresh challenge and what this new era at Flavorman will bring. Scott Weddle and I share similar visions of the company’s future, and I have the utmost faith that he will carry on the great tradition at the Beverage Campus for many years to come.” 

Weddle has been employed at Flavorman for 13 years, starting as a Shipping Coordinator before progressing into different organizational roles. As he steps into this new role as CEO, he brings a wealth of experience and a clear vision and focus for the company’s future. Chief Business Officer Jon Wood, who has been with the company for 28 years, will now assume the responsibilities of the COO. 

“Having grown with this company over the last 13 years, it is an overwhelming honor and privilege to be entrusted with stewarding Flavorman into the future. I couldn’t ask for a better team, and I am energized and excited to charge alongside them into the next era of success,” says Weddle. 

Along with these changes, Flavorman welcomes Holly Cropper as the first Chief Financial Officer in the company’s history. A former Corporate Controller at HMI Glass with expertise in finance and business operations, Cropper will be responsible for accounting and high-level financial decisions for the company, playing a pivotal role in its continued growth and success. 

With these changes, Flavorman’s leadership team is well-equipped to evolve the company toward future endeavors, as they remain dedicated to delivering innovation and excellence in the beverage development industry. 

The company is investing over $10 million to scale up Flavorman’s state-of-the-art “Beverage Campus” and better serve demand for their custom beverage development services. Once complete, the additional 27,000 square foot space will boost production capacity, expanding Flavorman’s blending, bottling/canning, processing and bulk storage operations. With this development, Flavorman has added 33% more jobs for the Louisville community in the past two years.