Boca Raton, FL – Aer, long-time strategic business and brand leader, returns to cheese industry to strengthen connection between Franklin Foods and the Hochland Group, one of Europe’s largest cheese manufacturers.
Franklin Foods is delighted to announce Emma Aer, previously president of Reima USA, has been overseeing management of the company as CEO and president since January.
“I’m honored and excited to join Franklin Foods and look forward to working with the team to continue creating value for our customers while generating sustainable growth,” Aer said.
Originally from Finland, Aer has lived and worked in six countries while gaining decades of international management experience in multiple industries, including consumer product goods and food and beverage, where she worked with brands such as Coca-Cola and Valio, a Finnish dairy company, before transferring to its American subsidiary Finland Cheese as CEO. Most recently, Aer served as the president of North America for Reima, a leading outdoor apparel brand for children, where she was responsible for launching the European brand in the U.S.
Founded in 1899, Franklin Foods Inc. is currently the third largest cream cheese producer in the U.S. While the company is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, its two production sites in Vermont and Arizona not only distribute popular brands such as Hahn’s and Green Mountain Farms, but also serve as leading private brand manufacturers for food service and retail customers.
The company has been part of the privately-owned Hochland Group since 2017. Today, Hochland SE, based in Germany, generates nearly $1.9 billion in sales with 12 plants, 5,500 employees, and representation in all major cheese categories in Europe with brands such as Hochland, Grünländer, Almette, Patros, Gervais, Valbrie/Valbon, and Simply V, the leading vegan, plant-based brand in the German market.