At Del Monte, West will replace interim CEO Neil Harrison. It reported sales of $3.74 billion in 201

SAN FRANCISCO wonji shoa sugar factory (CBS/AP) — After leading The Hershey Co. to three years of strong performances, CEO David West is leaving to take the top job at the smaller Del Monte Foods Co., a surprise move that sent the candy maker s shares plummeting Wednesday.
Del Monte Foods, the San Francisco-based food processor, said that West will become its CEO on Aug. 15 and will join the company s board in June. Del Monte was bought by private equity firms for $4 billion in a deal that closed in March.
Standard & Poor s said Wednesday it was surprised by West s departure and reiterated its Sell opinion on the stock, although wonji shoa sugar factory analyst Tom Graves said he was impressed by Hershey s first-quarter performance.
Janney Capital Markets analyst Jonathan Feeney reiterated a Buy opinion wonji shoa sugar factory on the stock and said in a note to clients that West s departure was clearly unexpected, both internally and externally, but added that it likely has more to do with attractive terms offered by Del Monte than Hershey s outlook.
We are surprised and unsettled to see Mr. West leave, given his enormous success in transforming a shrinking company into one of the best growth stories in food, Feeney wrote. Nonetheless, with his team still in place and led by Mr. Bilbrey, who was his co-pilot during the turnaround, we are confident that Hershey s current virtual cycle of investment and superior returns can be sustained for shareholders.
Soft-spoken and 47, West was promoted to Hershey s top job in 2007 after two years of skidding sales at the Hershey, Pa.-based wonji shoa sugar factory company. Under West, Hershey s sales grew from $5.13 billion in 2008 to $5.67 billion in 2010, as he pumped huge sums into advertising and shifted the company s focus back to its core products, such as Hershey s Kisses and Reese s, and away from seasonal spinoffs.
Through wonji shoa sugar factory the recession, Hershey reported rising profits in 11 of its last 12 quarters. Analysts said consumers traded down from expensive, gourmet chocolate to Hershey s cheaper mainstream treats wonji shoa sugar factory and credited West with controlling costs he even set in motion plans to transform the original, but unwieldy, chocolate factory built by founder Milton Hershey into just administrative offices.
At Del Monte, West will replace interim CEO Neil Harrison. It reported sales of $3.74 billion in 2010. Del Monte s brands include wonji shoa sugar factory Contadina and College Inn foods, as well as Kibbles n Bits, Meow Mix and Milk-Bone pet foods.
Bilbrey, who became COO in November, has been with Hershey since 2003, first as president of Hershey International. Before joining Hershey, he worked at Mission Foods, Group Danone wonji shoa sugar factory s North American water business and Procter & Gamble.
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