PLMA Names Peggy Davies Acting President

Peggy Davies has been named acting president of the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA), following the death last month of President Brian Sharoff. Since 2016, Davies has been the trade organization’s VP, association relations. 

“For four decades, Brian was the face of PLMA,” noted Lisa Manzoline, director of sales for Lake Forest, Ill.-based Reynolds Consumer Products and chairman of PLMA’s board of directors. “It is now our responsibility to focus on the future. As the board of directors, we understand this is a difficult and challenging time for many different reasons. We have full confidence that Peggy Davies will be a capable and dynamic leader of PLMA at this crucial juncture – one who is familiar with our member base and the unique challenges we face for the remainder of 2020 and into 2021. Peggy has the experience and qualifications needed, and is 100% ready to carry forward the important work of the association from day one, as the executive board conducts a search to determine a permanent successor.”

Before joining the New York-based association four years ago, Davies was elected to its board of directors in the early 1990s where, over two terms, she either served on or chaired the programming, trade relations and communications committees. She was later elected board chairman for two terms, from 2003 to 2004 and, among many other accomplishments, expanded PLMA’s commitment to education for industry executives.

Davies’ appointment comes at a time when private brands are seeing an uptick in sales amid the coronavirus pandemic, as consumers are drawn to use them because of their availability and lower pricing at a time when many of shoppers' preferred brands are in short supply, and then continue purchasing the private-brand products when they discover that the brand experience is equal to, or better than, the brands they used previously.

What's more, according to a recent study from New York-based research consultancy Magid, 60% of consumers are likely to keep buying new private label brands after the coronavirus pandemic ends. The categories in which they’re likely to continue purchasing private label items are baby food (80%), snack bars (78%), spices (76%), dry goods (74%) and vitamins (74%).