Instill Corporation Strengthens Sales and Marketing Organization With Key Appointments

Jim Crystal, regional vice president of sales has been promoted to national vice president of sales. John Zimmerman, former publisher of Food Management magazine, has joined as director of sales for Instill manufacturer services, and Lloyd D. Ligier has been appointed the position of vice president of market development.

Crystal will lead all sales activities for Instill's Foodservice Network. The Network is targeted at independent restaurants, small to large chains, distributors and manufacturers. Crystal will be responsible for all sales and services within the Network as well as direction of the company's national sales team. With this appointment, Crystal becomes an executive team member reporting to Anthony Wilson, president and chief operating officer, Instill.

Crystal joined Instill from The Perrier Group of America, a Nestle Company, where he most recently was division manager of foodservice. During his tenure, The Perrier Group realized a three-fold increase in revenues through targeted segment marketing initiatives, global contract agreements, and product acquisitions. At The Perrier Group, Crystal also held the title of western region zone manager where he managed both grocery and convenience store business channels. He began his career as sales manager in the UK for E&J Gallo Winery, International Division. Crystal has a BS in finance from Oregon State University.

"Crystal's valued expertise in understanding the intricacies of the foodservice sales channel is a huge asset to Instill," said Wilson. "Add John Zimmerman's sales experience in the foodservice industry, with Lloyd Ligier's knowledge of the produce industry to that equation and you have a dynamic expansion of our sales and marketing organization that we expect will drive targeted sales of Instill products and services."

"In seven-and-a-half years of bringing e-commerce services to the foodservice industry, Instill has charted a significant list of successful customer implementations," said Crystal. "As we expand the Instill Foodservice Network, we plan to exponentially grow our level of sales, service, and expertise with an underlying goal -- to give customers today and in the future, the services they need to run their business more efficiently."

Zimmerman, reporting to Crystal, will help elevate sales activity for Instill Market Intelligence, increasing market awareness and sales for the company's market data reporting service for food manufacturers. He will also drive sales for the company's new foodservice portal for independent operators, Foodscape.com.

Zimmerman joined Instill from Penton Media where he was publisher for Food Management magazine since 1997, managing all aspects of the business including P&L, budgeting, sales, marketing, and new product introductions. Prior to his publisher tenure, Zimmerman held regional and national sales manager titles for the Penton Foodservice Group for 6 years. A graduate of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, Zimmerman holds a BS in economics and finance.

Reporting to Andy Cohen, Instill vice president of marketing, Ligier is chartered with helping foodservice operators better manage their produce purchasing. Ligier brings over 35 years of industry experience, 30 of those years with G & G Produce Company, Los Angeles, and most recently with FreshPoint which was recently acquired by Sysco.

Initially, Ligier will focus on creation and management of a produce catalog, which will add unique product items to Instill's current Universal Catalog (UCAT) product database. Currently, UCAT and FoodLogic(TM), Instill's patent-pending standardization and analysis technology, cross-reference millions of foodservice products marketed by distribution centers throughout the United States, analyzing purchasing patterns at the product, unit, company, industry and geographic level.

About Instill Corporation

Instill has been providing e-Business services to the foodservice industry since 1993, delivering e-commerce and information services to the restaurant supply chain including operators, distributors, and manufacturers. Instill's suite of Internet services enable more efficient procurement processes and business intelligence. Instill consolidates industry-wide data and provides business intelligence capabilities for improving the profitability and market positions of its customers.

The company services and links thousands of operators with their key distributors. Some of the operators using Instill services include, Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar, Brinker International, Delaware North, Fine Host, Lettuce Entertain You, Marie Callender's and Sodexho Marriott Services. Instill also provides services today to many of the major food manufacturers, and has strategic alliances with such partners as The National Restaurant Association, Procter & Gamble and Technomic. With over 180 employees, Instill is headquartered in Redwood City, California, with offices in Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Washington DC, Philadelphia and Southern California. Instill can be reached at 888-Instill or visit Instill's Web site at www.instill.com.

(c)2000 Instill Corporation. Instill is a registered trademark and FoodLogic is a trademark of Instill Corporation.