In a press release, McGinty said he is «humbled and proud to lead this team into the future.» He cited Aurora’s values of organic stewardship and care for animals as business advantages.
«We are focused on building the strength of retailer organic brands from cow to carton,» he said in the release.
McGinty will replace longtime CEO Marc Peperzak, who founded Aurora Dairy Corp. in 1976 and sharpened its focus to organic dairy in 2003. Peperzak will continue as the company’s executive chairman. Peperzak said in the release that McGinty has been training for the job for years and has been performing CEO duties the past 18 months.
«He has been an integral part of our senior leadership team since he joined the company in 2003,» Peperzak said. «I look forward to his leadership as CEO.»
The Columbia City Council agreed in February 2017 to sell nearly 102 acres of city-owned land to Aurora Organic Dairy to construct a milk processing and distribution plant, according to previous Missourian reporting. Once completed, the plant at Route B and Waco Road is expected to generate between 130 and 160 new jobs.