But the private label world he envisioned was not that of cheap knocks sold in stenciled pack- aging. His vision was one where private label brands were leaders, not followers; where manufacturing trumped market- ing; and where consumer demands were evaluated with contact from real con- sumers – shoppers walking store aisles.
So Reed and four other executives from Keebler went on to found Tree- House Foods on those precepts. Reed is the chairman and CEO of what has be- come the biggest private label company in North America.