MGP Ingredients (MGPI) made significant management changes this spring. It created a chief operating officer (COO) position, to which it appointed Tim Newkirk. He will be responsible for overseeing operations at the company's Atchison, Kan.; and Pekin, Ill., ethanol plants, among other duties. Before he joined MGPI last fall, he was the COO at Abengoa Bioenergy Corp. in Wichita, Kan. After his promotion, Newkirk announced the realignment of the following plant and corporate management.

Jack Healy was appointed vice president of distillery products sales and administration. Healy has been in management at MGPI since 1993, including his most recent position as director of distillery products sales, including fuel-grade ethanol.

Gordon Working filled the newly created position of corporate director of distillery process engineering. He will be responsible for identifying and implementing methods and processes to optimize distillery production capabilities. Previously, he was the director of operations for Abengoa Bioenergy Corp. in St. Louis.

Dave Wilbur was promoted to the newly created position of corporate director of special projects. He will oversee the design, engineering and installation of new manufacturing processes and equipment, including the $11.1 million feed drying system. Wilbur was previously the general manager of the company's 65 MMgy Pekin plant. Asif Malik took Wilbur's vacated position. Malik was previously the plant manager for Abengoa Bioenergy Corp. in York, Neb.

Finally, Roger Schmidt was appointed to the position of general manager of the 25 MMgy Atchison facility. He was previously the general manager of the company's Kansas City, Kan., starch plant.