Nabisco Brands Announces Reorganization

RJR Nabisco Inc.’s Nabisco Brands Inc. subsidiary said Wednesday that it has reorganized into a holding company that has four relatively autonomous operating companies.

The move will cut its corporate staff to 400 people from 2,000 by year end. But the company said the majority of its corporate staff will be assigned to the operating companies, although it said it will not know until later whether layoffs will be necessary.

The company’s Biscuit division is now Nabisco Biscuit Co., and the Grocery Products division is now Nabisco Foods Co., Nabisco Brands said.

Two other units, International Nabisco Brands Inc. and Nabisco Brands Ltd. (Canada) are relatively unaffected by the new structure, Nabisco said.

Peter N. Rogers was named chairman and chief executive of Nabisco Biscuit and remains an executive vice president of Nabisco Brands, and Ellen R. Marram, formerly president of Grocery Products, was named president of Nabisco Biscuit, the company said.

William B. McKnight Jr, formerly president of the Biscuit division, was named president and chief executive of Nabisco Foods Co., the Nabisco statement said.