Fred Palmer To Retire As CMA Dishmachines President; Chris Arnette Named As Successor

Filippo Berti, Chief Executive Officer of the Ali Group, recently announced the retirement of Fred Palmer, President of CMA Dishmachines and the appointment of Chris Arnette as President of CMA Dishmachines effective September 1, 2017.

“It is with personal regret but warm wishes that I announce the retirement of Fred Palmer, President of CMA Dishmachines, after 36 years at the company,” Berti said. Palmer joined CMA in March 1981 as Controller & Operations Manager, moved up through the company with roles of increasing responsibility and has been the face of CMA for the last decade. He served as President since August 2007. Fred will continue to assist CMA through the end of September 2017. “I would like to personally thank Fred for all that he has contributed to CMA and the Ali Group. It is has been a great joy for Luciano and myself to have worked with Fred. We wholeheartedly wish him all the best,” said Berti.

Effective September 1, 2017, Chris Arnette has been appointed as President of CMA. Chris will report directly to Filippo Berti, Chief Executive Officer of the Ali Group.

Arnette started his career with CMA as Midwest Regional Sales Manager in October 2003 and was promoted to National Director of Sales in January 2015. In addition to his background with CMA, he also held various roles at Puritan/Churchill Chemical Company where his foodservice career began in 1983. During his tenure at CMA, Chris played an integral part to overall success of the company.

Arnette’s educational experience includes a BS in Business Administration from the University of Missouri.