SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. ) Filed by the Registrant [X] Filed by a Party other than the Registrant [ ] Check the appropriate box: [ ] Preliminary Proxy Statement [ ] Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) [X] Definitive Proxy Statement [ ] Definitive Additional Materials [ ] Soliciting Material Pursuant to (section mark)240.14a-11(c) or (section mark)240.14a-12 PIEMONTE FOODS, INC. (Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement if other than Registrant) Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box): [X] $125 per Exchange Act Rules 0-11(c)(1)(ii), 14a-6(i)(1), or 14a-6(i)(2) or Item 22(a)(2) of Schedule 14A. [ ] $500 per each party to the controversy pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 14a-6(i)(3). [ ] Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(4) and 0-11. 1) Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies: 2) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies: 3) Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (Set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined): 4) Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction: 5) Total fee paid: [ ] Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. [ ] Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing. 1) Amount Previously Paid: 2) Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.: 3) Filing Party: 4) Date Filed: 400 AUGUSTA STREET POST OFFICE BOX 9239 GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA 29604-9239 NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS October 27, 1995 TO THE SHAREHOLDERS OF PIEMONTE FOODS, INC. The Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Piemonte Foods, Inc. (the "Company") will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, October 27, 1995, in the Hyatt Regency, Beattie Place and Main Street, Greenville, South Carolina for the following purposes: 1. To elect three (3) Class Two directors to a term of three (3) years. The Board intends that the following persons shall be nominated to office for a period of three (3) years: Virgil L. Clark, William P. Mahoney and C.S.M. van der Sprong. 2. To ratify the appointment of independent auditors for fiscal year ending 1996; and 3. To consider and transact such other business as may promptly come before the meeting or any adjournment thereof. The Company's Board of Directors has fixed the close of business on September 27, 1995, as the record date for the determination of Shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at this meeting. Shareholders who do not expect to attend this meeting are requested to sign, date and return the accompanying proxy in the enclosed envelope. Shareholders are encouraged to vote on all matters to be consider at the meeting. Prompt return of the proxy is important regardless of the number of shares it represents. This proxy is solicited on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company. David B. Ward, Secretary Greenville, South Carolina September 28, 1995 Important: You are cordially invited to attend the meeting, but whether or not you plan to attend, PLEASE VOTE, DATE, SIGN AND MAIL the enclosed Proxy promptly. If you attend the meeting, you may either vote by your proxy, or withdraw your proxy and vote in person. The 1995 Annual Report is furnished herewith. PIEMONTE FOODS, INC. 400 AUGUSTA STREET POST OFFICE BOX 9239 GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA 29604-9239 PROXY STATEMENT ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS October 27, 1995 On behalf of the Board of Directors of Piemonte Foods, Inc. (the "Company") a proxy is solicited from you to be used at the Company's Annual Meeting of Shareholders scheduled at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, October 27, 1995, at the Hyatt Regency, Greenville, South Carolina and at all adjournments thereof. The approximate date on which this Proxy Statement and the accompanying proxy card are first being sent or given to Shareholders is September 28, 1995. The Company will bear all costs of the solicitation of proxies, and in the event sufficient proxies are not received before the meeting, further solicitation may be made in person or by mail, telephone, telegraph or other media. The Company regularly engages the services of Robert A. Lentz and Associates, Inc. to assist in its Shareholder relations and as a part of such services may assist in the distribution and collection of proxies for no additional remuneration except reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses. Voting Securities. As of September 27, 1995, the record date fixed for the determination of Shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the meeting or any adjournment thereof, there were outstanding 1,450,878 shares of Common Stock, which is the only outstanding class of capital stock of the Company. Each such share is entitled to one (1) vote on all matters properly coming before the meeting. Voting by Proxy. In voting by proxy with regard to the election of directors, stockholders may vote in favor of all nominees, withhold their votes as to all nominees or withhold their votes as to specific nominees. Stockholders should specify their choices on the accompanying proxy card. All properly executed proxy cards delivered by stockholders to the Company and not revoked will be voted at the Annual Meeting in accordance with the directions given. If no specific instructions are given with regard to the matters to be voted upon, the shares represented by a signed proxy card will be voted "FOR" the election of all directors and to ratify the appointment of Pope, Smith, Brown & King as independent auditors. If any other matters properly come before the Annual Meeting, the persons named as proxies will vote upon such matters according to their judgment. Quorum and Vote Required. The presence, in person or by proxy, of a majority of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company is necessary to constitute a quorum at the Annual Meeting. The vote of a majority of a quorum present is required with respect to each item submitted (unless cumulative voting with respect to the election of directors is required). Cumulative Voting. If either (i) notice in writing is given by any Shareholder to the President or other officer of the Company not less than forty-eight (48) hours before the time affixed for the holding of the Annual Meeting that such Shareholder desires that the voting with respect to the election of directors shall be cumulative, and if an announcement of the giving of such notice is made upon the convening of the Annual Meeting by the Chairman or Secretary or by or on behalf of the Shareholder giving such notice or (ii) a Shareholder announces his intention at the Annual Meeting before the voting for directors commences to vote his shares cumulatively, then each Shareholder shall have the right to cumulate such voting power as he possesses at such election. Under cumulative voting, a Shareholder may cast for any one (1) nominee as many votes as shall equal the number of directors to be elected multiplied by the 1 number of his shares. Such votes may be cast all for one nominee or distributed among any two or more nominees as the Shareholder may elect, or in the case of proxies, as the proxy may elect. In the event of cumulative voting, the proxy holders designated by the Board of Directors will distribute the votes of shares subject to proxies they hold so as to elect the maximum number of nominees for director on the slate intended to be nominated. Revocability of Proxy. Any Stockholder delivering a proxy has the power to revoke it at any time before it is voted by giving written notice to the Secretary of the Company, by a valid proxy bearing a later date delivered to the Company or by attending the meeting and voting in person. PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS To the knowledge of the Company, other than as set forth below, no person owns of record or beneficially more than five (5%) percent of the Company's outstanding Common Stock. To the knowledge of the Board of Directors, there has been no change in control of the Company since the beginning of its last fiscal year. The Company is not aware of any contractual arrangements, including any pledge of securities of the Company, known to the Company's Board of Directors, the operation of the terms of which may result in a change of control of the Company in the future. As of September 1, 1995, all principal stockholders of the Company who may be deemed to beneficially own more than five (5%) percent of the Common Stock of the Company are set forth below: Amount and Nature of Beneficial Percent of Common Name and Address of Ownership of Common Stock and Common Beneficial Owner Stock Stock Equivalents Lyman Brownfield 82,094 - sole direct owner 5.6% 341 South Third Street of 71,069 shares and options Columbus, Ohio 43215 to purchase 11,025 shares Virgil L. Clark 93,646 - includes 11,826 6.2% 400 Augusta Street shares owned directly; options Greenville, SC 29605 to purchase 72,450 shares; 8,819 shares held by three trusts of which he is trustee; and 551 shares owned by his spouse (1) T. Patrick Costello 137,287 - sole direct owner 9.3% 1945 North 15th Street of 105,000 shares and options Melrose Park, Illinois 60160 to purchase 32,287 shares Ronald T. Huth 176,060 - includes 82,660 12.1% 10 Thise Court shares owned directly; options Lafayette, Indiana 47903 to purchase 12,075 shares; 80,325 shares owned by his spouse(1); and 1,000 shares held by a corporation controlled by him Rosalie A. Huth 162,985 - includes 80,325 11.3% 10 Thise Court shares owned directly and Lafayette, Indiana 47903 and 82,660 shares owned by her spouse(1) 2 John A. Lindsay 76,058 - includes 11,971 5.0% 400 Augusta Street shares owned directly; options Greenville, SC 29605 to purchase 60,742 shares; 2,054 shares held by a trust of which he is sole beneficiary; and 1,291 shares held by a trust of which his spouse is sole beneficiary (1) Mr. Clark, Mr. and Mrs. Huth and Mr. Lindsay disclaim any beneficial ownership in shares held by their spouses. SHAREHOLDINGS OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS As of September 1, 1995, all directors, nominees for director and executive officers of the Company, individually and as a group, who may be deemed to beneficially own Common Stock of the Company are set forth below: Shares of Shares of Common Stock Common Stock Options Beneficially Name Owned(1) Exercisable(2) Owned(3) Percent(4) Virgil L. Clark 11,826 72,450 93,646(5) 6.2% T. Patrick Costello 105,000 32,287 137,287 9.3% Grant L. Douglass 1,102 -0- 49,772(6) 3.4% Paul S. Goldsmith 9,726 12,075 21,801 1.4% Ronald T. Huth 82,660 12,075 176,060(7) 12.1% John A. Lindsay 11,971 60,742 76,058(8) 5.0% William P. Mahoney -0- 1,050 1,050 0.1% Glenn R. Oxner 4,200 1,050 5,250 0.4% Richard J. Stoner -0- 12,075 21,897(9) 1.4% C.S.M. van der Sprong -0- -0- -0- -0- David B. Ward(10) 8,623 2,205 10,828 0.7% All Directors and Executive Officers as a Group 235,108 206,009 593,649 35.9% (1) Shares listed in this column include all shares held by the named individuals and all director nominees and executive officers as a group in their own names and in street name. (2) Represents shares subject to stock options granted under the Company's stock option plans exercisable within sixty (60) days following September 1, 1995. (3) Shares listed in this column include all shares listed in the adjacent columns plus shares held in trust and shares owned by such person's spouse;. Beneficial ownership of shares held by a spouse is disclaimed. (4) The percentages represent the total of shares listed in the adjacent column divided by the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock as of September 1, 1995, plus, where applicable, all stock options granted to the individual under the Company's stock option plans currently exercisable or exercisable within sixty (60) days following September 1, 1995. 3 (5) Mr. Clark has sole voting power and sole investment power with respect to 8,819 shares held by three trusts of which he is trustee. Also includes 551 shares held by his spouse. (6) Mr. Douglass has sole voting power and sole investment power with respect to 735 shares held by a trust of which he is trustee. Also includes 47,935 shares held by his spouse. (7) Includes 80,325 shares held by Mr. Huth's spouse and 1,000 shares held by a corporation controlled by him. (8) Includes 2,054 shares held by a trust of which Mr. Lindsay is the sole beneficiary and 1,291 held by a trust of which Mr. Lindsay's spouse is the sole beneficiary. (9) Includes 9,822 shares held by Mr. Stoner's spouse. (10) Mr. Ward is a member of the law firm of Horton, Drawdy, Ward and Johnson, P.A., which provides legal services to the Company. ELECTION OF DIRECTORS Pursuant to the Company's Bylaws, the number of directors is fixed at nine (9), and the Board of Directors is classified into three (3) classes of three (3) directors each, with each class serving staggered three-year terms. At the Annual Meeting, three (3) Class Two directors will be elected with a term expiring in 1998. The Board of Directors of the Company intends that the accompanying proxy will be voted for the three Class Two directors listed below to serve a three-year term. It is not anticipated that the nominees will be unable or unwilling to serve, but in the event any one or more of the Class Two directors unexpectedly becomes unavailable, the accompanying proxy may be voted for such other person or persons as may be nominated by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors recommends that stockholders vote "FOR" the Class Two nominees listed below. Set forth below for each nominee for election as a director and for each director whose term will continue after the Annual Meeting is a brief statement including the age, year of first election to the Board, principal occupation and business experience during the past five (5) years, and certain other directorships, all as of September 1, 1995, unless otherwise indicated. Position with Company and/or Principal Occupation Name and Address or Employment Director Since Class One: Term Expiring in 1997 T. Patrick Costello Senior Vice President/Operations Age - 52 of the Company since 1995; President of Origena, Inc., from 1990 to 1995, a company purchased by the Company in 1993. 1994 John A. Lindsay Senior Vice President/CFO of the Company Age - 48 since 1995; President of the Company from 1991 to 1995; Vice President of the Company from 1985-1991 1988 Richard J. Stoner Investor Age - 72 Canton, Ohio 1983 4 Class Two: Term Expiring 1998 Virgil L. Clark President and CEO of the Company Age - 56 since 1995; Vice-Chairman and CEO of the Company from 1992 to 1995; Prior to 1992 Chairman of the Board of M&S Chemical, Inc. 1986 William P. Mahoney Vice President of The Everest Group, a 1994 Age - 59 management consulting firm, since 1994. From 1988 to 1994, Chief Operating Officer of American Appraisal Associates. Also serves as a Director of Selfix, Inc. C.S.M. van der Sprong Managing Director and principal share- Nominee Age - 56 holder of Sabatasso Pizza Products B.V. of Breda, Holland. Class Three: Term Expiring 1996 Grant L. Douglass President of Hanlin-Rinaldi Construction Age - 33 Corp., Columbus, Ohio, since 1989 1992 Ronald T. Huth Non-Executive Chairman of Board, Age - 62 Piemonte Foods, Inc. since 1993; Senior Partner of R. T. Huth & Company, Lafayette, Ind., Certified Public Accountants 1984 Glenn R. Oxner Chairman of Edgar M. Norris & Co., Inc. Age - 57 Investment Securities, Greenville, SC since 1992. From 1989 to 1992, Senior Vice President of NationsBank, and Managing Director of NationsBank Invest- ment Banking Company. Also serves as a Director of Synalloy Corporation. 1993 Mr. van der Sprong is a joint venture partner with the Company in Piemonte Pizza Crust Europe B.V. and he and Mr. Clark serve that entity as Co-Managing Directors. To the knowledge of the Company, there is no arrangement or understanding between any director and any other person or persons pursuant to which he was or is to be selected as a director of the Company. To the knowledge of the Company, there is no family relationship between any of the directors and executive officers. BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD The business and affairs of the Company are under the general management of its Board of Directors as provided by the laws of the State of South Carolina and the Bylaws of the Company. The Board of Directors has three (3) standing committees as follows: Executive Committee. The Executive Committee has the full authority of the Board in the management of the business and affairs of the Company between Board meetings. The Executive Committee also serves as the nominating committee for the Board. Any person recommended by a Shareholder to serve on the Board will be considered as a potential nominee. Members of the Executive Committee during the fiscal year ended June 3, 1995, were Messrs. Clark, Douglass and Huth. The Committee met twice during the year. 5 Finance and Audit Committee. The Finance and Audit Committee reviews the results of the Company's annual audit with its auditors and is responsible for the scope of the auditors' relationship with the Company. Its member for the audit of the fiscal year ending June 3, 1995, were Messrs. Douglass, Huth, and Mahoney, and it met once during the year. Personnel and Compensation Committee. The Personnel and Compensation Committee annually determines the compensation of the officers and executives of the Company. Its members for the year ended June 3, 1995, were Messrs. Goldsmith, Oxner and Stoner, and it met once during the year. During fiscal year 1995, all members of the Board attended at least seventy-five (75%) percent of the meetings of the Board and of the committees of the Board on which they serve. During fiscal year ended June 3, 1995, Directors of the Company were paid a stipend of Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750) per quarter and a fee of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000) per Board meeting and Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750) per Committee meeting attended, plus their reasonable expenses in connection with attendance. The Chairman was paid a stipend of Two Thousand Five Hundred ($2,500) per quarter and a fee of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000) per Board and Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750) per committee meeting attended, plus his reasonable expenses in connection with attendance. The Board of Directors met four times during the year. BOARD COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION The Company's Executive Officer Compensation Program (the "Program") has been developed over the last several years to reflect the overall compensation philosophies of the Company. Overall objectives are to motivate officers to achieve the Company's long and short-term performance goals and to reward them based in part upon performance of the team and in part upon their individual contributions to that performance; to motivate the executive officers to think and act as owners of the Company; to provide levels and forms of compensation to retain high performing executives; and to reinforce the planning and budgeting process of the Company for both short and long-term performance. The Program includes three parts: (1) Base Compensation designed to reflect the overall level of responsibility, marketplace salary trends and the performance of the incumbent within the position; (2) Annual Incentive Compensation, a cash bonus tied to the Company's performance against predetermined goals; and (3) Long-term Incentive Compensation, based upon grants of incentive stock options, non-qualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock awards and restricted units, as incorporated in the 1994 Stock Plan. The Annual Incentive Compensation formula is based in major part on the Company's financial performance for the year involved. The performance targets are based on pre-tax earnings and stockholders' return on equity. The targets are reviewed annually by the Committee and adjusted as necessary to reflect changes in both market conditions and the Company. A long-term incentive is also provided to senior managers that links their interests directly to those of the Company's Shareholders. The 1994 Stock Plan established various option programs which will reward senior management participants if the price of the Company's stock increases. Pursuant to his employment agreement with the Company, Mr. Clark received base compensation of $185,000 in fiscal year 1995. No Annual Incentive Compensation was paid to Mr. Clark or other senior managers. There were no awards under the Long-term Incentive Compensation part of the Plan. The Committee believes that the incentive programs provided have contributed and will continue to contribute to the Company's financial performance. The Committee reviews the 6 compensation of the Company's executive officers annually and believes that such compensation has been fair to both the executives and the Company's Shareholders. The Personnel and Compensation Committee Paul S. Goldsmith Glenn R. Oxner Richard J. Stoner Common Stock Performance. As part of the executive compensation information presented in this Proxy Statement, the Securities and Exchange Commission requires a five-year comparison of stock performance for the Company with stock performances of a broad equity market index and an index of appropriate similar companies. The Company has selected as a broad equity market index comparison the NASDAQ NMS Composite. The Company has selected as the most appropriate peer group the S&P Food Index which is an index of companies in the food business. PIEMONTE FOODS, INC. Closing Price Index (Common Stock Performance Graph appears here. See table below for plot points.) May 1990 May 1991 May 1992 May 1993 May 1994 May 1995 PIFI 100 56.229 143.771 275.028 420.011 275.634 NMS 100 111.126 128.861 153.970 162.080 192.159 S&P Foods 100 127.811 133.703 140.114 139.272 175.545 Assumes $100 invested on May 31, 1990 and reinvestment of all dividends 7 REMUNERATION OF OFFICERS The following table sets forth the cash compensation paid to the officers of the Company and its subsidiaries whose remuneration for the fiscal year ended June 3, 1995, was in excess of $100,000, or if less than $100,000, to certain executive officers of the Company. Long-Term Compensation Annual Compensation Awards Securities Name and Underlying All Other Principal Salary Bonus Options Compensation Position Year ($) ($) (No. Awarded) ($)(2) Virgil L. Clark(1) 1995 185,000 -0- -0- 2,505 President and CEO 1994 185,000 86,636 78,750 1,720 1993 124,616 20,250 22,050 -0- John A. Lindsay(1) 1995 148,000 -0- -0- 2,505 Senior Vice President/CFO 1994 148,000 46,250 28,875 1,334 1993 115,000 11,500 18,743 4,092 T. Patrick Costello(1) 1995 148,000 -0- -0- 2,505 Senior Vice President/ 1994 71,923 34,375 46,725 -0- Operations William D. Wood 1995 85,000 -0- -0- 1,062 Vice President/Marketing 1994 67,559 14,000 21,000 -0- (1) Mr. Clark has an employment contract through April 22, 1998, renewable for two-year terms unless otherwise terminated; Messrs. Lindsay and Costello have a one year contract renewable annually unless otherwise terminated. Messrs. Clark, Lindsay and Costello are entitled to receive base compensation of $185,000, $148,000 and $148,000, respectively, per year and an annual incentive measured by return on shareholder equity (ROE). See "Board Compensation Committee Report on Executive Compensation" for a discussion of the CEO's compensation. (2) Includes the Company's matching contribution to the 401(k) Plan. Under this Plan, full-time employees with at least six months of service may elect to contribute up to six (6%) percent of annual compensation to the Plan. In addition, the Company contributes fifty (50%) percent of such employee contributions. STOCK OPTIONS Options/SAR Grants in Last Fiscal Year. No stock options or SARS were granted during the fiscal year ending June 3, 1995, to executive officers named in the foregoing table. 8 Aggregate Option Exercised in Last Fiscal Year and Fiscal Year-End Option/SAR Values. The following table summarizes options exercised during 1995 fiscal year ended and presents the value of unexercised options held by the named executives at fiscal year-end. Number of Securities Value of Unexercised Underlying Unexercised In-the-Money Options Options at Year-end(1) at Year-End(2) Shares Value Name Acquired Realized Exercisable Unexercisable Exercisable Unexercisable Virgil L. Clark - - 72,450 39,375 $ 87,876 - John A. Lindsay - - 60,742 14,438 132,274 - T. Patrick Costello - - 32,287 14,438 - $27,500 William D. Wood - - 10,500 10,500 - - (1) No options were exercised during the year. (2) The "Value of Unexercised in-the-Money Options at Year-End" is equal to the fair market value of the shares underlying the options at June 2, 1995, the last trading day of the 1995 fiscal year, less the exercise price, times the number of options. APPROVAL OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS Item 2 on the Proxy The Board of Directors, at the recommendation of its Finance and Audit Committee, elected Pope, Smith, Brown & King, Certified Public Accountants, Greenville, South Carolina, to conduct the annual examination of the financial statements of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the fiscal year ended June 3, 1995. The selection of this firm for fiscal year ending June 1, 1996, will be submitted for ratification by the Shareholders at the Annual Meeting. Pope, Smith, Brown & King has no financial interest, direct or indirect, in the Company or any of its subsidiaries, and they do not have any connection with the Company or any of its subsidiaries except in their professional capacity as independent auditors. The ratification by the Shareholders of the selection of Pope, Smith, Brown & King as independent auditors is not required by law or by the Bylaws of the Company. The Board of Directors is, nevertheless, submitting this selection to the Shareholders to ascertain their views. If this selection is not ratified at the Annual Meeting, the Board of Directors intends to reconsider its selection of independent auditors for fiscal year ending June 1, 1996. The Finance and Audit Committee, which is comprised of Directors who are not employees of the Company, approves in advance all non-audit services to be provided by Pope, Smith, Brown & King and believes they have no effect on audit independence. Representatives of Pope, Smith, Brown & King will be present at the Annual Meeting with an opportunity to make statements, if they so desire, and to respond to appropriate questions with respect to that firm's examination of the Company's financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 3, 1995. The Board of Directors recommends a vote "FOR" ratification of the selection of Pope, Smith, Brown & King as independent auditors for the fiscal year ending June 1, 1996. 9 STOCKHOLDERS' PROPOSALS FOR THE 1996 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS Stockholders' proposals submitted pursuant to Rule 14a-8 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 intended to be presented at the 1996 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, tentatively scheduled for October, 1996, must be sent certified mail, return receipt requested and received at the Company's Executive Offices, Post Office Box 9239, Greenville, South Carolina 29604, addressed to the attention of the Secretary by May 31, 1996, in order to be included in the Proxy Statement and form of proxy relating to such meeting. OTHER MATTERS TO COME BEFORE THE MEETING The Board of Directors does not know of any other matters which may come before the meeting. However, if any other matters do properly come before the meeting, it is the intention of the persons named as proxies to vote upon them in accordance with their best judgment. BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ANNUAL REPORT The Company's Annual Report to Stockholders for the year ended June 3, 1995, accompanies this Proxy Statement and is incorporated by reference herein. 10 ****************************************************************************** APPENDIX PIEMONTE FOODS, INC. PROXY 400 AUGUSTA STREET, P.O. BOX 9239 GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA 29604 PROXY SOLICITED BY BOARD OF DIRECTORS The undersigned hereby appoints Virgil L. Clark, John A. Lindsay and David B. Ward, or any of them, attorneys and proxies, with power of substitution, to vote all outstanding stock of the undersigned at the Annual Meeting of the Shareholders of Piemonte Foods, Inc. to be held at the Hyatt Regency, Greenville, South Carolina at 9:00 a.m. on October 27, 1995, or at any adjournment thereof, on the matters listed below: 1. To elect three (3) Class Two directors to a term of three (3) years. The Board intends that the following persons shall be nominated to office for a period of three (3) years: Virgil L. Clark, William P. Mahoney and C.S.M. van der Sprong; FOR [ ] AGAINST [ ] ABSTAIN [ ] Nominees: Virgil L. Clark, William P. Mahoney and C.S.M. van der Sprong (Instructions: To withhold authority to vote for any individual nominee, write that nominee's name on the line below.) 2. To ratify the appointment of independent auditors for fiscal year ending 1996; and FOR [ ] AGAINST [ ] ABSTAIN [ ] 3. To consider and transact such other business as may promptly come before the meeting or any adjournment thereof. (OVER) The shares represented by this proxy will be voted as directed above. in the absence of any direction to the contrary, the proxyholders will vote this proxy "FOR" the election of all the nominees listed in proposal 1 above by casting an equal number of votes for each such nominee. If cumulative voting is followed in the election of directors, the proxyholders may, in their discretion, vote the shares to which such proxy relates on a basis other than equally for each of the nominees named above. Dated , 1995 (Signature) (Signature) Please date and sign exactly as name above. When shares are held by joint tenants, both should sign. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, trustee or guardian, please give full title as such. If a corporation, please sign full corporate name by president or other authorized officer. If a partnership, please sign in partnership name by authorized person.