Daymon Worldwide said Peter Brennan, its vice chairman and immediate past president, will retire January 2 after 35 years with the company. He will remain on Daymon’s board of directors.

“It is with great pride and yet a sad moment at the same time that I stand before you today and announce the retirement of a man who has been my friend, my business associate, my confidant, and part of my emotional family for more than three decades,” said Milt Sender, Daymon’s chairman, during the company’s shareholders meeting in Stamford, Ct. last week.

Brennan began his food industry career while an undergraduate at Michigan State University, working for The Kroger Co. Upon graduation he joined American Home Products foods division as district manager for the Michigan area.

In 1973, Milt Sender and Peter Schwartz, the co-founders of Daymon Associates, Inc., (now Daymon Worldwide) hired Brennan as a retail representative to the Cleveland, Chio-based Allied Supermarkets chain, which at the time was one of Daymon’s three customers.

Brennan moved to Buffalo, N.Y. in 1976 to launch Daymon’s operations at the newly acquired Loblaws account; and in 1980, moved to Minneapolis to oversee all Daymon/Loblaws private label operations.

In 1982, Brennan was asked by the company’s co-founders to join them at Daymon’s headquarters, then in New York City, to spearhead the development, start-up, and operation of a network of central resource teams, including Daymon Design, Daymon Trading, and the Category Development Group. Brennan became Daymon’s first president in 1992, and in 2007 was named vice chairman of Daymon’s board.

In honor of Brennan’s contributions, Daymon has established an annual scholarship fund in his name.

Brennan will remain active in a number of professional and community groups, including The Private and Public, Scientific, Academic, and Consumer Food Policy Group (PAPSAC). He is a member of the board of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE). He is also a member of the Food Marketing Institute, CIES, and the Grocery Manufacturers Association Presidents Council.