Garner-based Butterball announced this afternoon that it has named Rod Brenneman, a long-time executive with one of the turkey producer's parent companies, as CEO.

The move comes four months after the previous CEO, Keith Shoemaker, resigned without explanation.

Brenneman is a 22-year veteran of Seaboard Corp. of Kansas, the holding company which acquired a 50 percent stake in Butterball in December. Maxwell Farms owns the other half of the company.

Seaboard's investment came after Smithfield Foods, the world's largest pork producer, agreed to sell its interest in Butterball.