THOMASVILLE, Ga.-Flowers Foods, Inc., the second-largest producer and marketer of packaged bakery foods in the United States, today announced that Gene D. Lord, executive vice president, will be retiring on April 24, 2015, after almost 50 years of service. "Gene has been a valued member of Flowers Foods' executive team for many years, and a driving force behind many of our company's key growth campaigns," commented Allen L. Shiver, Flowers Foods' president and chief executive officer.