Del Monte Foods Co. wants all of its marketing activities coordinated under one roof, and that roof happens to be in San Francisco. The decision means relocating about 100 positions related to the company's pet products marketing from its North Shore offices to its California headquarters.

The move will leave about 400 employees in Pittsburgh to handle services such as information technology, procurement and supply chain, accounting and payroll, and research and quality systems.

It is cost-efficient to run such back office functions in Pittsburgh, said a company spokeswoman, who added, "The company wants to emphasize that it remains very committed to the Pittsburgh community." She said it was not clear yet how many employees would be relocated to San Francisco but that the changes were expected to take about a year.

The job shifts come as the company, which sells canned fruits and vegetables, tuna and pet foods, has hired a former Taco Bell executive to the newly created position of chief marketing officer.

William D. Pearce served as chief marketing officer of Taco Bell until last year when he left to found a startup venture in medical technology, according to the fast-food chain's Web site. His resume also includes time with Campbell Soup and Procter & Gamble.

As he arrives at Del Monte, two executives will be leaving. Apurva Mody, senior vice president of consumer products, and Jeff Watters, senior vice president of pet products, will stay for only a transition period.

The consumer products operations have been based in San Francisco while the pet product work was done in Pittsburgh. Del Monte's portfolio of pet food brands includes Meow Mix, Kibbles 'n Bits, 9Lives, Milk-Bone, Pup-Peroni and Snausages.

Del Monte's presence in Pittsburgh dates to its acquisition of soup, baby food, tuna and pet product brands from hometown icon H.J. Heinz Co. The San Francisco company later sold the soup and baby food operations, which include a North Side plant along Route 28, but opted to keep certain administrative functions here in a high-profile building between Heinz Field and PNC Park.

The company, which has been feeling the pinch of rising commodity and fuel costs, said centralizing its marketing operations would save money, beginning in 2010.

Del Monte employs about 330 people in San Francisco and a total of 18,000, including seasonal workers, worldwide.

Company shares closed at 9.60, up 0.18, or 1.91 percent.