In & Around Food World

Well-known to generations of food industry people, Dick Bestany is the co-founder of Best-Met Publishing, publishers of Food World and Food Trade News. He served as the company's President from 1978 until 2007, when he took the position of Chairman Emeritus. His column was published every month from 1978 until 2016.

Welcome to the June 2010 issue of Food World, the Annual Market Study Issue.  This is the 32nd year we have published the Mid-Atlantic grocery industry Market Study.  It is completely researched and prepared by the staff of Best-Met Publishing Company.  And like other years, it is the most sought after issue of the year.  It is the most definitive study done on the grocery business on the East Coast.  Retailers, food marketing companies, print and broadcast media, marketing consultants and manufacturers will be quoting the facts and figures contained here for the next 12 months.  And we can proudly boast that it will be used as a source by The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun, The Wall Street Journal, and numerous other publications that cover the food industry.

While many in and outside the grocery industry benefit from all the research in this issue, the great companies that choose to advertise in it are the major beneficiaries.  Their ads will be seen and read by every food company and food retailer doing business or wishing to do business in the Mid-Atlantic.  No other medium can deliver such a targeted audience.  We thank all our many advertisers and we urge our readers to support them and their products.

As you can imagine, preparing this issue is no easy task.  It takes months of preparation and research from many sources.  The one person who plans the issue and puts it all together is the publisher, Jeff Metzger. He oversees all the work along the way and directs the talented team who gathers and puts it all together.

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Heading up that team is our editorial director, Terri Maloney.  Assisting Terri are Jenny Jones and Matt Danielson of Electronic Ink, our production company.

Beth Pripstein, a 14-year veteran of Best-Met Publishing, has the task of preparing the invoices, maintaining our mailing list, preparing and maintaining the billing, assisting with the proof reading, and helping with the much of the research.

And without our advertising staff and marketing staff, we would never have an issue to put together.  They are the most knowledgeable food trade people on the face of the earth:  Carol Cherington, vice president of advertising for Food World; Maria Maggio, vice president/general manager of Food Trade News; Nina Weiland, advisor to the publisher; and account executives Lou Rosenthal and Mike Keba.

And a very special thanks must go to our many faithful and loyal advertisers.  They are the lifeline of our business and we are most grateful to them for their support.  Many of them have been with us for as long as Best-Met Publishing has been publishing Food World, Food Trade News, and the Grocery Industry Directory.

And HUGE THANKS to our legions of loyal readers who have been with us for many, many years.  And we welcome the many men and women who have recently joined the food industry in the Mid-Atlantic.  Our circulation keeps growing year after year.  And as people get promoted out of the region, they still maintain their subscriptions to our papers.

We learned last month, just at press time, of the death of James P. Ellis, father of AWI president Bernie Ellis.  We had the pleasure of meeting Bernie’s father a couple of years ago.  He was a delightful man and an excellent story teller.  Our sincere sympathies go out to Bernie and his entire family.

Customers at Giant Food Stores and Martin’s Food Markets once again showed their support of the men and women who are serving in the Armed Forces by raising $211,719 through the annual Support Our Troops in-store campaign.

“The work of our regional USOs  is so very important in keeping our soldiers connected to home,” said Rick Herring, president.  “We thank our customers for their generosity in helping to support our local troops who are currently stationed throughout the world.”

From May 2 through May 8, customers were invited to donate $1 at the checkout toward their regional USO, an organization dedicated to  programs that build morale and keep soldiers connected to their families.  Since the inception of Support Our Troops, Giant and Martin’s customers have donated over $945,000.

In addition to supporting regional USO s, Giant and Martin’s also reach out several times a year to the family members of associates who are serving overseas by sending care packages of toiletries, sweets, beverage mixes, soups and microwaveable meals.

The Network Of  Executive Women (NEW) will present ways for industry executives and their organizations to leverage today’s new business realities at the NEW Leadership Summit 2010 in Charlotte.  More than 700 executives are expected to attend the Summit, which will feature a new format with three Super Sessions and keynote addresses by Lt. Col. Consuela Kickbusch, U.S. Army retired, futurist and author Edie Weiner, and a “generations at work” panel moderated by Fawn Germer.  For more information contact Carol Charington at Food World, 410-730-5013.

Congratulations to DeeDee McCracken, formerly a Kluge, Finkelstein and Acosta sales executive, on being named one of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage’s Top 100 Sales Associates for February and January 2010.

Through her career in Real Estate, Dee Dee has sold more than 17.8 million dollars of Real Estate.  Dee Dee can be at 410-739-7517 or email her at [email protected].

Dee Dee is married to former Leaman Company, KLM  and Acosta executive Kevin McCracken.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner, Rutter’s Farm Stores rules all times of day in the York (PA) Sunday News’ 2010 “Best of York” rankings.

Rutter’s Stores ranked No. 1 in the categories of breakfast—quick service,lunch—quick service, and dinner—quick service.  In the process, Rutter’s bested national brands including McDonald’s, Burger King and Panera Bread.

Rutter’s Dairy also rolled to its 10th straight No. 1 ranking in the milk category.  The dairy has won the category every year that the survey has been published.

Rutter’s Dairy has served York County since 1921.  Rutter’s Farm Stores began in 1968 as an outlet for Rutter’s Dairy products.

Rutter’s was No. 2 in coffee, just behind Starbucks and ahead of Dunkin’ Donuts.

Over in Landover, MD Giant Food is presenting close to $2 million to local schools in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C. And Delaware as a result of its 2009-2010 A+ Bonus Bucks program.  A+ Bonus Bucks provides a simple way for schools to earn funds to support school programs and enrichment activities every time a customer makes a purchase in their neighborhood Giant.”Over the past 20 years, Giant has awarded more than $81 million to schools in the Mid-Atlantic region through A+,” said Robin Michel, president of Giant Food of Landover, MD.  “We’re very pleased that 2,216 schools I our area participated in the A+ Bonus Bucks program this  year.  Giant and our customers are making a difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of students in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C. And Delaware.

There’s a new snack distributor in the Maryland, District of Columbia and Virginia area..  If you’re selling food to anyone and carry snacks in your place of business, then you should get a hold of Perry Hollins of Country Snacks, Inc. in Upper Marlboro, MD.  Perry services food stores, C-stores and all places where snacks are sold.  And we understand that he is a very good fisherman as he is allowed to go fishing with Associated Service’s Michael Finkelstein and the Mid-Atlantic’s famous and well known retailer, David Green.  Perry can be reached at 301-735-4816.

In my never ending quest for nice restaurants in and around the Baltimore-Washington area, I recommend to anyone who likes Italian Food, La Scala.  LaScala is located in the heart of Baltimore’s “Little Italy” and is a terrific place.  It has a varied menu and a very lively bar scene and is one of the places visited by food sales people when visiting the   B-W Market and entertaining “the trade”.  Nino Germano is the owner and chef and he is very interested in pleasing his customers.  If you visit, ask for him.  If you don’t see on the menu something you like, and if it’s Italian, he’ll make it.  (Even if it’s not Italian he’ll make it.  He’s good!) LaScala is located at 1012 Eastern Avenue in Baltimore.

Happy Birthday wishes go out to: Ciao Bella’s Micky Parsons; Coca-Cola Enterprises’ Cyndi Ireland; H&S Bakery’s J.R. Paterakis; Agora Internationals Jerry Shupack; and Food World’s Lou Rosenthal, Beth Pripstein, Terri Maloney, Jeff Metzger; and to my granddaughter, Kathryn Dougherty Ireland, who will be celebrating her 4th birthday.

Celebrating wedding anniversaries this month are:  Food World’s Carol and Joel Cherington, their 16th; Edy’s John and Donna Plumhoff, their 29th; H&S Bakery’s JR and Emily Paterakis, their 29th; display consultant Mike and Jennifer Keefe, their 22nd; Utz Quality Foods’ Tom and Bekki Dempsey, their 29th; Star Sales & Marketing’s Randy and Debi Holland, their 31st; Quaker Maid Meats’ Tom and Janine Robinson, their 9th; Coca-Cola Enterprises’ Cyndi and Clyde’s Restaurants’ Bill Ireland, their 6th.