Our congratulations to six new inductees into the Maryland Food Industry’s Hall of Fame. More than 200 people were in attendance to witness the event at Martin’s West last month. The 2010 inductees are: Don Bennett (Richfood) posthumously; Anthony D’Anna, (Mars Super Markets); Paul Diamond (Food-A-Rama) posthumously; Robert Lawless, McCormick & Company; Tom Saquella, Maryland Retailers Association; and Roddy Smith (Schmidt Baking Company), posthumously.
With the induction of the six , the Hall of Fame membership stands at 71. The Maryland Food Dealers Council of the Maryland Retailers Association began the Hall of Fame in 2003. Rob Santoni Jr., chairman of the Food Dealers Council, says the 2010 class underscores the purpose of the Hall of Fame “to honor those ho made a significant contribution to the food industry in Maryland.” Santoni and Food World’s Jeff Metzger emceed the event.
Along with the Hall of Fame inductees, the annual Best-Met Publishing Pete Manos award was presented to Danny Wegman, chairman and CEO of Wegmans Food Markets Inc.
The Maryland Food Dealers also announced two new first time members to its board: Alex Barron (Wal-Mart) and Chip Farris (Target). Elected to serve another term were Walt Clocker (Angel’s Food Market), Elaine Ezell (AAA Antiques Mall), Joe Gwiazdowski (Boscov’s) and Erik Woehrmann (Walgreens).
If you’ve never attended this event, you should plan to do so next year as it brings together many past members of the food industry and current members of the industry.
Congratulations to Katie Kanner, daughter of Rosemary and Leon Kanner (A.W.Sisk), on recently being named Girl Athlete of the Week by the Baltimore Sun. Katie, who is a senior at Marriotts Ridge High School in Marriottsville, MD, played a leading role in a win over River Hill School that clinched the program’s first Howard County Championship. Kanner, a three-year starter and four-year varsity player, led the team in scoring during the regular season with 10 goals and five assists.
We were honored to have been invited last month to the 2010 Visionary Awards Dinner benefiting The Foundation Fighting Blindness. Headquartered in Columbia, MD and started in Baltimore in 1971, the Foundation had its beginnings in the home of David and Harriet Finkelstein (Kluge, Finkelstein & Co.), who brought together a group of people to help raise money for research for retinitis pigmentosa. Very little was known at the time about this dreaded disease. Today, The Foundation Fighting Blindness is leading the research to identify preventions, treatments and cures for people affected by retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, Usher Syndrome and the entire spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases as well as fund raising efforts to support critical research protocols and broad public education.
The honorees this year were: David Cordish, chairman of The Cordish Companies, one of the largest and oldest privately held development companies in the United States. Headquartered in Baltimore, the company is widely recognized as a national leader in entertainment development and the operation of entertainment, live performance, dining, and gaming venues. The company owns and manages more than 40 million square feel of commercial, hotel and residential development.
Also honored were The Baltimore Ravens great Ray Lewis, and his mother Sunseria “Buffy” Smith. Lewis is recognized as one of the NFL’s most dominant defensive players and continues to establish his legacy as one of the greatest players in NFL history.
His mother serves as vice president of The Ray Lewis Foundation and provides constant support for all of Ray’s charitable efforts, focusing on the needy in Baltimore. She, almost single-handedly, organizes and oversees the programs that support children in schools, feeds many families over the Thanksgiving holiday, and brightens Christmas for children who reside in some of the poorest areas in the city.
Tom Matte, former Baltimore Colt, emceed the event .
The Wal-mart Foundations is helping the Maryland Food Bank and Food Banks across the nation in raising awareness of the hunger issue. As part of their $2 billion commitment over five years through its “Fighting Hunger together” campaign, Wal-mart announced an initiative that will support local hunger relief efforts and may benefit the Maryland Food Bank. Here’s how it works. A campaign found on Facebook enables the public to participate in deciding where Wal-mart will donate $1.5 million to hunger relief efforts in the community. Facebook users will be given the opportunity to vote for a community of their choice facing food hardship. The community receiving the most votes receives $1 million to fight hunger. Five additional communities will each receive $100,000.
On October 28, 2010 the FDA gathered a group of inspectors from around the country and brought them to Kreider Farms in Manheim, PA for a training session. These new FDA inspectors were being trained to inspect egg production facilities for food safety in the wake of the recent salmonella outbreak and subsequent egg recall. Kreider Farms and its staff were asked to help train the FDA inspectors. “This was a huge honor for our company. It speaks well of the Kreider employees, facilities and reputation in the egg industry, said Dave Andrews, VP of sales and marketing. Kreider Farms was asked to keep this training session quiet until after the FDA inspectors left to avoid media attention during their visit.
If you haven’t registered yet for the United Fresh 2011 convention to be held in New Orleans May 2-5, 2011 now is the time to do it. This is one of those conventions where it’s easy to connect with your customers. Whether it’s in United’s Business Suites, Food Safety and Traceability Demo Centers, FreshTech or Fresh Marketplace, you’re sure to connect with industry leaders offering value to your company.
Archie Manning, the renowned patriarch of an NFL family dynasty, and James Carville, the outspoken and insightful “ragin Cajun” of American politics, will highlight the meeting and both speakers personify the community spirit, determination and winning attitude that the produce industry and New Orleans share.
Weis Markets announced its month long “Fight Hunger” food drive totaled $356,000 in customer product and monetary donations and $200,000 in corporate donations, which are being made to 10 regional food banks.
“We are grateful to our customers and associates for their generosity. Their donations will help hundreds of emergency food providers meet increased demand during difficult times,” said Dave Hepfinger, Weis Markets president and CEO. “We have complemented our customer’s generosity with our own contribution of $200,000.”
The Fight Hunger food drive ran during Hunger Action Month in September. In addition to product donations, customer monetary donations were distributed to 148 local emergency food providers serving communities near the company’s stores.
Weis Markets $200,000 corporate donation benefited Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast, PA; The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank (Harrisburg); The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank ( Williamsport); The Maryland Food Bank; The Commission on Economic Opportunity/The Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton); Greater Berks Food Bank (Reading); Food Bank of the Southern Tier (Elmira); Northwest Community Action Program NORWESCAP Food Bank (Phillipsburg, NJ); Mountaineer Food Bank (West Virginia) and Broome County Council of Churches/SHOW (Binghamton).
Safeway, Inc., on of the nation’s largest supporters of cancer research and treatment raised $16.1 million in October to combat breast cancer, the most common form of cancer for women. Funds donated at checkout by Safeway customers throughout North America support three areas of focus: research, treatment and early detection.
“We are grateful and humbled by the extraordinary outpouring of support for a cause that impacts so many women and families,” said Steve Neibergall, Safeway’s eastern division president. “Even in a difficult economic climate, our customers recognize the importance of continuing the search for more effective treatments and an ultimate cure for breast cancer.”
During the last decade Safeway and its 1,700-plus stores across the country—including Vons, Pavilions, Dominick’s, Tom Thumb, Randalls, Genuardi’s, Carrs and Pak ‘N Save—have raised and donated more than $94 million during the annual October Breast Cancer Awareness campaign (the contribution from Safeway’s eastern division including its Genuardi’s stores was not available at press time).
Congratulations to Mark Baum, the managing partner of MARCAT Group LLC, an independent consulting firm specializing in business, market, and customer development, was recently named to the KeyImpact board of directors. Baum is the fifth outside member of KeyImpact’s doard.
Before his current position with MARCAT Group, Baum was partner and managing director of the executive vice president of the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA). Previously, he was the president and CEO of the Association of Sales & Marketing Companies (ASMC), now a subsidiary of GMA. Baum joined GMA in 2001 after leading the merger with ASMC.
KeyImpact Sales & Systems, Inc. was formed in 2002 and focused on the Baltimore/Washington, Eastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey markets. KeyImpact has expanded its total footprint to include 32 sales agencies serving customers in 31 states with 39 different offices.
While we have no birthdays to mention this month, we have to correct one from October. We received a very nice note from former Giant/Landover’s retired public relations vice president, now a principal in Policy Solution, Barry Scher informing us that we had him celebrating a birthday in October. Barry informed us that while he appreciates the mention, he doesn’t want to rush the date. He turned a very young 68 in November.
Anniversary wishes go out to Russ and Joan Reynolds, Supervalu, their 36th; Michael and Juli Finkelstein, Associated Services, their 27th; Todd and Amy Sibel, Hook-Me-Up Marketing, their 17th; Jerry and Ligia Chadwick, Guest Services, their 334d; Mike and Monica Cavanaugh, Weider Sports and Nutrition, their 9th; Tony and Susan Schiano, Giant/Carlisle (retired) their 32nd; Peter and Maisie Wall, friends of Food World, their 47th; and Dave and Fran McElroy, Food World’s New England correspondent, their 60th; and to our own Lou Rosenthal and his lovely wife, Mimi, we congratulate them on 64 wonderful years of marriage.
All of us at Best-Met Publishing thank our readers and advertisers for making 2010 an exciting and interesting year and for letting us be a part of this wonderful and crazy business. You are all terrific and very generous people. A very happy, healthy and joyous holiday season to each and everyone of you.