In a heartwarming display of the supermarket industry’s willingness to help whenever devastation strikes–grocery store chains, large and small, food brokers, manufacturers, wholesalers– across the United States and in the Mid-Atlantic are collecting donations to aid victims of the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Many of these organizations are accepting contributions to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund for Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami, which provides funding for relief supplies and other needs.
Most of the major supermarket companies in the United States are participating in donation drives at checkout. The ones mentioned in this column are typical of what the others here and across the entire nation are doing.
“Our hearts break for the Japanese people,” said Danny Wegman, CEO of Rochester, N.Y. based Wegmans, whose Wegmans Family Charitable Foundation is also making a $100,000 donation to the Red Cross fund.
“Many of our employees and our customers have family and friends in Japan, and we also have suppliers there. We all want to help.”
“We know every supermarket chain and independent, food brokers, food manufacturers and processors, wholesalers – large and small – are all doing something to help the people of Japan.”
Giant Food Stores and Martin’s along with Ahold USA supermarkets has announced that $100,000 will be donated to the American Red Cross Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami Relief Fund to support disaster relief efforts to help those affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
Additionally, Giant/Carlisle and Martin’s will be collecting donations in all stores for the victims of the natural disasters in Japan on behalf of the Red Cross Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami Fund.
“Our associates and customers want to help those in need following the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan,” said Rick Herring, division president. “We are fortunate to be in a position to help with humanitarian relief efforts during this difficult time.”
The Safeway Foundation announced a $100,000 donation and an employee matching pledge of up to $50,000 to help with the Japan earthquake and tsunami relief effort. The contribution will be distributed to the impacted area through the American Red Cross.
“The images of destruction that we’ve all seen are heartbreaking,” said Larree Renda, Safeway Executive Vice President and Chair of the Safeway Foundation. “At this time of need, we are pleased to join with our employees, customers and communities as we collectively look for ways to make a difference.
Safeway and the Safeway Foundation focus their philanthropy on a range of important causes, including disaster relief.
When disaster strikes the food industry is usually the first to respond with donations of food, clothing, money or whatever else is called for. It makes one proud to be a part of this amazing industry.
A big congratulations to our good friend, restaurateur Buzz BeLer, owner of The Prime Rib, who will be awarded the most coveted award in the foodservice industry – the Silver Plate Award – at next month’s National Restaurant Association convention in Chicago. Long considered the most significant and prestigious award in the industry, the Silver Plate Award recognizes excellence in foodservice operations and pays tribute to winners’ contributions to the advancement of the foodservice industry. Beler earned the 2011 Silver Plate Award in the Independent Restaurants category. Award recipients are selected by a jury that includes past winners, national trade media representatives and foodservice industry experts.
“I am honored to be included in such an esteemed group of entrepreneurs whose creativity, passion, and persistence have set a new level of excellence in the restaurant industry,” said BeLer. Most of the folks in the food industry are familiar with The Prime Rib, which Buzz and his brother Nick first opened in Baltimore in 1965. Today, there are two other Prime Rib restaurants – in Washington and Philadelphia. Nick passed away several years ago, but today Buzz and Prime Rib managing partner Garth Weldon oversee the three locations. Over the years, The Prime Rib has earned numerous awards including Best of Baltimore by Baltimore magazine; a Zagat rating as the #1 Steakhouse in Baltimore, DC and Philadelphia; one of the Top Five Romantic Restaurants in the U.S. by Food and Wine magazine; and Esquiremagazine’s Top Twenty Steakhouses in the United States.
The Network of Executive Women (NEW), Consumer Products and Retail, is accepting applications for its annual merit scholarships awarded to outstanding women students interested in a career in food, retailing or consumer products-related studies in the United States.
Qualified female graduate and undergraduate students interested in a career in food, retailing or consumer products management may download the application at www.newonline.org/scholarships. The deadline is May 1, 2011.
The Network of Executive Women, the largest diversity organization serving the consumer products and retail industry, has raised more than $100,000 in scholarships. “The generous scholarships NEW awards to deserving students have been instrumental in attracting the best and brightest women into the CPG and food retail industry,” said NEW Scholarship Chair Joy Nicholas, national account executive for WorldPay. “The scholarship recipients are introduced to the industry at the annual NEW Leadership Summit and are great ambassadors for the Network when they return to their universities.”
In 2010, the Network awarded scholarships to three students pursuing careers in retailing and the consumer products industry: Bethany Haefner, of Fayetteville, Ark.; Lashawndra Lawrence of Auburn, Ala.; and Ashley Benson of Warrington, Pa. Hefner will graduate from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in May 2012 with a master of business administration degree. She interned as a category advisor with The Hershey Co. and worked on sustainability packaging scorecards with a team at The Scotts Co.
Lawrence is graduating in May 2011 from Tuskegee University with a master of science degree in food science. She has worked as a food product and development laboratory graduate researcher at the university and has experience as a biochemistry lab undergraduate researcher.
Benson is graduating May 2011 from St. Joseph’s University with a bachelor of science degree in food marketing. She has worked as a management intern at Wegmans Food Markets and served as a student intern at the National Grocers Association’s convention.
If you’re in the produce business be it in retail, sales or manufacturing, on May 2,3,4 & 5, you will be at United Fresh 2011 in New Orleans.
Join industry leaders, retailers, manufacturers, farmers and growers, wholesalers and an international range of researchers and research organizations, providing information and new technologies to the produce industry. United Fresh 2011 promises to be the biggest and the best show they have ever had…Big ideas Big value, Big innovation, Big solutions and more all while in the Big Easy! If you would like more information on United Fresh 2011 visit [email protected].
The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) announced Duke University and Team USA men’s basketball coach, Mike “Coach K” Krzyzewski, will be a featured speaker at Future Connect, the premier leadership development conference for the food and consumer products retail industry, May 10-12, in Dallas, TX.
Coach K has an amazing track record for winning. Using the insights and proven principles he applies to his coaching career, Coach K will share what he believes are the keys to success—motivational techniques, leadership skills and teamwork—that can be applied to every professional endeavor.
Future Connect is designed to help companies address the need for management development with the fast-approaching retirement of the baby boomer population. The program provides retailers, wholesalers and suppliers the opportunity to identify and develop future leaders through individual and collaborative learning sessions.
“Companies are facing a critical leadership talent gap that needs to be addressed,” said Leslie G. Sarasin, president and chief executive officer at FMI. “Future Connect can help every company build its next generation of leaders, and equally important, ensure that the talent is in place to help trading partners work together to set a strategic direction for the future.”
Future Connect is designed for participants identified as future leaders, including corporate, regional and other managers at all levels, directors, vice presidents and executives from all areas of retailer, wholesaler and supplier companies.
If you would like more information on Future Connect visit www.fmi.org.
I had a nice conversation with DPI’s Dave Goggin last month and we reminisced briefly about our days in Boston. It so happened we were speaking on St. Patrick’s Day and Dave reminded me of all the events that happen in Boston on that day.
It brought many nice memories for me. One year St. Patrick’s Day fell on a week (work) day. I was working for the Gillette Safety Razor Company in South Boston at the time. Gillette was only open for a half day that day. (Boston, as many know, is the unofficial headquarters of the Irish in the United States and a large portion of Boston’s Irish live in South Boston.) Since advancing age is catching up with me, and since South Boston has a very large Irish population, I don’t remember exactly what we did but I know we had one great time.
Giant Food (Landover, MD) announced that Giant and the USO of Metropolitan Washington worked together last month to support military families across the region. Giant hosted an in-store giving campaign, accepting both monetary and food donations to benefit USO-Metro. This campaign helps establish a USO food pantry and also supported additional USO programs.
The giving campaign gave Giant customers the opportunity to support military families by adding $1, $3, or $5 to their grocery bill at check out. Additionally, each neighborhood Giant had a collection bin where customers could donate non-perishable food items.
“At Giant, we’re honored and excited to be celebrating our 75th anniversary over the course of 2011. During March we celebrated the 1940s and Giant milestones as well as reflected on historic events including World War II. We also saluted our veterans as well as those who currently serve,” said Jamie Miller, public and community relations manager for Giant of Landover. “We’re thrilled to work with the USO of Metropolitan Washington to support military families in our region and look forward to a successful partnership.”
PriceRite announced last month that its very first store (37,000 square feet) in Maryland opened for business. PriceRite employs a self service format that includes packaged meats, baked goods, a variety of private label and national grocery brands, as well as dairy and frozen food products. The store offers a full service, high quality produce department with fresh produce delivered daily.
PriceRite stores are a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wakefern Food Corp.., headquartered in Elizabeth, NJ. PriceRite operates stores in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Maryland.
We do not have “local” food people to send birthday wishes to this month so we picked some very popular people that, hopefully, our readers will know.
Celebrating birthdays this month are: Rick Bestany, my son, Allegian Systems; William Ireland, my son-in-law, Clyde’s Restaurant Group; Scottish singer Susan Boyle; Jack Webb, of Dragnet fame; Danish writer Hans Christian Anderson; and a personal favorite although I didn’t know him, William Randolph Hearst.