The weather in the Mid-Atlantic is, in a word, HOT! But so is it throughout the East Coast. Having just returned from a few days on Cape Cod, it was almost as hot there as in the Baltimore-Washington area, but not as humid even though we had more humidity than usual. At least that’s what the natives said.
The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), together with First Lady Michelle Obama, announced recently that leading grocery retailers have committed to bring healthy, affordable food to nearly 10 million people over the next five years in the form of new and expanded stores in areas that desperately need them.
Companies in the Mid-Atlantic committed to this project are Brown’s Supermarkets, Klein’s Family Markets and Supervalu. The California Endowment, through their FreshWorksFund, has pledged to make $200 million in financing available to new, independent retail channels and innovative food distribution programs in California through financing and grants.
Currently 23.5 million Americans live in low-income areas that lack stores likely to sell affordable and nutritious foods. Of these 23.5 million, approximately 11.5 million are individuals living in households with incomes at or below the 200 percent poverty line and 6.5 million are children. These new and expanded stores will provide nearly 10 million Americans with the ability to purchase fresh, nutritious foods close to home. Companies with stores in the Mid-Atlantic region are Brown’s Supermarkets, Klein’s Family Markets, Supervalu, Walgreens and Wal-Mart.
Brown’s Super Stores committed to build one store and expand one store by 2016. The new store will be built in Philadelphia, PA and the expansion will also be in the area – both will serve a combined 150,000 individuals in low-access areas.
Klein’s Family Markets committed to build one ShopRite store by 2016. This store will be located in Baltimore, Maryland and will serve 75,000 individuals.
Supervalu committed to build 250 Save-A-Lot stores by 2016. The stores will be built nationwide and will serve 3,750,000 individuals in low-access areas.
Nationally, Wal-Mart and Walgreens also committed to this program. PHA is an independent, nonpartisan organization that will mobilize broad-based support efforts to solve the childhood obesity challenge which emerged out of a series of conversations between The California Endowment, Kaiser Permanente, Nemours, The Robert Woods John Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, which is a partnership with the American Heart Association and the Clinton Foundation. SNR Denton LLP has provided valuable pro-bono operational and legal support in establishing the Foundation. The Brookings Institution has also contributed thought leadership to the effort. For more information about the Partnership for a Healthier America, visit www.aHealthierAmerica.org.
Congratulations to Ed Sherwin, president, Sherwin Food Safety, on being designated as a “Subject Matter Expert” (SME) in Food Safety by the National Restaurant Association. Congratulations to Giant Food Stores on opening the doors of its first Philadelphia location last month. The newly built 74,000 square foot food store employees 275 full- and part-time associates and is open 24 hours daily seven days a week. The store includes a dedicated center for natural and organic products; a full service pharmacy; market fresh produce; a butcher shop and seafood market; a bakery shop featuring Old World artisan breads; a market square deli; WiFi with an adjacent coffee bar and tables for dining; and fuel pumps with Gas Extra Rewards for those using a Bonus Card.
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said a key goal of the city’s Greenworks program is to bring local food within 10 minutes of 75 percent of the residents.
IGA has introduced the IGALink, the company’s own program that provides customized websites, mobile web apps and digital shopper marketing tools for more than 900 IGA USA retailers operating more than 1,200 stores. Store officials said the new program will give every IGA USA retailer its own customizable website for the first time in IGA history.
Other aspects of the program include online registration tools for building a shopper database; an interactive customer shopping list feature; more than 6,000 searchable recipes that link to shopping lists; website analytics for measurable marketing results; access to unlimited e-mail newsletter capability; and access to a fully digital version of their weekly circular.
Many of our readers remember Mitch Berliner, founder of Berliner Foods. Berliner Foods was the distributor of such treats as Haagen Dazs, Ben & Jerry’s Dove Bars, and numerous other high quality and organic frozen products. After the company was acquired by Edy’s, Mitch opened Berliner Specialty Distributors and introduced an array of organic and specialty foods to the area.
Mitch is now partnered with Ann Brody Cove, whom some of our readers will remember as the founding Food Coordinator of Giant Foods’ “Someplace Special,” the model of quality and creativity for the gourmet departments of today’s supermarkets. They are the founders and operators of The Bethesda (MD) Central Farm Market, a world class food market. Located at Wisconsin and Woodmont Avenues, the market is in its third season of operation. The market operates Sundays, Thursdays in Bethesda and Fridays in the District of Columbia. If you’re interested in visiting the market, please visit www.bethesdacentralfarmmarket.com
Congratulations to Todd Baird, Advantage Sales and Marketing, on being promoted to president of sales for Advantage Sales and Marketing (ASM).
Celebrating birthdays this month are Sonia Diamond, wife of Food-A-Rama’s Paul Diamond and grandmother of Jeremy Diamond, her 89th; retired food broker Joanne Stathes; B. Green’s Benjy Green; Kathleen Ellis, wife of AWI’s Bernie Ellis. It is also the 70th year for the most popular cereal brand in America’s grocery stores, Cheerios.
Celebrating anniversaries this month are Reading Consumer Products’ Ron and Terry Fish, their 50th; Best-Met treasurer Bill and Ann Speakman, their 48th; Tootsie Rolls’ Tom and Kathy LaRochelle, their 47th; Best-Met’s Nina and John Weiland, their 44th; and LaFamiglia’s Burt and Bernadette Quinn, their 35th.