All of us at Best-Met Publishing were saddened to learn last month of the death of James E. Kinney, of Northampton Township, PA. Many of our longtime readers will remember Jim as the man who ran our Pennsylvania paper, Food Trade News, for many years.
Jim was an avid golfer and loved the game. A member of Spring Mill Country Club, he played well into his 70s. According to his daughter, Carolyn K. DuMont, he had English friends who came to Bucks County to golf. He also traveled to England to golf with them. She called it a “golfing brotherhood.” He was also very active in local politics having served for 24 years as Republican supervisor in his township.
During his tenure as general manager of Food Trade News, Jim increased the visibility of the paper as well as the advertising revenue. He attended all of the many affairs and meetings of food industry clubs and associations. He was known as “Mr. Food Trade News” in the markets served by the paper. He never missed a meeting or a social event and was always present with camera to record the event.
In addition to his daughter, he is survived by his wife of 56 years, Joan, sons James Jr. and Robert, and three granddaughters. Contributions can be made in his name to the American Cancer Society, 1626 Locust St.., Philadelphia, PA 19103.
In retailer news, six recently built Ahold USA stores have received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the national accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance sustainable buildings. This latest round of certifications gives Ahold USA the largest fleet of LEED-certified stores among U.S. grocery retailers. The stores include: a Burtonsville, MD, location operated by the Giant/Landover division; a Trexlertown, PA, location operated by the Giant/Carlisle division; Cranston, RI and Roslindale, MA locations operated by the Stop & Shop New England division; and a Arverne, NY Shop location operated by the Stop & Shop New York Metro division. These stores feature white roofs to reflect sunlight and reduce heat gain in the stores, skylights to harvest daylight and lower electricity consumption during peak daylight hours and LED lighting throughout. To date, the company has 56 stores that have achieved LEED certification for existing buildings.
Ahold USA will also soon introduce a dairy cooler for new products topped by a promotional digital screen at its Giant/Landover and Giant/Carlisle stores following the deployment of a similar freezer for frozen foods.
The Dairy 1st cooler and the Frozen 1st freezer are supplied by 3 Feet Media of Atlanta. Both are used to introduce new products with the help of high-definition digital advertising. The Frozen 1st equipment has been in place at more than 500 Ahold USA stores for five years. Products displayed in Frozen 1st achieved higher initial sales, according to 3 Feet Media. 3 Feet Media said the Dairy 1st deployment would “double its presence” at Ahold USA.
From the manufacturer side of the world of food comes news that Snyder’s of Hanover used the 30th anniversary of National Pretzel Day to create a series of nationwide events to engage with consumers. Events were held at: Penn Relays in Philadelphia, the world largest track and field meet; Bicentennial Plaza at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore; Fountain Square in Cincinnati; the Minnesota Twins baseball game at Target Field in Minneapolis; and the San Diego Zoo in front of the Zoo’s Kids Store. Attendees at these events were able to sample three of Snyder’s flavored pretzel pieces at an old-fashioned pretzel cart with a modern twist. Consumers also earned free giveaway items like pretzel-shaped glasses or “I Tasted How Great a Pretzel Can BE” T-shirts in exchange for sharing a picture on Instagram or Twitter with hashtag #NationalPretzelDay while at the events.
National Pretzel Day was initially declared in 1983 by U..S. Representative Robert S. Walker of Lancaster County, PA, who proclaimed that his favorite food deserved a holiday. Former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell re-declared the holiday in 2003 to acknowledge the importance of the pretzel to the state’s history and economy. Today more than 80 percent of America’s pretzels are made in the state.
The National Pretzel Day sampling events and social media served as a teaser for the Snyder’s of Hanover national TV and digital campaign that will launch this month in 27 markets across the country.
The National Grocers Association (NGA) recently released the results of a study on the impact of independent grocers on America’s economy. This groundbreaking research provides a clear picture of the key role independent grocers play at the national, state, and congressional district level. The research was conducted by John Dunham and Associates, an economic and government relations research firm based out of New York. The report provides information on independent grocers and wholesalers sales, jobs created, wages paid, and federal and state taxed paid. For more information visit www.grocersimpactamerica.com.
Congratulations to Laura Williams, senior VP and deputy general counsel at Ahold USA, who has been named a recipient of one of the 2013 Women of Influence Awards from the Central Penn Business Journal. Williams earned the honor for her leadership and achievements with Ahold USA, as well as for her contributions to the wider community.
And finally, here’s some news I’ve been waiting for…..Hostess Brands LLC, a new company and employer under new ownership, plans to re-launch its state-of-the-art bakery in Columbus, GA. The company will initially add 200 jobs to the economy there and plans to create a total of more than 300 jobs in the community within the next several years. The baking facility will resume operations this summer and will produce a full assortment of Hostess snack products, including Twinkies, Cup Cakes, Ho-Hos and Ding Dongs.
Baltimore-based Santoni’s Supermarket launched East Baltimore’s first-ever “Grocery Store Shuttle Service,” dedicated to providing free transportation for residents in communities with low-vehicle ownership and little access to healthy foods.
The service has been praised by local food advocates including community groups, non-profit partners and City officials. Santoni’s is a full-service independent grocery store servicing the East and South East Baltimore communities for over 82 years.
Giant/Landover is making sure shoppers know that the Ahold USA-owned grocery chain is doing its bit for the environment. “Making efforts to reduce our impact – and encouraging our customers to do the same – is crucial to protecting and preserving the communities in which we live and work,” said Jamie Miller, public and community relations manager for Giant/Landover.
To that end Giant has launched a “Sustainable Choice” program to aid customers in selecting products that are sustainable, safe and responsibly produced. In the seafood department, a “Sustainable Choice” icon will shows customers which seafood items have been responsibly farmed or fished and are certified by a qualifying eco-label.
Regan Lund has joined the Network of Executive Women in the new role of national development manager. NEW is the consumer products and retail industry’s largest women’s leadership community, with more than 7,000 members in 19 regions across the U.S. and Canada. It hosts dozens of local events and two national conferences each year. For more information visit www.newonline.org.
Lund will be key to supporting NEW’s rapidly growing roster of sponsors, according to Nancy Krawczyk, vice president of sales and marketing. NEW has more than 86 national sponsors, including Foundations sponsors The Coca Cola Company, Kraft Foods Group, Mondelez International, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble and Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club.
Lund was development director of Enactus United States (formerly SIFE), and previously served as business development manager for Echo Global Logistics. Earlier in her career, she was a national account executive for IRH Capital LLC and was a student brand manager for Red Bull North America. She is a graduate of the University of Iowa.
On a personal note, last month Kathy and I enjoyed April in Paris and the French countryside. Our guide on that trip was an awesome young man named Vincent Lauferon (who is fluent in seven languages) who gave an excellent overview of French history and culture. (If you are ever in the market for a knowledgeable French guide check out his website, www.awesome-guide.com.). Personally, one of the most moving experiences for me was our visit to Normandy where American and Allied troops landed to begin the final defeat of Hitler and almost 10,000 Americans are buried in the American cemetery. We celebrated our last Paris evening with a memorable dinner and GREAT wine at Restaurant Chez Eugene in Montmartre.
Birthday wishes go out this month to: Lee Chadwick, mother of Lancaster Food’s Jerry Chadwick and to Food World’s Lou Rosenthal (retired), his 91st!
Celebrating anniversaries are: Jeremy and Helen Diamond Food-A-Rama, their 11th , and Kathy’s and my daughter, Cyndi, Coca-Cola Refreshments, and son-in-law Bill Ireland, Clyde’s Restaurant Group, their 9th!
We are always happy to publish anniversary and birthday dates. Just call (410-730-5013) or mail them to: In and Around Food World, 5537 Twin Knolls Rd.; Columbia, MD 21045. Or, drop Dick an email at [email protected].