As I sit here awaiting the wrath of Mother Nature to once again wreak havoc on humanity, my thoughts are with the food and “storm supplies” retailers who have the thankless job of predicting not how much snow will fall, but what the fickle consumer will be looking to hoard this time around. Bread, milk and eggs aren’t the only products sold during the mad rush to stock up; in our house, it is garlic, olive oil and pasta; oh and don’t forget the wine! The good news is that catchers and pitchers are reporting to practice this weekend and that can only mean one thing, spring is around the corner!
Acme Markets did its share to help those stranded during the recent devastating ice/snow storm in the DelawareValley. With more than 750,000 folks having no power, Acme did its part and came to the rescue of some of those in need. They had ordered a couple too many generators (the big tractor trailer kind), so they donated one to the Malvern Fire Department, to ensure that first responders could recharge their pagers, walkie-talkies, etc. and keep the lights on at the firehouse. Two other generators were delivered to Martins Run Senior living Community in Media, PA. Martin’s Run houses 300 seniors, some of them in critical care and assisted living. “All of our Acme stores are on power or generator power now, because people need to shop. So as they come up on power, we already have the generator rented for the week, so why not pass it along to someone who needs it in the community,” said Acme president Jim Perkins. He continued, “We love helping the community and we appreciate the opportunity to do that. It was so much fun to walk through here today and talk with all the seniors and thinking that we are going to get their heat back on rewarding to do that.”
In addition, Acme is offering a 5 percent discount coupon to customers affected by the recent storms through February 15. Gotta love our Philly Ac-a-me stores!
Wakefern announced that, in its ongoing effort to achieve seafood sustainability, it has partnered with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA), the leading international organizations dedicated to advancing environmentally and socially responsible aquaculture providing a safe supply of seafood to meet growing world food needs. Wakefern will increasingly source wild-caught and farm-raised seafood for processing in its facility that meets the certification standards of one of these organizations. Wakefern has taken a major step in meeting its commitment by obtaining MSC chain of custody certification, a comprehensive traceability program back through the supply chain to a MSC certified fishery, at its seafood processing facility in New Jersey. This partnership is an important step towards the company’s goal of sourcing product from vendors who demonstrate sustainable practices.
“Wakefern is dedicated to keeping seafood plentiful and safe for generations to come. We have committed to working with suppliers who ensure that our wild-caught and farm-raised seafood is sourced from certified, sustainable fisheries and farms,” said Karen Meleta, corporate spokesperson for Wakefern. The MSC’s fishery certification program and seafood eco-label recognize and reward sustainable fishing. This global organization works with fisheries, seafood companies, scientists, conservation groups and the public to promote the best environmental choice in wild-caught seafood.
ShopRite was one of the first supermarkets in the United States to participate in a voluntary inspection program and to place the U.S. Department of Commerce’s “Processed Under Federal Inspection” and “Grade A” mark on certain species of fresh fish. Its seafood is under continuous inspection by the US Department of Commerce as well as an internal quality assurance team. All of Wakefern’s seafood undergoes a seven point inspection, following the US Food and Drug Administration’s guidelines. Having its own on-site facility allows Wakefern to deliver fresh seafood seven days a week and helps ensure that the seafood sold at retail meets strict quality standards.
Furthering its sustainable seafood goals, Wakefern will discontinue the distribution of orange roughy, shark, blue-fin tuna and grouper to its retail partners due to their status as over-fished, until a sustainable source can be identified.
In more news from Wakefern, Supermarkets of Cherry Hill, Inc., the Ravitz family’s business that operates five ShopRite stores in south Jersey, announced that it has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its numerous efforts in food recovery and reduction of waste. All five Ravitz family ShopRites have been awarded the EPA’s Certificate of Achievement for significantly decreasing waste marked for landfills. Earlier this year, Supermarkets of Cherry Hill joined the EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge, a program which encourages organizations to reduce, donate and recycle as much of their excess food as possible to feed families in need, protect the environment and save money. “We are so honored to be recognized by the EPA not only for our commitment to the environment but also for our commitment to the southern New Jersey communities where we do business,” said Jason Ravitz, vice president of retail operations for Supermarkets of Cherry Hill, Inc. “Partnering with the EPA to reduce our environmental impact and simultaneously help our neighbors in need sets a new standard for all our stores as we continue to look for new ways to better serve our customers.”
Congrats to Allegiance Retail Services, LLC on their move into new corporate office space in Iselin, NJ a couple of weeks ago. Please make a note of their new digs: 485D Route 1 South, Iselin, NJ08830. All e-mail addresses and telephone numbers remain the same. Michael Stolarz, president and COO of Allegiance Retail Services, LLC stated, “The newly designed, state-of-the-art floor plan provides greater efficiency for our associates to interact and to conduct business with the vendor community. The 18,900 square foot space, with its enhanced operational efficiencies, was designed for future growth opportunities within the Allegiance organization.”
A tip o’ the hat to the legendary Joe Procacci of Procacci Brothers Sales Corporation/Garden State Farms, Inc. who was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the United Fresh Foundation last month at Trump National Doral Resort in Miami. Procacci celebrated 55 years in the produce business in 2013. Also celebrating a milestone this year is Jay Gordon of SMP Brokerage. Jay began working with his father Sam 50 years ago this winter and is still “schlepping the bag” in the Philadelphia and surrounding markets.
The Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market (PWPM) announced the winner of $6,500 in “market bucks” randomly selected from entrants who visited the PWPM booth at the New York Produce Show and Expo held in December: Kings Food Markets, Parsippany, NJ. The $6,500 grand prize was sponsored by 13 participating merchants to support purchases at the Philly Market. The Kings Food Market produce staff will also receive a guided tour of the PWPM. Other winners include Manhattan Fruit Exchange, New York, NY, which will take home an iPad Mini plus a one-day free pass package to the market that includes a $100 Visa Gift Card. There were nine other winners of the one-day free pass package plus $100 Visa Gift Card. Congratulations to all the winners! PWPM is looking forward to helping you “get fresh with Philly!”
The circle of life continues as we tell of the passing on January 30, of Stanford Frank, 92, the last president of Frank’s Beverages, the iconic Philadelphia bottling company known for its Black Cherry Wishniak soda. Stan was the grandson of Jacob Frank, who founded the beverage company in 1895 in South Philadelphia. They later moved to Northeast Philadelphia because the streets were narrow downtown. In its heyday, the last half of the 20th century, Frank’s was the largest privately owned beverage bottling company in the Philadelphia area. It prospered under the advertising slogan “If it’s Frank’s, thanks!” which could be heard on radio and seen on billboards The firm also bottled Yoo-hoo chocolate drink, Schweppes mixers, Nestle’s iced tea, among other beverages, but Frank’s was most famous for Black Cherry Wishniak, a fruity, dark-red soda that went well with hoagies, cheesesteaks, soft pretzels, and other foods Philadelphia was known for. Beset by competition and other factors, Mr. Frank retired and sold the business in the late 1990s.
A true Philadelphian, Frank was known for his philanthropy. He supported Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, the American Cancer Society, Hahnemann University Hospital’s Division of Cardiology, Widener University, the Scleroderma Foundation, the Variety Club of Philadelphia, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. He is survived by his son and daughter, three grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Donations may be made to Jefferson Heart Institute Clinical Research at ThomasJeffersonUniversity and Hospitals via http://connect.jefferson.edu/makeagift.
Birthday shout outs for the romantic month of February go out to: “Big” Bob DeMento, Brandywine Marketing; Gary Canuso, Turkey Hill; Guy Giordano, Vincent Giordano Corp.; Neil Brassell, industry veteran; BJ Zellers, Crane Communications; Bill Schlosky, Utz Snacks; Kevin Gallagher, Food Trade News; and special hugs to my daughter Rosalie Marfuggi. Buon compleanno a tutti!
Quote of the month: “There is no reason to ever quit. Unless, of course, you had no plans to ever succeed.” Doug Firebaugh
