Harold “Hank” Greenberg, the former Penn Traffic and Food Fair executive who later became president of wholesaler Certified Grocers Midwest, died earlier this month in Jupiter, FL. He was 93.
Greenberg, a Philadelphia native, began his grocery career as a produce clerk at Penn Fruit while still in high school. He served in World War II and upon his return from the Pacific, attended and graduated from Temple University with a business degree.
After college, he joined the old Quaker City Wholesale Grocery Company as traffic manager and remained at the Philadelphia distributor for 14 years, rising eventually to become VP-purchasing. Greenberg then returned to Penn Fruit as VP-purchasing, remaining at the once-great regional chain for 15 years. When Penn Fruit merged with Food Fair, Greenberg became president of Food Fair’s Maryland Milk Company subsidiary.
Known as an industry innovator, Greenberg helped pioneer such developments as utilizing standard space and layouts for the frozen food industry in 1960. And by working with several state and federal agencies, he helped the industry gain approval for the authorization of contract carriers (vs. common carriers).
In 1983, Greenberg left Philadelphia to join Certified Grocers Midwest, a large co-operative wholesaler based in the Chicago area. He remained at Certified for nine years, becoming president in 1988. He retired in 1992.
While in the industry, he served on the boards of directors for NAWGA and the NGA. Greenberg was also a past commander of a VFW post in Philadelphia; a past officer of the Conference of Christians and Jews; a former Boy Scout regional leader in Philadelphia; a past chairman of the Chicago chapter of the City of Hope; and a board member of the National Society for the Prevention of Blindness. Greenberg was also a recipient of the Humanitarian Award of B’Nai Brith Anti-Defamation League.
He is survived by his three children:Dave, president of Star Specialties, a food brokerage firm based in Cherry Hill, NJ; and daughters Donna and Debbie.