Congratulations to old friend Gus Lebiak on being named president and COO at Krasdale Foods effective January 1, 2021 when he will replace Steve Silver who is retiring. I remember meeting Gus quite some time ago during his days at Twin County Grocers. He joined Twin County after getting started in the food industry as an assistant manager for Stanley Kaufman and Mayfair Supermarkets. He then jumped over to the wholesale side of the business when he joined Twin County Grocers as a buyer and merchandiser. He worked his way up to category management and ultimately to vice president. Through the years from our conversations at countless trade dinners, shows and events, I was always impressed with Gus’ knowledge and insight into the business. I had a chance to express that feeling when I received a phone call from Ken Krasne, vice chairman of Krasdale Foods, one day a little more than eight years ago. Ken was looking for some additional information while he was preparing to steer Krasdale Foods and Alpha 1 Marketing into the next stage of growth, and was eager to add the right key personnel to ensure the company’s success. I was happy to share with him that I thought Gus was one of the brighter minds in the industry that I had come across and he would be a stellar choice to add to his roster. Ken did make the offer and hired Gus (as well as another key ingredient to the new team in the name of Dennis Hickey a little prior to Gus). Since joining Krasdale eight years ago, Gus has steadily assumed greater leadership roles within the company. Last year, he was promoted to chief operating officer of Alpha 1 Marketing. Following his retirement, Steve Silver will continue to serve in an advisory capacity and will also remain on the board of directors where he’ll contribute to the ongoing growth of the company.
Best wishes and congratulations, Gus.
I recently ran into Drew Sander, director of retail quality assurance at C&S Wholesale Grocers, and previously the longtime director of corporate security at White Rose Foods. For those who do not know, Drew is also the head of a non-profit organization, The Sander and Matits Burn Foundation. This foundation is near and dear to his heart because as a child, Drew was severely burned and hence wants to make a difference in young burn survivors’ lives by demonstrating to them that there is life after being burned. He knows that nothing helps heal burn survivors like being around other burn survivors. The foundation’s mission is simple: they aim to aid survivors in getting back to normal lives after being burned. The foundation creates scholarships so burn victims can attend summer camp with children just like them and also to send children and their families to the Phoenix World Burn Congress each year. The Phoenix World Burn Congress is an annual, international conference that brings together 900 burn survivors, their families, caregivers, burn care professionals, and firefighters. The purpose is to offer support, increase their knowledge of burn recovery, and share inspiring stories. For many burn survivors, it is their first opportunity to connect with others on the journey of burn recovery.
Drew tells us that, during this holiday season, you can help The Sander and Matits Burn Foundation by registering them as the charity of choice with Amazon Smile when you shop on Amazon. Or you can also go to www.thesanderandmatitsburnfoundation.com and make a donation. Great work, Drew, and all the best for the holiday season and your foundation!
Andres Falquez, category marketing manager at Grace Kennedy Foods/La Fe, tells us that his company is very excited to launch their new “Campaign of La Fe” on the East Coast through their media partners Telemundo in the metro New York market and Orlando and Univision in Miami. The media slots are humorous and on point and invites everyone to celebrate the flavor with La Fe and enjoy the beauty of the Hispanic cuisine!
I had a chance to tour Ruben Luna’s newest store, a Pioneer Supermarket on Castle Hill Road in the Bronx. The store had been dormant for over a year, and I can only imagine what it was like to renovate the 9,000 square foot unit, because it is now beautiful. I was last in this store a few years ago (under the previous owner) and to say that it needed work would be an understatement. Ruben told us that the entire store was ripped down to the studs and totally rebuilt. It is the 14th store for the Luna family (all of the others are under the Key Food banner) but what might be the real shining light for the store is that Ruben’s daughter Rosanna Luna has joined the family business and will be running the day-to-day operations at the Pioneer store. Rosanna was pursuing a career in fashion and has her master’s degree in fashion and retail merchandising, but the siren call of the family business was too strong to resist. She will join her brother Ruben Jr. (who has already proven his acumen in the biz) in the family business. The Lunas also have a couple of more stores on the docket to add to the portfolio in early 2021. Good luck to all!!!
Well, it’s the start of the holiday season in this craziest of years. I hope you all stay safe and remain healthy while our brightest minds finalize a vaccine. I’m sure all of our wishes for the holiday season are continued good health and the ability to get back to a sense of normalcy for the new year. Let’s also remember that the season can be especially difficult for our food insecure neighbors and the pandemic has made it an even greater struggle for all of our local food banks. So let’s not forget about them and all the good that they do, not only during the holidays but throughout the year. Please give and/or volunteer as you can. Above all else enjoy your Thanksgiving and I do hope to see you soon! As always you can reach me at [email protected] or 201.250.2217.