Holiday Greetings to everyone, and I do hope that all off our collective wishes, hopes and prayers for good health and an end to this pandemic come to fruition in the New Year.
Well the spirit of giving was apparent at the offices of JOH, as we heard that the big sales and marketing agency’s charitable cause, Kids 360, had an extremely successful 8th Annual Kids 360 Charity event. Kids 360 is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization created by JOH which aims to make a difference in the lives of children in need by taking a 360 degree approach to a child’s life. Clothes, food, toys, medical supplies and support or school supplies, all monies raised by Kids 360 go directly to carefully selected children’s charities. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, JOH took precautions to ensure its guests’ safety while also maintaining the integrity of its annual event back in October. A group of 100 clients, customers and JOHers joined together for a socially-distanced day on the fairway at Woodland Golf Club in Auburndale, MA, which was followed by a small al fresco reception at The Federal in Waltham, MA. “Even in the face of unprecedented challenges, our community succeeded in coming together safely with the goal of helping children. I’ve said before that each year’s event is better than the last, and this was no exception,” said John Saidnawey, chairman and CEO of JOH. Since its inception, Kids 360 has donated over $450,000 to children’s charities because of YOU. What an honor it is to be a part of such a caring and giving industry! Well done to all at JOH!
And speaking of giving, kudos again to Goya Foods as they donated 40,000 pounds of food to Feed the Children and Caring for Friends in Philadelphia and surrounding Pennsylvania counties. Hundreds of volunteers packed reusable Goya bags to distribute to families with food insecurities in the greater Philly area. By the end of this month, Goya will have donated and distributed over 3.5 million pounds of food to charities since the start of the pandemic! I encourage you to check out all of the Goya altruism at www.goya.com/en/goya-gives. Way to go Goya!
And while we’re talking about Goya, you had to get a chuckle and a little smile when you heard about the recent Goya Employee of the Month recipient.
Goya CEO Bob Unanue announced that New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was named employee of the month after the company’s sales spiked in response to the congresswoman’s call for a boycott of its products earlier this year. “When she boycotted us, our sales actually increased 1,000 percent,” Unanue said, “So we gave her an honorary, we never were able to hand it to her, but she got employee of the month for bringing attention to Goya and our adobo.”
He noted that the boycott allowed Goya to reach “so many new people” while maintaining its base. Ocasio-Cortez’s call came after Unanue declared at a White House event that the United States was “blessed” to have “a leader like President Trump who is a builder.”
“Oh look, it’s the sound of me Googling ‘how to make your own adobo,’“ Ocasio-Cortez wrote to her 10.7 million followers on Twitter after social media backlash prompted #BoycottGoya.
Unanue stated that it was interesting to see AOC as one of the first people to boycott Goya and “go against her own people.” His latest comments come as Goya has doubled its production to meet increasing demand, and despite the success, he is concerned for the nation. “We’re controlled by social media. Anything that doesn’t go along with their agenda and narrative is not permissible,” he said. ”We’ve lost our courage. We are the greatest country on earth but we’ve lost the freedom and we have to get back to work.” He lamented that politicians have blamed the coronavirus on Trump and “weaponized” it against the American worker. He also argued that politicians should be fired instead of the millions in the restaurant industry who are now unemployed due to COVID-19 restrictions. “They turned their weapons, in a political year, on the masses,” he said. ”This is discrimination against the working class. We’re not teaching our children. We’re not working.”
Congratulations to partners Ramon Mejia and Milton Castillo on the opening of their second supermarket, a Pioneer Fresh Market in the East New York section of Brooklyn. It joins their other location which is located in the boogie down Bronx. The new supermarket is 7,000 square feet with 5,000 square feet of selling space. Ramon told us that his original location at 689 Stanley Avenue was a very successful 900 square foot bodega, but an opportunity came along to acquire the adjacent two store fronts, and it was an “offer he couldn’t refuse.” Working through the pandemic, they were able to handle all of the construction and build-out and with assistance from their Associated Supermarket Group (ASG) partners had the store merchandised, stocked and ready to go. I was thoroughly impressed with not only the work ethic displayed by Ramon and his team, but more importantly, witnessing the steady stream of regular customers from the neighborhood come in and seek out Ramon to tell him how happy they were for him. I’ve been to many (and I mean MANY) store openings over the years, but this was really the first time I had ever seen such admiration for a store owner. Best wishes Ramon and Milton, I know you will succeed!
Time to update your contact lists, GPSs and rolodexes. The last major family-owned supermarket chain on Long Island, the King Kullen Grocery Company, has packed up the furniture, boxed the files and moved 20 minutes east on the LIE to some new spacious digs. The new address will be 102 Motor Parkway, Suite 410, Hauppauge, NY 11788. As you all remember, the company had entered into an agreement to be acquired by Stop & Shop back in late 2018. However, in June of this year, Stop & Shop and King Kullen terminated the merger agreement. In a statement released by both parties at the time, it was stated that a joint decision was made not to proceed with the acquisition because of “significant, unforeseen changes in the marketplace that have emerged since the agreement was signed in December, 2018, largely driven by the COVID-19 pandemic.” What wasn’t mentioned, but was also evident, was the sizeable influence and obstacle the FTC posed throughout the process. After 18 months of trying to close the sale, both companies were probably just ready to move on. It’s as though the deal just died on the vine. Brian Cullen, co-president of King Kullen, stated, “We look forward to continuing to focus on what we do best — serving our great customers across Long Island and supporting our hard-working store associates. We are enthusiastic about the future and well-positioned to serve Nassau and Suffolk Counties for many years to come. In short, we are here for the long term.”
King Kullen operates 29 supermarkets and five Wild by Nature stores on Long Island.
We still do not have any in-person trade shows in the near future, but you can mark your calendars for a virtual show. The Imperial Distributors 2021 Virtual Fall-Winter Seasonal Show will take place on February 17-18. Imperial tells us that you can visit the show to explore products and join experts in a zoom room or on chat as they will demonstrate how to grow sales with the latest must-have seasonal items. See items before they hit the market and experience the latest in merchandising techniques. The good folks at Imperial tells us that this Seasonal Show will be the most productive and efficient sourcing event that you will experience this year. For more information call 508.713.6500 or go to www.imperialdist.com
And one other event that will be virtual in the New Year is the New Jersey Food Council (NJFC)
2021 Virtual Annual Meeting and election of board of directors and officers. The date will be January 21 at 3:00 p.m. For more information contact the NJFC at 609.392.8899 or [email protected].
Well, I think it will be quite an understatement, but this holiday season is unlike any other we’ve experienced, and it will also put quite a bow on a year that none of us could have ever imagined.
My wish for you all is health, happiness, good fortune and all the hope and magic that
the season brings. We may not be able to be physically together right now, but keep the faith and love in your hearts, and may all of your dreams come true. Warm wishes and cheers for a Merry Christmas,
Happy Hanukkah and sincere hopes for a terrific New Year!!
As always you can reach me at 201.250.2217 or [email protected]