The country is finally opening up, rush hour traffic is back in a big way and mask mandates have been lifted in many places for those who have been vaxxed. The rules are still very confusing, so just do what’s comfortable for you in each situation. This summer looks to be the most active in years. Get your party on!
The Food Trade News and Food World annual Market Studies are fast approaching. These not-to-be-missed issues break out sales and market share for 70 counties in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and the District of Columbia. We cover all retail channels – supermarkets, club stores, drug chains, mass merchandisers, c-stores and military commissaries- on a county-by-county and MSA basis. By placing an ad in one of these all-important issues, your message, or even a “thank you” to your business partners for enduring the pandemic, will be seen by many who need to see it. Plus, these issues will be available throughout the year on our website at foodtradenews.com. If you haven’t reserved your ad space yet, no problem, the deadline is June 11. Reach out to me at maria@foodtradenews.com and I can take care of your advertising needs.
In 2020, many golf outings were cancelled or postponed until the end of the summer as the virus positivity rate lessened. That also held true for the Mid Atlantic Food Trade Organization (MAFTO), which for the last 17 years has held the season-opening golf outing on the first Monday in May (kind of like the Kentucky Derby, but better). This year’s outing was back and better than ever. There is no more telling event than a golf outing to gauge the mood of the food industry. This was by far the most boisterous, happy group of people I have seen and heard in a long time. More than 110 golfers participated in the shotgun start event at the magnificent Commonwealth Golf Club in Horsham, PA. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were included in this fun day of golf, putting contests, an awesome prize table and overdue camaraderie. There was even a hole in one on hole 8 – Ray Cacia from Cacia’s Bakery & Deli is definitely the ringer for the 2021 golf season. Get him in your foursome for a guaranteed win! Kudos goes out to chairman of the event Bill Carter of Knauss Foods, along with his committee of: Pete Kostick, retired from Utz; Ron Benjamin, Star Companies; Tim Musgrove, Herr Foods; Scott Vicari, PromoPoint Marketing; Mike Mackin, Schmidt Baking; Fred Kaplan, Stony Hill Advisors; and industry veteran Ralph Nagle. Great job, guys!
The pandemic also put the kibosh on every other event in the food industry, including MAFTO’s. The organization pivoted in a good way and created the MAFTO Community Care Package Program. The response was so great that they’re repeating the program, hoping to make it bigger and better. In 2020, MAFTO got corporate donors to purchase bulk quantities of these care packages and earned more than $85,000 in donations that went to Philabundance and other local food pantries. How can you help? MAFTO is looking for CPG companies to provide free goods coupons or non-perishable products – the quantity requested is 4,000 units. These packages will go to food banks all over the Mid-Atlantic region that are on the front line of serving those who are food insecure. More details will follow in the coming weeks. Keep it here to see how you can help…and remember it is better to give than to receive.
Weis Markets cut the ribbon on two new stores in the Lehigh Valley just before presstime. The Lower Macungie location is now considered by Weis to be its flagship store. At 68,000 square feet, the store at 3440 Grandview Drive at the corner of Route 100 and Gehman Road which opened on May 20, is considerably larger than the location across Route 100 that it replaced. Speaking at the ribbon cutting on May 19, chairman, CEO and president Jonathan Weis remarked, “This will be the nicest store in our chain. It’s a grocery store, sure, but there are 109 years behind this product.” He continued, “We tried to distill into it what we think is the best in the industry, what we think is cost effective to keep prices low, getting people in and out fast and to meet the demands of growing families. We want to support you in every way and be your supermarket of choice.” Weis also made reference to the huge population growth in the Lehigh Valley, noting that hundreds of houses are being built along Route 100. The Bethlehem store, which opened on May 13, now occupies the old Bon-Ton department store. It is at the other end of the Westgate Mall from where Weis has had a store for 40 years. At 63,000 square feet, the new location is almost twice the size of the store it replaced. Both the Bethlehem and Lower Macungie stores feature beer and wine cafés, fuel centers, pharmacies, sushi prepared in-store, new meal solution centers, increased variety in the natural and organic stores-within-a-store, better parking and accessibility, and environmentally friendly solutions including a CO2 refrigeration system and LED lighting throughout. Lehigh Valley customers will also benefit from Weis’ “Low, Low Prices” program, which launched in 2019 and lowered the prices on more than 7,000 grocery and produce products to offer the lowest everyday price in the market. The multi-million-dollar investment in low prices is the company’s most ambitious price reduction program to date. In other Weis news, work is well under way at the next ground-up new Weis store in Warminster, PA, the retailer’s second location in Bucks County. Central Bucks can’t wait to welcome you!
Even though there is no show this year, The International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA) is helping professionals in the retail food industry develop elite leadership skills through a special certificate program offered by the Wisconsin School of Business Center for Professional & Executive Development, an affiliate of the Wisconsin School of Business. Taught by top-ranked faculty, industry experts, and peers, the IDDBA Leadership Certificate will cover such topics as: proven, researched leadership behaviors that create personal and organization success; what today’s customers want and expect from a business that feeds their passions for food, health, and sustainability; awareness of organization context and culture, which allows individuals to respond more thoughtfully to rapid changes in business circumstances; how to gain deep consumer insight using trend analysis and the latest social media methods; and methods to analyze performance impact and efficiencies in product sales and inventory. “Twenty-twenty was a tough year for many business professionals, but despite the uncertainties and new ways of engaging consumers and clients, many leaders rose to the challenges,” said Jessica Ives, professional development coordinator at IDDBA. “Leaders can emerge from, or exist at, any level within the organization, as well as hold any title.” The 10-session IDDBA Leadership Certificate program will be held on select days beginning on July 13. The program will be conducted entirely online, with no on-site attendance required. Participants who complete the course will receive a Professional Certificate in Retail Leadership from the Center for Professional and Executive Development. For more information, please go to https://www.iddba.org/professional-resources/certifications-certificates/leadership-certificate.
Kudos to Desiree King who has been promoted to division initiative lead for the Albertsons Companies’ Mid-Atlantic division. Desiree has worked for the Acme Markets banner for 17 years where she has held various positions such as deli clerk, p.m. deli lead, deli manager and assistant store director before transitioning to district deli operations specialist – a position she has held for the last eight years. Good job, Des!
Taking a walk into the sunset this month is Perry Smith who worked his entire 44-year career at Seltzer’s Lebanon Bologna in Palmyra, PA. Perry began at Seltzer’s at the age of 21 and spent time in each department to get a feel for the how the company ran. From driving a tractor trailer, to retail sales, to production planning, he did it all. Then in 1995 the sales manager position became available, and Perry gladly took the opportunity and remained there until his retirement earlier this month. He worked for three generations of the Seltzer Family, saying each had a different management style. Even in his retirement, Perry goes to the office one day a week but looks forward to spending time with his five grandchildren and traveling in the years to come. Happy Trails, Perry!
The circle of life continues as we give a warm welcome to Tyler Charles Nemeth, grandson of Michael and Nancy Rodgers-Fluharty of Pace-Target Brokerage, who was born on the morning of May 18. Baby Tyler and his parents Jessica and Ben are all doing well and his big bother Liam is over the moon and can’t wait to meet him. This marks grandchild number four for the Fluhartys with three more on the way this year. Congratulations!
Celebrating another trip around the sun this beautiful month of May are: George Endrigian, George’s Market at Dreshertown; Anthony L Maglio, retired from Maglio Sausage; Bill Hinderer, National Food Sales; Robert Melfi, Mrs. T’s; Doug Buchanan, Brandywine Marketing; Jan Gabriel, retired, Paul G. Nester and Co.; Beth Pripstein, Best-Met Publishing’s office manager; and Dick Bestany, co-founder and chairman emeritus of Best-Met Publishing. Buon compleanno a tutti!
Quote of the month: “At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.” Frida Kahlo
