Happy Christmakwanzahanukkah from all of us at Food Trade News! Whatever and however you celebrate, may it be in the (socially distant) company of family and friends and in good health. As we look forward to 2022, may the giving spirit of the holidays remain with you throughout the year.
Back in the 1980s, Moses Malone played for the Philadelphia 76ers and led them to the 1983 NBA championship. His famous saying that year was 4-4-4; a prediction that the Sixers would sweep the playoffs. Well, it rang true, and Philadelphia went crazy. The Giant Company (TGC) seems to have adopted that mantra in their quest to populate Philadelphia with Giant stores: they have opened four new stores (one of them the fourth Heirloom Market in the former flagship Strawbridge & Clothier department store on 8th and Market Streets in Center City) in the fourth quarter…and they made it look easy. Three stores are ground-up new locations within the city limits of Philadelphia, the other is in Doylestown, PA, still ground-up but replacing a well-worn store (originally opened in 2009) at the other end of a shopping center. The stores vary in size from the Heirloom Market at 32,000 square feet to the Columbus Boulevard/South Philly store at 46,000 square feet to the Doylestown store at 72,000 square feet. As I mentioned in November’s Soup To Nutz, the Cottman Avenue store is 67,000 square feet. Each store offers Giant Direct giving busy families the opportunity to order their groceries online for easy pick-up or delivery. Having attended the opening of each one of these stores, what I have observed is that each store has its own identity and is designed and merchandised specifically for the neighborhood it serves while maintaining the corporate TGC vision. Have a look when you visit any of these stores. You will be pleasantly surprised. With the openings of these four stores, TGC now operates eight locations within the city of Philadelphia as well as the Giant Direct e-commerce fulfillment center in Southwest Philly and employs more than 1,200 team members across the city. Earlier this year, TGC announced plans for two new Philadelphia stores in 2022; one on North Broad Street at the corner of Spring Garden Street and the other on South Broad Street at the corner of Washington Avenue.
Another fourth quarter store opening occurred across the river in Camden, NJ. In mid- November Shawn Rinnier’s Save Philly Stores opened a Save A Lot in the location formerly occupied by a Ravitz Price Rite. This is Save Philly Stores’ second New Jersey location with the other being in Atlantic City. The look of this store is clean and sleek with shiny polished concrete epoxy floors. The neighborhood shoppers were delighted with the new store’s offerings which included fresh cut fruits and vegetables, a new addition to all Save Philly Stores locations, 10 doors of frozen fish/seafood and increased presence of national grocery brands all of which give this store in the food desert of Camden an upscale look with consistently low prices.
Few companies make it to the fourth generation of family leadership. Even fewer are around for 100 years. When you accomplish both with no end in sight, that’s a reason to celebrate. Furmano Foods, a leading producer of tomatoes, beans, ancient grains and vegetables, is doing just that. This year marks their 100th of harvesting nature’s goodness in the heart of Central Pennsylvania’s farmland. It’s a momentous milestone for the family-owned business, one they are using as a springboard into the future. “This is a big moment for the whole Furmano’s family and our team members, partners and customers who helped us get here,” said Chad Geise, president, CEO and fourth generation family member. “We want to reflect on the past and build upon what we’ve done to inspire our next 100 years.” The company attributes this accomplishment to a strong foundation of Christian values, finding ways to continuously progress, and a commitment to superior customer service and quality – principles they plan to continue building on moving forward. Family has always been at the heart of Furmano Foods. “While we feel blessed to have made it to the fourth generation,” an accomplishment less than 3 percent of businesses achieve, according to a study by the University of North Carolina, “we recognize that we are a family of families working together and couldn’t have made it to where we are without the support of our team and their families,” said Geise. That spirit of serving families and customers continues today. The company continually innovates to meet the changing needs of the market. The creation of the ancient grains line and the success of their bean products show how Furmano’s has pivoted to effectively meet the increased demand for plant-based foods. Options such as cans, pouches, and now single-serve microwavable cups offer ready-to-serve convenience for a variety of customer uses. Through all these changes, Furmano’s has never lost sight of maintaining the quality that has become the hallmark of the company. The company sources their ingredients from only the best growing regions, choosing the varieties that meet their high quality standards. They employ many throughout their surrounding communities and use environmentally-friendly techniques to be mindful of the land. Looking back, Furmano’s is humbled by their growth and what they’ve been able to accomplish over the last 100 years – from stove-top operation to nationwide distribution. They hope this anniversary helps them sow the seeds for a fruitful next century.
“We’re grateful to reach this milestone,” said Chad Geise. “We look forward to the future as we continue to evolve to meet the needs of our customers and give back to our local community.” Cent’anni!
​The 106th Pennsylvania Farm Show will be held January 8 through January 15, 2022 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center in Harrisburg. With the theme “Harvesting More in 2022” the farm show is looking forward with “more of all that we need for a successful agriculture industry and a food-secure, sustainable world” according to their website. As in years past, The Giant Company is a main sponsor of this fun family event. In addition, the famous 1,000 pound butter sculpture unveiled annually on opening day will be on display throughout the show. Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said, “butter sculptures shine a spotlight on the goodness of Pennsylvania dairy and the hardworking people who keep nutritious products on our tables year-round.” For those who do not know, Pennsylvania is ranked seventh in total milk production nationally, with the Commonwealth’s almost half a million cows producing nearly 10.3 billion pounds of milk annually. Admission to the Farm Show is free. Parking is available for a fee of $15. For more information, go to www.farmshow.pa.gov.
The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association (PFMA) has announced that eligible students can now apply for 2022 Thomas R. and Laura Ridge Scholarship for the 2022-2023 academic year. This year the amount of the one year scholarship has increased by $500, providing all recipients with $2,500. Another distinction for the 2022 scholarship is that all applications must be made online.
Current employees, their children and the children of company owners who are PFMA members can apply for the scholarship at PFMA.org/scholarships. All applications are due no later than March 1, 2022. “Attaining a college degree can present many challenges. We hope that providing this scholarship will ease some of the financial challenges students may face so they can focus on their education. We’re thrilled to provide additional funding to recipients this year,” said Alex Baloga, president and CEO of PFMA. “We are especially grateful for the generous support from our partners, including The Giant Company, Karns Quality Foods, Rutter’s, Sheetz and Wawa.” A panel of judges evaluates applications based on academic record, school and community involvement, a personal essay and recommendations from school and work. In 2021, 22 students received a total of $45,000 through the program. Since its inception 25 years ago, 600 students have received the Ridge Scholarships, totaling nearly $1.2 million. Named for the parents of former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, the Ridge Scholarship honors Thomas R. Ridge, who was a member of the food industry for 25 years, and his wife Laura, who was a great advocate of education for Tom Ridge, his brother David and sister Vikki.
Kudos to Jim Mullen, who has been promoted to the SVP of operations of FreshDirect. Jim will be in charge of all Fresh Direct facilities, including the main warehouse in the Bronx, NY, three express sites and four cross dock facilities. A career-long retailer, his gig for the past 18 months has been at Stop & Shop, New England as VP of operations. Well deserved, Jimmy!
As is typical at any year’s end, we have some industry veterans retiring this month. Walking into the sunset after lifelong careers in our industry are John Wachter of Murphy’s Markets, Dan Lawn of Herr’s and Dave Deets of Brown’s ShopRites.
John Wachter has worked at Murphy’s Markets for 43 years. He is one of the original employees hired in 1978 when Ron Murphy bought Stewart’s Market in Medford, NJ. A Shawnee High School graduate, John began as a cashier and worked his way up to store manager of the Beach Haven, NJ store by 1995. He became the general manager of all Murphy’s stores in 2001, serving as Ron’s wing man until now. John also served on the board of directors of the New Jersey Food Council. His goal upon retirement is to spend more time with his wife, and enjoy watching his grandchildren grow up.
Dan Lawn went to work for a fuel oil company right out of high school, but the oil problems in the mid-70s found him jobless. A friend who worked for Herr’s suggested he apply for a job as a route salesman. He did and that led to 39 years with Herr Foods. After 12 years on the road, Dan became a district manager (DM) of about 15 routes working out of the Hatfield branch. After five years as a DM, Herr’s opened a new branch in Allentown, and Dan was tapped to become the general manager in charge of three district managers. His last positions at the company were as key account manager, then senior account manager for Acme, Safeway, Walmart and Sam’s Club. Dan is looking forward to relaxing with his wife Bonnie down the shore and enjoying time with his grandchildren.
Dave Deets has spent his entire career in retail. Graduating from college in 1978, Dave got his first job after graduation in 1978 with Plus Foods, an A&P banner, where he stayed for two years. He moved on to Foodarama where he met his most admired mentor, Jim Colligas, who was a district manager there. He left Foodarama as a store manager and spent the next 10 years with Redner’s Warehouse Markets, lending his expertise as they opened many stores. He landed at Brown’s in 1998, rising in the organization from store manager to director of store development. Dave really enjoyed working for Jeff and Sandy Brown, but he said it’s time to hop on the AutoTrain and head south with the snowbirds for a couple of months where he intends to work on his golf game, fish and relax. Of course, he will be spending time with his wife and his four grandchildren, too. Happy trails to these industry folks who have spent their entire careers making sure the retail food industry serves consumers in the best possible way. Enjoy your retirement!
Taking another trip around the sun this festive month of December are: Paul McGurkin, Integrity Food Marketing; Sue Rorke-Lawler, Acme Markets; Scott Smith, iFoods.com; Alex Baloga, PFMA; Linda Naddeo, HP Hood; Lane Gordon, Winter Gardens; and a special shout out to Joe Pace III, who celebrated a BIG milestone birthday in November…it’s just a number Joe, you look mahvelous! Buon compleanno a tutti!
Quote of the month: “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” Edward Pola and George Wyle
Maria can be reached at 443.631.0172
