Season Greetings everyone! We have seen our mild late autumn weather turn into the cold winds of winter around here, but the sentiments of the season seem to keep us warm this time of year. Here’s hoping that those feelings continue into the New Year!
Kudos to Linda Doherty and the entire team at the New Jersey Food Council (NJFC) on another terrific holiday soiree. While we all miss the intimacy of Buona Sera in Red Bank, the Park Chateau Estate and Gardens in East Brunswick is a spectacular setting that allows for more attendees and even more elbow room to network and mingle and enjoy the camaraderie of our industry.
After 18 years of volunteering for Little League International in Rockland County, NY, Bob Jordan, VP of Sales for US Salt, LLC, has retired his services. Bob oversaw 10 individual leagues and watched more than 7,500 children progress through all levels of youth baseball during his time. It takes a special person to volunteer their time, energy and knowledge (even well after their own kids have moved on) to help our youth grow into young adults. Well done Bobby!!
The 6th annual Sumas Family Foundation Holiday Celebration was hosted by RDD Associates & Village Supermarkets and was held once again at Bin 37 located at the ShopRite of Greater Morristown in Cedar Knolls, NJ. A large group of RDD Associates and Village team members were on hand as well as RDD principals, and were welcomed by Bob Weinmann, president and CEO of RDD Associates, followed by updates from Amanda Fischer, marketing/business development manager at Village, and Perry Blatt, Village and president of the Sumas Family Foundation, who spoke about the success of the fundraising program. The program once again this year highlighted a quarterly advertising and merchandising effort in all Village stores and has now raised over $200,000 for the cause. The Sumas Family Foundation was started in 2019 to help local charities such as ALS, Autism Speaks, the Valerie Fund, Connie Dwyer Breast Cancer Foundation and several more (over 52 charities) and has been doing outstanding charitable work. As Blatt stated, “One of our more popular programs is the “You choose and We Give” that lets Village associates pick a local charity of their choosing and if selected, the Sumas Family Foundation makes a donation to that charity.” And Weinmann, summed up the evening: “The RDD/Village sales and promotional program is an anchor program that continues to grow because all sides are committed to its success now and into the future.” Congratulations to everyone involved with this terrific event.
Congrats to Farrell McKenna as he has been promoted to president of the U.S. Division at STCR. Farrell was most recently the VP of operations for the provider of retail point-of-sale (POS) systems. The Cornell University graduate has been with STCR since 2018 and will be steering the company’s expansion across North America. STCR is a portfolio company of Mangrove Equity Partners.
Kudos to the National Supermarket Association (NSA) and their members as they put their best efforts forward to play Santa this holiday season. The big retail association invited members and customers to participate in NSA Cares Christmas Toy Drive 2024. Toy Drive chairman Ivan Bueno said it was an evening dedicated to spreading joy and making a difference in the lives of children in need in the New York City area. Held at Caridad Restaurant in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx, it featured a full menu paired with fine wine and vibrant music. Anyone willing to donate to help the cause can make a check or Zelle payment payable to NSA Cares or call 718.747.2860 for more information.
And speaking of giving back, let’s not forget those in need at this time of year. Please remember to have an impact in the fight against hunger and remember our local food banks. Here in our metro backyard we have The Community Food Bank of NJ, Island Harvest, Food Bank for New York City, Feeding Westchester, Fulfill and the Connecticut Food Bank are just a sampling of the local organizations that need and would welcome your help now and throughout the year.
Other news coming out of RDD Associates in Totowa, NJ was the launch of “RDD Essentials” seminars. The big perimeter sales and marketing agency is going all-in on their employee development, and is breaking down traditional position silos with their revamped company-wide education series. “RDD Essentials,” is an elevated reimagining of the brokerage firm’s learning initiative that began in 2014. This year’s program rebrand includes a new logo and module format to encourage more interactivity and participatory dialogue among employees. While the platform includes both internally and externally taught courses, one of the core principles of RDD Essentials is to spotlight and leverage employees’ expertise in their job functions. RDD believes that knowledge is the foundation of any successful business and Essentials is the perfect opportunity for RDD experts to share their experienced-based insights across the entire company. So far five seminars have been presented and have addressed: PowerPoint presentation building and custom templates; plan-o-gram process and software advancements; a day in the life of a business manager; field retail sales calls; and effective customer and client conversations. Sounds like the beginning of the University of RDD! To learn more about the RDD Essentials program, contact Paul Mulvaney at [email protected].
Lastly, I wanted to wish a very happy retirement to Jim Gallagher, produce buyer/category manager at King Kullen. I usually see Jim at the various produce industry dinners and shows and when I didn’t see him at the recent New York Produce show, Joe Schneider, director produce and floral at Kullen informed me of Jim’s pending retirement at the end of the year. You could always count on Jim for a positive outlook and a smile on his face and I wish him and his family the best and hope that his retirement is filled with good times and happy memories. You deserve it, Jim!
From my desk here at Best-Met Publishing I hope that this Christmas and Holiday Season brings only happiness, good health and joy to all of you, your family and loved ones. It is also a good opportunity to express how grateful I am to all of our readers, customers and partners for your help in making Food Trade News and Food World the best food industry trade publications in the country. I wish you all an extraordinary Holiday Season and sincere wishes for the best in the New Year!
As always you can reach me at 201.250.2217 or [email protected].
