Fresh Market Brings Holiday Spirit to Families in Need
Fresh Market is bringing Thanksgiving to 25 Utah families this week through a partnership with the South Salt Lake Police Department. The local grocery store donated turkeys to the department’s Team Pal Thanksgiving Service Project, which provides Thanksgiving dinner to families in need throughout Salt Lake City.
“One of our biggest focuses is supporting our communities and helping those in need,” said Ryan Woodfield, Sales Manager for Associated Retail Operations, which operates Fresh Market. “We are grateful for the opportunity to make Thanksgiving happen for many members of the community in partnership with the Salt Lake City police department.”
This is the third year Fresh Market has participated in the service project, which provides turkeys and a box of items for a complete Thanksgiving meal. The police department and members of their Police Athletic League after-school program organize and distribute the boxes to families in Salt Lake City.
“South Salt Lake Police Athletic/Activities League (PAL) is grateful to Fresh Market for partnering with us for the last three years. This partnership has been priceless,” said PAL Director, Officer Jerry Silvia. “We have been able to prepare Thanksgiving for multiple families and help the youth learn the true meaning of giving with this project.”
Frozen Food Hall of Fame Inducts Three
The American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) and the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) have announced that the Distinguished Order of Zerocrats has selected three food industry leaders as the 2017 Frozen Food Hall of Fame inductees.
The 2017 inductees are the late E. Glen Grader, Founder of Albany Frozen Foods, William S. Smittcamp, President and CEO of Wawona Frozen Foods, and Ron Suchecki, retired Vice President of Sales for Ateeco, Inc./Mrs. T’s Pierogies.
E. Glen Grader began working as manager of a frozen food facility with Stokely-Van Camp in Marysville, Washington, in 1951, later moving with the company to Albany, Oregon. Grader founded Albany Frozen Foods next to a cold storage facility in Albany in 1961. Starting and ultimately growing Albany Frozen Foods was one of his most satisfying career accomplishments. In 1975, he sold Albany Frozen Foods to Seabrook Foods, Inc. Following the sale, he held executive positions with Seabrook Foods, Inc., Oxnard Frozen Foods Corp. and Continental Companies. In 1986, during his time at Oxnard Frozen Foods, Grader served as chairman of the board for AFFI. Her retired in 1987 and passed away on Aug. 27, 2014.
William S. Smittcamp is President and CEO of Wawona Frozen Foods in Clovis, California, a family-owned grower and processor of frozen fruit. During college through 1983, Smittcamp directed the family’s fresh operation, Wawona Ranch, packing fresh peaches, plums, and nectarines. In 1983, he assumed the reins of Wawona Frozen Foods, then processing and freezing approximately 15 million pounds of freestone peaches and 5 million pounds of strawberries. Today, Wawona has grown to be the largest frozen peach processor in the nation. Smittcamp joined the AFFI board of directors in 1988 and was appointed as AFFI Western Frozen Food Convention chair in 1995. In 1997, he served as AFFI chairman of the board and currently serves on the Frozen Food Foundation Board of Directors.
Ron Suchecki served as Vice President of Sales for Ateeco, Inc./Mrs.T’s Pierogies for nearly 27 years. He retired in December 2015 after a heart transplant the previous year. Suchecki continues to consult with Ateeco on a limited basis and enjoys mentoring others in the frozen food industry through his association with NFRA and the Frozen and Refrigerated Association of the North East (FRANE). He served as NFRA’s convention chairman from 2005-2009. He was honored in 2015 as FRANE’s “Person of the Year” and was also presented with a prestigious Golden Penguin Award from NFRA for his dedication to the industry and National Frozen Food Month.
The inductees will be honored at the Distinguished Order of Zerocrats meeting during the AFFI Frozen Food Convention (AFFI-CON) on Saturday, March 4, 2017, in San Diego, California.
Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board Names Chad Vincent New CEO
The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board of Directors has named Chad Vincent its new Chief Executive Officer after an extensive national search.
Vincent is a seasoned executive with experience successfully taking startups, turnarounds, family owned brands and Fortune 50 divisions to record levels of sales and profitability. He brings to WMMB extensive dairy marketing and branding experience as well, having served as chief marketing officer and senior vice president of strategic development at Sartori Cheese in Plymouth, Wisconsin, for the past seven years. Prior to joining Sartori, Vincent held executive positions with H.J. Heinz, Miller Brewing Company, Fiskars Brands and other consumer products and beverage companies.
He will begin his tenure at WMMB December 1.
“I am extremely excited about our new hire, Chad,” said WMMB Board Chair Connie Seefeldt of Coleman, Wisconsin. “The board is really impressed with his experience, and we are excited to see how he will improve upon the fantastic work our team has been doing.” Seefeldt said she believes Vincent will help WMMB enhance the already strong promotional work and help strengthen partnerships with processors, farmers, industry partners and consumers.
Seefeldt added that the search firm, Herd Freed Hartz of Seattle, Washington, did a tremendous job of fielding a distinguished group of candidates for the board’s consideration. “The outstanding slate of candidates is a testament to WMMB’s strong reputation around the country,” she said.
“The universal positive response I received during my national outreach to potential candidates during this executive search speaks volumes about the excellent reputation of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and Wisconsin dairy products,” stated Fred Pabst, Dairy Industry Practice Leader for Herd Freed Hartz Executive Search Partners.
Vincent, a native of East Lansing, Michigan, received his undergraduate and MBA degrees from Michigan State University. A resident of Waunakee, Vincent and his wife Wendy are the parents of four children.
