Gourmet News

Artisinal Cheese Company Sartori Names Bert Satori as CEO

Published December 9, 2022

Artisinal cheese company Sartori Cheese names Bert Sartori its new CEO, the company has ushered in the fourth generation of family leadership in its storied 83-year history.

Satori’s father, Jim Sartori, represented the third generation of Sartori family leadership while holding the CEO role for nearly three decades. While Bert Sartori is poised to add a unique creative vision for the artisinal cheese company’s future, he looks to honor and maintain the commitment to the cheesemaking craft that Sartori Cheese has built over the previous three generations.

“Sartori Cheese has always represented a culture of cheesemaking that celebrates creativity, passion, and authenticity,” said Bert Sartori. “I’m proud to lead a company anchored in tradition while pushing the boundaries of our craft so we can share new-to-the-world, award-worthy cheeses with people across the globe.”

Bert Sartori holds an MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, is a licensed cheesemaker and has over 17 years of progressive experience in finance, operations, and business development. Sartori’s longevity and diversity of experience give him invaluable insight into every aspect of the cheesemaking business. His vision for the company’s future is centered around a continued partnership with Wisconsin’s best dairy farms and a steadfast commitment to the craft of cheesemaking.

Sartori Cheese is proud to have four dozen licensed cheesemakers, including one of only two female Master Cheesemakers in Wisconsin. The company’s commitment to cultivating passionate cheesemakers is further highlighted by a best-in-class apprenticeship program that helps candidates hone their skills during the final steps of their training.

“Making great cheese starts with exceptional people – and we’re excited to continue investing in the talented, dedicated members of our team,” said Sartori.

Sartori was founded in 1939 by Bert Sartori’s great-grandfather, Paolo, an Italian immigrant. Bert Sartori ’s grandfather, Joe, preceded his father, Jim, as the leader of the business. The company has grown from its dozen team members at the time of its founding to more than 900 today as it delights cheese lovers in over 50 countries worldwide.

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Grocery Industry Veteran Fenyo Joins Grabango as CMO

Published December 9, 2022

Ken Fenyo has joined Grabango as the first chief marketing officer for the checkout-free technology company. Previously a senior executive at Kroger and CEO of digital coupon pioneer YOU Technology, Fenyo is a grocery industry veteran and recognized expert who brings decades of experience working at the intersection of retail and technology.

“Ken’s appointment as CMO marks an important step in Grabango’s journey, as well as a vote of confidence in our technology and market leadership,” said Will Glaser, CEO, and founder of Grabango. “Ken has a proven track record creating and scaling transformative technology for retail and grocery, which makes him perfectly suited to lead Grabango marketing as we usher in a better and more convenient way to shop.”

As the only technology provider delivering an enterprise-class, checkout-free solution suitable for operation in existing stores, Grabango works with major retailers, including bp, Chevron, Circle K, and Mapco, to deliver a next-generation retail experience for shoppers. As CMO, Fenyo’s focus is on scaling Grabango’s network of checkout-free enabled stores and shaping a delightful, new experience for grocery and convenience store shoppers.

“Checkout-free is the future of retail, and it’s clear that Grabango is the only player in the market right now with the technology and expertise to make it an everyday reality,” said Fenyo. “I am a firm believer that retailers have a huge opportunity to transform their businesses with frictionless technology. I am thrilled to join the team with the most innovative and scalable solution.”

Fenyo joins Grabango from Coresight Research, where, as president, research & advisory he delivered data-driven insights on retail and technology, led the advisory business, and accelerated growth for his retail clients. At McKinsey & Company, Fenyo led Consumer Markets for Fuel, McKinsey’s startup practice. Fenyo was previously CEO of the cloud-based digital coupon and loyalty platform YOU Technology, where he built the business into the retail industry’s largest incentive network with clients including Kroger, Wakefern, Fresh Direct, and more. As VP of Loyalty & Digital at The Kroger Co., Fenyo created the industry’s first digital coupon program, launched the Kroger rewards loyalty program, and overhauled its $100 million+ personalized marketing program.

Fenyo is a well-known retail industry expert who regularly is quoted in media such as The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and more and speaks at industry events, including Groceryshop, Shoptalk, NACS, and the FMI Midwinter Executive Conference.

Grabango leverages pure computer vision technology developed by leading experts in the field to offer a fully contactless shopping experience. Grabango’s checkout-free solution eliminates shrink, increases store capacity, and boosts shopper loyalty. In addition, the technology installs easily without any interruption to store operations, doesn’t require changes to store layout or product mix, and doesn’t require special carts or gates.

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NaturalShrimp Aquaculture Company Launches Online Delivery, E-Commerce Program

Published December 9, 2022

NaturalShrimp, Inc., a biotechnology aquaculture company that has developed and patented the first shrimp-focused commercially operational Recirculating Aquaculture System, has launched its online ordering home delivery program and e-commerce website at www.naturalshrimpharvest-select.com. A link to the online retail store is also available on the NaturalShrimp website at www.naturalshrimp.com.

NaturalShrimp’s Harvest-Select online retail store is led by NaturalShrimp chef and director of e-commerce Douwe Iedema. Product availability includes fresh harvested heads-on shrimp and Chef Douwe’s long-awaited shrimp cocktail sauce. Unique NaturalShrimp sauces and spices, recipe books and instructional videos for the home cook will be available soon as well.

Customers visiting the website can build their box by selecting raw or cooked shrimp and choosing a sauce. Once the order is placed, NaturalShrimp humanely harvests, chill kills, and packages the order into containers with vacuum-sealed lids that are then plastic sealed. The box is packed with gel packs and peanut foam to ensure quality-control and freshness. After the order has been packed, the “direct to your door” order is shipped out the same day anywhere within the continental United States. The first orders are expected to be shipped Dec. 12.

The NaturalShrimp Distribution Center located within the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex is completed and the Company is ready to receive and process its product for packaging and shipping for the online ordering home delivery program. In addition, the Distribution Center will make it possible to process thousands of pounds of shrimp not only for home delivery, but as a hub for pickup and delivery to local chefs.

“The decision to launch the new e-commerce program was driven by the ongoing demand for retail and direct-to-consumer sales of NaturalShrimp,” said Iedema. “The online platform offers our fresh, naturally grown shrimp and sauces, and was built with the capability to evolve with opportunities to provide our customers additional products such as pre-cooked shrimp, marinades, seasonings and other sauces, and perhaps eventually prepared meals. We are looking forward to exploring the multifaceted ways in which the home delivery program and e-commerce website will help drive our expansion strategy.”

Gerald Easterling, CEO of NaturalShrimp, said, “This launch creates a tremendous opportunity to further our mission to provide the freshest shrimp and seafood to local markets everywhere, with the ability to now deliver our product to customers across the country. This direct-to-consumer expansion diversifies and complements our commercial distribution strategy including our planned U.S. facility expansion, partnership with US Foods, South Texas area, and the continued success of our live shrimp sales program. We are highly focused on expanding our sales channels and geographic footprint as we continue our growth strategy.”

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