Author: Julie Henderson

NFRA Elected New 2023 Officers and Directors

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HARRISBURG, Pa. – The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) elected its Association Officers and Members of the Board of Directors for 2022-2023 at its Annual Board of Directors meeting on October 15, 2022.

Kevin Schwab, EVP/CCO Sales & Marketing, The Pictsweet Company, has been elected to serve a second term as Chairman of the Board. Schwab has served on the Board of Directors from 2003 to 2005 and again from 2012 to 2022. He served as Chairman-Elect from 2019-2021. Schwab is also a member of the Honorable Order of Golden Penguins.

Other officers announced at the meeting were: Neil Ritchey, InnovAsian Cuisine Enterprises, Chairman-Elect; Tracy Aquila, Southeastern Grocers, Secretary; Mark Tarzwell, Ateeco, Inc./Mrs. T’s Pierogies, Treasurer; Tye Anthony, Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG), Vice Chairman – Frozen and Joey Bates, Harris Teeter, Vice Chairman – Refrigerated.

Newly elected to the Board of Directors were: Bryan Chartrand, Acosta Sales & Marketing; Parag Shah, The Giant Company; Clinton Wilson, Sargento Foods; Shawn Darmody, Target Corporation; and Teresa Whitney, Albertsons Companies.

Re-elected to the Board of Directors were: Jim Buchta, CROSSMARK; Tony Caloroso, Schraad Sales & Marketing; Angie Christos, Tyson Foods; Derek DeMuth, Ajinomoto Foods North America; Joe Mueller, Kellogg Company; and David Panter, Associated Food Stores.

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About National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA)

NFRA is a non-profit trade association representing all segments of the frozen and refrigerated foods industry. Headquartered in Harrisburg, PA, NFRA is the sponsor of March National Frozen Food Month, June Dairy Month, June/July Ice Cream & Novelties promotion and the Cool Food for Kids educational outreach program. NFRA provides consumer information such as food safety guidelines, meal preparation tips, recipes and sweepstakes opportunities at http://www.EasyHomeMeals.com. Further information available at https://nfraweb.org.

clear awards plates sitting on black table

NFRA Announces 2022 June Dairy Month and Ice Cream & Novelties Golden Penguin Winners

Posted on | by Julie Henderson | Leave a Comment on NFRA Announces 2022 June Dairy Month and Ice Cream & Novelties Golden Penguin Winners

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) has announced the winners of the Golden Penguin Awards for its 2022 June Dairy Month and Summer Favorites Ice Cream & Novelties promotions. NFRA promotions help the industry drive traffic in the frozen food and dairy aisles and increase sales for many categories and brands. In recognition of those efforts, NFRA has awarded 22 Gold awards and 16 Silver awards for June Dairy Month and 30 Gold awards and 31 Silver awards for Summer Favorites Ice Cream & Novelties. See the complete list of winners.

The Golden Penguin Awards provide an opportunity for companies from any segment of the industry to be nationally recognized for excellence in merchandising and marketing frozen and refrigerated foods. The Gold winners will be honored during the NFRA Convention, October 15-18, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. In addition, the highest scoring entry in each of the Overall Marketing Campaign subcategories will be revealed as Top Marketers during the Tuesday, October 18 Awards Luncheon at the Convention.

NFRA’s Golden Penguin Awards program features ten categories that reflect today’s marketing practices, including: In-Store Display, In-Store Event, Community Involvement, Social Media Campaign, Private Brand Campaign and Overall Marketing Campaign with subcategories for – Retailer, Wholesaler, Manufacturer, Sales Agent and Local Association. Plus, the Top Marketer Awards honor the best of the best – only the highest scoring entry in each of the Overall Marketing Campaign subcategories will be named as Top Marketer.

Retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, sales agents and associations of any size could enter any category applicable to their business. Entries were judged on their own merit taking into consideration organization size and/or program budget. Companies can also participate in the Golden Penguin competition for March Frozen Food Month.

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NFRA is a non-profit trade association representing all segments of the frozen and refrigerated foods industry. Headquartered in Harrisburg, Pa., NFRA is the sponsor of March National Frozen Food Month, June Dairy Month, June/July Ice Cream & Novelties promotion, and October Cool Food for Kids educational outreach program. NFRA holds the annual National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Convention in October. 

NFRA Convention Logo

National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Convention, October 15-18, to Focus on Business Meetings with Leading Retailers

Posted on | by Julie Henderson | Leave a Comment on National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Convention, October 15-18, to Focus on Business Meetings with Leading Retailers

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The 2022 National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Convention is the premier event of the frozen and refrigerated food industry, where attendees can discover new products, connect with business partners, and grow their business. This event hosted by the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) will take place on October 15-18, 2022, at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, Fla.

The NFRA Convention brings together top companies from every segment of the industry so that attendees can meet one-on-one and drive their business forward. NFRA provides its retailer members with complimentary meeting rooms to hold appointments throughout the convention. Over 1,300 attendees are expected to hold an estimated 3,000 business appointments with leading retailers. The event also provides the opportunity to make new connections, sample frozen and refrigerated products, hear from valuable speakers, and network with industry leaders.

The convention kicks off with the popular Taste of Excellence reception on Sunday, October 16, where over 50 manufacturers will showcase their latest products. This exciting opening event allows attendees to interact with industry colleagues, introduce themselves to new contacts and sample the newest items in frozen and refrigerated foods.

Monday morning will begin with breakfast speaker Alec Ross, former senior advisor for Innovation, State Department, and author of New York Times best-seller The Industries of Future, which dives into economical and tech trends that will shape the next ten years. Monday afternoon’s Membership Luncheon serves as the association’s annual business meeting with the installation of NFRA’s new officers and directors, as well as the induction of the 2021 Frozen Food Hall of Fame members from last year. Monday evening winds down with the Networking Reception, which is an excellent opportunity for all attendees to make connections whether they are veterans of the industry or new members.

Tuesday’s breakfast speaker is Ken Jennings, author, gameshow host and most notably, the Greatest Jeopardy! player of all time, accumulating $2.5 million in winnings over his 75-game streak. The Tuesday Awards Luncheon will recognize the 2022 Golden Penguin winners for the March Frozen Food Month, June Dairy Month and June/July Ice Cream & Novelties promotions. Award winners with the highest scoring entries will be revealed as Top Marketers during the luncheon.

To register for the 2022 NFRA Convention, visit NFRAConvention.org or contact NFRA at (717) 657-8601. To learn more about NFRA, or to join, visit NFRAweb.org.

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NFRA is a non-profit trade association representing all segments of the frozen and refrigerated foods industry.  Headquartered in Harrisburg, Pa., NFRA is the sponsor of March National Frozen Food Month, June Dairy Month and June/July Ice Cream & Novelties promotion, as well as educational outreach programs. 

Jeff Rumachik

NFRA Sets Transition Plan as Rumachik Announces Retirement, Greyshock to Serve as President and CEO

Posted on | by Julie Henderson | Leave a Comment on NFRA Sets Transition Plan as Rumachik Announces Retirement, Greyshock to Serve as President and CEO

July 8, 2022, HARRISBURG, Pa. – The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) announced the retirement of president and CEO Jeff Rumachik effective December 31, 2023. Tricia Greyshock has been promoted to the position of executive vice president and chief operating officer and will take over as president and CEO in January 2024.

“It’s with great anticipation that I announce my upcoming retirement and work toward a smooth leadership transition for NFRA,” said Jeff Rumachik, president and CEO. “Tricia’s experience in the association environment and developing industry relationships will be a real asset to our organization as she takes on this new role.”

Rumachik has served in his current role since 2021. He started at NFRA as senior vice president in 2009, becoming executive vice president and COO in 2011. Under his leadership, NFRA has substantially increased its consumer outreach efforts and expanded membership.

Rumachik’s background includes over 47 years of experience in the food industry. Prior to joining NFRA, he was vice president, wholesaler and member services for the Food Industry Association (FMI) in Chicago. At FMI, he was responsible for providing the overall strategic direction for the wholesaler member segment and managing the staff and resources of the member services function. Rumachik’s career path has taken him through all levels of retail food store management. He also worked in supervisory and advisory roles with wholesalers, independently owned supermarkets and chain stores of various formats.

Greyshock served as NFRA’s vice president of meetings and industry relations since 2019. Her new responsibilities as executive vice president and COO include managing the association’s membership, meetings and marketing functions, contributing to operational policies and objectives to ensure the long-term success of the organization and acting as liaison with the association’s board and committees.

Prior to joining NFRA in 2019, Greyshock held roles including events and special projects director for LNP Media Group and vice president of association services for Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. Her responsibilities included the planning and execution of various events and overseeing membership services and communications efforts. Greyshock graduated summa cum laude from Lycoming College with a bachelor’s degree in international business and Spanish and a minor in economics.

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NFRA is a non-profit trade association representing all segments of the frozen and refrigerated foods industry. Headquartered in Harrisburg, Pa., NFRA is the sponsor of March National Frozen Food Month, June Dairy Month, June/July Ice Cream & Novelties promotion, as well as a children’s educational outreach program. NFRA holds the annual National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Convention in October. 

clear awards plates sitting on black table

NFRA Announces 2022 March Golden Penguin Winners

Posted on | by Julie Henderson | Leave a Comment on NFRA Announces 2022 March Golden Penguin Winners

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) has announced the winners of the Golden Penguin Awards for its 2022 March Frozen Food Month promotion. NFRA honored the outstanding efforts in promoting March Frozen Food Month. In recognition of those efforts, NFRA has awarded 22 Gold Awards and 36 Silver Awards. See the complete list of winners.

The Golden Penguin Awards provide an opportunity for companies from any segment of the industry to be nationally recognized for excellence in merchandising and marketing frozen and refrigerated foods. The Gold winners will be honored during the NFRA Convention, October 15-18, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. In addition, the highest scoring entry in each of the Overall Marketing Campaign subcategories will be revealed as Top Marketers during the Awards Luncheon at the Convention.

NFRA’s Golden Penguin Awards program features ten categories that reflect today’s marketing practices, including: In-Store Display, In-Store Event, Community Involvement, Social Media Campaign, Private Brand Campaign and Overall Marketing Campaign with subcategories for – Retailer, Wholesaler, Manufacturer, Sales Agent and Local Association. Plus, the Top Marketer Awards honor the best of the best – only the highest scoring entry in each of the Overall Marketing Campaign subcategories will be named as Top Marketer.

Retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, sales agents and associations of any size could enter any category applicable to their business. Entries were judged on their own merit taking into consideration organization size and/or program budget. Companies can participate in the Golden Penguin competition for NFRA’s other promotions for June Dairy Month and June/July Summer Favorites Ice Cream & Novelties.

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NFRA is a non-profit trade association representing all segments of the frozen and refrigerated foods industry. Headquartered in Harrisburg, Pa., NFRA is the sponsor of March National Frozen Food Month, June Dairy Month, June/July Ice Cream & Novelties promotion, and October Cool Food for Kids educational outreach program. NFRA holds the annual National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Convention in October. 

Richard Wardwell

Wardwell, President of Superior Grocers, to Keynote NFRA Executive Conference

Posted on | by Julie Henderson | Leave a Comment on Wardwell, President of Superior Grocers, to Keynote NFRA Executive Conference

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) will hold its 30th annual Executive Conference April 4-6, 2022, at the Tempe Mission Palms Hotel & Conference Center in Tempe, Ariz. Rich Wardwell, President of Superior Grocers, will be the Retailer Keynote. Conference speakers will provide the latest information on consumer and industry trends.

The conference will open on Monday, April 4 with the optional Greater Penguin Golf Tournament followed by an evening welcome reception. Tuesday, April 5 will offer an impressive line-up of interactive speaker presentations, as well as a networking reception. On Wednesday, April 6, the conference will conclude with breakfast and a final informational session.     

Tuesday morning will begin with the Retailer Keynote followed by Jason Smith, Shopper Intelligence, who will share results of a new study of 130,000 frozen and dairy shoppers and insights on marketing to them. Tom Bailey, RaboResearch, will look at the significant growth of omnichannel strategies. Curt Avallone, Takeoff Technologies, will describe the economics surrounding the use of robotics and artificial intelligence in e-grocery. Colleen McClellan, Datassential, will discuss how consumers’ in and out of home behavior has shifted. Mike Poznansky, Neato, will help attendees understand Gen Z and how to earn their long-term loyalty. Zack Nippert, CivicScience, will share powerful data on what’s next for consumers and brands including inflation, supply chain issues and macro-trends.

The conference will close early on Wednesday when Zack Nippert returns with Erica Norton, The Hershey Company, to discuss the trends, behaviors, and predictions of what the post-pandemic shopper will look like and how brands can prepare.

To preserve the informal atmosphere that encourages group discussion and more personal interaction, the conference will be limited to 150 attendees. Registration is open on the conference website at www.NFRAExecutiveConference.org. 

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NFRA is a non-profit trade association representing all segments of the frozen and refrigerated foods industry.  Headquartered in Harrisburg, Pa., NFRA is the sponsor of March National Frozen Food Month, June Dairy Month, June/July Ice Cream & Novelties promotion, as well as educational outreach programs. NFRA holds the annual National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Convention in October. 

Kevin Schwab

National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association Elected New 2022 Officers and Directors

Posted on | by Julie Henderson | Leave a Comment on National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association Elected New 2022 Officers and Directors

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) elected its Association Officers and Members of the Board of Directors for 2021-2022 at its Annual Board of Directors meeting held virtually on October 20, 2021.

Kevin Schwab, EVP/CCO Sales & Marketing, The Pictsweet Company,has been elected to serve as Chairman of the Board. Schwab has served on the Board of Directors from 2003 to 2005 and again from 2012 to 2021. He served as Chairman-Elect from 2019-2021. Schwab is also a member of the Honorable Order of Golden Penguins.

Other officers announced at the meeting were: John Arnold, Sargento Foods, Chairman-Elect; Neil Ritchey, InnovAsian Cuisine Enterprises, Secretary; Mark Tarzwell, Ateeco, Inc./Mrs. T’s Pierogies, Treasurer; Tye Anthony, Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG), Vice Chairman – Frozen and Joey Bates, Harris Teeter, Vice Chairman – Refrigerated.

Newly elected to the Board of Directors were: Tracy Aquila, Southeastern Grocers; Todd Bostian, Lowes Foods; Jim Buchta, CROSSMARK; Amanda Klane, Yasso, Inc.; Lauren Corprew, General Mills; Mike Ridenour, Kraft Heinz Company; Shannon Sherrard, Graeter’s Ice Cream; and Marcelle Smalley, Oliva International Foods.

Re-elected to the Board of Directors were: Chris Groll, Florida’s Natural; Risa Jenkins, C&S Wholesale Grocers; Bill Kynast, Chobani Global Holding; and Jeff Nelson, IMPACT NSS.

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About National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA)

NFRA is a non-profit trade association representing all segments of the frozen and refrigerated foods industry. Headquartered in Harrisburg, PA, NFRA is the sponsor of March National Frozen Food Month, June Dairy Month, June/July Ice Cream & Novelties promotion and the Cool Food for Kids educational outreach program. NFRA provides consumer information such as food safety guidelines, meal preparation tips, recipes and sweepstakes opportunities at http://www.EasyHomeMeals.com. Further information available at https://nfraweb.org.

clear awards plates sitting on black table

NFRA Announces 2021 Golden Penguin Winners

Posted on | by Julie Henderson | Leave a Comment on NFRA Announces 2021 Golden Penguin Winners

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) has announced the winners of the Golden Penguin Awards for its 2021 annual promotions including March Frozen Food Month, June Dairy Month and Summer Favorites Ice Cream & Novelties. NFRA promotions help the industry drive traffic in the frozen food and dairy aisles and increase sales for many categories and brands. In recognition of those efforts, NFRA has awarded 48 Gold awards and 27 Silver awards for March Frozen Food Month, 22 Gold awards and 25 Silver awards for June Dairy Month, and 31 Gold awards and 45 Silver awards for Summer Favorites Ice Cream & Novelties. See the complete list of winners for all three promotions.  

The Golden Penguin Awards provide an opportunity for companies to be nationally recognized for excellence in merchandising and marketing frozen and refrigerated foods. Following the cancellation of the 2021 NFRA Convention, the winners will be recognized on the association website, NFRAweb.org. In addition, the highest scoring entry in each of the Overall Marketing Campaign sub-categories will be revealed as Top Marketers at 3:00 p.m. EDT on October 19, 2021 on the website.

NFRA’s Golden Penguin Awards program features ten categories that reflect today’s marketing practices, including: In-Store Display, In-Store Event, Community Involvement, Social Media Campaign, Private Brand Campaign and Overall Marketing Campaign with sub-categories for Retailer, Wholesaler, Manufacturer, Sales Agent and Local Association. Plus, the Top Marketer Awards honor the best of the best – the highest scoring entry in each of the Overall Marketing Campaign sub-categories is named the Top Marketer.

Retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, sales agents and associations of any size can enter any category applicable to their business. Entries are judged on their own merit taking into consideration organization size and program budget.

# # #

NFRA is a non-profit trade association representing all segments of the frozen and refrigerated foods industry. Headquartered in Harrisburg, Pa., NFRA is the sponsor of March National Frozen Food Month, June Dairy Month, June/July Ice Cream & Novelties promotion, and Cool Food for Kids educational outreach program. NFRA holds the annual National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Convention in October. 

Tarnowski & Graeter Headshots

Two Industry Leaders Inducted into 2021 Frozen Food Hall of Fame

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HARRISBURG, Pa. – The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) and the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) are pleased to announce that the Distinguished Order of Zerocrats have inducted two food industry leaders into the 2021 Frozen Food Hall of Fame.

The 2021 inductees are Richard Graeter, president and CEO, Graeter’s Ice Cream Company and Ray Tarnowski, retired president, Philadelphia Warehousing & Cold Storage.

As part of the fourth generation of the Graeter’s Ice Cream legacy, Richard Graeter has been CEO of the company since 2007. His dedication to the artisanal French Pot ice cream making tradition, now used only by Graeter’s, has grown the company significantly by opening stores throughout the Midwest and expanding distribution to grocery stores across the United States. In 2010, Graeter’s opened a new manufacturing plant that was named by Dairy Foods Magazine as its Plant of the Year in 2011. Richard’s leadership has led him to being named an Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2014 and being inducted into the Specialty Food Association’s Hall of Fame in 2020.

Ray Tarnowski entered the frozen food industry in 1979 when he joined Philadelphia Warehousing & Cold Storage. After five years with the company, he was named President. After a noteworthy 41-year career at Philadelphia Warehousing & Cold Storage, Ray retired in 2020. Upon retirement, he successfully managed the sale of the facility, which was the oldest frozen food warehouse in the U.S. at the time. Over his career, Ray served in many leadership roles, including the World Food Logistics Organization and Global Cold Chain Alliance. Ray served as Treasurer of NFRA for 20 years. He is a member of the Distinguished Order of Zerocrats and the Honorable Order of Golden Penguins.

The induction ceremony will take place at the 2022 NFRA Convention, October 15-18 in Orlando, Fla.

The Frozen Food Hall of Fame was established in 1990 by the Distinguished Order of Zerocrats, an organization of industry members whose purpose is to maintain the tradition of promoting the image and advancement of the frozen food industry. These members nominate and vote on the newest inductees, whose dedication and hard work have greatly benefited the industry. A special industry-wide ceremony honors the imagination and innovation that have ensured the continued growth and success of the frozen food industry.

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GIANT to Keynote NFRA Executive Conference

Posted on | by Julie Henderson | Leave a Comment on GIANT to Keynote NFRA Executive Conference

February 22, 2021 | HARRISBURG, Pa. – The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) will hold its 29th annual Executive Conference April 19-21, 2021 as an all-digital experience. Attendees can look forward to invaluable insights and industry information on growth, trends and future outlooks from industry experts including a retail presentation by Rebecca Lupfer, Vice President of Center Store Merchandising for The GIANT Company.

The conference begins at 3:00 ET on April 19 and presentations will span the next two days. On Monday, David Portalatin, Senior VP, Food Industry Analyst for NPD Group will provide a look at consumer eating behaviors in the U.S. Colin Stewart, EVP, Business Intelligence for Acosta Sales & Marketing will discuss how post Covid-19 consumer buying behaviors impact retail and CPG.

On Tuesday, Rusty Wilson, CFA, Senior Research Analyst and Partner for Cleveland Research Company will share an overview of key food retail themes and forecasts, and what to expect in 2021 and beyond. John Dick, Founder and CEO of CivicScience will look at the Covid-borne consumer trends that are here to stay. Seth Dallaire, Chief Revenue Officer for Instacart will discuss the last mile and retail and CPG solutions. In addition, Rebecca Lupfer, The GIANT Company, will provide insight into the company’s key frozen and dairy department strategies.

On Wednesday, Kyle Chamberlin, Senior Account Manager for Datassential will share food and flavor trends that should have your attention. The conference closes with Kevin Coupe, Morning News Beat, offering thoughts on what happens when the pandemic-era market defrosts and then facilitating a roundtable discussion that digs deeper into the unique circumstances the industry will face going forward.

Session content and the ability to interact with speakers will only be available to those registered. The cost is $129 for NFRA members, $250 for non-members and retailers/wholesalers are complimentary. Register on the conference website at www.NFRAExecutiveConference.org. 

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NFRA is a non-profit trade association representing all segments of the frozen and refrigerated foods industry.  Headquartered in Harrisburg, Pa., NFRA is the sponsor of March National Frozen Food Month, June Dairy Month and June/July Ice Cream & Novelties promotion, as well as educational outreach programs.  NFRA holds the annual National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Convention in October.