Author: Natalie Limm

Setting New Records and Showcasing Innovation

Kate Landis
717-657-8601
[email protected]

HARRISBURG, Pa. (October 27, 2023) – The 2023 NFRA Convention, hosted by the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA), marked a record-breaking year with nearly 1,600 attendees from all sectors of the frozen and refrigerated foods industry. The event featured powerful networking opportunities, exciting product innovations, and celebrated various industry achievements.

Tricia Greyshock, NFRA’s EVP/COO, reflected on the event, stating, “The 2023 NFRA Convention exceeded our expectations – what a great opportunity to see so many industry leaders come together to further existing business relationships, build new ones, and experience the latest and greatest product innovation in the frozen and refrigerated dairy space.”

Over 5,000 business appointments were conducted during the event, underscoring NFRA’s commitment to optimizing attendees’ time and productivity. The Convention offered a platform for more than 50 manufacturers and emerging brands to showcase products at the highly anticipated Taste of Excellence opening reception.

Key highlights from this year’s event:

Record-Breaking Attendance: With close to 1,600 attendees, this year’s event boasted a record-breaking number of participants, highlighting the industry’s commitment to meeting in-person with trading partners.

Café NFRA: Café NFRA served as a hub for networking and collaboration, providing attendees with a dynamic setting to connect, share industry insights, and establish meaningful partnerships, while experiencing offerings from emerging and established brands.

Refrigerated Hall of Fame Inductees: The Refrigerated Food Hall of Fame, established in 2010, recognizes outstanding individuals in the refrigerated food industry. Joe D’Alberto, Director of Sales for Acosta Sales & Marketing, and Skip Shaw, retired President & CEO of NFRA, were honored during the ceremony.

Top Marketers Honored: The prestigious 2023 Golden Penguin Awards for exceptional achievements in marketing and merchandising within the frozen and refrigerated foods industry were presented. These awards spotlight innovative marketing strategies and creative merchandising efforts that have played a pivotal role in driving success. This year’s Top Marketers, recognized for their outstanding contributions, include the Frozen & Refrigerated Food Council of Northern California, Tru Fru, Price Chopper/Market 32, RDD Associates, UNFI, Land O’Lakes, Brookshire Grocery Company, Mid-Atlantic Division, Bubbies Ice Cream, and Rouses Markets. For a full listing of Golden Penguin award winners, visit our website.

Annual Membership Meeting: During the 79th Annual Membership Luncheon, NFRA elected its association officers and members of the Board of Directors for 2023-2024, with Neil Ritchey of InnovAsian Cuisine Enterprises serving as Chairman of the Board. The Board recognized Jeff Rumachik, current President & CEO, on his contributions to the association and industry as he transitions into retirement at the end of 2023; Tricia Greyshock, EVP/COO, will officially transition to President & CEO beginning January 2024.

Mark your calendars for next year! The 2024 NFRA Convention will be held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, National Harbor, MD, October 5-8, 2024. Registration opens March 1, 2024.

For more information about NFRA and future events, please visit www.nfraweb.org.

For Immediate Release

Kate Landis
717-657-8601
[email protected]

HARRISBURG, Pa. (October 23, 2023) – The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) elected its Association Officers and Members of the Board of Directors for 2023-2024 at its Annual Board of Directors meeting on October 7, 2023.

Neil Ritchey, Vice President, Consumer Brands, InnovAsian Cuisine Enterprises, has been elected to serve as Chairman of the Board. Ritchey has served on the Board of Directors since 2013 and served as Chairman-Elect from 2022-2023. Ritchey is also a member of the Honorable Order of Golden Penguins.

Other officers announced at the meeting were: Tracy Aquila, Southeastern Grocers, Chairman-Elect; Bill Kynast, Chobani Global Holdings, Secretary; Mark Tarzwell, Ateeco, Inc./Mrs. T’s Pierogies, Treasurer; Tye Anthony, Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG), Vice Chairman – Frozen and Tony Battaglia, Lactalis American Group, Vice Chairman – Refrigerated.

Newly elected to the Board of Directors were: Richard Akins, Harris Teeter; Lindsey Hickey, Simek’s; Mike Ridenour, UNFI and Zak Lowe, Land O’Lakes Foods.

Re-elected to the Board of Directors were: Bob Brown, Jewel-Osco; Tom Robaczewski, Bimbo Bakehouse and Kellie Shetlar, Conagra Brands. A full list of 2023-2024 Board of Directors, Advisory Directors and Council Members can be found here.

HARRISBURG, Pa., July 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The stage is set for the 2023 NFRA Convention, scheduled to take place October 7th to 10th, 2023, at the Marriot Marquis & Marina in San Diego. Renowned as the premier event of the frozen and refrigerated foods industry and hosted by the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA), the convention offers unparalleled opportunities for attendees to foster business growth, forge key partnerships and explore exciting product innovations.

NFRA facilitates an estimated 3,000 business appointments with leading retailers throughout the duration of the event.

Bringing together leading companies from every sector of the industry, the NFRA Convention offers a dynamic platform where business can be conducted efficiently, all under one roof. By providing complimentary meeting rooms to retailers, NFRA ensures that more than 1,300 attendees can maximize their time and productivity, facilitating an estimated 3,000 business appointments throughout the duration of the event. Attendees also get the opportunity to make new connections, sample frozen and refrigerated products, hear from valuable speakers, and network with industry leaders.

The annual Convention will commence Sunday, Oct. 8, with the highly anticipated Taste of Excellence reception where emerging brands and over 50 established leading manufacturers will showcase their latest product innovations. Monday morning will open with breakfast, featuring guest speaker Alex Banayan, bestselling author of The Third Door and expert on exponential growth. 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 2023 Refrigerated Food Hall of Fame members, Joe D’Alberto, Director of Sales for Acosta Sales & Marketing and Skip Shaw, retired President & CEO of NFRA. 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 session features speaker Amelia Rose Earhart, around-the-world pilot, podcast host and artist. The Tuesday Awards Luncheon will honor the 2023 Golden Penguin Award winners for marketing and merchandising excellence for the March Frozen Food Month, June Dairy Month and June/July Ice Cream & Novelties promotions. The highest scoring entries will be unveiled as the 2023 Top Marketer Award winners.

To register for the 2023 NFRA Convention, visit NFRAConvention.org. To learn more, watch our NFRA Convention Highlight Reel.

About National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA)
NFRA is a non-profit trade association representing all segments of the frozen and refrigerated foods industry. NFRA sponsors national promotions ReDiscover Dairy & Frozen (January), March Frozen Food Month, June Dairy Month and Summer Favorites Ice Cream & Novelties (June/July); and provides consumer information such as food safety guidelines, meal preparation tips, recipes and sweepstakes opportunities through its Easy Home Meals consumer website and social media properties.

Read the press release on PRNewswire

March Frozen Food Month spotlights affordable frozen options and quick meal preparations for families on the go

HARRISBURG, Pa., March 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — For people constantly on the go or for parents juggling multiple responsibilities, finding a work-life balance can be tricky. A recent Atomik study for the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) suggested that the time needed to prepare meals is one of the more pressing barriers Americans face regularly. Almost all Americans (94%) look for food options with a longer shelf life so it’s available for cooking convenience – and at least once a week, frozen foods have bailed out almost four in five (77%) parents during last-minute “what’s for dinner” conversations.

To view the multimedia assets and survey information, please visit our landing page.

Finding ways to make mealtime preparation easier means one less chore to worry about, and it’s no surprise that a mix of nutritious ingredients, affordable meals and quick meal preparation time is what Americans want and need the most. This March marks NFRA’s 40^th celebration of National Frozen Food Month, and it’s time to put frozen foods in the spotlight as they may be a key piece of the puzzle when it comes to adding easy to grab, nutritious ingredients to your dinner plans.

“With more than half of American parents (69%) indicating that they typically plan dinner on the fly, having a freezer full of frozen options provides quick, easy and healthy solutions for parents during dinner time,” said Tricia Greyshock, EVP/COO at National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association. “Frozen foods can also provide peace of mind for parents knowing that they can still provide nutritious meals at home rather than eating out,” said Greyshock.

As part of ongoing initiatives throughout March, NFRA has also partnered with Jamie Gwen, Chef & TV personality, to share convenient, chef-inspired mealtime ideas for busy families. “Whether it’s comfort foods, healthy items or innovative new cuisines, frozen foods are crucial right now, and it doesn’t mean having to sacrifice flavor OR nutrition,” said Jamie Gwen, Chef & TV personality.

HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — 2023 marks the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA)’s 40^th annual celebration of March Frozen Food Month! Murray Lender, founder of Lender’s Bagels, was instrumental in developing the first promotion in 1984 as an initiative to increase frozen food sales. The promotion is now nationally recognized and continues to promote the benefits and importance of engaging shoppers and encouraging the purchase of frozen foods.

NFRA has sponsored March Frozen Food Month since its inception and continues to promote the frozen food aisles to consumers by sharing resources with its members throughout the month, including recipes, point-of-sale materials, social content, helpful tips and more. NFRA also administers the Golden Penguin Awards Competition, which honors the best marketing and merchandising in the industry during promotional periods. This national competition is open to organizations of all sizes, including retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, sales agents, and associations  promoting March Frozen Food Month.

The Golden Penguin Awards provide an exceptional opportunity for companies from any segment of the industry to be nationally recognized for excellence in merchandising and marketing frozen foods. With 2023 marking the 40^th year celebration of March Frozen Food Month, this is the perfect time to join the excitement and share how your organization promotes frozen foods to consumers.

The awards program features categories that reflect today’s marketing practices, including In-Store Display, In-Store Event, Community Involvement, Social Media Campaign, Retail Dietitian Wellness Programs, Private Brand Campaign and Overall Marketing Campaign with subcategories for: Retailer, Wholesaler, Manufacturer, Sales Agent, and Local Association.

Judged by a panel of distinguished marketing professionals and based on final entry scores, winners receive a Gold or Silver award and will be honored for their outstanding work at the NFRA Convention, taking place October 6-10 in San Diego. A segment of the highest scoring winners will be named Top Marketers, which is unveiled during the Awards Luncheon at the NFRA Convention.

This awards competition is an exciting opportunity for companies of any size to be awarded for their hard work in promoting March Frozen Food Month, whether in-store, in the community, or through various social/digital marketing and other merchandising programs. Entrants can submit their supporting documentation online starting in March and can enter any category applicable to their business by May 5, 2023. Companies can also participate in the competition for NFRA’s other annual promotions including June Dairy Month and Summer Favorites Ice Cream & Novelties. For complete awards competition details, please visit www.NFRAweb.org.

About National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA)
NFRA (www.NFRAweb.org) is a non-profit trade association representing all segments of the frozen and refrigerated foods industry. NFRA sponsors national promotions March Frozen Food Month, June Dairy Month, and Summer Favorites Ice Cream & Novelties; and provides consumer information such as food safety guidelines, meal preparation tips, recipes, and sweepstakes opportunities through its www.EasyHomeMeals.com consumer website and social media properties.

View release on PRNewswire.com

ReConnect with the innovation, convenience and variety the aisles offer

HARRISBURG, Pa., Dec. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — New Years is the time you get back to good habits. Exercising. Getting organized. Eating better. All the resolutions to ReDiscover a better you. This year, it’s time to get back to the dairy and frozen food aisles at your local grocer as well!

The National Frozen and Refrigerated Association (NFRA) is inviting you to do just that. They’re launching a new promotion all January long focused on ReIntroducing you to the things you love, and some new things you might have missed, in the dairy and frozen sections.

“With resolutions top of mind, we wanted to invite shoppers to reconnect with all the ways the dairy and frozen aisles can support their goals,” said Julie Henderson, VP of Communications for NFRA. “The aisles offer more than ever before, so it’s the perfect time to come back and rediscover old staples and new favorites.”

It’s going to be a big celebration of what the aisles have to offer, and a welcome invitation back to see what you’ve been missing.

If you haven’t visited lately, the dairy and frozen aisles have grown significantly in the past few years. Seriously – they’ve added A LOT of new things to be excited about. Like delicious, innovative products!

The shelves are now full of diverse cuisines, exciting beverages…even innovative desserts. The number of inventive products keep growing, with more added all the time. And dairy isn’t just dairy anymore. Dairy-free options have exploded…and crossed over to the frozen section as well.

There’s also variety like never before. Cuisines like Asian, Italian, Irish, Greek and more fill the aisles from top to bottom. Plus, you can find just about anything for any diet: vegan, gluten-free, organic – the list goes on and on. There is something delicious in the aisles for every taste and dietary preference.

Plus, foods from the dairy and frozen aisles offer the utmost in convenience. The staples you know and love are still readily available to always have on hand. Heat-and-eat and grab-and-go products have multiplied as well, bringing simplicity to even more delicious foods.

If you’re craving new ideas and recipes for your favorite products, Easy Home Meals has you covered. They’ll be sharing fun, innovative content on how to creatively use the products you find, and ways to get the most out of your visits to the aisles.

Plus, you’ll have chances to win a supermarket gift card all month long in the ReDiscover Dairy & Frozen Gift Card Giveaway, beginning January 2, 2023, by participating in the promotion.

There’s so much to ReDiscover in the dairy and frozen aisles. Don’t miss out – visit your local grocer and see what the buzz is about!

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