June 28, 2019 | Harrisburg, Pa. – The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) established the Refrigerated Food Hall of Fame in 2010 to honor individuals for the contributions they have made and the leadership they have provided to the Refrigerated Food Industry. John Larsen, Sr. Director of Space Planning for Albertsons Companies and Jeff Thomas, retired Vice President of Sales for Crystal Farms division of Michael Foods, will be the recipients of this year’s prestigious award.
John Larsen
began working at Stock Market Foods/Thriftway as a Grocery Manager in 1984
while he also graduated with a B.A. in Business Administration with an emphasis
in Marketing from Washington State University. He was promoted to Store
Director in 1987, and by 1995 was working as the Promotional Buyer/Advertising
Director. In 1997, Larsen joined Quality Food Centers, Inc. in Bellevue, Wash.
(A Kroger Company) as a Category Manager. He joined Safeway in 1998 where he
was Category Manager in the Seattle Division. Larsen then moved to the Portland
Division as Sales Manager and completed the USC Food Industry Management
Program in 2002. Prior to the merger of Safeway and Albertsons, Larsen held the
role of Vice President of Dairy, Refrigerated in the corporate marketing
department at Safeway in Pleasanton, Calif. In his current role, Larsen manages
the Space Planning of all of Albertsons 2,400 stores and manages a team of over
50 people corporately, and 120 people across the divisions. His responsibilities
include premium store resets, remerchandising of the stores and store remodels.
Larsen began serving on the NFRA Board of Directors in 2005. He served on the
NFRA Board of Directors as Vice Chairman of Refrigerated in 2009. Larsen served
as Chairman-Elect in 2011 and as Chairman for two terms in 2012 and 2013. He is
a member of the Distinguished Order of Zerocrats and Honorable Order of Golden
Penguins.
Jeff Thomas spent a lifetime around
frozen and refrigerated foods with his grandfather, Carl, and parents, Robert
and Rosalyn, owning and working for a local food brokerage. Thomas attended the
University of Buffalo and then served three years in the United States Military,
including a tour in Vietnam. After returning, he began his career in the food
business as a driver for Byrne Dairy in upstate New York. Thomas then joined
the family business as a salesman for Reith, Hogan & Hamer food brokerage.
He entered the frozen food business with his first position at Seneca Foods and
later at Sara Lee. In 1989, Thomas took a role with Michael Foods to launch the
Simply Potatoes refrigerated line—the first of its kind in the dairy case and
still one of the company’s leading brands. Over the following 25 years, he
worked with his team and the whole Michael Foods organization to grow the
company from its formation in 1987 into a multi-billion-dollar
manufacturer of foodservice, food ingredient, and retail offerings. Thomas
retired from Michael Foods in 2014, but currently use his skills as a logistics
volunteer for ICA Foodshelf, where he stocks and maintains inventories of foods
to serve the needy. Thomas began serving on the NFRA Board of Directors in 2003.
He served as Vice Chairman of Refrigerated from 2005 – 2008. He rose through
the Officer positions becoming Chairman in 2011. Thomas became of member of the
Honorable Order of Golden Penguins in 2006.
The
Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held at the National Frozen &
Refrigerated Foods Convention during the Membership Luncheon on Monday, October
14, 2019, at the World Center Marriott in Orlando, Fla.
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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 Frozen Food Month, June Dairy
Month, the June/July Ice Cream & Novelties promotion and the Cool Food for
Kids educational outreach program. NFRA holds the annual National Frozen &
Refrigerated Foods Convention in October.
