Tag: Hall of Fame

Two Industry Leaders to be Inducted into 2024 Frozen Food Hall of Fame

Posted on | by Kate Landis | Leave a Comment on Two Industry Leaders to be Inducted into 2024 Frozen Food Hall of Fame

HARRISBURG, Pa. (June 21, 2024) — The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) and the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) are pleased to announce that two industry leaders will be inducted into the Frozen Food Hall of Fame this October at the NFRA Convention.

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. Inductees are those individuals whose dedication and hard work have greatly benefited the industry.

This year’s honorees include William Kitchens, retired Partner at Arnall Golden Gregory LLP and former General Counsel of NFRA, and H.V. “Skip” Shaw, retired President & CEO of NFRA.

Bill Kitchens served as NFRA’s General Counsel for over 25 years, providing essential legal guidance to the association and its leadership. He played a critical role in helping to integrate refrigerated foods into NFRA’s operations and navigating complex legal issues, including antitrust matters. Kitchens ensured regulatory compliance and actively participated in NFRA’s meetings and governance, and oversaw the induction of NFRA’s officers and directors, emphasizing the organization’s commitment to excellence. Kitchens published numerous books and articles on food and drug law and was an adjunct professor at Emory University School of Law for 40 years. He is a member of multiple legal and industry organizations.

Kitchens shared, “I am deeply honored to be inducted into the Frozen Food Hall of Fame. My representation of clients in the frozen food industry and serving as General Counsel of NFRA for 25 years was a most rewarding experience and a treasured part of my legal career. I’m grateful for the many friends in the industry I gained along the way.”

H.V. “Skip” Shaw joined NFRA in June 1984 as Director of Membership Services. He was named Vice President in 1986, Executive Vice President in 1987, and assumed additional duties as COO in 2001. Following the retirement of Nevin Montgomery, he became President and CEO in 2010 and retired in 2020. Shaw played a pivotal role in bringing the refrigerated category into the National Frozen Food Association and spearheaded the launch of NFRA’s PR campaigns, enhancing the organization’s visibility and impact of the frozen and refrigerated foods categories directly to consumers. Shaw is a member of the Honorable Order of Golden Penguins, the Distinguished Order of Zerocrats, and Refrigerated Food Hall of Fame.

“My 36-year career at NFRA was incredibly rewarding thanks to the dedicated industry executives on our Board of Directors and committees. Their collective efforts were integral to our Association’s remarkable success. It was inspiring to witness these individuals set aside corporate affiliations to collaborate for the greater good of our industry,” said Shaw. “While I am honored to be inducted into the Frozen Food Hall of Fame, credit must also be given to the numerous food industry professionals and Association staff whose contributions helped NFRA become a leader in our field.”

The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held at the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Convention during the Membership Luncheon on Monday, October 7, 2024, at the Gaylord National Harbor in National Harbor, Md. To learn more about the NFRA Convention and to register, visit www.nfraconvention.org.

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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. 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. To learn more, visit nfraweb.org.

Tarnowski & Graeter Headshots

Two Industry Leaders Inducted into 2021 Frozen Food Hall of Fame

Posted on | by Julie Henderson | Leave a Comment on Two Industry Leaders Inducted into 2021 Frozen Food Hall of Fame

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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Refrigerated Food Hall of Fame Award

Larsen and Thomas Inducted into 2019 Refrigerated Food Hall of Fame

Posted on | by Julie Henderson | Leave a Comment on Larsen and Thomas Inducted into 2019 Refrigerated Food Hall of Fame

October 30, 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, were inducted into the Refrigerated Food Hall of Fame October 14, 2019 at the NFRA Convention in Orlando, Fla.

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.

Larsen joined Safeway in 1998 where he was Category Manager in the Seattle Division. He 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 and served as Vice Chairman of Refrigerated in 2009. He served as Chairman-Elect in 2011 and as Chairman for two terms in 2012 and 2013. It was in 2012 that NFRA began its relationship with Edelman PR and launched its year-round consumer PR campaigns in 2013. Larsen 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 the Michael Foods team 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 uses 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 and served as Vice Chairman of Refrigerated from 2005-2008. He rose through the Officer positions becoming Chairman in 2011. That year, NFRA partnered with Nielsen to conduct its first State of the Industry Report giving NFRA members free access to in-depth research on the frozen and refrigerated food categories as a benefit of membership. Thomas became a member of the Honorable Order of Golden Penguins in 2006.

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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.

Thomas and Larsen

Two Industry Leaders to be Inducted into 2019 Refrigerated Food Hall of Fame

Posted on | by Julie Henderson | Leave a Comment on Two Industry Leaders to be Inducted into 2019 Refrigerated Food Hall of Fame

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.