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T O B E PA R T O F E V E R Y F O O D E X P E R I E N C E atalanta + camerican + de medici + finica + khi + jf braun + swiss chalet fine foods + tipico
UPDATE 2018-Q3 ISSUE 3
HIGHLIGHTS 02
CAMERICAN PROMOTION
Jo sh Gellert Nam ed Presi dent
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AWARD-WINNERS
Belto n Farm s Trium phs
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WEST COAST CELEBRATES
First Annual Picnic fo r West Co ast
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GELLERT GLOBAL GROUP
J O S H G E LLE R T N A MED P R E S ID E NT O F CA MER ICAN F RO M L AR RY AB R A MSO N, CEO O F CA ME RI CA N I NTE RNATI ONA L
Josh Gellert named President of Camerican
Larry Abramson, CEO of Camerican International announced the promotion of Josh Gellert to President of Camerican. Larry stated, “Josh is the best person I could imagine partnering with to shape the future of Camerican as we enter our second century.” Josh has done an outstanding job in everything he has taken on since coming to us from Nestle. From selling at the highest levels to managing the double-digit sales and profit growth of our Frozen and Industrial Divisions, he has played a significant role in driving Camerican’s robust growth and success. More recently, in his role
as EVP, he has been assuming greater general management responsibilities, including playing a significant role in the acquisition and integration of KHI. Josh has succeeded at every level, and now, as President, Josh will be in an enhanced position to apply his intelligence, competence, initiative, creativity, and vision to help take us to the next level. It has been my honor to be President of Camerican for the last 30 years, and it is both a privilege and a pleasure to now place this role in Josh’s hands. I believe it will be one of the best decisions I have ever made. Congratulations Josh on your well-earned promotion!
IT LAUNCHES CYBER FRAUD TRAINING FOR GGG EMPLOYEES In the recent months, IT has rolled out a training program to prevent cyber fraud called KnowBe4. KnowBe4 is the world’s largest provider of security awareness training combined with simulated phishing attacks. Founded by data and IT security expert Stu Sjouwerman, KnowBe4 helps organizations like ours address the human element of security by raising awareness of ransomware, CEO fraud, and other social engineering tactics. This mandatory training will help all of us identify threats and protect our computer systems and data from theft or damage. This training will protect against the constant cyber threats we see every day.
GELLERT GLOBAL GROUP INVESTS IN IT LEADERSHIP F RO M GEORGE G. GE L L E RT, CHA I RMA N & CEO
GGG is proud to welcome Shen Lu as Vice President of Information Technology and part of the executive leadership team. Recognizing that the Gellert Global Group needs to invest in IT leadership to guide our great future, this step demonstrates our organization’s commitment to add resources that will make us better in every way we do business. Shen joins us with over 20 years of experience as an IT leader developing and implementing IT strategies and solutions for global organizations. His background also includes leading M&A and strategic planning. Shen graduated from the Executive Program at Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University, received an M.S. in Management and Systems from New York University and a B.S. in Computer Information Systems from Tianjin Institute of Technology. He is certified in PMP, SAP, JDE, CISCO, MSCE and ORACLE DBA. He prides himself in leading by example with hands-on knowledge, and strives for win-win solutions and transparency.
Welcome Shen Lu VP of Information Technology.
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THE GIVING TEAM VOLUNTEERS FOR HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
This August GGG participated in a team build or park clean up. Groups across the companies spent their time doing physical labor for a great cause. Our volunteers can attest firsthand that this event helped each of them gain new perspectives while exceeding their expectations. The day provided everyone with an emotionally rewarding bonding experience.
Miami Team
New Jersey Team
GGG WELLNESS WALKING CHALLENGE WINNERS!
New Jersey Team
1ST PLACE: Team 18 (Marissa Abbato, Ines Delgado Joe DeNicholas, Arceli Jacobs, Jessica Lotz)/Atalanta, Elizabeth 2ND PLACE: Happy Feet (Monica Calderon, Gabriela Hernandez, Javier Marez,)/Atalanta, CA 3RD PLACE: Team 16 (Tom Gellert, Carmen Gonzalez, Christine Park, Shareena Roman, Gabi Zender)/Atalanta, Elizabeth Atlanta Team
1ST PLACE WINNERS
New Jersey Team
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GELLERT GLOBAL GROUP
B EL TO N FA RM T R IUMP H S AT TH E I NTE RNAT I O N A L CH E E S E & DA I RY AWARD S
BE LTO N FA R M, a fam i l y - r u n ch eesemaker in Sh ro p s h i re, En gl an d , was crow n e d Supreme Champion at t h i s yea r ’s Inte r n at i on al Ch ee se Awards on July 24 t h . At the Awards, 300 expert judges assessed 5,183 cheeses from 26 countries around the world. They named Belton Farm the 2018 International Cheese and Dairy Awards Supreme Champion and awarded their Traditional Farmhouse Colored Cheshire the prestigious National Westminster Cup. John Rodger, Atalanta VP of Cheese and Speciality Deli, states, “Our team is very proud to have such a fine cheese and company to work with. Their innovation along with tradition are the same values that Atalanta is built on. It’s an amazing brand!”
“Being awarded the Supreme Champion for our traditionally-made colored Cheshire cheese reflects our passion for producing great tasting cheese,” says Justin Beckett, Managing Director of Belton Farm.
LE N B E RG FARMS & C E L E BR ITY GOAT WIN AT ACS & T HE INTERNATI O NA L C HE E S E & DAIRY AWA R D S At the International Cheese Awards, Lenberg Farms’ Lindsay Bandaged Goat Cheddar received a silver award in the bandaged cheddar category, a second silver in hard-pressed cheeses, and gold in Canadian goat cheeses. Celebrity™ Goat with Cranberry and Cinnamon won a gold award for cheese with additives. Lenberg Farms’ Zoey, mixed milk (goat and sheep) cheese with a salt hand-washed rind, scored silver in the Canadian washed rind category. At the American Cheese Society Competition, Celebrity™ Goat Butter received second place. Lenberg Farms Zoey landed in third place, as did Celebrity™ Goat and Sheep Milk Feta. Vince Staiger, Atalanta’s Director of Business Development, who manages these brands said, “We are proud to bring these award-winning cheeses to the American market.”
Lenberg Farms Lindsay International Cheese & Dairy Award Gold & Silver
Celebrity Goat International Cheese & Dairy Award- Gold
Lenberg Farms Zoey International Cheese & Dairy Award Silver ACS 3rd Place
Celebrity Goat Butter ACS 2nd Place Butter
INTRODUCING IL VILLAGGIO BURRATA
Our recipe begins with only the finest Grade A 100% Certified rBST free milk. The result is an award-winning semi-soft mozzarella shell filled with a soft, stringy curd and cream. This cheese truly redefines “Artisanal” as it can only be made by hand!
NEW VINAIGRETTES FROM A L’OLIVIER COCONUT & LIME FRENCH VINAIGRETTE
The newest innovation from A L’Olivier, this unique vinaigrette is a blend of their proprietary infused oils and fruit pulp vinegars. Shake gently and the ingredients emulsify for a dressing rich with coconut and fresh lime flavor. Perfect for dressing greens, for use as a dip with vegetables or with seafood.
PINEAPPLE & BASIL FRENCH VINAIGRETTE Pineapple’s sweetness is balanced with aromatic basil infused oil in this thick and flavor-rich dressing. Ideal for dressing greens, fruit salads, as a dip or with seafood.
MANGO & LEMONGRASS VINAIGRETTE This unique combination of Mango and lemongrass adds a fresh tropical twist to greens, vegetables, fruits and especially seafood.
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GELLERT GLOBAL GROUP
ATALANTA & SWISS CHALET WEST COAST FIRST ANNUAL PICNIC
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CHEESE DEPARTMENT HITTING HOME RUNS! Th e Chee s e De p a rt m e nt ha s b een s w i n gi n g fo r th e outfi e ld t h i s q u a rte r a nd getti n g s o m e gre a t home r uns ! Our biggest success story is the Octopus packages going into Costco. The project has only just begun, and within two months the sales have already exceeded $1.6 million. Great job Emil! Beemster also had a remarkable seasonal victory with the Hatch Gouda. Trader Joe’s took 60,000 pounds and loved it so much they already are looking to lock it in for next year’s spotlight.
TH E D R E A M TE A M AT KI NGS Last month at select Kings throughout New Jersey, our teams hosted Italian-inspired demos. Emanuela Stuchhi Prinetti from Badia A Coltibuono, Maria Roemer BDM from De Medici and Blanche Quattrocchi, Atalanta’s Event Planner, introduced customers to Badia A Coltibuono Extra Virgin Olive Oil, PIAVE cheese and Caffe Vergnano.
A GR EAT NIGH T Badia a Coltibuono’s President Emanuela Stuchhi Prinetti hosted dinner at Jimmy’s Food Store in Dallas. Each guest received a signed bottle of Badia Estate Wine and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. De Medici’s Myste Snow was mesmerized by Emanuela’s presentation and her family estate wines.
We also began shipping Cheese Merchants Goat Cheese; this business gave us five SKUs and about 100,000 pounds of business by the end of the year. Chimay launched its first precut boxed cheese into Costco. It has gone so well that we are now doing R&D on precuts of varying sizes to present in 2019! Giulia launched the Truffle Pecorino Loaf which became the first Italian Specialty cheese to be sold to a national account, Yard House. Carey is on a roll getting retailers into private labels with us: Kowalski, Sprouts, and Aldi to na me a few. We also brought in a Comte wedge which is taking Publix by storm. Guinness Chedda r is now a part of RD, US Foods, Sprouts, Specs, HEB, Caraluzzi’s and so many more!
TH E NE W 1 0 CO R S O CO M O NYC We have our producer Galateo & Friends EVOO and Vinegars instore. This place is a must-see the next time you are in NYC.
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GELLERT GLOBAL GROUP
GROCERY UPDATES The Grocery Department continues to expand and diversify its product portfolio. This quarter, we’ve added several items to our Del Destino quality product line. Tricolor Precooked Quinoa is now available packed in 2/1.2kg trays. Congratulations to Lauren Grybash for placement in the growing chain in Chicago. We’ve also added a custom recipe of vegetarian, nut-free Creamy Basil Pesto for a northeast sandwich chain through Beverly Sciullo. As you may have noticed, three new varieties of Chipotle peppers have been added to the Grocery price list. Red, Yellow, and Green Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce are packed in 24/8 oz and line priced with the traditional chipotle peppers.
A N N UAL R ETAI L SA L ES MEET I NG Dean Cohagan, Director of Retail Sales hosted the Annual Retail Sales Meeting in Charlotte North Carolina this September. The Team utilizes this time together to review successes and opportunities in the business including current sales, margins, and customers. The meeting is a collaboration of the Area Sales Managers, BDM’s (Representative from both cheese and grocery), Customer Service and Pricing and Promotion teams and Marketing. The group focused on strategic planning for 2019, Customer Review Process and Broker Management. Besides the presentations and planning, the group participated in a Retail Store Challenge! Everyone had to visit multiple retailers and present back to the group his or her findings on new and innovative ways to grow business.
IFSA – Boston. For the second time, Atalanta presented at the International Airline show in Boston. There was a lot of interest in the ready to eat quinoa and fruit cups. Contact Michele Beriao for more information on this category.
T H E G AN G’ S AL L H E R E AT TH E TO N Y ’ S FOO D SH OW It is Chimay, Snowdonia, Beemster, and Coombe Castle with Erin Gonzalez and Sam Kane.
CONNAGE HIGHL AND DAIRY IN C ENT RAL MARKET Callum and Jill from Scotland’s Connage Highland Dairy were part of the UK invasion at Central Market in September. Texans enjoyed a chance to taste their Dunlop (Scottish cheddar).
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ATA L ANTA
NE W HIRES! Q3 20 1 8
C RY STAL CAL L EN D E R RE CEI VES G OL D E N APPL E AWARD
Ca rl y B e i m :
Asso ciate HR M an age r
Cl a u d i a D e Q uillie n :
B rand Am bassad o r Caf fe Ve rgna no
G u s tavo Caice d o :
Culin ar y D eve lo pm e nt M anager Chef
J e a n i n e Co sta:
B usine ss D eve lo pme n t Co o rd ina tor
D a n i e l l e Cove n:
Inte rn
R a fa e l D i az :
Fo rk lif t Ope rato r
Co l e e n D ucey:
Inte rn
K a tri n a El - K ik :
Inte rn
S o n ny Es t rad a:
Ware ho use man
A n d re a F lo re s:
Ware ho use Ad m in istrato r
P ri s c i l l a He rn and ez
Ware ho use Ad m in istrato r
S a m a n th a K an e :
B usine ss D eve lo pme n t M an ager
S h e n L u :
Vice P re sid e n t of IT
R o b e rt M a d rigal:
M ainte nan ce M e chanic
B ri a n n a M cEvoy:
Q uality Assuran ce S pe cialist
J o h n M c Kn ight:
Ware ho use man
N i co l e N esto :
Are a S ale s M anage r
S teve n Vacca:
Re gio nal S ale s M anage r
Patricia Diaz passed the Golden Apple to Crystal Callender recognizing her work ethics, honesty, and excellent project management skills.
Q3
EM PL OY EE O F T H E Q UAR T E R
CA RLO S O R TE G A
Carlos recently assumed the role of Sample Room Supervisor. He has shown great management skills while coping with the pressures of the sample room. He is dependable and always willing to lend a helping hand to his colleagues. He handles urgent situations with patience and a positive attitude. Congratulations Carlos!
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GELLERT GLOBAL GROUP
CAMERICAN LAUNCHES NEW ITEMS UNDER NEW MAAS RIVER FARMS BRAND Maas River expands their line due to consumer demand. The new items launched this year include Riced Cauliflower, Multicolor Cauliflower, Cauliflower Tots and Root Medley. As consumers continue to seek out low-carb and gluten-free options, we saw a great opportunity here, especially with cauliflower. Using vegetables like cauliflower in place of grain dishes is a trend that is here to stay. Maas River Farms products are sourced from Northern Holland, which has ideal soil conditions for growing a wide range of vegetables as well as for organic farming.
CAMERICAN LAUNCHES MONTHLY MARKET REPORT The Camerican team has launched a monthly Market Report, which gives updates on various market topics such as bad crops, weather, economic issues, tariffs, labor issues, product launches and pricing. The report is comprised of three product sections: Seafood, Fruit, and Vegetables and is written and assembled with the help of our Procurement and Marketing team. We are excited to have a report to inform our customers of these market issues, so we can better prepare together.
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CAMERICAN & KHI NEW HIRES MICHAEL MURPHY: Senior Director of Global Supply Chain. Michael will be responsible for overseeing all logistic related activities including ocean freight, trucking, and warehousing/fulfillment and provide day-to-day guidance to the department’s team members. LINDA JOHNSON: Camerican Sales Representative Linda will support us with new sales and manage existing accounts. AMANDA ALEMAN: Camerican Intern. She will be working part-time focusing on various administrative projects over the next few months. TAO VORABOUTVONGSA : KHI accountant. Tao will be responsible for accounts receivable, inventory, month-end close, and other finance-related projects.
CAMERICAN SODEXO CANNED FRUIT LAUNCH We are proud to announce a canned fruit product launch with our customer Sodexo, a French food service and facility management company who serves many sectors such as schools, hospitals, corporations, government agencies, etc. Available in foodservice cans (6/10) and 4 oz cups, some new product varieties include pineapple chunks/sliced/tidbits, tropical fruit salads, mandarin oranges, fruit cocktails in light syrup/ heavy syrup/ pear juice, mixed fruit cups, peach cups, pear cups, mandarin cups, and strawberry peach in strawberry gel cups, to name a few. We are proud of the relationship we’ve built with Sodexo and look forward to what the future holds!
KAREN HOPKINS & JIM KOPPLE RETIRE AFTER 39 YEARS AT CAMERICAN On September 13th, we celebrated the retirement of two cherished employees, Karen Hopkins and Jim Kopple, both of whom have been with Camerican for close to 40 years! The retirement party was held at Biaggio’s in Paramus and consisted of a happy hour with passed h’orderves, a buffet dinner and desert. Larry Abramson gave a heartfelt speech at the end of the night speaking about their many accomplishments and achievements at Camerican throughout the years. Karen and Jim have both been an integral part of the Camerican family, Karen with Support Services and Jim in Marketing and Labeling. Although Jim will be working through the end of this year, Karen has officially left the company. Karen had been with Camerican for 39 years, and her departure marks the end of an era. She began working as a secretary and through her loyalty, dedication and extraordinary work efforts became the VP of Support Services. We are indebted to her vision and commitment for propelling us to our present position in the industry. Although we will miss her, she has more than earned the right to spend more time with her loved ones. Join us in wishing her all the best in the next chapter of her life!
KHI SOURCES CACTUS FOR THE FIRST TIME
KHI is collaborating with Tropical Smoothie on a new project involving a new product: cactus. The product is called nopal but is better known to Americans as prickly pear. Nopal is promoted for treating diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity and hangovers. It is also touted for its antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. The project between KHI and Tropical Smoothie Café is for a test run on a new smoothie the company is considering.
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GELLERT GLOBAL GROUP
FINICA NEW HIRES GIOVANNA VARRICCHIONE Giovanna joined the Finica Sales Team on August 7th, 2018 in the newly created position of Senior Business Development ManagerItalian
SNOWDONIA VISITS THE FINICA TEAM
JOHN FORNEAR
The Snowdonia Cheese Company joined Finica Food Specialties for three successful days of business planning and key retailer meetings. Snowdonia treated the Finica team to an afternoon of team building in true Canadian style at a local ax throwing range.
Welcome John Fornear to Finica as our new V.P. of National Sales. John’s first day will be Tuesday October 15th.
FINICA HOSTS A WELLNESS SEMINAR On September 21st The Finica staff enjoyed a health and wellness seminar hosted by Allison Madigan. The workshop focused on gut health and its relation to overall vitality. Allison discussed the importance of and how to improve nutrition, movement, sleep, resilience (stress management) and connection.
CEMOI WORKSHOP August workshop - Bakon USA in Torrance, CA. Bakon is an equipment supplier that we have partnered with in the past. The workshop was focused on chocolate confections with Cemoi chocolate. Several Swiss Chalet Fine Foods customers from Southern CA were in attendance.
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SWISS CHALET NEW HIRES
TRAININGS & SHOWS
AUTUMN KRULEWICZ : LRN VEGAS ROCCO PASCALE: CA SALES HELENE SEMMEL: NY SALES MEAGAN TUTTLE: LRN HOUSTON DAVIDE BALDINI: MENU REPRESENTATIVE TOM SEELING: LAS VEGAS SALES JOE DUBOIS: BOSTON SALES YOISSY JIMENEZ: TERRITORY SALES REP. MARTIN MEDEROS: MARKETING
Food Vendor Day at Ocean Reef Club, Key Largo
ASSISTANT
WAREHOUSE AUDITS Congrats to Johnny and his Houston team on scoring 99% on the Avendra audit. Congrats to Marco and his California Team on scoring 98% on the Avendra Audit. A special thank you to Maria Cristina Villabon for making this happen!
Carma Training- The Florida Team!
Sales Support Team Training on our product lines.
Congrats to Gellert South Warehouse Team on DISTRIBUTION CENTER FOOD SAFETY QUALITY SYSTEM
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GELLERT GLOBAL GROUP
GELLERT GLOBAL GROUP PERSONAL NOTES CO N GRAT S TO T H E W RIGH T FA MILY ON T H E BIRT H O F BA BY ME A DOW Bryan Wright, from J.F. Braun, daughter, Meadow Abillar Wright was born on August 4th, 2018 weighing 6 LBS 11 OZ !
CO N G R ATUL ATI ONS H ELE N AV E LL A O N A B AB Y B OY Helen Avella from Atalanta Grocery had her first child! JAMESON VINCENT AVELLA BORN SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 AT 11:48 PM 9 LBS 2 OZ
OUR FIRST I NT ER N A L I NS TAGR A M CO NT ES T W I NNER! To introduce our new Mifroma Campaign “How Do You Fondue,” Mifroma’s Fondue cups were given to Atalanta Headquarter employees. Each employee had the opportunity to post a “How they would Fondue” picture on Instagram. Dominick Solazzo won for most original post. He received a massive basket of Mifroma fondue kits and a fondue pot. Perfect for the fall!
DO YOU HAVE UNIQUE STORIES TO SHARE?
The Giving Team wants to highlight our employees that take time to work with nonprofit organizations, mentor children or volunteer at their local charities. Inspirational stories and acts of kindness can make a difference in the lives of people. We want to share these stories with everyone. Please send information to: givingteam@gellertglobalgroup.com
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