It may be the title of President Barack Obama’s best-selling biography, but “The Audacity of Hope,” also is a phrase that applies to the current state of affairs in the refrigerated and frozen food industry.
Consumers aren’t the only ones who like new products. Many refrigerated food company executives also were looking for a new product - a report, in this case - from the Refrigerated Food Association (RFA).
Let’s face it: the phrase, “’Tis the season” applies to certain holidays but not certain topics. Forklift safety is a year-around, worldwide concern in any industrial setting, but that’s especially true in private and public cold storage warehouses where workers contend with the rigors of a harsh environment all year.
There’s an expression often used in sports and business endeavors, “Go big or go home.” The implication? Reap rewards by aiming high. Executives at The Dannon Co., White Plains, N.Y., may have had this motto in mind three years ago when they set a bold goal - double production by 2010 - but three years later, executives say the company is well on it’s on way.
Last year, employees at Orval Kent Food Co.’s Linares, Mexico, plant had a lot to celebrate. The 113,500-square-foot fruit processing facility marked its 20th anniversary and many of its workers have been with the company since it opened its doors.
It’s impossible to predict the future. But with a new $30 million plant, the veteran staff at Hill Country Bakery, San Antonio, Texas, is doing its best to prepare for whatever their clients may want tomorrow.
As if being the nation’s largest turkey processing operation isn’t
enough distinction, Butterball LLC’s Mount Olive, N.C., plant deserves
attention for several other reasons.
The first step to solving a problem is admitting that one exists. Although this first step can be a challenge, Mark Sandridge chief executive officer of Sandridge Food Corp. talks openly about the obstacles his company has faced in recent years.
With a name grounded in Hawaiian spirit, Kahiki Foods Inc. emphasizes authenticity in its Asian themed offerings including frozen egg rolls, spring rolls, potstickers, entrees and bagged meal kits.