Thank you, industry superstars
Editor-in-chief Marina Mayer dotes on industry superstars for their above-and-beyond efforts in producing food and beverage in a more sustainable manner.
In March, I celebrated my 6-year anniversary as editor-in-chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods. It was a job I started literally two weeks after being on a 12-week maternity leave. For those women reading this, I know… I’m crazy.
But, writing, editing, proofreading and putting together a magazine has always been my shtick. So, it was a natural progression for my career.
As a child, I always dreamed of writing for People magazine. I thought it would be my ticket to meeting some of Hollywood’s most coveted superstars (maybe Leonardo DiCaprio is reading this….). But, writing for a B2B publication works just as well, if not better.
What I never expected in a million years was how gratifying it would be to write about and meet the companies behind many of today’s cutting-edge innovations.
Everyone needs food to survive. So, it’s never going away. That’s why it’s imperative today’s food and beverage processors strive to produce the safest food possible for tomorrow.
But, in doing so, these same processors have also managed to make the world a better place.
Whether it’s through recyclable packaging, carbon footprint reduction, equipment that promotes operator safety or creating a pleasant work/life balance, the food and beverage industry is as much about corporate responsibility as it is about manufacturing foods and beverages.
I meet most of you at tradeshows. I attend your speaking engagements at conferences. I’ve even been fortunate enough to tour your facilities and interview you for stories. They may not be red carpet events, but who doesn’t want to meet the person responsible for developing some of this year’s Best New Retail Products?! (Look for the winners from this year’s contest in our July 2018 issue).
At the end of the day, I’m surrounded by industry superstars—ones who continue to innovate, build, brand, create and educate.
So, as editor of this publication and as a consumer of chilled and frozen foods (I’m a working mom with two always-hungry kids), thank you for making the world a better place. Thank you for creating initiatives that improve energy efficiency, not just the bottom line. Thank you revamping your packaging options, optimizing your fleet and re-working your manufacturing lines, so that our kids and their kids and their kids’ kids can live in a healthier environment.
And, of course, I’m always looking to recognize companies for their larger-than-life efforts, so be sure to visit our cover story awards page at: https://www.refrigeratedfrozenfood.com/nominationsforRFFawards, and nominate your company or a customer for an upcoming cover story opportunity.
