This is my last magazine as editor-in-chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods, since I am moving over to R&FF’s parent publication, FOOD ENGINEERING. I have truly enjoyed my time at R&FF reporting on all aspects the cold chain, while being fortunate enough to cover the industry during its unprecedented transformation that continues today.

US Foods has earned our Foodservice Distributor of the Year Award not by going about its business as usual during perhaps the most un-usual time for foodservice in decades, but by transforming itself into a multi-faceted solutions source for its 300,000 clients to access anytime. The company’s longtime tagline is “We Help You Make It”, and that took on a whole new meaning in 2020.

Legacy Foodservice Alliance has announced Keany Produce & Gourmet, in Landover, Maryland, is the newest distributor member of the Richmond-based supply chain organization.

Sysco reported Q4 sales of $16.1 billion, an increase of 82.0% year-over-year. Gross profit also rose 86.2% during that time to $2.9 billion, reflecting the current rebound of foodservice as pandemic restrictions were gradually lifted throughout 2021. The overall numbers for fiscal year 2021 show a decrease in sales (-3%) and profits (-5.5%), since foodservice was still struggling to come back from Q1 to Q3 due to shutdowns for most of 2020.

Michigan-based foodservice management company Creative Dining Services (CDS) has promoted Susan Golder to VP of marketing and business development, and Jane Newton to associate VP of people services, both effective July 1. Golder was previously director of marketing at CDS, while Newton was director of people services. 

US Foods has launched its latest Summer Scoop, focused on the theme of “Dining Out Is In Again”, with 18 on-trend, versatile, profit-driving products designed to reduce back-of-house preparation and skilled-labor demands.

Sysco announced today it has entered into an agreement to acquire Greco and Sons, a leading independent Italian specialty distributor in the United States from Arbor Investments and the Greco family. Greco and Sons operates 10 distribution centers servicing 22 geographies nationwide, with approximately $800 million in annual revenue.

Sysco announced two new online toolkits to its Foodie Solutions platform. The Labor & Hiring and Summer Solutions Toolkits are the latest in a series of carefully curated tools to help foodservice operators succeed while generating additional revenue and meeting consumer expectations.

Sysco and Cargill, two of the world's largest food companies, announced a partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) that will help ranchers in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Kansas and Colorado tackle the impacts of climate change and improve grasslands and wildlife habitat by creating one of the largest sustainable beef cattle grazing efforts in the nation.

Sysco has announced the addition of three new toolkits to its Foodie Solutions platform: Brunch, Protecting Your Business and Turning Your Tables. As more restaurants reopen their dining rooms, these are the latest in a series of carefully curated tools to help customers respond quickly to shifting business requirements and trends resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.