The disruption caused by COVID-19 forced nearly every food distributor to rethink their supply chain. Derek Curtis of Körber examines four recent examples of how their clients adapted to the changes better than their competitors, and grew their market share as a result.

Sponsored by:

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ Editor-in-Chief Michael Costa talks with Vincent Free, chairman of the Controlled Environment Building Association (CEBA) about how the organization helps bring together suppliers, sub-contractors, builders and more, to move the thermal envelope industry forward through education and networking. They also detail how trends in e-commerce and last-mile delivery are fueling a cold storage construction boom.

Hear from JLS President/CEO Craig Souser about the latest pick and place innovations in the refrigerated/ frozen foods industries and how the new JLS Peregrine™   is sure to change the game of sanitary carton loading.

Sponsored by:

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ Editor-in-Chief Michael Costa sits down with Neil Russell, VP of corporate affairs at Sysco, to talk about the company's constantly evolving strategies to help foodservice customers pivot and survive during the COVID-19 pandemic. They also discuss how Sysco lent labor, inventory and truck capacity to grocery stores when the supply chain was thrown off balance due to consumer stockpiling, and how the company has worked tirelessly with food banks around the globe during the crisis, donating 30 million meals to date.

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ Editor-in-Chief Michael Costa discusses frozen foods' record retail sales and foodservice challenges due to COVID-19 with Alison Bodor, president and CEO of the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI). They also talk about AFFI’s efforts to protect workers along the cold chain during the crisis, changes in packaging to allow increased inventory and easier supply chain movement, and efforts to retain new frozen food customers after the pandemic.

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ Editor-in-Chief Michael Costa talks foodservice distribution and restaurant reopening after COVID-19’s complete disruption of the industry, with Jim Osborne, SVP of customer strategy and innovation at US Foods. Volume foodservice—restaurants, hotels, catering, schools, and more—accounts for approximately 1/3 of the food produced in the country. We also discuss US Foods’ sudden shift to retail distribution while restaurants were closed, and how pack sizes were (and were not) modified for store shelves.

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ Editor-in-Chief Michael Costa discusses strategies for marketing and promoting cold foods amid the COVID-19 pandemic with Jeff Rumachik, EVP and COO of the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA). They also detail the NFRA’s 75th anniversary plans, and the unforeseen coronavirus challenges to scheduled events and awards in celebrating that milestone birthday. (Intro and outtro guitar performed by Tad Wilkes).