Ever since the company was founded by Steven Gilfenbain in 1974, Stevco has been focused on one thing and one thing only: Growing and selling the highest-quality table grapes found anywhere in the world. And, as President Dave Clyde explains, that dedication has helped the company grow into one of the largest and most successful grape providers in the United States.
Based in Delano, Calif., Stevco distributes and exports grapes from some of the best grape-growing regions of the world. Clyde says the company runs nearly 4.4 million boxes of grapes each year out of California’s San Joaquin Valley, along with another 500,000 boxes annually from the Coachella Valley.
Although it’s a small, family owned company, Prime Pak Foods is impossible to ignore. As a manufacturer of breaded and non-breaded poultry products, such as filets, patties, tenders and nuggets, Prime Pak has stayed relevant in the industry by delivering solutions to customers before its competitors do.
“Our major strength is being able to help our customers develop new products – especially for those in the beginning stages,” President and CEO Todd Robson explains. “We can be a me-too company and make products just like Tyson or Pilgrims. But for the smaller restaurants and up-and-coming chains, we can help them develop new product and individualize their companies to compete with the larger restaurant chains.”
After 145 years in business, a company is bound to go through some ups and downs, but how it navigates through those transitions is what leads to ongoing success. S. Martinelli & Co. has had its share of highs and lows throughout its 145-year history, but the company’s flexibility in dealing with challenges has kept it strong since its inception in 1868. In fact, in recent years, Martinelli’s dealt with a major fire to one of its facilities and faced offshore competition, but its dedication to producing the highest-quality apple juices and a range of other premium products enabled it to remain a market leader.
The United States is becoming a nation of snackers. It can be healthy or indulgent, breakfast, lunch or dinner, but the point is that smaller, portable meals on the go are increasingly in demand. Along with companies forming to launch entirely new brands devoted to the snacking trend, many existing brands are adapting and expanding their product lines to meet this new trend, too. Such is the case with MaMa Rosa’s LLC.
From its sandy beaches to its lush tropical vegetation, Hawaii is known as a place of great natural beauty. It should stand to reason, then, that the state’s foodservice industry would take an active role in promoting natural and sustainable food. One of the leading voices in that movement in Hawaii is Hilo-based Kulana Foods, one of the state’s most successful slaughterhouses and processors of meat. The company has taken the ideas of sustainable and locally sourced food seriously, as its participation in initiatives such as the “Taste of the Hawaiian Range” agricultural festival demonstrate.
There are many manufacturers of key lime pie, but Kenny’s Great Pies Inc. sets the bar for quality, National Account Manager Catherine Anderson says. The company, which produces 6,000 pies daily, ensures the quality of each product through testing.
For instance, the acidity of the fruit in its key lime pies is tested before they leave its plant. “We are more than well-known for our consistency,” she says. “Nobody goes to the lengths that we do to test the items.”
When Mike Herbert created his all-natural, high-quality strawberry daiquiri and piña colada mixes in 1984, he targeted bars and restaurants as the venues most likely to want his product. The line quickly expanded beyond strawberry and piña colada, and today Island Oasis has 18 frozen flavors, including non-fat yogurt and ice cream, as well as an aseptic (shelf-stable) line of flavors. The company also has customers in a wide variety of food channels, ranging from colleges, universities and hospitals to leaders in the QSR segment.
Sprouts are not just for Asian cooking anymore. The healthy and nutritious legume is sprouting up at white-tablecloth restaurants, garnishing foods and sandwiches and serving as a major ingredient in salads.
Those unfamiliar with sprouts often are amazed at the variety of their flavor and textures. No longer the grassy, healthy stuff the uninitiated drown in salad dressing, sprouts can add spice to dishes along with color – for example, deep-red beet sprouts garnish steaks.
Search
Our Blog
Contact
Food and Drink Magazine
79 West Monroe St., Suite 400
Chicago, IL 60603
