NFRA Past Chairman Rosemary Driebe Olofsson to be Inducted into the 2005 Frozen Food Hall of Fame

Rosemary Driebe Olofsson will be one of three newinductees into the Distinguished Order of Zerocrats’ Frozen Food Hall of Fame. Rosemary is the Executive Vice President of Pocono Produce Co., Inc. in Stroudsburg, PA, a broadline foodservice distributor. Rosemary has served on the NFRA Board of Directors since 1990 and currently is still active on the Past Chairman’s Council. She is a member of the Distinguished Order of Zerocrats and the Honorable Order of Golden Penguins. Click here for more details.

Last Chance to Order March Point of Sale

March National Frozen Food Month is just around the corner. NFRA has many specially-designed point of sale items for March, but you must order now for delivery by March. Click here if you would like to download the online catalog. NFRA is also offering new Hanging Aisle Signs. Large aisle signs feature appealing food photography and the Bring Us To Your Table! Freezer Favorites logo. Packaged as a set of 4 signs: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Dessert. Click here for the detailed flier and order form.

Retail Executive Conference Features Keynote Speaker from Kraft Foods Cheese & Dairy

NFRA’s 13^th Annual Retail Executive Conference, April 18-20 in Tempe, AZ, will feature many top industry speakers including Mark Zurcher, Vice President Marketing & Strategy for Kraft Foods Cheese & Dairy. Mark will present a manufacturer’s view point on the changing supermarket industry and what we need to do as an industry to capitalize on these changes. Attendance at the Conference is limited to the first 150 participants so register today. Click here for the detailed agenda and registration form.

March is the Perfect Time to Promote 5 A Day the Cool Way

The nutritious 5 A Day message can also be used in the frozen food aisle through NFRA’s The Cool Way to Get 5 A Day! promotional effort. This initiative strives to bring additional consumer awareness to the nutritious fruit and vegetable options in the frozen food aisle. As part of the Bring Us To Your Table! Freezer Favorites campaign, the 5 A Day effort works toward consumer education while benefiting the frozen food industry with increased sales. Point of sale materials with the 5 A Day message can be found in the March POS Catalog. Click here to download the online catalog.

Three Opportunities to Win a Golden Penguin

Nothing symbolizes promotional success like the most prestigious merchandising award in the industry–the Golden Penguin. NFRA now has three opportunities to compete for the Golden Penguin: March National Frozen Food Month, June Dairy Month and the June/July Summer Favorites Ice Cream & Novelties promotion. Now is the time to begin documenting all your plans for your March promotion to enter in the competition. Golden Penguin awards will be presented at a gala recognition banquet at the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Convention in October. Click here for the March Golden Penguin rules.

Get Ready for the 2005 Ice Cream & Novelties Event

NFRA will create excitement in the aisles during this June and July promotional event with a $30,000 consumer sweepstakes. A retail display contest will promote the sweepstakes and offer members another opportunity to win the prestigious Golden Penguin award for the best merchandising efforts. Special point of sale materials will be available to support the display contest. Participating in this event is a great way to promote these key categories during their peak season. Details on the contest will be mailed to NFRA members shortly.

NFRA Prepares for June Dairy Month 2005

The June Dairy Month promotion will receive twice the exposure in 2005. Two FSI’s will be dropped — one on June 5^th and one on June 19^th — to a 29 million total circulation. The FSI will announce the $7,500 Cool Favorites Sweepstakes which consumers can enter on the Bring Us To Your Table! website. To help members plan this month-long promotion, NFRA is developing an Idea Book and POS catalog. June Dairy Month point of sale will incorporate the Bring Us To Your Table! Cool Favorites logo and showcases the "cool" penguin mascot. Click here for more details on the 3^rd annual June Dairy Month promotion.

National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Convention Detailed Agenda Available

NFRA has been busy planning the 2005 Convention to be held October 8-12 in San Francisco, CA. More information will be mailed to all members and previous attendees next month. You can now find the detailed agenda and registration form online. Click here for more on the Convention

NFRA Welcomes Our Newest Members

Please welcome the companies listed below who have met the qualifications of membership and have joined the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association.

Manufacturer

Stremicks Heritage Foods, LLC
www.stremicksheritagefoods.com

Recent Certificate of Excellence Recipients

The Certificate of Excellence, the highest operational award in the frozen and refrigerated foods industry, signifies that a facility conforms to the highest standards, and strictly adheres to the Code of Recommended Practices for the handling and merchandising of frozen & refrigerated foods.

Renewal

US Cold Storage
33400 Dowe Avenue, Union City, CA

US Cold Storage
2901 Eunice Avenue, Orlando, FL

US Cold Storage
2540 Shader Road, Orlando, FL

US Cold Storage, Inc.
419 Milford-Harrington Highway, Milford, DE

New

Hanson Cold Storage Co. of Indiana
220 W. Ewing Avenue, South Bend, IN

SYSCO Corporation announced that Delmer A. Schnuelle has been named executive vice president of Sysco Food Services of Sacramento, Inc., a broadline foodservice distribution subsidiary located in Pleasant Grove, California. Schnuelle is currently senior vice president of that company.

Unified Western Grocers’ directors have elected Robert Lutz as vice president, procurement. In his new position, Lutz is responsible for all procurement activities associated with Grocery, Frozen and Deli food categories throughout the company.

Bakery Chef recently introduced New French Toast Sticks from Krusteaz®. With half the fat and 28% fewer calories and no trans fat, New French Toast Sticks are perfect for breakfast, lunch or snack time use. Available in Homestyle and Cinnamon flavors, four sticks provide two bread equivalencies. For more information: www.bakerychef.com

Krusteaz® Chef Supreme™ easy-to-prepare frozen breakfast products makes breakfast more special for your patrons. Grande Pancakes are made from fresh eggs, milk and other ingredients, griddled to a golden brown, then flash-frozen to lock in the flavor. Chef Supreme™ Thick ‘N’ Rich French Toast is dipped in a mixture of fresh eggs and buttermilk, with just a hint of vanilla. Available in Traditional or Cinnamon Swirl. Gourmet waffles are also available. For more information: www.bakerychef.com

Golbon announced the addition of Fresh Country Foodservice, Inc. of Longview, TX as a new distributor member. Fresh Country services independent restaurants and schools. To meet the growing demand among restaurant customers, Fresh Country plans to develop a wider base of foodservice products and programs. For more information contact: Pat Westley, (602) 840-8074

Hanson Cold Storage announced that after 50 years, the company is changing its name to Hanson Logistics. The announcement marks a significant milestone in the company’s plan to become a high value, technology-based logistics provider in the temperature-controlled market. Hanson provides complete transportation, warehouse and logistics services. The company operates 8 facilities in the central states and is headquartered in Benton Harbor, Michigan. For more information contact: Andy Janson, (269) 925-0091

Iceland Seafood Corporation has been acquired by the Blue Ice Group, a rapidly growing seafood entity headquartered in Reykjavik, Iceland. Effective January 31, 2005, Iceland Seafood has changed its company name to Samband of Iceland Corporation. The merger provides a direct connection to the Pacific where the company owns six long line factory vessels and one plant as well as five contract plants where they manage both production and quality control. Samband of Iceland Corporation will be led by Ævar Agnarsson, President and CEO, who has served at the Newport News facility since it opened seven years ago. For more information contact: Daniel Murphy, (757) 820-4011

SYSCO Corporation announced plans to broaden its distribution coverage with the construction of a "fold-out" facility in North Carolina. SYSCO has tentatively selected a site on U.S. Highway 70 By-Pass Frontage Road, which is located in Selma, North Carolina, in Johnston County. The new company is expected to be operational in the first quarter of calendar year 2006. The complex will include approximately 395,000-square-feet of refrigerated, frozen and dry warehouse space, as well as administrative offices.

Keep the industry updated about news and staff promotions at your company. NFRA will publish your company highlights monthly in the NFRA Update. Send your company news to us at info@nfraweb.org; via fax to (717) 657-9862; or via mail to NFRA, 4755 Linglestown Rd., Suite 300, Harrisburg, PA 17112.