Last Chance to Order March/Happy Feet Point of Sale
March National Frozen Food Month is just around the corner. NFRA has many specially-designed point of sale items for March including some featuring the Happy Feet characters. You must order now for delivery by March. Download the POS catalog or call NFRA for details.

Less than 50 Spots Remain for Retail Executive Conference
Join us April 30 – May 2 at the Tempe Mission Palms, AZ, for an in-depth look at the latest industry and consumer trends. The 15th Annual Retail Executive Conference will feature an all-new agenda with more interactive sessions and group discussion. This small, informal Conference is the perfect place to make personal, lasting contacts. Space is limited so register now!

Will You have a Winning
Promotion in March?
You could be the winner of the prestigious Golden Penguin Award for the best merchandising effort during March Frozen Food Month. Document the planning and execution of your promotion to enter in the competition. First place winners will be recognized at the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Convention in San Antonio this October. Complete rules and entry form are available to download or call NFRA for a brochure.

Membership Directory
and Annual Report
NFRA recently published its 2007 Membership Directory and 2006 Annual Report. The Membership Directory is a desktop reference with a complete listing of all NFRA members and their contact information. The Annual Report provides a state of the association review for the last year and includes a special report by Mintel on frozen and refrigerated trends in European markets. All members receive a copy of the Annual Report and the two key contacts for each member company receive a Membership Directory. Both publications will be arriving shortly in the mail.

Make a Splash for June Dairy Month
Catch the Cool Wave this June Dairy Month with a tie in to Sony Pictures’ June 8 theater release of Surf’s Up. Use the equity of these fun penguin characters to create excitement and drive traffic in the aisles. NFRA is developing an Idea Book and POS catalog with new items featuring the Surf’s Up characters. To kick off the promotion, a two-page FSI will drop in newspapers on June 3 and feature a $7,500 consumer sweepstakes. Begin planning now and remember June Dairy Month offers another opportunity to compete for the Golden Penguin Award. The Idea Book and Golden Penguin rules will be available shortly.

Heat Up Ice Cream &
Novelties Sales in June and July
Participating in the Summer Favorites Ice Cream & Novelties event is a great way to promote these key categories during their peak season. NFRA will hold a $100,000 online instant win game for consumers. A Retail Display Contest will promote the instant win game and offer members another opportunity to win the prestigious Golden Penguin award. Special Point of Sale materials are also available to support the display contest.

NFRA Offers No Cost Streaming Video for Your Web Site
The Cool Chef Video Library includes 12 videos featuring a cook preparing recipes using frozen and refrigerated foods. Consumers can then print a shopping list and recipe from the video player. Use this streaming video on your web site to increase visits while driving consumers to the frozen and refrigerated food aisles. There is no cost to members for production or hosting of the videos. For more information contact NFRA at 717-657-8601. Videos will be available in the next couple weeks.

2007
Convention Set
for San Antonio
The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Convention has been set for October 13-16, 2007 at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter. Plan now to attend this important business meeting which allows manufacturers and retailers to meet one-on-one. Save your precious time and money by attending the Convention that lets you meet with multiple companies in one place, in just a few days. Look for more information and registration in March.

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

Advance Brands, LLC
www.advancebrands.com

Mr. Cookie Face
www.cookieface.com

National Food Brands Marketing
631-952-0845

SUPPLIER

Buel, Inc.
www.buel.com

United Trading, Inc.
www.unitedtrading.net

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 industry and government standards, and strictly adheres to the Code of Recommended Practices for the handling and merchandising of frozen & refrigerated foods.

RENEWAL

Merchants Terminal Corporation
1811 Cabin Branch Drive, Landover, MD

US Cold Storage of California
2003 South Cherry Avenue, Fresno, CA

Newly appointed to the NFRA Board as a Director is Dan Maloney, Director of Frozen Foods/Dairy for Publix Super Markets, Inc. and as an Advisory Director, Rob Cohen, VP of Perishable for Bozzuto’s, Inc.

Giant-Carlisle/Tops CEO Tony Schiano is retiring after 34 years with the retail conglomerate. The company named Carl Schlicker as the new CEO. He has served as Giant-Carlisle/Tops’ EVP sales and marketing since 2000. In his new position Schlicker will report directly to Lawrence Benjamin, COO of Ahold’s U.S. operations. Over 20 years he has worked at several Ahold companies in a wide range of operational and commercial roles.

Big Y recently announced that in the latest round of its Education Express Program, which ran from September 2004 to June 2006, it supplied over 2,000 schools across Massachusetts and Connecticut with more than $3.5 million in teaching materials and educational equipment. Items received included dictionaries, pencil sets, playground balls, books, calculators and color TV’s to name a few. Since the program began in 1994, the program has awarded over $11 million dollars in free supplies and equipment to area schools.

Food Lion LLC along with the U.S. Environmental Agency and vendor-partner Hill Phoenix recently helped showcase Green Refrigeration Technology. Food Lion’s Mount Pelier, VA store is among the first to use a natural ingredient as the coolant in its refrigeration units. The store will use Hill Phoenix’s Second Nature Advanced LT system, which uses CO2 gas – instead of refrigerants – as the secondary heat transfer fluid. CO2 is a natural component of the environment, is inexpensive and readily available, and has excellent thermodynamic and transport properties, according to the parties involved.

Lamb Weston® introduces Tantalizers® Mozzarella Sticks and Stuffed Jalapenos. Tantalizers Mozzarella Sticks are made with 100% certified Wisconsin cheese and the Italian Breaded Mozzarella Sticks feature a kitchen-made look and promise true Italian flavor. The “plump” Stuffed Jalapenos use real cheddar and cream cheeses. With zero grams trans fat these items would make a great appetizer. For more information: www.tantalizers.com

Lamb Weston® Brand Oven Roasted Potatoes provide a wholesome, convenient and flavorful alternative to french fries. Available in a variety of flavors including: Rosemary & Garlic Redskin Dices, and for a low-fat, baked potato texture offer Oven Roasted Russet Wedges, Concertinas® and 3/8” Seasoned Regular Cut Fries. Serve them alongside sandwiches and entrees or as a unique appetizer served with dipping sauces. For more information: www.lambweston.com

ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston was recently awarded the 2006 Foodservice Spirit of Innovation Award presented by Prepared Foods Magazine and Ventura Foods Inc. for the company’s revolutionary My Fries Gold french fries. Lamb Weston put forth a winning effort to develop My Fries Gold – a new french fry that delivers superior taste and texture, 24% less fat, 0g trans fat and oil cost savings up to 25%. The team’s development of the i3 Advantage™ system was the key to their success. For more information: www.lambweston.com

Golbon, Boise, Idaho announced the addition of Douglas Companies, Inc. as a new distributor member. Founded in 1973, Douglas Companies has become a major distributor in the convenience store channel servicing accounts across the entire state of Arkansas and into Texas and Louisiana. Douglas Companies’ future plans are to integrate foodservice products into their wide variety of product offerings over the next several months. For more information: www.douglascompanies.com

Preferred Freezer Services of Westfield, MA, has opened its 16th location nationwide. With 7.5 million cubic ft. of freezer space, Westfield can assure customers of the same superior services they have become accustomed to nationwide. Throughout 2007 Preferred Freezer plans to open facilities in Philadelphia, VA, GA, TX, FL and a sixth facility in CA.

RFID Journal LIVE! 2007 will hold its 5th Annual Conference & Exhibition April 30 – May 2, 2007 at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, Orlando, FL. Get everything you need to put RFID to work today at the world’s largest RFID conference & exhibition.  The event features 5 tracks focused on using RFID in key industries: retail/consumer goods, health care/pharmaceutical, defense/aerospace, manufacturing and transportation/logistics. Plus 8 pre-conferences and CompTIA RFID+ training & certification. The 86,000 sq.-ft. exhibit hall will feature the largest showcase of top technology providers.  Special Walt Disney World™ Resort vacation packages available.  For more information: http://www.rfidjournal.com/live2007/

Roundy’s Supermarkets Inc. has purchased five Jewel Osco stores located in the Milwaukee area from Supervalu Inc. The locations will be converted to Pick ‘N Save stores and will be temporarily closed during renovations.

Three new varieties of South Beach Diet® food from Kraft offer convenience and great taste. Frozen wraps and three flavors of new Snack Bar Delights join the line of more than 50 South Beach Diet Foods. New wrap varieties include: Chicken Monterey, Herb Chicken, Teriyaki Steak, and the South Beach Diet Snack Bar Delights new varieties include: Chocolate Raspberry, Chocolate Mint and Peanut Butter. The complete line of South Beach Diet foods, based on the principles of the best-selling diet, include items for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack time. For more information: www.southbeachdiet.com/kraft or http://www.southbeachdiet.com/

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.