Sign In
Free Newsletter
Attending Wakefern Food Corp.'s Own Brands Supplier Diversity Summit are (from left): Paul Patten, group vice president, Center Store; Kelly Hoagland, Specialty Grocery Procurement Manager; Chuck Joseph III, president and chief operating officer, Joseph Family Markets; Sandy Brown, executive vice president, Brown’s Super Stores; Pamela Ofri, director of Product Development Operations, Own Brands; Catherine Magistrelli, vice president, Dairy, Deli and Frozen; Rebecca Montemarano, lead innovation & marketing category manager; Elizabeth Swigert, Own Brands product manager, Dairy, Deli and Frozen; and Naz Cattelona, director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. - WAKEFERN
Attending Wakefern Food Corp.'s Own Brands Supplier Diversity Summit are (from left): Paul Patten, group vice president, Center Store; Kelly Hoagland, Specialty Grocery Procurement Manager; Chuck Joseph III, president and chief operating officer, Joseph Family Markets; Sandy Brown, executive vice president, Brown’s Super Stores; Pamela Ofri, director of Product Development Operations, Own Brands; Catherine Magistrelli, vice president, Dairy, Deli and Frozen; Rebecca Montemarano, lead innovation & marketing category manager; Elizabeth Swigert, Own Brands product manager, Dairy, Deli and Frozen; and Naz Cattelona, director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. - WAKEFERN
Wakefern announces winners of supplier diversity summit
Kimberly Redmond//August 30, 2023//
Wakefern Food Corp. recently revealed the winners of its Own Brands Supplier Diversity Summit, an initiative aimed at bringing new and unique products from private label manufacturers to supermarket shelves.
Held June 28, the Own Brands Supplier Diversity Summit was an opportunity for diverse private label manufacturers to present new and trending products for potential inclusion in Wakefern’s Bowl & Basket and Wholesome Pantry portfolios.
After putting out an open call to certified minority-, LGBTQ+-, women-, veteran- and disability-owned private label manufacturers looking to supply the Keasbey-based retail co-op’s popular private label lines, Wakefern received more than 50 applications representing over 300 products.
Finalists were then invited to pitch their products in person, while Wakefern chef Richard Giacalone and the Own Brands quality assurance team helped prepare the tastings for a test panel made up of member company representatives and co-op executives.
According to Wakefern, the winners are:
- Thai Culinary Arts Studio: a Maine-based, women-owned small business certified by Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) that is a leading producer of Thai sauces, both as branded specialty foods and private label products. Founded by Watcharee Limanon, an award-winning Thai culinary artist from Bangkok, the company manufactures high-quality gluten free, non-GMO and vegan products that reflect the best of Thai culinary traditions.
- Holic Foods: an Indiana WBENC-certified women-owned organization that was launched a decade ago by Frances and Tonio Torres, a husband-wife team, to meet the growing demand for clean-label, bold-flavor, globally inspired sauces, dips and condiments.
- Café Spice: a Hudson Valley, N.Y., minority-owned local food manufacturer rooted in Indian culture. Made using chef recipes, Café Spice prepares restaurant-quality meals for retail grab-and-go, foodservice and private labels.
The winners’ products will appear on store shelves under the Bowl & Basket and Wholesome Pantry lines in 2024 at the co-op’s banners, including ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Dearborn Market, Gourmet Garage and Fairway Market.
Wakefern initially launched the event last year as the Own Brands Supplier Innovation Summit before shifting focus in 2023 to diverse suppliers.
The 2022 picks were Delica North America (candy category), GlutenLibre (frozen appetizers category), The Perfect Bite Co. (frozen entrees category) and Prana Gourmet Foods (prepared foods category).
Bryant Harris, Wakefern’s chief merchandising officer, stated, “The winners of this year’s Own Brands Supplier Diversity Summit align with our core values of integrity, innovation and teamwork. We are excited to build on the success of last year’s Own Brands Supplier Summit with this second annual supplier event focused on finding diverse private label manufacturers. At Wakefern, we know embracing diversity fosters creativity and strengthens our product offerings and services.”
