The NJFPA Stradley Ronon Food Forum

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In this episode, Bill Cornelius, Senior Commercial Banker at M&T Bank speaks with Alex Baloga, President and CEO of the Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association. They talk about what food industry issues the PFMA is prioritizing this year and the cautious optimism of their fall legislative conference.

In this episode, you will hear about PFMA's three pillars of advocacy, education and communications. How they connect members with PA laws and legislators similar to NJFC in NJ. How changes in consumer behavior have affected the food industry.

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Welcome to Season 3 of the NJFPA Stradley Ronan Food Forum! NJFPA member Whitepenny is a brand strategy and digital communications powerhouse. At our 2021 virtual conference Travis Coley, Managing Director at Whitepenny, and co-founder, Jon Cofsky talked about how their relationship with the Severino Pasta Company has grown and developed. Today they sit down with Alyssa Davis from Advanced Food Products and Pete Severino from Severino Pasta Company to see how the landscape has changed.

Peter Severino, President, Severino Pasta Company: Peter currently leads Severino Pasta Company, a second generation business, in collaboration with his brother Louis, as its President. He is responsible for setting the vision of the company, leading product development and go-to-market strategy. Under Peter and Louis's stewardship, Severino Pasta has transformed from a regional supplier of fresh pasta, to a multi-channel, national manufacturer of fresh and dried artisanal pasta and associated products. As President, Peter has purposefully crafted a brand that is not only true to the family’s roots, but can also support and sustain a national footprint. Peter melds brand and growth strategy seamlessly. As a result, hundreds of SKUs are now carried coast-to-coast via Whole Foods Market and sold online through AmazonFresh, Purple Carrot, Blue Apron, among other channels. In recent years, the Company opened a national distribution facility and completed the buildout of a new production operation to support the expanded brand footprint. Peter and his wife Jennifer are active in the community promoting philanthropy and commerce throughout South Jersey. They are the proud parents of son Luca and daughter Lola, third generation members of Severino Pasta Co.

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Welcome to the eighth episode of Season 2 of the NJFPA Stradley Ronon Food Forum Podcast. In this episode, Bill Cornelius, Senior Commercial Banker at M&T Bank speaks with Coryanne Mansell, Client Services Strategist at the Center for EcoTechnology (CET). They talk about their services matching businesses with solutions, NJ laws to be aware of, and how easy it is to get started making changes today.

Guest Bio:

Coryanne Mansell is the Client Services Strategist at the Center for EcoTechnology (CET). Cory supports CET’s Wasted Food Solutions efforts by leading stakeholder engagement processes and providing on-site technical assistance to businesses and institutions. She currently serves as Chair for the Outreach Committee for the Young Professionals of the US Composting Committee, and the Chair for the Education and Outreach Committee for the NJ Composting Council chapter.

Coryanne has a B.S in Environmental Policy and a B.A in Planning and Public Policy from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and a Certificate in Sustainable Business from McIntire Business Institute.

Listeners will hear:

CETs 40 year history as a non-profit helping organizations save time, energy, and money. 2:29
The public goals and grants that help them offer consulting services for little to no cost to businesses. 4:12
NJ’s current food waste laws may not apply to you now, but planning ahead can put you ahead of the game. 5:21
Success stories of how organizations are seeing changes and savings in their business. 10:25
The matchmaking they do between businesses and service providers. If your business provides services that support ESG goals (recycling, solar, waste, etc) make sure CET knows about you. 16:24

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Welcome to the seventh episode of Season 2 of the NJFPA Stradley Ronon Food Forum Podcast. In this episode, Nicole Stover, Employment Lawyer and Partner at Stradley Ronon, speaks with Melissa Eckstein, District Career Facilitator, Gateway 2 Careers. They talk about relationship building for workforce development, innovative partnerships, and inspiring success stories.

Guest Bio:

Melissa is passionate about developing symbiotic relationships between education and workforce. Having cultivated partnerships with 150 businesses and counting, she has created career opportunities for students, as well as workforce development prospects for companies.

Melissa proudly serves as Vice-Chair for Mid Atlantic States Career & Education Center, Gloucester County Workforce Development Board, and on the NJFPA Education Committee.

Listeners will hear:

The Gateway 2 Careers approach to career planning across 7th to 12th grades.
What false stereotypes about workforce issues could be holding your company back.
What key partner you need to find new talent and how to rethink your job postings.
Strategies for long term talent retention and growth.
Success stories from her students and companies doing it right.
Shift your mindset to selling your company to gain a workforce.

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Welcome to the sixth episode of Season 2 of the NJFPA Stradley Ronon Food Forum Podcast. In this episode, Bill Cornelious, Senior Commercial Banker at M&T Bank, speaks with Christina Renna President & CEO at the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey. They talk about CCSNJ’s work in Trenton, connecting business communities across regions, and her forecasts for the food and beverage industry in South Jersey.

Guest Bio:

Christina Renna currently serves as President & CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey. In this role, Ms. Renna oversees a nine person staff and has direct oversight of the Chamber’s work in public policy, membership growth, member retention and overall member experience. Ms. Renna joined the Chamber in 2007 and served as Director of Government Affairs through early 2010. She returned in 2014 as Vice President, then rose through the ranks as Senior Vice President before taking over the helm of the organization in January of 2020.

Ms. Renna’s past work experience also includes government affairs and communications work at South Jersey Industries and as a legislative aide to former- Assemblyman John C. Gibson of New Jersey’s First Legislative District.

In 2010, Ms. Renna was proud to be named as one of SJ Biz Magazine’s first-ever list of rising stars in the South Jersey business community. Additionally, in 2019, 2020 and 2021, Ms. Renna was listed on NJBIZ’s Power List as one of the most powerful people in New Jersey’s business community. In 2020 and 2021, she was also named to the ROI-NJ Influencers Power List of statewide association leaders, and in 2021 she was named to the first-ever ROI-NJ Women’s Power List among the top 50 most powerful women in business in New Jersey.

Listeners will hear:

The benefits of association membership and the wide variety of programming they offer.
CCSNJ’s expertise in lobbying Trenton and what might change with the new Senate President.
How connecting small and large businesses in the region together is a win-win for the NJ economy.
What changes she has seen in the business landscape of the last few years - COVID, new businesses, the great resignation.
The rising trend in the South Jersey food and beverage industry.
How it is possible to get a degree both from St Joe’s and Villanova.
How Christina stays current on important issues in NJ.

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Welcome to the fifth episode of Season 2 of the NJFPA Stradley Ronon Food Forum Podcast. In this episode, Craig Peck, Senior Manager of Business Development at Rutgers Food Innovation Center, speaks with Jessica Schwabach, co-founder and CEO of Sundial Foods. They talk about cutting-edge technology, plant-based foods, and unexpected entrepreneurship.

Guest Bio:

Jessica Schwabach is the CEO of Sundial Foods. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley. She combines her love of scientific exploration and her desire to help food systems sustainably meet protein demands to create healthy, innovative meat alternatives.

Listeners will hear:

How a chance meeting and class project turned into cutting-edge technology and a new business.
The strength of academic incubators in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.
Technology and food innovation are exciting, but the foundation of a strong company is people.
How Sundial is building their company and culture of innovation.
The surprise of coming from the California biotech world to the practicalities of food safety at Rutgers FIC.
Advice she would give a new entrepreneur and where Jessica gets the latest news on plant-based food industry news.

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Welcome to the fourth episode of Season 2 of the NJFPA Stradley Ronon Food Forum Podcast. In this episode, Bill Mandia, Partner at Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, speaks with Luke Bowen, co-founder and president of Evil Genius Brewing. They talk about the many surprises and pivots along his professional journey.

Guest Bio:

An article on BreweriesInPA.com starts off by saying that “when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade; Evil Genius Beer Company founder Luke Bowen did just that when he took the economic crash of 2008 and created a brewing company. Bowen fell in love with beer from an early age as he was exposed to quality craft brewing through his father, an avid beer fan himself.

After going to college and securing a job Bowen was safe and financially stable, but wasn’t fulfilled – “I had my degree and the fancy job after college that you’re supposed to get and I just wasn’t happy at all” the article continues.

Today, Evil Genius is one of top 250 breweries by volume in the US, with distribution in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Outside of Evil Genius, Luke has Co-Authored Academic Papers which have been published Internationally on Advertising Strategy, Market Research Best Practices, and Corporate Social Responsibility.

Listeners will hear:

How recessions can be the best time to start a business.
How COVID changes affected packaging, distribution, and supply chain.
Luke’s biggest surprise at what his MBA didn’t prepare him for.
The benefits of switching from glass to aluminum.
How he is planning on taking advantage of this “transitional time” to strengthen his business.
That the human side of the business is just as crucial as the nuts and bolts.

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Welcome to the third episode of Season 2 of the NJFPA Stradley Ronon Food Forum Podcast. In this episode, Bill Mandia, Partner at Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, speaks with Shawn Knechtel, director of the New Jersey region for Smith Brothers Insurance and current NJFPA secretary- treasurer. They talk about recent changes in the insurance market and the potential for insurance to be an investment through group captives.

Guest Bio:Shawn Knechtel began his insurance career in 1992 with the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies. In 1998, Shawn joined Widerman & Company as Vice President, earning into a principal position with the organization within a few years, partnering with Bob Widerman to grow and lead the agency. His responsibilities include working directly with customers to assist in their risk management and financing efforts, heading the commercial insurance division and general agency management duties. Widerman & Company became part of the SmithBrothers Insurance family in 2017. Shawn is now Director of the New Jersey Region and a Principal of Smith Brothers.

Shawn received his bachelor’s degree from Franklin & Marshall College. He has earned his Associates in Risk Management designation (ARM) and is a Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC). He’s also a longstanding Board Member of the NJ Food Processors Association.

Listeners will hear:

The difference between the traditional insurance market and alternative captive markets where businesses take a larger role in managing their insurance experience.
The roles of the different players: the reinsurers, the guarantors, and the independent insurance broker.
The governance of captive insurance programs, where the ownership lies with the members, the businesses who are sharing in the risk.
The pros, cons, and risks of joining a group captive insurance plan and how long it takes to see the full benefits.
Viewing insurance as an investment rather than an expense.
What factors (not just COVID) Shawn says are behind current high insurance prices.

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Welcome to the second episode of Season 2 of the NJFPA Stradley Ronon Food Forum Podcast. In this episode, Bill Mandia, Partner at Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, speaks with Dan Kilcoyne, president and CEO of Mini Melts Ice Cream. They talk about starting a business as a teenager, that investing early in support services is worth it and why to always read the manual first!

Guest Bio:

Dan, as a freshman in high school (Father Judge High School-Philadelphia, PA) started his business career along with his brother, Shawn, who was a senior at the time.

As President/CEO of Mini Melts Ice Cream. Dan has grown his business from a local Philadelphia upstart to national distribution with tens of thousands of locations. His company has corporate operations in 14 locations with their main manufacturing facility in Norwich, CT and corporate headquarters located just outside of Philadelphia, PA. Dan's company has partnerships with some of the largest venues and retailers in the world with millions of people purchasing Mini Melts each year. A pioneer in the Automated Retail and DSD Space, Dan has uniquely positioned Mini Melts Ice Cream to be a manufacturer, distributor, last mile supplier, and in some cases a retailer of a ultra temperature sensitive, cryogenic product.

Personally, Dan serves on numerous non-profit boards with a special interest in entrepreneurial education. He currently is Vice Chair of the Friends of Father Judge High School and serves as a Trustee for Holy Family University. Dan is a recipient of two good citizenship awards from the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives and Philadelphia City Council.

Listeners will hear:

How he had to get a ride from dad to his first business pitch.
The benefits and pitfalls of starting a business as a teenager.
Why you should always read the manual first!
On backfilling your distribution route.
How they gradually expanded the scope of the business from sales to manufacturing and more.
Experiences with a variety of distribution models: hand cart, brick and mortar storefront, vending machines, and direct store delivery.
How to stay nimble and avoid supply chain disruptions.
That investing in good support services [attorneys, accountants, etc.] will save you in the long run.

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Welcome to the first episode of Season 2 of the NJFPA Stradley Ronon Food Forum Podcast. In this episode, Bill Mandia, Partner at Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, speaks with Mary Ellen Peppard, Vice President of government relations for the New Jersey Food Council. They talk about wading into the details of regulations, the effects of some upcoming laws, and tips on building relationships with lawmakers.

Guest Bio:

Known for her vast industry knowledge and her innate ability to build coalitions, Mary Ellen Peppard is a key player in the New Jersey food processing industry. For the last nine years, Mary Ellen has been with the New Jersey Food Council, where she currently serves as Vice President of Government Relations. At the Food Council, Mary Ellen plays a leadership role in formulating policy positions for legislative strategies on priority issues. She also advocates on behalf of the Council on legislative and regulatory issues that impact the food retail and distribution industry.

Prior to the NJFC, Mary Ellen was Assistant Vice President of Government Relations at the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. She has a masters of public affairs and politics from the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. Mary Ellen has always been named on numerous lists of top influencers in Trenton and the New Jersey state government.

Listeners will hear:

NJFCs efforts around workforce development, policymaking, connections within the Departments of Labor and Human Services, and more.
Her role in translating the effects and challenges of different policies to lawmakers.
Upcoming packaging use laws going into effect soon, balancing all the players, exceptions, and details of the industry.
News on the "Bag Up New Jersey" public education campaign.
Mary Ellen’s thoughts on how the upcoming election might change the legislature.
Tips to build relationships with your community and legislators before an issue arises.

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Welcome to the tenth and final episode of Season 1 of the NJFPA Stradley Ronon Food Forum Podcast. In this episode, Todd Von Deak, Assistant Executive Director of NJFPA, speaks with Haskell Noah, Founder & President of Yo’s FroYo Bites. They talk about social media, family business and breaking into the food processing industry from the outside.

Guest Bio:

Yo’s FroYo Bites was born from 10 years of non-stop R&D at Haskell Noah’s home food lab in Queens, New York. A true family business,Yo’s FroYo Bites was named after his son Yosef. Haskell is a passionate supporter of apprenticeship pathways to success and the use of social media to connect directly with consumers. You can find him most often on Instagram at @yosfroyobites.

Sustainability issues have always been a priority for Yo’s FroYo Bites. Their food supply chain was developed from the ground up with a top priority of eliminating supply waste from production line to retail and on through consumer consumption. Their goal is to be completely vertically integrated by 2035.

Listeners will hear:

What the food processing industry looks like through a fresh new entrepreneur's eyes.
How the food processing industry and family businesses can be especially suited for apprenticeship pathways to success.
How social media gives entrepreneurs brand building opportunities that never existed before.
How to bring your authentic self to your brand and build community around it.
Haskell’s experience working with the Rutgers Food Innovation Center.
On the value of trade shows and trade magazines to new entrepreneurs.
What Haskell loves about working from home in a family business, and advice he would give for making it work.

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Welcome to the ninth episode of the NJFPA Stradley Ronon Food Forum Podcast. In this episode, Bill Mandia, Partner at Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, and Bill Cornelius, Senior Commercial Banker at M&T Bank speak with Jason Dabrow, President and COO of Chelten House Products. They talk organic and other food trends, how COVID changes can benefit private label, and the pros and cons of working in a family business.

Guest Bio:

The fourth generation to continue the Chelten House legacy, Jason Dabrow has more than 15 years of experience in the food manufacturing industry. Jason started his career in the New Jersey plant taking on a variety of production roles of increasing responsibility. In 2013, Jason led the greenfield startup of the Las Vegas facility and went on to direct the site’s operations for three years. In 2015 he returned to New Jersey to take on his current role of chief operating officer where he is responsible for national manufacturing, supply chain, quality/food safety, distribution, and engineering.

Jason received his B.S in Agribusiness Management from Penn State University and holds an MBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Association of Dressings and Sauces and is a member of Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO).

Listeners will hear:

How an early interest in organic foods got Chelton House a foot in the door with “relative startups” Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.
How private label has evolved from cheap 2nd best to innovation leaders.
Jason’s observations on private label trends - health, quality, and ease of use.
How COVID shopping changes could mean big benefits for private label products.
Pros and cons of a family run business.
Reflections on maintaining an entrepreneurial spirit of risk taking at a large scale.
Hiring advice: focus on company culture, in-house training and advancement.
The challenge and benefit of staying ahead of customer growth.

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Welcome to the eighth episode of the NJFPA Stradley Ronon Food Forum Podcast. In this episode, Bill Mandia, Partner at Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, speaks with Jared Cannon, Founder and CEO of Simply Good Jars. Bill and Jared talk about COVID causing a 98% sales loss and how they bounced back, hiring and the Shark Tank.

Guest Bio:

Jared brought his concept for Simply Good Jars to life by taking a huge risk and leaving an 18-year career working for celebrated restaurants and growing fast-casual eateries. Simply Good Jars was founded in 2017 in Philly, has been featured on Season 12 of Shark Tank and is in the midst of expanding to towns all across the United States.

To give you a bit more of Jared’s background, here’s his introduction, taken directly from simplygoodjars.com:

“Working full time and studying to earn my MBA at night – eating a meal usually meant something fast, easily available, and often unhealthy."

"My fast-food choices had me feeling guilty, tired, and never satisfied. I realized that this wasn’t a challenge for just me – that there was an incredible need outside of traditional eateries for faster, healthier, food options that are actually delicious…so I took the leap.”

Listeners will hear:

How a personal problem turned into a business opportunity.
How COVID caused them to instantly lose 98% of sales and upended their entire business model - but focusing on their values and strengths led to a natural pivot.
Redefining what “profit” means for an organization.
Company culture that has made hiring fast and employees highly motivated. “We’ve never written a job description.”
Jared’s almost missed opportunity on Shark Tank.
Jared’s predictions for future changes in the food industry.

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Welcome to the seventh episode of the NJFPA Stradley Ronon Food Forum. In this episode, Todd Von Deak, Assistant Executive Director of NJFPA, speaks with Jon Cofsky, co-founder and creative director at Whitepenny. Todd and Jon talk about how your brand is more than your logo and the importance of personalization and storytelling for your business.

Guest Bio:

Whitepenny is a full-service brand and web development firm. With a focus on helping their clients gain competitive advantage and generate long-term value, Whitepenny presents a seamlessness in both message and brand, in turn building a stronger and more unified voice for each of our clients. Their expertise in identifying a company's core message and delivering that message through a consistent aesthetic language has produced results for clients ranging from non-profits to food processing companies.

Jon is the co-founder and Creative Director of Whitepenny. Jon sets the strategic direction of Whitepenny and aids companies all over the world in strategy and design. Additionally, Jon leads the project management team. Jon’s firm has a strong presence in the food processing industry, working with a client roster that includes Severino Pasta Company, Steve’s PaleoGoods, and J&J Snack Foods.

Listeners will hear:

How the pandemic has accelerated trends and development.
The importance of personalization and storytelling for your business.
How food processors who hadn’t had a digital presence before can bring the things that made them stand out in person to a larger digital audience.
Branding is much more than just your logo.
How branding in the food industry is different from other spaces.
How a brand can evolve with the environment.
How getting your ideas, your story out into the digital world can help make smaller businesses competitive with larger brands.
How to position yourself at every stage - startup, early stage, mid stage, mature.
Why networking is the number one piece of advice Jon would give his younger self.

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Welcome to the sixth episode of the NJFPA Stradley Ronon Food Forum. In this episode, Bill Mandia, Partner at Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, speaks with Kelsey Stockton Commercialization Planner at Lassonde Pappas and Company. Bill and Kelsey talk about younger perspectives on food and packaging trends and how to develop the next generation of food processors.

Guest Bio:

Kelsey Stockton joined Lassonde Pappas as a Commercialization Planner nearly two years ago while graduating from Rutgers University with a Bachelor’s degree in Food Business in May 2019. Past work experiences include working at a local Farmer’s Market in customer service and the Rutgers Food Innovation Center - Bridgeton as an intern then “promoted” to a part-time project management assistant throughout high school/early college. While being a student of her high school agriculture/food science program, Kelsey made it her mission to become a working member of the food industry.

Listeners will hear:

How an internship at the Rutgers Food Innovation Center and attendance at the NJFPA Spring Conference set her on a path to a career in food processing.
How the COVID shut down affected her differently as a brand new professional.
What trends in both food and packaging she has seen at Lassonde over the last year that she thinks will last past the pandemic.
What younger professionals bring to the food processing industry.
How the food processing industry can attract more young talent to the field.
Her forecasts for the role of private label brands.

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Welcome to the fifth episode of the NJFPA Stradley Ronon Food Forum. In this episode, Bill Mandia, Partner at Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, speaks with Matt Topley, the Founder & President of Lansing Street Advisors. Bill and Matt talk about wild financial markets, advice for new entrepreneurs and why financial planning is paramount.

Guest Bio:

Matt Topley, Founder & President of Lansing Street Advisors, oversees the delivery of investment, personal finance and life strategy advice to the firm’s clients. During an accomplished 25-year career in finance, Matt ran trading for a $1.5 billion hedge fund, created and ran a concentrated stock fund and helped found a $50 million private real estate fund that closed over 60 transactions in five years.

Prior to founding Lansing, Matt served as partner and chief investment officer at Fortis Wealth, a family office that serves ultra-high net worth entrepreneurs. Earlier, as a partner at Turner Investments, Inc. he dramatically expanded the capitalization of one of the busiest mutual fund trading desks in the United States.

In addition to overseeing day-to-day operations of Lansing Street Advisors, Matt writes the daily View from the Top blog, an industry research newsletter covering market trends and technical analysis. He is the author of the forthcoming book: "Top 10 Money & Life Considerations for Millennials," and frequently appears in The Philadelphia Inquirer, US News & World Report, Advisor News, The Street.com and other national media outlets.

Matt earned a Bachelor of Arts from Holy Family University, an MBA from LaSalle University and a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. He is chairman and investment committee chair for BLOCS and a board member and investment chair for Holy Family University.

Listeners will hear:

Why the current financial situation is the ‘wildest cocktail he’s ever seen in his life’.
Why it is still mostly good news for the food processing industry.
What has changed in the financial industry over the last year and what changes will last.
Advice for entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurial life cycle: Wonder, Blunder, Thunder and Plunder.
Forecasts on the Mergers & Acquisitions market.
Advice for family owned businesses long term planning.
Lansing Street’s process with new clients.
Why 'investing is a psychology game, not an IQ game.'

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Welcome to the fourth episode of the NJFPA Stradley Ronon Food Forum. In this episode, Bill Mandia, Partner at Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, speaks with Roger Falloon, Chief Operating Officer of Chickie’s & Pete’s restaurant company. Bill and Roger talk about legendary Philly institutions, saying yes to hard decisions and the past, present and future of Chickie’s & Pete’s.

Guest Bio:

Roger is the Chief Operating Officer of the iconic Chickie’s & Pete’s restaurant company, with multiple locations throughout the region (and beyond) including Philadelphia’s major sport venues. He is an experienced C-level executive who has incredible skill and understanding consumer purchase patterns in order to maximize sales and profitability in a cost effective manner. Prior to Chickie's and Pete’s, Roger held a number of positions within Rita's Italian Ice including serving as their Vice President of Operations, and he has been a major contributor to the growth and success of both brands which are staples of the NJ food community.

Listeners will hear:

How local networking brought Roger to Chickie’s and Pete’s
The history of the Chickie’s and Pete’s brand
Chickie’s and Pete’s initial response to the COVID pandemic shut down
Roger’s thoughts on what they would have done differently
What changes and lessons from the last year Chickie’s and Pete’s will keep
Roger’s career advice to new professionals

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Welcome to the third episode of the NJFPA Food Forum. In this episode, Bill Mandia, Partner at Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, speaks with Nolan Lewin a member of the NJFPA Board and Director of Operations for the Rutgers Food Innovation Center. Bill and Nolan talk about the FIC and how its capabilities for both large and small companies give NJ food processors an advantage.

Guest Bio

Nolan Lewin is a member of the NJFPA Board, contributing expertise and relationships to the success of the organization’s work. Nolan joined the Rutgers Food Innovation Center in April 2018 as the Director of the Piscataway Facility. Shortly thereafter, he was assigned additional responsibilities as Director of Operations for both Bridgeton and Piscataway facilities. The Food Innovation Center at Rutgers University is a unique food business incubator and accelerator that is a unit of the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES). The Center supports established early stage entrepreneurs and existing food companies from concept to commercialization.

Nolan’s previous experience includes several Plant Manager positions with Hanover Foods, Stay Fresh Foods and LiDestri Food and Drink. He has also owned retail markets, restaurants, catering facilities and cheese operations over the past 30 years. Of note, Nolan and his wife continue to own and operate a food truck.

Nolan is Food and Beverage HACCP certified (Seafood Lead Instructor) PCQI Lead Instructor, FSVP Lead Instructor and has performed in over 12 BRC, SQF and 3rd party audits. He holds a Bachelors of Arts degree from Rutgers in Communication and Information.

Listeners will hear:

How the Rutgers FIC was started as a community investment in local economic development.
How the pandemic first slowed operations, then bounced back busier than ever.
What the Rutgers FIC has to offer startups: including ingredient analysis, packaging, sample runs and more WITHOUT taking any IP.
What the Rutgers FIC has to offer large companies like Conagra: including testing new recipes, packaging, and processes without taking time and space away from manufacturing facilities.
Nolan’s predictions about what food innovation will look like over the coming year.

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Welcome to the second episode of the NJFPA Food Forum. In this episode, Bill Mandia, Partner at Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, speaks with Roma McCaig, VP of Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability at Campbell Soup Company and keynote speaker for NJFPA’s 2021 Annual Conference, about ESG: environmental, social and governance strategy and why it is important to every business large and small.

Guest Bio
Roma leads Campbell's corporate responsibility and environmental sustainability strategies and programs at the company. Campbell has received national and global recognition for its efforts in this area, including being named to Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s 100 Best Corporate Citizens list for 10 consecutive years, receiving a perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index nine times, being named to the “Global 100” Most Sustainable Corporations five years total and appearing on multiple indices including the FTSE4Good Index and the MSCI Index Series.

Roma joined Campbell in January 2017 as Vice President, Operations and Continuous Improvement, and most recently held the position of Vice President, Procurement Business Operations and Strategy where she was responsible for managing the Campbell Global Procurement function’s core processes, performance metrics and IT systems. In that role, she worked closely with the Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability team to develop and implement supplier-related corporate responsibility and risk management strategies, including responsible sourcing.

Prior to Campbell, Roma held leadership roles in business operations and operational excellence at Uber, Citrix Systems and Kaiser Permanente Roma earned her bachelor’s degree in communications and advertising from the University of Tennessee. She also earned her Master of Business Administration in management from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

And a special note...Roma was just named to GreenBiz’s “25 badass women leading corporate climate action list” for 2021.

Listeners will hear:

What is “ESG” and what does it mean to small and large businesses
ESG as a company culture
How has COVID impacted ESG initiatives at Campbell
Networking and Relationship building during a pandemic
Roma’s three key lenses to use to focus on specific ESG areas for your business
Teasers for Roma McCaig’s keynote talk at the NJFPA Conference

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Welcome to the first episode of the “NJFPA Food Forum”. In this episode, Bill Mandia, Partner at Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, speaks with Mark Macellaro, Senior Human Resources Manager at Campbell Soup Company and NJFPA Board President, about the New Jersey Food Processors Association, its history and members, upcoming programming, and the partnership with Stradley Ronon.

Guest Bio:

Mark Macellaro is the President of the New Jersey Food Processors Association (NJFPA) and is a Senior Human Resources Manager at Campbell Soup Company. He is a US Army veteran with extensive experience within the HR field to include employee relations, management/ leadership development, coaching, instructional design/ facilitation and employee development at companies such as Lassonde Pappas and Stryker Corporation.

Mark earned his Master’s Degree in Human Resources and Employee Relations from Pennsylvania State University and is also a Certified Change Management Practitioner (CCMP), a certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR), and is a certified StrengthsFinder, MBTI, and OAD coach.

Mark is also actively involved in developing the food industry as he’s previously served as the employer-lead in the NJ Food Processors Targeted Industry Partnership and as the President of the NJFPA, actively drives the Association’s goals through Education, Resource Sharing and Networking.

Listeners will hear:

The story behind this podcast’s creation.
A little history about the NJFPA & its membership.
Changes the industry and our members have experienced this year.
The upcoming NJFPA April Conference.
NJFPA's Industry Benchmarking Survey.

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The NJFPA Stradley Ronon Food Forum: Recent Episodes

New Jersey Food Processors Association