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The Tedeschi family name has been a mainstay in supermarkets and convenience stores for more than 50 years and the Tedeschi family has operated their businesses with a commitment to their employers, community, and family.
A third generation family business, the roots of the family in retail date back to when Angelo Tedeschi came to the United States, and the family settled in Rockland, MA, still home today of the corporate headquarters. Angelo was working in a shoe factory in 1923 when he started a meat and provisions business out of the basement of his home.
Angelo eventually opened a store and had five children – Ralph, Nick, Etta, Will and Bob, all of whom worked in the store. After the Second World War, Ralph opened his first supermarket in Rockland, and Ralph’s brothers and brother-in-law Charlie Fitzgibbons, Sr. joined him in the business and developed the Tedeschi Supermarket chain, which later sold to Stop & Shop in 1960.
Four years later, the family began Angelo’s Supermarkets, a trademark name on the South Shore in Massachusetts. Named after the family patriarch, it became the leading supermarket chain in Plymouth and Barnstable Counties. Supermarkets were closed on Sundays, and the family recognized the opportunity for convenience stores to fill the gap and provide fill-in grocery shopping.
The company purchased Curtis Farms Supermarkets in 1972, which included 25 convenience store locations, and grew to over 200 stores with the acquisition of Lil Peach and Store 24.
Growth has not diminished the family nature of the business. Charlie Fitzgibbons, president, proudly said, “Being involved in a family business is great. I’ve grown up with my cousins, socialize and work with them. Our parents instilled in us that family is first, everything else is second, and we try to maintain that philosophy with our employees. |
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Scott Hartman, president and chief executive of Rutter’s Farms Stores of Pennsylvania, started in the C-Store business when he was 12 years old, cleaning shelves and packing produce, and was paid 5 cents an hour for every year old he was. Working summers for the family business as he attended school, he received his BBA in accounting from George Washington University and his MBA from Duke University. Upon graduation, Scott worked for Price Waterhouse for 7years, then returned to Rutter’s Farm stores as CFO, then vice president of operations before being appointed president in 2000.
As president and chief executive officer, Scott is often a requested guest speaker, discussing U.S. trends, global influences and the new marketing frontiers in the convenience store world. Scott’s knowledge and invaluable experience has allowed him to play a significant role in the success of NACS, where he has served as chairman, and where he presently serves on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee.
“Working with food people is just so enjoyable and rewarding, truly some of the best people you could ever meet,” said Scott, who continues to be involved in many local boards and causes, “but I could never had had the time to do any of the things without such a loving and supporting family.”
“Rutter’s just completed its fifth consecutive record sales and profit year. We’ve been on quite a roll and our outlook for 2008 remains very positive.” An industry leader and observer, Scott recognizes “the way we touch our customers and interact with them is changing dramatically in the new ‘connected world. |
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Barry Berman, Executive Vice President of Stop &
Shop, has been inducted as a charter member into the
Food Industry Hall of Fame for his leadership and innovation
at Stop & Shop Supermarkets and its subsidiary,
Bradlee’s Department Stores, and has been a key
figure in their growth and success since 1967.
Born in Boston, Mr. Berman graduated from Northeastern
University. Following service in the Armed Forces, he
joined Stop & Shop’s business office, becoming
Assistant Controller in 1972 and subsequently Manager
of Administration. In 1974 he was assigned to the chain’s
New Jersey division as District Manager, returning later
to the Boston headquarters as a Manufacturing Manager.
In 1984, he was selected to lead the winning Connecticut
Division of Stop & Shop, and later was part of the
internal team which created the company’s Super
Stop & Shop division.
In 1990, Barry was selected to manage Stop & Shop’s
sister company, Bradlee’s Department Stores, initially
as Senior Vice President for merchandising and marketing,
and then as President the following year. He led Bradlee’s
public offering, ultimately serving as CEO and Chairman
of the Board of Bradlee’s 130 store chain with
annual revenues of $2.2 billion.
Following a brief “retirement”, Barry was
welcomed back by Stop & Shop to help face the challenges
facing traditional food retailers from drug, convenience
and box stores in the critical role of Executive Vice
President. |
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Lester Cohen started in the food business when he was just 5 years old, helping to load boxes for his father, Israel Cohen, and his partner Abraham Siegel, who founded C&S in Worcester, MA in 1918.
Leaving the family business during World War II, Lester served as a navigator on a B-24 Flying Fortress, flying 42 missions over the Philippines and Okinawa. Lester rejoined his father at C&S after the war and immersed himself in the business, always with an eye for new opportunities to modernize and streamline procedures and operations.
Lester quickly became the top C&S salesman, obvious to everyone he met that his warm and friendly manner was a major asset. His cordial and agreeable approach to every retailer he called on resulted in a rapidly growing customer base as more and more store operators signed on to work with C&S.
Sometimes characterized as “too nice a guy”, he responded that "I was persistent as I could be. I tried to be nice to all the customers, but made a pain in the neck of myself with them until they agreed to buy!"
In addition to the remarkable achievements associated with growing a business which today has annual sales in excess of $20 billion, 21,000 employees, and is the second largest food wholesaler in the country, Lester is just as proud of his 66 year marriage to his wife, Norma.
Truly a legendary individual, Lester continues to believe that the retailer always came first, and he has never wavered from that philosophy. |
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Without question, Rick Cohen has been responsible for the tremendous growth of C&S Wholesale Grocers to the point where the Keene, N.H., firm is now the second biggest wholesale grocer in America with more than 60 facilities in 14 states and more than 21,000 people on the payroll.
In 2006, Forbes Magazine ranked C&S as the seventh-largest privately held company in the United States. Sales exceed $20 billion, with more than 18 million square feet of warehouse space containing thousands of products for chains, independents, and military bases in many parts of the nation.
Rick joined C&S in 1974 when the company"s sales volume was $14 million. He was the right man at the right time for the company, which was at a crossroads of its business development. C&S has been acknowledged as a "leading edge" company, with innovation a key to its growth, as Rick pushed new strategies grow sales.
Rick's business cards say he has "Braggingly Happy Customers," and that claim is confirmed by many retailers. Despite his intelligence and success in steering the business on the right course, Rick is happy to share his success and credits his people for his good fortune.
Rick acknowledges that the vision for his life has been to try to be the best at something: "I always wanted to work with good people and I have a vision for great things. We want to be the best supply company in the world but we have to keep getting better. We don’t want to settle for just being good." |
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Calvin Tom Griffith, founder of Golden Pantry Food Stores of Athens, Ga., and former president of the Georgia Assn. of Convenience Stores and the National Assn. of Convenience Stores, is the first Southeast convenience store inductee into the Food Industry Hall of Fame.
Golden Pantry Food Stores, Inc. is a private corporation that operates 53 Golden Pantry convenience stores and one Discount Depot in Georgia. The company has been in business since 1965, and is headquartered in Athens, Ga.
Nineteen of the locations include Mimi’s Deli, which offers breakfast featuring fresh homemade biscuits. Lunch and dinner items are also available for take-out. The company’s Discount Depot concept sells only the most popular items typically found in a convenience store at great discounts and has a walk in Cigar Humidor. Golden Pantry also operates its own distribution center, Golden Valley Farms.
In 1974, Mr. Griffith saw the need for a professional organization to promote growth and cooperation among convenience operators in Georgia, thus the Georgia Association of Convenience Stores was born. In 1981, Mr. Griffith was elected president of the National Association of Convenience Stores and has also served as a member of the Board of Directors.
Mr. Griffith served in the United States Navy and attended the University of Georgia. He and his wife of 52 years, Mimi, have four sons and eight grandchildren. |
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John MacDougall, co-founder of Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes of Canastota, N.Y., and one of the key founders of the New York Assn. of Convenience Stores (NYACS), is one of the first charter convenience store inductees into the Food Industry Hall of Fame.
Many industry experts have call Mr. MacDougall a “builder extraordinaire.” Many have said that he builds fantastic convenience stores; successful business enterprises; top-notch team; strong bonds with customers; franchisees and employees; and also builds partnerships with suppliers, government, and the community.
Mr. MacDougall is a native of Cleveland, Ohio, and decided in 1971 to move to the upstate New York region. He has been involved in the convenience store industry since 1966 and founded Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes, Inc. in 1980 with two other partners.
Today, Mr. MacDougall is the owner, president and chief executive officer of Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes. This business has grown to over 80 stores in the upstate area and employs over 1,500 people.
Besides his role in founding NYACS, he is a past chairman of the organization, a former member of the board of directors of the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) in Washington, D.C., and a national convenience store Hall of Fame inductee in 2003.
A resident of Oneida, N.Y., Mr. MacDougall and his wife Elaine have four children and four grandchildren. Both Mr. MacDougall and his wife, Elaine, have been involved in a number of community projects over the last 25 years. |
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John
"Brian" McCarthy, President of Kelly’s
Roast Beef, has been inducted as a charter member into
the Food Industry Hall of Fame. His selection reflects
the 55 years of quality food service and customer friendly
atmosphere personified by Kelly’s restaurants
started under his father and continued, expanded, and
improved under his leadership. Kelly’s today is
a New England tradition with a range of venues and a
varied menu of top quality food.
Mr. McCarthy started with Kelly’s on Revere Beach
when he was 13 years old taking the train from Dorchester,
Mass. on weekends during the summer months, and during
school vacation. Brian returned to the family business
following his service with the Navy Seabees in Vietnam.
Brian said, “My proudest accomplishment is not
screwing up my father’s and his partner’s
business. When my dad had a stroke in 1982, he was unable
to explain all the details of the business, and I had
to learn by trial and error."
Brian has frequently noted that his dad, Frank McCarthy,
knew what customers wanted in a time when food quality
wasn't that important. “In my father’s mind,
every customer was the most important person to him,
and he excelled in food quality and portions. He always
believed that if you gave them enough good product,
they would return…. and so they have!” |
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Known as a respected mentor and teacher to many who have advanced their food careers, Bob Moore started in the grocery business in 1959 as a package clerk. When Bob and Ed Crenshaw moved to Atlanta, GA in 1992 to start a new division, he felt it was one of the “best compliments ever paid to me by my company.”
Bob had the opportunity to start from the very beginning in transferring, hiring and promoting Publix associates, and from that launch developed what is now the largest division in terms of number of stores within Publix. Publix today is one of the 10 largest volume supermarket chains in the U. S., with sales in excess of $21.7 billion, 915 stores, and 142,000 employees.
Ed Crenshaw, president of Publix, offered high praise regarding Bob’s recognition by the Food Industry Hall of Fame, “ Bob is certainly worthy of this level of recognition. He has been a tireless servant – to our customers by working to exceed their expectations, and to our associates by being the mentor and teacher that advanced their careers.”
Bob is well known throughout Marietta, GA for his civic contributions to the community and church. Bob is also well known for his contributions within the food industry, having served as past chairman of the Georgia Food Industry Association, where he is a director.
Bob credits his success to many people. “I could literally write a book on all the people who have touched my life and contributed to whatever success I have been able to enjoy. To them, I will always be indebted. |
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Dave Murdock, executive vice president of Honey Farms, Worcester, Mass., continues to play key roles in his company and in the New England Convenience Store Assn. (NECSA) Mr. Murdock is one of the first charter convenience store inductees to the Food Industry Hall of Fame.
Mr. Murdock started his career in the retail food sector in the mid 1960’s, working for McCracken Markets and Iandoli Supermarkets. He started his career at Honey Farms as a store manager in 1976. In 1978 he became one of the company’s first store supervisors, overseeing 15 locations. He worked himself up the chain from merchandising specialist to his current position as executive vice president and part owner of the company.
Mr. Murdock has been very active in NECSA for over 20 years and has served on many committees and panels. Most recently he served a 2 ½ year term as NECSA’s president and the association saw strong expansion during his term as president.
Mr. Murdock and his wife, Lynn, have been married for 30 years and reside in Holden, Mass., a suburb of Worcester. They have three children, David Jr. (28), Patricia (25) and Michael (18).
He said his proudest accomplishment over his career was when he was elected as NECSA president. “Working with this organization for over 20 years has helped me become a better leader in my company. The networking, idea sharing and educational opportunities have enabled me to grow while the legislative experiences have opened my eyes to a whole new world,” said Mr. Murdock. |
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Joe Piantedosi, Jr., executive vice president of marketing for the Piantedosi Baking Company, is as well known for his work with the Mass. Restaurant Assn., the New England Food Service & Lodging Show, his work for food safety and inspections, and his work for many charities and community programs, as he is for his many accomplishments for his company, a well known institution throughout the New England restaurant industry. Joe is involved with the Northeastern University Family Business Center, the Malden Chamber of Commerce, Winchester Hospital, a director and guardian of St. Anthony’s Shrine in Boston and hosts a cable show, “Malden This Week” on Malden Community Cable TV. He is also a frequent guest of TV Diner’s Billy Costa and does a segment, “Family Matters” as part of New England Business Day on NECN. Joe started with the company, founded in 1916 by his grandfather Salvatore Piantedosi and known as the “Midnight Baker” for delivering breads and pasta anytime day or night, when he was ten years old, and graduated from Boston College in 1983. Joe credits his grandfather and his father, Joseph Sr., for his success. “What I have learned from them is how to be a good manager, a good salesperson, a good business person, and also how to be fair and treat people right.” Joe is very proud that the American Institute of Baking (AIB) has given the Piantedosi Co. a superior rating in its annual inspection the last dozen years, and he is equally proud of the company’s facility and its quality of products. “We take food safety, quality, and inspections very seriously,” said Mr. Piantedosi. |
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Connecticut’s Dave Rowe Sr., owner of The Davidson Co., is a pioneer in the New England specialty food distribution trade. Known for his hard work and dedication, a common sense approach to business, and a friendly disposition, he purchased the company in 1974. The company has grown over 33 years to include 175 employees and the distribution of more than 4,000 products.
Mr. Rowe began in the food business at a young age, pulling a wagon around the Meriden, Conn. neighborhood selling fruits and vegetables. As a young man, he also worked at a tobacco farm, peddled newspapers, and eventually worked for First National in many job capacities over a 22-year period including 11 years as a store manager.
In the fall of 1973, Mr. Rowe learned of an opportunity to purchase a food distribution company in N. Haven, Conn., a five-employee, two-truck operation called the E. Robert Davidson Co. Both Mr. and Mrs. Rowe went from bank to bank trying to secure a loan and were often rejected but they never gave up. With the help of the Small Business Administration, the Rowes were able to purchase the company and changed the name to the Davidson Co. Inc.
The business grew through the expansion of product lines and the acquisition of four other small distributors in Connecticut. The Rowe’s raised six sons, all of whom have worked for their father in every function of the business.
Through their involvement in many charitable and food groups, the Rowe family name is very well known and respected in Connecticut. |
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A food theater in a convenience store. How many owners would shut down their operation, reinvent the company, and continue to look at how their operation will look 10 and 20 years into the future? Steve Sheetz, chairman of Sheetz Inc of Altoona, Pa. is this kind of creative thinker.
Sheetz currently operates 334 stores in six states – Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina – and employs more than 11,000 people. With 2006 revenue exceeding $3.5 billion, Sheetz ranks at number 79 on the 2006 Forbes list of Top Private U.S. Companies.
The first Sheetz modern facility debuted in June of 2004, a 10,000 square-foot restaurant which offered a broad menu prepared in a food theater where customers watch as employees in white chef coats prepare their selections. The facility also features dine-in options with indoor and outdoor seating for more than 100 customers, the first touch screen drive-thru, digital menu boards, touchless bathrooms, and gas islands with pay at the pump capability.
Mr. Sheetz is a 1965 graduate of Altoona Area High School and a 1969 graduate of the Pennsylvania State University where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in business management. He also completed the owner/president management program at Harvard University. Upon graduation from college he became supervisor and director of operations for the four Sheetz stores in operation. He has served in the management of the Sheetz organization ever since. Mr. Sheetz is a past chairman of the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS). |
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Lydia
Shire, Chef Owner of Locke Ober in Boston, has been
inducted as a charter member into the Food Industry
Hall of Fame. Ms. Shire is renowned in the Boston restaurant
industry for her culinary knowledge and restaurant management
expertise.
Since the passing of the late Julia Child, Lydia has
helped to lead the way for other women to follow in
culinary direction and restaurant management. Ms. Shire
has a unique flair and love for cooking professionally,
while also raising a family.
In April 2006, Lydia was one of Yankee Food Service’s
Women of Influence selections and described her job
as the following: “I do now what I have done for
the last 34 years. Study, read, write menus, cook each
new dish, teach the cooks how to cook a dish, watch
them execute the dish, critique, help, watch the entire
kitchen operation alongside my incredible chef de cuisine,
Mario Capone. I speak with guests in the dining room
and various other public relations opportunities and
do a lot of charity work. Then I do it all over again.
I love it all!”
A graduate of the Cordon Bleu in London, Lydia’s
first mentor was Julia Child. Her proudest accomplishments
are her four children and “being respected as
a good cook and being known as a generous cook, who
wants the best for the customer. No, I will never have
the best food cost in the city, I will leave that for
others.” |
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Chris Tsaganis enjoys a unique position among restaurantuers, in that all that is needed is to say the name and everyone knows his restaurant, Christo's, that it is located in Brockton, Mass., and that it is the home of the Greed Salad King. Its namesake and owner, 81-year-old Chris Tsaganis was the first to introduce the Greek Salad to Boston's South Shore.
Chris was born in 1926 in Thoknia, Greece, and began his career working as a busboy. He served the Greek Army as an officer for three years, and when discharged, immigrated to Canada in the 1950s where he worked in restaurants, beginning as a dishwasher.
Chris moved to Brockton in 1955 and married Bessie Cappos. They first opened Peter's Lunch, and then opened Christo's in 1964. The late Mrs. Tsaganis, who designed all the restaurant menus, died in 1986.
If there was a key to his success, Mr. Tsaganis cited his family's everyday presence. "We stay on top of it. I worked in a delicatessen once and the owners gave me good advice. The restaurant is like your home. You don't invite people over for dinner and then go out and play golf and let the maid take care of it, because it is our home. You have to be here to take care of it," he said.
Christo's customers have enormous loyalty. "The kids I used to lift up into highchairs now bring their children – or in some cases, grandchildren," said Mr. Tsaganis proudly. |
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No frills is a term that easily describes both Calfee Company and Sam Turner, from their offices nestled between two picturesque foothills of the North Georgia mountains, to his enjoyment of simple pleasures amidst his deals and success in running the chain of 141 convenience stores known as Favorite Market and ComPac Convenience located in Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama.
After graduating from the University of Chattanooga, Sam spent years in the banking industry. In 1981 he joined his brother at Calfee Co, and served as chief financial officer until he became chief executive officer in 1989.
Sam’s down-to-earth, no nonsense values seem to carry through all of his endeavors, including running his business and serving as the 2006 – 2007 NACS chairman. Sam has also served as past chairman of the Georgia Association of Convenience Stores, served on the board of the Petroleum Convenience Marketers of Alabama and has been active with the Tennessee Oil Marketers Association.
Sam’s acknowledged biggest accomplishment in his 20 years with the company is his focus on “keeping his employees happy because it not only is beneficial to them, but it benefits the company too.” To Sam, they are family, and family means reaching out to help when needed.
Philanthropy continues to be a hallmark of Sam and Calfee Co. as well. In 2005, Calfee contributed a record amount of $218,700 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the single-largest contribution made by any convenience store chain.
“It’s an exciting business, and it’s something new every day…I’m never bored,” he said when asked what he loved about his job. “It makes me feel good when I get up every morning…just knowing I am doing something that I enjoy. |
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Danny
Wegman, CEO of Wegmans Markets, has been inducted as
a charter member into the Food Industry Hall of Fame.
Representing more than 30 years of leadership and innovation,
Mr. Wegman has been responsible for the success and
good citizenship of the Wegman chain
Mr. Wegman became the leader of the company following
the death of his father and former Chairman, Robert
Wegman, in April 2006. Among his proudest accomplishments
has been Wegmans national recognition in Forbes Magazine
as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For”
for 10 years running, ranking No. 1 in 2005 and No.
2 in 2006.
As CEO, Danny oversees one of the largest private companies
in the United States and is an acknowledged leading
retailer in the Northeast. Wegmans has been innovative
in new technology as one of the first retailers to develop
a company website allowing shoppers to browse weekly
specials, and a pioneer in bar-code scanning and electronic
discounting.
Danny and his family are renowned for their exceptional
levels of charitable donations to store localities and
food banks, as well as strong employee benefit programs,
especially scholarship sponsorships.
The Wegman stores have also been leaders in shoppers’
features and services such as Market Cafés for
in-store or take-out dining, Kids Fun Centers, Floral,
Coffee, Natural Food and Photo Shops, and a wide assortment
of international / imported products. |
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Hall of Fame Members
Click any name below to view profile |
TedeschiFamily
"Tedeschi's" |
ScottHartman
President and Chief Executive,
"Rutter’s Farms Stores" |
BarryBerman
Executive Vice President,
"Stop & Shop Supermarket Company" |
LesterCohen
"C & S Wholesale Grocers" |
RickCohen
"C & S Wholesale Grocers" |
CalvinT.Griffith
Founder,
"Golden Pantry Food Stores" |
JohnMacDougall
Co-Founder,
"Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes" |
BrianMcCarthy
President and Owner,
"Kelly’s Roast Beef" |
BobMoore
"Publix" |
DaveMurdock
Executive Vice President,
"Honey Farms" |
JoePiantedosi Jr.
Executive Vice President,
"Piantedosi Baking Company" |
DavidRowe Sr.
Owner,
"The Davidson Co." |
SteveSheetz
Owner and Chairman,
"Sheetz Inc." |
LydiaShire
Chef Owner,
"Locke Ober Restaurant" |
ChrisTsaganis
Owner,
"Christo's" |
SamTurner
Chief Executive Officer,
"Calfee Company" |
DannyWegman
CEO,
"Wegmans Markets" |
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