What doesn’t beat you only makes you stronger. Sure, it’s a cliche but at least in Vistar’s case, Kelly Saad says it applies. “We’re an even stronger organization now than we were before COVID-19,” she tells Blueprint in September. “We’ve learned a lot of lessons, including how to do more with less.” As president of […]
Case Studies Chief Executive Officer
Brian Loffredo – Loffredo Fresh Foods
Est. reading time: 4 mins
Giuseppe Loffredo and his family had only been in the U.S. for a year when he founded the Loffredo Fruit and Tobacco Co. in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1892. He cultivated land to grow tomatoes and other vegetables he sold to hotels, restaurants and even U.S. Army soldiers stationed in the Midwest. It was a […]
Jay Brigham – Pecan Deluxe Candy Company
Est. reading time: 4 mins
A sprinkle of praline caramel pecans atop a scoop of fresh strawberry ice cream can strike the perfect balance between salty and sweet, crunchy and smooth, on a hot summer’s day—or even a chilly winter’s one. J.C. Brigham had the same idea over 70 years ago when he started making not only ice cream, but […]
Derek Clark – CRS OneSource
Est. reading time: 4 mins
When a steakhouse needed a new oven but couldn’t afford it because business had slowed during the COVID-19 pandemic, CRS paid for it and provided a financing plan. Then, it installed and serviced the oven. According to Derek Clark, the owner and vice president of CRS, or Clark Restaurant Service, this was just business as […]
Josh Beckett – Anna’s House
Est. reading time: 4 mins
Josh Beckett didn’t start off as the owner and chief executive officer of Anna’s House—he came in 2004 because he loved the food and the atmosphere. In 2005, a year after his first meal and not wanting the business to close, he purchased the business from Becky Miller, who was no longer interested in owning […]
