Features Food & Drink

Growing quality tomatoes and nurturing the employees that grow them may seem separate enterprises, but Luis Pablo Calvo says they’re inextricably connected at NatureSweet in Mexico. “Our purpose is to transform the lives of agricultural workers in North America and our vision is to be the leader in the fresh produce industry by unleashing the […]

When Pamela McGee was hired to run the human resources department for a company that makes and sells desserts, she knew she’d have to learn about the manufacturing process and about the company culture. Turnover was a big concern, she says, and to get a better understanding of employee morale, she wanted to speak to […]

Retirement seemed beckoning two years ago for Al Carlson, but the amiable grandfather has been reenergized since his college football coach introduced him to Charlie Nelson, the third-generation owner of KLN Family Brands in the western Minnesota community of Perham. Nelson wanted to grow the family’s confectionery and pet food business into a billion-dollar company […]

Opened in 1985, Cerrejón is an active open-pit coal mine in Colombia valued at nearly $3 billion as of 2021. Despite its importance to the Colombian economy, Ricardo Gonzalez’s concern when he began working there was the employees and the surrounding community. As part of the mine’s environment, health and industrial safety division, Gonzalez focused […]

It took less than two weeks on the job as Catania Oils’ new financial controller for Mike Coutu to identify the one glaring weakness in the company’s process-efficiency efforts—other than using old plastic sight tubes to gauge Catania’s massive vats of olive and vegetable oils by eye, that is. “You could tell just by looking […]

Be it fresh or processed, whole or cut, organic or conventional, specialty or staple, produce brings out the passion in Anthony Bondi. It’s tasty, healthy and the source of what’s been a fulfilling livelihood for nearly three decades. “It’s in the blood, this enthusiasm for produce—might have something to do with my Sicilian ancestry,” exclaims […]

In many cities, they’re as ubiquitous a menu item as burgers or buffalo wings. Stuffed with chicken, pork or vegetables, steamed and pan-fried to crispy-brown perfection, pot stickers have become a bite-sized bellwether for North America’s growing love of Asian cuisine. Fine Choice Foods has played an outsized role in helping spur this trend since […]

Starbucks might be a competitor on the retail front, but Jonathan White doesn’t mind raising a cup to the Seattle heavyweight in all matters coffee. “They raised the expectation for a good cup of coffee and refueled a secondary independent wave of coffee shops, and for that we have to be grateful,” muses the executive […]

At the heart of Duncan, British Columbia, nestled in a small shopping complex barely a mile from the city’s vibrant downtown, sits The Community Farm Store (CFS). Combining farm-fresh produce, eco-friendly products and a litany of educational resources, the depot epitomizes the region’s back-to-the-earth ethos. You might say it’s all in the name. “The store […]

There’s more to Hooters than meets the eye, although most patrons of the restaurant chain would admit to being drawn to the sight of waitresses in revealing attire. Alejandro Solis certainly recognizes the visual aspect as a selling point, but as the holding company he leads, Grupo Dival, expands the iconic Hooters brand as well […]