Specialty Food Magazine

SPRING 2015

Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.

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profile Braun, Tipico Cheese Products, and De Medici Imports. In addition to being vice president of Atalanta, Thomas Gellert heads the com- pany's cheese and specialty deli division. He also directs the Gellert Group's mergers and acquisitions activities, serves as presi- dent to the company's De Medici Imports and Finica Food Specialties, as well as the Cheese Importers Association of America, which lobbies for legislative and trade issues that impact the cheese industry. In short, he is in meetings and on the phone for much of the day. A Life in the Business "I think we have perspective on the perils of a third-generation family business," says Gellert of the company's success. "We are passionate about our jobs and the great people we have working for us. We've been able to adapt, changing many times over to the needs of the market and our customers." Gellert grew up in the food busi- ness (at age 42, he says he has 42 years of experience), working the company's freight elevator on summer vacations, doing store demos, and even trying his hand as a switchboard operator. "I made a disaster of that," he says, laughing. "It was too compli- cated for me." Taking time out for college and law school at Cornell, he worked on Wall Street as an attorney and investment banker before returning to the family fold in 2001. The best part of his job, Gellert says, is being able to work with his family. His father, brother, and uncle are colleagues. Years back, his grandmother helped forge relationships with suppliers by entertaining them at dinners. Gellert's mother, Barbara, performed a similar social role, though her primary occupation is breeding champion Labrador retrievers. "Right now she's on her way to the vet to take one of her dogs for a sonogram," he said on a recent phone call. "But she's the one who's really kept my father going." Gellert's sister, Amy, was active at Atalanta for many years before she started a family of her own. His cousin, Bill, is in the food business, too, running several franchis- es of Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries. "We drive each other, which creates a great energy," Gellert says of his family. "We are very competitive." Gellert lives in Manhattan, the main reason he is not up for the weekly 5 a.m. tennis matches his father, brother, and uncle play in New Jersey throughout the spring. The outcome of those matches "sort of sets the tone for the winners and losers of the day," Gellert says. While he's not part of the family tennis tournaments, he does join in on their annual Thanksgiving football games. Focusing on Growth To stay competitive in the business field, Atalanta is always expanding. It employs more than 200 people, a number that's almost doubled from 10 years ago. Twenty warehouses nationwide stock its imports, and the company recently purchased a 90,000-square-foot warehouse near the Elizabeth, N.J., headquarters to house even more food products. This year the business launched a new tablet-ready website to reinforce its online presence. As another way to stay current—and save money in the long run— the company installed solar panels on the headquarters' roofs. The energy production provides nearly half of what's needed to power the operation, including keeping the warehouses refrigerated. THOMAS GELLERT Age: 42 Years in specialty food: 42 Favorite food: It's not possible to answer that question. Least favorite food: There is nothing I really detest. I like to eat everything. Last thing I ate and loved: Crudo at Marea in New York City If I weren't in the food business I'd be in: Baseball as a journeyman middle relief pitcher. One piece of advice I'd give to a new food business: Love what you do. Get joy out of seeing your products on the menu or on shelves. And you have to be competitive. Three generations strong: a family photo 52 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com

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