Honor Rich Products Anniversary

Senate Resolution No. 2970 BY: Senator KENNEDY COMMEMORATING the 75th Anniversary of Rich Products of Buffalo, New York WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to honor those businesses within the State of New York which distinguish themselves through outstanding professional behavior, corporate innovation, and enduring commitment to the community; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Rich Products of Buffalo, New York; and WHEREAS, Rich Products was born in 1954, when its founder Robert E. Rich, Sr. created the world's first non-dairy whipped topping; and WHEREAS, Since its inception, Rich Products has paved the way, pioneering many of the food industry's most game-changing products, as well as setting and resetting a new benchmark of success; and WHEREAS, In 1954, Rich Products debuted its chocolate eclair, the first frozen, ready-to-eat bakery product in the market; five years later, the nation's first non-dairy creamer hit supermarkets, bringing Rich's into American households; and WHEREAS, Growing rapidly, Rich Products extended into Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, marking the company's first international expansion in

1963, with Bob Rich, Jr. leading the new Canadian business; and WHEREAS, In 1969, Rich Products entered the bakery business with the acquisition of Elm Tree Frozen Foods, and in 1976, it acquired SeaPak Shrimp & Seafood Company, along with nine production facilities across several states; and WHEREAS, With the launch of Bettercreme icing in 1978, Rich Products revolutionized the cake decorating industry; during this time, Bob Rich, Jr. was promoted to President and its Farm Rich mozzarella sticks became the first appetizer brand available in grocery stores; and WHEREAS, This extraordinary business then diversified its immense portfolio in an entirely new direction with the purchase of the Buffalo Bisons baseball team in 1983; and WHEREAS, In 1988, Rich Products formed an International Division led by Bill Gisel to fuel its global expansion, and technologies were licensed to markets in Japan, Europe and Australia; and WHEREAS, The 1980s and 1990s brought tremendous growth to Rich Products with its acquisition of Casa Di Bertacchi Corporation and Byron's Bar-B-Q, adding frozen Italian pasta, meat and barbecue to its portfolio; Rich's also entered the finished desserts business with the purchase of Jon Donaire Desserts; and WHEREAS, Furthermore, the company expanded once again with the grand opening of its Buffalo, New York World Headquarters and Research and Development Center, as well as new joint ventures in Mexico, South Africa and India; and WHEREAS, With 2,000 global associates and a growing leadership team, Rich Products Mexico launched Tres Riches, an innovative, non-dairy three-milk syrup ready to take desserts to the next level; also during this time, the Rich Family Center opened as the first corporate on-site day care of its kind in Western New York to help support working families; and WHEREAS, Entering the 21st Century with revenues exceeding 1.3 billion dollars, Rich Products' first wholly-owned international non-dairy production facility opened in Suzhou, China, and its product line and manufacturing capabilities expanded to Europe with the acquisition of David Powell Baker in Fareham, UK; and WHEREAS, After the death of Robert E. Rich, Sr. in 2006, Bob Rich, Jr. became Chairman and Bill Gisel was named President and CEO; under their able leadership, Rich Products continued expanding its global presence by opening a new non-dairy plant in Vietnam; and WHEREAS, With a steadfast and unwavering commitment to its employees, Rich Products launched its first-ever affinity group, Our Women's Network (OWN), dedicated to supporting and advancing women and paving the way for diversity; and WHEREAS, Through the years, Rich Products went on to purchase JW Allen & Co., Celebration Foods, Flavorite, Dorgel LTD, Elistan Foods, Goglanian Bakeries Inc., f'real foods LLC, and entered into a joint venture with Twin Star Bakery; in 2014, the Innovation Center and Atrium at Rich's opened at the company's world headquarters in Buffalo; and WHEREAS, That same year, Rich Products established its Health and Authenticity focus as consumer demand for food transparency, authentic, cleaner ingredients, and better-for-you food options continued to rise; and WHEREAS, Rich Products then welcomed Artisan Breads, Jacqueline's Gourmet Cookies and Venice Bakery to the family, expanding its bread, cookie, plant-based and gluten-free pizza offerings, respectively; and WHEREAS, Today, under the able leadership of its fourth President Richard Ferranti, Rich Products operates in more than 100 countries with an annual revenue of four billion dollars and 11,000 associates worldwide; and WHEREAS, It is with great pleasure that this Legislative Body acknowledges Rich Products' success, recognizes its contributions to the local and State economies, and extends its highest commendation to the corporation and its employees, fully confident that, in its future, it will enjoy the same success which has so characterized its past; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Rich Products of Buffalo, New York; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Richard Ferranti, President, Rich Products.