Tonight I really do feel like a giant in the industry…This really is a humbling moment for me. To be recognized in this way in the presence of my family, our customers, fellow suppliers and dear friends is nothing short of remarkable.
The success of Union Confectionery Machinery has always been, and will always be, the desire of our family, and our loyal employees, to place the customer first. We make sacrifices to insure our customers receive the best service through educated and expedient responses to their inquiries. Helping them solve problems is job one and it energizes us all on a daily basis.
While you may see me more often at industry events than my business partners, rest assured that my brother, John, and my cousin, Andy, are integral to the success of our business. John is the one-man army running our entire inside operations and heading up technical sales support. Andy oversees our operations in Mexico and has built a massive customer base of pharmaceutical clients in North America. Andy and I see a lot of airports, and hotel rooms, but it is a sacrifice we both make as part of our commitment to service. I am very grateful to each of them for their hard work and support,and for the ease of doing business together. The relationship that we share is not the norm in the world of family businesses.
Suppliersrepresent a critical component in the confectionery industry. We are the first call when a new product is under development and offer a wide range of services to support our customer’s success and growth. It was not until 2004 when Frank Friedwald, the owner of American Chocolate Mold Company, was the first supplier inducted into the Candy Hall of Fame. It was a longtime coming for Frank, but it was also bittersweet for him. Why…because Frank, while tremendously honored by his induction, told us he thought that my father, Arthur, should have been inducted first.That said, he nominated my father the following year and dad was inducted in 2005. This amazing gesturetypifies the camaraderie and mutual respect that exists among the supplier community. While we compete with oneanother daily,we also regularly collaborate and socialize. Our friendships run very deep. To this point, it was Jim Bourne, owner of Hilliard’s Chocolate Systems, a premier supplier of chocolate machinery, and a competitor of ours, who contacted me to ask if I would accept nomination for The Candy Hall of Fame. I was stunned, and had to think about it for a bit, and even discuss it with my wife. In the end, we trusted his judgment and gave him the ok. I told him that regardless of the outcome, the honor he had bestowed upon my family was not to be forgotten. Jim is a Candy Hall of Famer. He and I have served together on Candy Industry Magazine’s Kettle Award Committee for years…and proudly we have a number of fellow Kettle Award committee members, and Kettleaward recipients, here with us tonight!! Our shared experience on that committee is near and dear to our hearts. Thanks also go out to Bernie Pacyniak, Editor of Candy Industry magazine, and Kris Collins, Publisher, for their unwavering friendship and deep commitment to both The Kettle Award and our company’s success. To all of my Kettle Committee colleagues – you are the epitome of what suppliers mean to this industry, the best and the brightest, and your friendship is so appreciated. I wish to recognize some of those folks with whom I have served andwhom I proudly call mentors and friends…and who just happen to be inductees of the Candy Hall of Fame…Fred Hintlian, Ross Bainbridge, Bill Ryan, LisbethEcheandia, Ed Wilson, Bill Raleigh, Chuck Dodson, my sweet friend Pat Magee, Russ Crosio, Cees Boon, Lee Hartman, Joan Sweeting and“The Rock Star” John Holland. I also wish to recognize retired NCA President and Candy Hall of Famer Larry Graham,whose career at the helm of the NCA will be a benchmark for years to come and who made one of the great hires in NCA history in Miss Libby Taylor. Libby you are the passionate, unstoppable force that each and every supplier is ever grateful for…our number one cheerleader and friend.
Long ago my dad ingrained in my brother and I to build our own knowledge base, to educate others and to volunteer. We have tried our best to do so and we are eternally grateful to him for the foundation he built, for the thousands of doors he opened for us and for the endless goodwill he earned through hard work and service to this industry during a career that spanned more than 50 years. He and I traveled the world together and I learned all of my best lessons from him. Our parents have always encouraged us to pursue our dreams, to work hard and to educate ourselves. We attribute our company’s longevity to this. Dad – we love you and mom very much.
Last, but not least, I must thank my wife, Lisa, and my two boys, Michaeland Sam, for your never-ending love and support. You are the loves of my life and the motivating factor behind all of the hard work. Your patience with my travel schedule is appreciated beyond words. Ourboysare both thriving and finding their own way in the world and nothing could make parents more proud.
To our customers, who number far too many to individually acknowledge, thank you so very much for a lifetime of loyalty and friendship. And thanks to all of you, collectively, for being here tonight and for sharing this moment with my family.Congratulations to my fellow inductees on this well-deserved honor. To the NCSA, its Directors and to all who have made this evening possible, I am grateful for your efforts and will remember this evening as a highlight in my life.