Elizabeth, NJ— The group of globally-recognized leaders in the food industry will work to identify new strategic opportunities to better serve the industry going forward and provide guidance to FIC’s senior leadership team. Each advisory board member is an esteemed leader in the food industry with a unique global perspective and deep experience. Lou Cooperhouse, President & CEO of BlueNalu, will serve as Chair of the Advisory Board and was formerly co-founder and Executive Director of the FIC. In addition to Cooperhouse and Gellert, other members include Takis Solomos, Partner of Elikonos Capital Partners; Brian Choi, Managing Partner and CEO of The Food Institute; and Peggy Brennan-Tonetta, Sr. Associate Director, Rutgers University NJAES and co-founder and administrator-in-charge of the Rutgers Food Innovation Center.
Since 2000, FIC has served as an award-winning food business incubation, acceleration, and economic development program. With facilities in New Brunswick and Bridgeton, New Jersey, FIC supports early-stage food entrepreneurs and established food companies in successfully developing their food and beverage products from concept to commercialization. FIC supports these businesses with mentoring, product and process development, industry training, and product manufacturing within the Center’s UDSA and FDAinspected facility.
Andrew Gellert joined Atalanta a year after graduation from Cornell. He has strongly influenced the manufacturing sector’s development for various member companies of the Gellert Group. Andy serves in supervisory capacities in the Gellert Global Group of Companies and is a second-generation Young Presidents’ Organization member. He also serves on the Board of the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and is the past Chairman of the Association of Food Industries (AFI). AFI is part of a coalition of food importing associations that pursues the mutual trade interests of overseas suppliers and U.S. importers before the FDA and within the food legislation arena.
Gellert is honored to join the FIC advisory board and excited about creating new initiatives, building strong partnerships, and the successful future of FIC.
About Gellert Global Group
The Gellert Global Group consists of many of the leading North American food importing companies and has been involved in importing food products for over 100 years. The combined revenues of the Group exceed $1 billion. The Group supplies the needs of retailers, distributors, foodservice chains, hotels, cruise lines, and food manufacturers alike. The Group is also active in restaurant operations and non-food operations as well as real estate investments in the greater metropolitan NY area. For more information, visit www.gellertglobalgroup.com.
