HAVERHILL, Mass.– Cedar’s Foods a Ward Hill, Massachusetts-based company with national distribution of Hommus and Mediterranean products proudly announces that its CFO, Chris Gaudette, is named 2020 CFO of the Year (in the Large Companies category) by the Boston Business Journal.
BBJ’s CFO of the Year Award recognizes chief financial officers who make a difference in their companies, organizations, and communities. The 2020 award is especially meaningful, recognizing business executives who have helped steer their organizations through the pandemic. Along with nine other award recipients in a variety of business sizes and categories, Gaudette was chosen from over 200 nominations from leaders in the Boston business community. The judging panel consisted of previous CFO honorees, Boston Business Journal leadership, and fellow current CFO’s.
Cedar’s is especially proud of Gaudette achieving this honor. He is a major force on the executive team that led the company through the COVID-19 pandemic. “Chris has been a critical member of the Cedar’s Foods family since the first day he joined our company,” said Charles Hanna, CEO of Cedar’s Foods. “His ability to lead not only his team, but also the company was especially crucial during the height of COVID-19. As an essential business, our company of over 1,000 employees thrived under his leadership. We celebrate him every day, and we could not be more proud of him today.”
“It is truly an amazing honor to be selected as CFO of the Year. I am grateful to the Boston Business Journal for recognizing me amongst a class of some of the region’s finest leaders. I am also grateful to Blum Shapiro for nominating me for this award. I have dedicated my career to a company I fully believe in and I am whole heartedly thankful to the Hanna family of Cedar’s Foods for allowing me the opportunity to grow the company. As I accept this award, I am reminded of the hard work each of our employees put in every day, but especially during COVID-19 and I thank them for their efforts which ultimately allowed our company to continue operations through the pandemic,” said Gaudette.
Gaudette began his leadership as Chief Financial Officer of Cedar’s Foods in 2001 following his role at Cowan, Bolduc, Doherty, recently acquired by Blum Shapiro. Notable successes at Cedar’s Foods during Gaudette’s tenure include consecutive annual double digit growth since 2001, and the physical expansion of Cedar’s from one 24,000 sq. ft. building to four buildings in Ward Hill, Ma Business Park, totally almost 500,000 sq. ft. Through Gaudette’s role, Cedar’s has had only two banking relationships, emblematic of his effective management of the company’s growing portfolio. The Cedar’s brand has grown tremendously with national distribution and the company has broadened its business through diversification with the addition of multiple private label and co-manufacturing contracts under Gaudette’s leadership. At the conclusion of 2019, Gaudette and the executive team of Cedar’s Foods acquired the ready to eat overnight oats brand, Brekki Foods. Brekki achieved national distribution by August 2020 and is set on a strong growth trajectory.
For more information about the Boston Business Journal’s CFO of the Year Awards and for the full list of winners, visit: https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2020/08/27/bbj-announces-2020-cfo-of-year-award-honorees.html
Cedar’s Foods Boilerplate
Our story began in the sunlit kitchens of the Mediterranean, where Cedar’s founders Abe & Layla Hanna lovingly perfected the way we make Hommus. They made it the traditional way, with pure ingredients and a simple process. Today, Cedar’s Foods is the national brand leader in hommus in the Natural and Organic grocery channel and a leading co-packer and co-manufacturer for private label and branded hommus and other products for prominent consumer packaged goods brands.
