Sidney, Ohio – Freshway Foods, a fresh-cut processor and trusted supply chain partner for customers east of the Mississippi for over 35 years, announces co-founder, Frank Gilardi passed away unexpectedly on July 8th, 2024.
Born and raised in Sidney, Ohio, Frank was a successful entrepreneur who, along with his brother Phil Gilardi, co-founded Freshway Foods in Sidney in 1988 after purchasing the assets of their father’s wholesale company. Both men had worked in the multi-generational business previously and wanted to refocus the strategy to provide pre-cut and shredded lettuce to the foodservice industry.
Jim Sanfillipo, owner of Sanfillipo Produce and one of Frank’s first customers shared this memory, “One day an unannounced 30-year-old young man walked into the front door of my wholesale produce business when we were in our old downtown warehouse. He introduced himself as Frank Gilardi. He explained that he and Phil were going to get started in the next few weeks and asked for our business. I agreed.” Frank’s commitment to customer service was immediately evident when he rode with the driver on that very first delivery to train him on where to go and which dock to back up to. Sanfillipo Produce was one of three deliveries on that first truck. “I always remained loyal to Frank because he was a good man,” said Sanfillipo. “Friendly, sincere, and honest is how I would describe him. Frank Gilardi will be missed by everyone who knows him. I hope he’s playing golf in heaven.”
The business had very humble beginnings. The customer transaction cycle began with Frank securing the order, brother Phil making the order and finally Frank delivering the order. 100-hour work weeks for both brothers translated into a successful business a few short years after it began. “As Frank would often say, he enjoyed the ‘chase’ of growing a business,” said Devon Beer, President and COO of Freshway Foods. “Customers will remember Frank as a man of his word. He was very focused on making sure that promises made were kept, and he took Freshway’s critical role in the value-add supply chain very seriously.”
By 1992, Freshway Foods opened a 12,000 sq ft facility to accommodate growth and in 1995 Frank landed his first national restaurant chain which expanded the distribution beyond the midwestern states. 1996 brought more expansion when the company opened an additional processing plant to meet the increased demand. In 1997, Frank and Phil accomplished another major milestone entering the retail market with a line of fresh deli salad kits. Growth and expansion were ongoing in the early 2000s with a new 60,000 square foot processing facility followed by the addition of another 36,000 square feet by 2005. In 2006, Freshway was awarded Processor of the Year by the International Fresh-Cut Produce Association. The Gilardi’s sold Freshway Foods to US Foods in 2016.
“We are all so utterly heart broken by the loss of Frank Gilardi,” said Dan Purdy, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Frank was so much more than a colleague and a boss. Frank was the father of the Freshway family.”
Frank was born on January 5th, 1958 to Francis (Frank) Gilardi Sr. and the late Carol (Wesbecher) Covault. Frank will be lovingly missed by his wife of 44 years, Julie (Raterman) Gilardi, daughter Jennifer (Kurt) Jung, and grandsons Theodore and Luca Jung, of Huntersville, NC.
Frank was passionate about giving back to his community and served on the board of many local associations, including the Holy Angels Soup Kitchen, the American Heart Association, Lehman Catholic High School, the Lehman Catholic High School Foundation, the Sidney Airport Advisory Board, the Sidney Shelby County Chamber of Commerce, the Western Ohio Development Council, the Wilson Memorial Hospital Foundation Board, and the Athenaeum of Ohio. Frank was currently serving on the Board of Directors for The Taste of Immokalee in Naples, Florida.
For over 40 years, Frank had a passion for flying as a skilled pilot. Frank was part of Veterans Airlift Command, a national community of generous aviators who give our country’s injured combat veterans free flights for medical and compassionate purposes.
Frank’s adventurous spirit took him on many trips with his wife Julie. While they enjoyed cruising to destinations around the world, one of their favorite trips was the short one to South Bend, Indiana, to cheer on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Frank’s favorite team.
Frank placed high value on spending time with family and friends, enjoying frequent gatherings with the Gilardi family and many close friends in both Ohio and Florida. He especially loved spending time with his grandsons Theo and Luca, talking about airplanes and cars, and swimming with them in the family pool.
Frank left an enormous impact on all who knew him. He will be affectionately remembered and greatly missed.
For additional information about Freshway Foods, please visit www.freshwayfoods.com or follow Freshway Foods on LinkedIn.
ABOUT FRESHWAY FOODS
For over 35 years, Freshway Foods has been a leading fresh-cut processor delivering customized product solutions for retail and foodservice customers as well as cross-docking and repacking services. Committed to helping their customers realize operational savings, Freshway Foods is best known for their superior customer service, nimbleness, and solutions-oriented sales approach. Freshway Foods is a wholly owned subsidiary of US Foods and located in Sidney, Ohio.