May 15, 2008
Safety Paramount: Wolfgang Candy Company Appoints Robert L. Wolfgang, III, Managing Partner, to Role of Food Safety and Quality Partner
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 15, 2008
Wolfgang Candy Company Inc.
Press Contact: Mike Schmid
Managing Partner - Marketing
Phone: 717.843.5536, x140
E-mail: [email protected]
Wolfgang Candy Company Appoints Robert L. Wolfgang, III, to Role as Managing Partner, Food Safety and Quality
Wolfgang Candy taking an aggressive approach to quality control in era of food recalls, intensified regulations and global competition
York, Pennsylvania. (May 15, 2008) Robert L. Wolfgang, III, Managing Partner � Operations of Wolfgang Candy Company in York, Pennsylvania, has been appointed to spearhead and manage Wolfgang Candy�s Quality Program as Managing Partner, Food Safety and Quality. In his newly-focused role, Robert (Rob) Wolfgang, III, (grandson of D.E. Wolfgang Candy Company Co-founder Robert L. Wolfgang), will seek to proactively mitigate risks to safety and quality and document Wolfgang�s Quality Program across all aspects of the fourth generation family business.
Benjamin McGlaughlin, Wolfgang Candy Company President & CEO, shared:
�Since our candy-making tradition began in 1921, our business leaders have always made quality a high priority at Wolfgang Candy. Supporting our Company Vision for Wolfgang Candy to be recognized nationally as a superior chocolate brand, Wolfgang�s management has always shared responsibility for implementing and overseeing quality. With heightened national and international requirements for food safety and quality by our customers and throughout the food industry, I am confident that Rob is well poised to move our enhanced efforts in Food Safety and Quality forward. His career has been devoted to increasing the quality of our products, so he is the natural leader in this area.�
Mr. Wolfgang has spent the past fifteen years managing the production environment at Wolfgang Candy. He has witnessed first-hand the evolution of safety and quality programs in the food industry and translated their implementation throughout plant operations. With a Bachelor�s Degree in Economics from Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania, Mr. Wolfgang began his professional career as production supervisor at Wolfgang Candy Company in 1992, advancing to distributor accounts manager in 1999, then to vice president of operations in 2001. Throughout his career, Mr. Wolfgang has participated in Quality training programs of multiple regulatory and industry associations, such as AIB and PMCA.
In his new role, Mr. Wolfgang will continue to analyze, address and document potential vulnerabilities and risks of food contamination in the operations of Wolfgang Candy. As the Partner in charge of Food Safety and Quality, he will be working with independent evaluators and Wolfgang team members to ensure safe food purchasing, storing, manufacturing and distributing for their customers-using the principles of HACCP.
HACCP guidelines are increasingly becoming a requirement for food manufacturers in order to sell their products throughout many countries. (HACCP has been recognized by the FDA, the National Academy of Sciences, the Codex Alimentarius commission (an international food standard-setting organization) and the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods and Health Canada.) Adherence to HACCP provides objective controls that cover the entire manufacturing process�from raw materials to product delivery.
International trade has generated greater demand for proven quality and safety standards. Earlier this year, for example, Wolfgang�s new all-natural, plump and juicy, dark chocolate-dipped Blueberries, Raspberries and Cranberries were selected by Mr. Keiji Sakai of Sakai Foods International to be distributed and sold throughout Japan, a country with some of the strictest food quality requirements.
Mr. Sakai shared, �We are very excited to start business with Wolfgang Candy Company. We were not looking for just nice food products�, we were looking for something "remarkable" for Japanese consumers. Our first impression of Wolfgang�s Berries chocolates was that they had all of the characteristics of that �remarkable� new product line we were seeking!�
Wolfgang Candy is delighted to have such high quality international exposure for the unique all-natural dark chocolate fruit confection line:
�I think it is a true testament to the quality of the products our employees make that we are able to pass the stringent quality food standards held by Japan. Rob�s dedicated role in enhancing our Quality Program will enable us to compete, not only nationally, but also internationally,� said Mike Schmid, Wolfgang Candy Managing Partner.
Mr. Wolfgang is passionate about respecting the made-in-America quality of four generations of Wolfgangs:
�Identifying and documenting Quality Standards is equally important to us here at home in the United States. Specifically focusing my energy and experience on Wolfgang Candy�s Quality Program will ensure that our suppliers also honor Wolfgang�s requirement of high quality standards,� he said.
One such Wolfgang Candy supplier, Peter Blommer, COO of Blommer Chocolate Company, commented:
�We�re noticing that our customers are focused on food safety and quality today more than ever. I�m pleased to see that Wolfgang, as one of our valued customers has embraced the importance of food safety and quality, and is placing the responsibility at a most senior level.�
Blommer Chocolate Company�s Director of Quality Assurance, Marlene Stauffer, is an instructor for the Pennsylvania Manufacturers & Confectioners Association (PMCA) Chocolate School hosted by Wolfgang Candy Company each September. In her role, Ms. Stauffer has witnessed the intensified focus on food safety standards, and said:
�We are receiving more customer questionnaires seeking to document the quality of raw materials companies use. With increasing demand for imported and natural /organic foods, the FDA is making food quality and safety a high priority. Requiring superior excellence in food quality will only serve to add value to brand strength and reputation.�
Wolfgang�s guiding principles of Quality closely parallel those of the company�s Vision to become nationally recognized as a premium chocolate manufacturer. Wolfgang�s Values, which include respecting and nurturing their family legacy, employees, customers and environment�are all core ingredients in their safety and health assurance recipe. Mr. Wolfgang intends to continue to apply these guiding company Values as the foundation for enhancing relationships with existing customers�and for attracting new ones who share Wolfgang�s strong commitment to high quality:
�Customers are becoming more aware of the cost of recalls due to food contamination or inaccurate labeling. This awareness has produced a need for manufacturers to be quality certified,� he explained.
Another candy industry leader, Tim Rogers of Chris Candies, has responded to his own customers� expectations of documented quality processes. He expects his suppliers to share his company�s Quality Standards, and is impressed by Wolfgang�s heightened focus on Quality led by Mr. Wolfgang in his new capacity:
Mr. Rogers said, �I have known the Wolfgang family for a long time and am quite familiar with their operation. I have always appreciated their penchant for quality and attention to food safety.�
Wolfgang Candy customer, distributor Gordon Angles, CEO of Wythe Will Distributing, LLC, (that supplies Wolfgang�s Dark Chocolate Berries to Linens-n-Things stores throughout the US) shared:
"I recognize Wolfgang Candy's commitment to producing high quality chocolates that is enhanced by their creative Berry packages."
Although Mr. Wolfgang recognizes that clever packaging and strategic positioning helps sell Wolfgang Chocolates, he also knows that the company�s commitment to Quality will ultimately enable Wolfgang Candy to realize its mission to be known nationally as a premium chocolate manufacturer.
As Wolfgang Candy President, Mr. McGlaughlin is determined to make Quality drive operations. He believes:
�It is our duty as a food manufacturer to produce safe, high quality candy. To that end, Wolfgang will tirelessly pursue Safety and Quality because we have to protect our strong reputation in the marketplace and, ultimately, the consumers who trust the Wolfgang brand.�
Robert L. Wolfgang, III, resides in York, Pennsylvania.
About Wolfgang Candy
Founded in 1921, Wolfgang is one of the oldest family-owned and managed confectionery manufacturers in the United States. From peanut brittle to hollow chocolates, Wolfgang offers one of the most extensive arrays of high-quality chocolates and non-chocolate confections available in the marketplace. In addition to the all-natural dark chocolate dipped Raspberries, Blueberries and Cranberries, some of the company�s most popular products include a wide assortment of solid and hollow molded chocolates � bunnies at Easter and Santa at Christmas, and fine boxed chocolates � chocolate-covered pretzels and animal crackers, chocolate-covered peanut butter marshmallow treats (marshmallow and peanut butter covered in milk or dark chocolate), hand-dipped raisin and peanut clusters, and other assorted milk and dark chocolates.
Wolfgang markets and distributes its products through retail, wholesale (private labeling and contract manufacturing), and fundraising sectors. The company is a market leader in the fundraising industry and a trusted name enabling organizations of any size to achieve their financial goals. With a sole focus on and commitment to its customers, Wolfgang demands unparalleled quality in its products, providing its customers with a truly enchanting experience in taste.
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