I graduated from the University of Miami in 1976 and immediately entered the family business, Empire Beef Co., Inc. Over the course of my 33 years there I saw and implemented multiple changes ranging from slaughter, to carcass beef, to boxed beef, to introducing all center of the plate proteins, to portion control and redistribution. In addition in 1995 we landed the distribution for all of the Sam's Club Stores in the Northeast. During my tenure at Empire I watched our sales grow from 5 million to 703 million dollars. I have been at G & C since January '08 but I believe I have found a new home. The company is exceptional in so many ways and poised for growth. I am proud to be a part of it.

I have worked in food service for over 33 years; starting at the bottom of the food chain washing dishes in a restaurant. I worked my way up in several restaurants over twelve years and learned the food service business from some of the most talented chefs in the area. From my restaurant experience I began a strong relationship with Rhinehart Meats where I became a buyer, purchasing all the meat and ran the portion control room selling cut meats to many of the restaurants in the Syracuse and Auburn areas. I have worked at G&C since 1993, starting off in sales and moving into the purchasing department shortly after. I am now the Director of Purchasing for G&C Foods a company that is a leader in this industry and is a great place to work. I have successfully completed one year in our Leadership Development Program and have started on the second year of the program. With my experience and training I strive to be a well rounded strong leader for this company and try to make this a great place to work for every person here.

I joined G&C in October 2007 after spending over 17 years in the purchasing department at SYSCO - Syracuse, where I bought a broad array of perishable and meat products, including produce, seafood, beef, lamb, veal, pork, poultry and dairy. At G&C I am responsible for the purchasing of seafood, dairy and oil. I reside in Baldwinsville with my wife and three children. When I am not at work I enjoy coaching my kids' soccer and basketball teams and downhill skiing.

G&C Foods would like to welcome Rich to our Purchasing team.

I have been at G&C since Sept 2003. Before coming to G&C I spent 18 1/2 years with P&C Food Markets. I am the Buyers Assistant and have a few of my own lines that I purchase. I have two daughters; Sarah lives here in Liverpool with her two boys Riley and Morgan; Jennifer and her husband Mike live in the Albany area. In my spare time I like to play with my two grandsons, camp, work in the yard, read.

I joined the G&C family in July 0f 2009 with a warm reception. I have been in the foodservice industry since 1988 and am proud of the fact, I have worked and learned the food industry in various aspects from loading and sales to operations and purchasing. I believe this gives me an insight not only to my current purchasing position but also into the daily workings of the company as a whole. Over the years I have created a personal goal to strive for: Reliability (strive for 100% fill rate) and Brand recognition (cultivate relationships with the finest vendors in the industry). I believe striving to achieve these goals will give a benefit to our customer that is unmatched. On a personal note I am married to a beautiful wife Eunice and have two wonderful children (Daughter Gisele and Son Rece).

I have been in the food industry my whole life starting with a local grocery store chain at 16 working my way from bag boy to manager. I joined G&C in 1991 starting in sales. Shortly after joining G&C I began buying a few lines, and have been in the purchasing department full time since 1998.

I started my career in the meat business as a meat cutter in Syracuse, at local independent retail stores in 1977. I then went into the restaurant supply business working as a plant manager at a Syracuse meat purveyor. In 1987 I went to work for Empire Beef Co and spent 18 years there, first in sales then later in purchasing. I helped Empire Beef Co grow from a beef and pork distributor to a full line redistributor of veal, lamb, poultry, game meats and seafood. I left Empire Beef in 2005 to work for Pilot Brands as a sales representative. I joined G&C Foods January of 2009 in the purchasing department to help in the continued growth of this great company.

I've been with G&C Foods since 2002 and am part of the Senior Management team. I have over 24 years of beef buying and sales experience working with retail and food service accounts ranging from Maine to Florida. I also, hold a degree in professional retail counseling from Cornel University.

I came to G&C Foods at the end of 2009, having been in the food distribution industry for longer than I would like to admit. Starting with summers in high school stuffing envelopes and packing hamburgers, I transitioned to A/R and A/P, and then spent nearly 20 years in sales and purchasing. I'm looking forward to playing a part in the continued growth of G&C. When i'm not working, you will find me spending time with my husband and 3 young children.