Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/567722
FROM THE PUBLISHER Joel Schuman: Remembering a Valued Advisor HAVE A COMMENT? Visit specialtyfood.com/ ccrocker/schuman J oel Schuman's passing in August leaves an empty space in the specialty food industry. Joel was known as a developer of successful import brands. He founded Source Atlantique in 1991 as part of the Food Import Group. Before that, he was a vice president at Liberty Richter. Through his career, Joel made a mean- ingful impact on the industry, earning induction into the Specialty Food Association Hall of Fame. Less celebrated was his role as a member of my infor- mal "brain trust." As an industry observer and occasional pundit, I have to get smart enough about a topic to plausibly speak or write about it. To do this I call on folks who can patiently help me get a grip on the subject at hand. Busy as he was, Joel always made time to take me through his per- spective on what was going on. He had the ability to step back from a situation and consider its ramifications with a broad, intellectual view. Joel had both a keen understanding of market dynam- ics and a deep knowledge of specialty foods. He could wax poetic on any category of product he handled. At one point, Joel submitted an op-ed piece on balsamic vinegar for pub- lication. His submission was cogent, thoughtful, and came in at roughly five times the number of words the editors had requested. Rather than cut it down to size, they dropped several other stories to make room for his treatise. I was Chris Crocker Senior Vice President, Content & Media ccrocker@specialtyfood.com happy for the chance to mer- cilessly rib him about his bal- samic "term paper." Over 24 years, Joel shaped Source Atlantique into a premier importer. In addition to exclusive import- ed brands including Maille Mustard, La Baleine sea salt, Tiptree preserves, and Modenaceti balsamic vinegar, Source Atlantique took on ownership for both the If You Care environment-friendly paper products and Pelopon- nese Greek specialty product lines. At age 59, Joel was diagnosed with chronic lympho- cytic leukemia, and spent several long stretches of time in treatment at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital in New York. While others might have wallowed in self- pity, Joel stayed actively involved in his business. In fact, during his last 8-month stay, he oversaw and negotiated several strategic alliances, including the Peloponnese ac- quisition from his hospital room on the Upper East Side. I visited Joel at Sloan-Kettering earlier this year. His immune system was faltering, but he didn't want to talk about it. Being sick, he said, helped him to focus on what was important: his family, his team at work, the long- term success of his company and the industry. All of the unnecessary distraction fell away. It didn't take long to get wrapped up in yet another philosophical conversation about what was good and bad for the industry. Eventually, he tired, and I said my good- byes and left. I didn't know it would be the final exchange I'd have with Joel. As with much of his insight—it will stay with me. Schuman and wife, Linda FALL 2015 5