Veteran Food Industry Consultant Dies
AMBLER, Pa. -- Jerome "Jerry" Shupak, an independent sales and marketing consultant to startup and expanding food companies since 1984, died Aug. 10 after a brief battle battle with cancer. Shupak had over 40 years of experience with a wide range of food industry products.
He offered sales and distribution guidance to such clients as Great North Baking, Frankee's Fruit Freezz, Agora International, Pantry Shelf Food Corp., Vege-King, and Marketing Ventures of America.
Before launching his consulting practice, Shupak worked in the snack food business for four years with Guiltless Gourmet of Austin, Texas, and then two years with Lisa's Gourmet Snacks of Fort Lee, N.J. Additionally, in 1991 he undertook to perform turn-around duties for East Rutherford, N.J.-based Patisfrance Corp., successfully reversing the company's red numbers to black before completing a sale of the company to Houston-based Paris Gourmet, Inc. the following year.
Born in 1936 into his family's pickle business, Shupak Pickles, he worked for that company for 10 years, until it merged with Vlasic Foods in 1968, whereupon he became v.p. sales for Vlasic's Eastern division. Later he took on additional duties as general manager of Vlasic's deli and military sales divisions, until he retired in 1983 to pursue other opportunities.
Shupak is survived by children Paul (Lisa) Shupak, Ellen Shupak, and Richard Shupak; siblings Joan Birnbaum and Neil (Helen) Shupak; and grandchildren Adrian, Sydney, Benjamin, and Daniel.
He offered sales and distribution guidance to such clients as Great North Baking, Frankee's Fruit Freezz, Agora International, Pantry Shelf Food Corp., Vege-King, and Marketing Ventures of America.
Before launching his consulting practice, Shupak worked in the snack food business for four years with Guiltless Gourmet of Austin, Texas, and then two years with Lisa's Gourmet Snacks of Fort Lee, N.J. Additionally, in 1991 he undertook to perform turn-around duties for East Rutherford, N.J.-based Patisfrance Corp., successfully reversing the company's red numbers to black before completing a sale of the company to Houston-based Paris Gourmet, Inc. the following year.
Born in 1936 into his family's pickle business, Shupak Pickles, he worked for that company for 10 years, until it merged with Vlasic Foods in 1968, whereupon he became v.p. sales for Vlasic's Eastern division. Later he took on additional duties as general manager of Vlasic's deli and military sales divisions, until he retired in 1983 to pursue other opportunities.
Shupak is survived by children Paul (Lisa) Shupak, Ellen Shupak, and Richard Shupak; siblings Joan Birnbaum and Neil (Helen) Shupak; and grandchildren Adrian, Sydney, Benjamin, and Daniel.