Rosenhayn, NJ–F&S Produce Inc., a leading manufacturer, marketer and distributor of prepared fresh-cut produce and other refrigerated value-added products, is pleased to announce that Lou Cooperhouse has joined its leadership team as president and chief operating officer. F&S services retail and foodservice accounts throughout the Northeast and industrial accounts nationally from its 125,000 sq. ft. operations in Rosenhayn, NJ and is privately held and operated by Sam Pipitone, CEO and founder. Cooperhouse will be focused on developing strategic customer relationships, alliances, licensing, partnering, and acquisition opportunities in an effort to achieve significant company growth, and the internal systems, processes, and organization that will be needed for this expansion.
Cooperhouse has extensive business and technology expertise in the prepared food industry in both entrepreneurial settings and in larger corporate environments. He is recognized as a leading authority and industry expert nationally in the field of value-added perishable foods, due to his broad industry experiences with a diverse array of products that include fresh-cut produce, prepared entrees, value-added raw and cooked meat and poultry products, baked goods, sandwiches, soups, sauces, salads, dips and dressings. He is also the publisher and co-author of a landmark national study on the prepared refrigerated food industry, entitled Retail Prepared Refrigerated Foods: The Market and Technologies. This 285-page landmark study, published in 2002, quantified and analyzed the market and technologies utilized for prepared, refrigerated food products sold through U.S. supermarket produce, deli, and meat departments.
Most recently, Cooperhouse was director of the Rutgers University Food Innovation Center, a globally recognized business incubation program and economic development accelerator, which provides business and technology expertise and a fully-equipped processing operation for food and agribusiness entrepreneurs. Cooperhouse has also served as president of Food Spectrum LLC, a consulting firm that provided business strategy to manufacturers and retailers of value-added, perishable food products; and as co-founder, president and CEO of MenuDirect Corporation, a unique medical nutrition company. Earlier in his career, he held positions of increasing responsibility at Campbell Soup Company, ConAgra, and Nestlé-funded Culinary Brands in areas of business development, product development, quality assurance and operations.
Cooperhouse currently serves as president of the New Jersey Food Processors Association, on the City of Philadelphia Food Policy Advisory Council, and on the Editorial Advisory Board of Fresh Cut Magazine. In addition, he serves on the executive board of the National Business Incubation Association and as chairman of the board of advisors of the Rutgers Food Innovation Center. He has served as an adjunct professor at the Rutgers Business School and received an MS in Food Science and BS in Microbiology, both from Rutgers University.
F&S employs approximately 400 people, from its USDA and FDA inspected operations in southern New Jersey. The company has an extensive quality assurance system in place, and is SQF 2000 Level 3 Certified, Organic certified and Orthodox Union kosher certified. Its products include fresh-cut and IQF produce products, and specialty prepared refrigerated foods including meat and poultry products. Pipco Transportation is a dedicated in-house distribution company that services the entire northeastern United States.
Source: F&S Produce Inc.