NEW YORK — Baldor Specialty Foods' retiring President Michael Muzyk received the New York Produce Show’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Dec. 6, prior to a ribbon cutting to open the show’s exhibition hall at the Javits Center.
A proclamation was presented to Muzyk, who is retiring in early January 2024, on behalf of Mayor Eric Adams. Calling Muzyk “a powerhouse in his field” and acknowledging his “unparalleled leadership as president of Baldor Specialty Foods,” a representative from the office of Mayor Eric Adams presented the industry veteran with a citation.
Muzyk joined Baldor in 1996 as a sales representative, when the company was operating out of a modest 25,000-square-foot space in Queens.
As a sales representative in the early years of Baldor, Muzyk served as “a bridge between the company and its culinary clientele,” establishing the company as “a linchpin in [the] city's food delivery sector,” Adams’ proclamation said. “Michael earned respect and trust, eventually becoming the flourishing company's new president and ushering in an era of equity, sustainability and stellar service.”
In the last 32 years, Baldor’s enterprise has grown significantly — from operating a few trucks to today employing a staff of 2,400 employees deployed across more than 400 routes. Baldor Specialty Foods has also expanded operations into new states including Maine and Virginia.
“Under Michael's leadership, Baldor Specialty Foods also aided in New York's recovery in the wake of tragic events such as 911 and Superstorm Sandy. His impact, not only on this company but also on our city's food distribution sector, cannot be overstated on the occasion of his retirement,” said the proclamation noted, with the representative adding that “I am pleased on behalf of Mayor Adams to commend Michael for his determination, generosity and indomitable spirit.”
As he accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award, Muzyk thanked the NYPS and the industry people who’ve impacted his life and the lives of many others.
“I want to shout out to the Eastern Produce Council and Produce Business magazine (co-presenters of the New York Produce Show and Conference, Dec. 5-7) and to all the growers, shippers, manufacturers, fresh-cut, retailers, foodservice distributors and restaurants that constantly contribute to the success of this show,” Muzyk said. “I want to acknowledge Ken Whitacre, [NYPS founder and Produce Business CEO and publisher,] and John Toner, [vice president of the NYPS,] for keeping Jim Prevor’s mission alive.”
Prevor, founder of Produce Business, passed away suddenly Nov. 8, 2022, just a month prior to the 2022 NYPS.
“We stand on the shoulders of the people — the giants that came before us, and Jim was one of those giants,” Muzyk said. “He dedicated his life to this industry, to this show, and this success today is proof of it.
“We were at the first show that was dominated by Hunts Point and Baldor,” Muzyk continued. “Today, there's over 400 exhibitors, three solid days and all kinds of seminars, [which] makes it the second-largest produce convention in North America … This is going to be a great show, and we’re going to continue making it a great show.”
Following the ribbon cutting, The Packer spoke with Muzyk at the Baldor booth, where the longtime president said the company has decided not to replace his position, but instead “beef up its c-suite” positions.
“The company will keep moving forward. We’ve worked hard on our mission to deliver the best service and quality to the customer,” he said. “We answer to the customer who needs product, not a board. We’ve continued to grow and evolve while still staying small.”
Its business model has allowed the company to remain nimble and responsive to customers looking for everything from the exotic to the everyday in fresh produce, and all at the highest quality possible.
At Baldor, taste is everything.
“We measure fruit in Brix, not by USDA standards — it’s Baldor standards,” he said.
Related: The industry loses a legend — Remembering Jim Prevor