Clearwater, Fla. (July 14, 2021) – Joe Smith, a 45+ year veteran of the food, beverage, and hospitality industry, has been promoted to Executive Vice President of Sales at Monin Americas, the global flavor manufacturer.
Smith’s promotion comes as he recently celebrated his 20th anniversary with Monin and was also just recognized by VIBE with the 2020 On-Premise Industry Legend award.
Under his leadership, Monin has grown to 33 sales representatives across the Americas, expanding into Canada and Latin America. Additionally, Smith has played a paramount role in business development, business acquisition, and beverage innovation, all of which have been vital contributors to Monin’s growth.
Valued customers and organizations have awarded Monin many beverage excellence honors under Smith’s leadership. These include the Cheers’ Small Non-Alcoholic Beverage Supplier of the Year and Vibe’s Non-Alcoholic Supplier of the Year, both of which have been awarded for consecutive years. Additionally, Chick-fil-A has recognized Monin for Outstanding Performance, Bloomin’ Brands has named Monin a “Supplier of the Year,” and Darden has bestowed Monin the William B. Darden Award.
“After more than 20 years at Monin, I’m still eager to get started each and every work day,’ said Smith. ‘I genuinely enjoy cultivating relationships with our customers, and I’m honored to be in a position where I can continue to help my team deliver gold-standard service to our customers.”
Smith has not only been recognized with VIBE’s 2020 Industry Legend Award, but he has a lineage of awards and recognitions, including the Icon Award from Hospitality Executive Exchange, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from a non-profit that is close to his heart, Children of Restaurant Employees (CORE). His longstanding career in the food and beverage industry also includes leadership roles at Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., and Hills Bros.® Coffee.
“Joe’s ambition and legacy are what makes him so deserving of this promotion,” said Bill Lombardo, CEO at Monin Americas. “I know he will continue to go the extra mile to support our customers, just as he has done for the past 20 years.”
Smith currently serves on the executive committee of CORE (Children of Restaurant Employees), is a board member of Hospitality Executive Exchange, and is a board member of the Flavor Conference. He is a graduate of Northeastern University and resides in Boston and Florida.
ABOUT MONIN GOURMET FLAVORINGS:
Founded in 1912 in Bourges, France, and family-owned and operated for three generations, Monin is the premier provider of flavoring products for creating specialty beverage and flavorful culinary solutions. With manufacturing facilities on three continents and product availability in more than 150 countries, Monin is recognized as the leading global flavor solution provider. For more information, visit monin.com.
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