World Food Logistics Organization to Debut
Following a three-year process of review and reinvention, members of the Bethesda, MD-based Refrigeration Research and Education Foundation (TRREF) voted decisively to change its name to World Food Logistics Organization (WFLO). The newly named 56-year-old organization will make its official debut at its Annual Convention and Trade Show, April 10-15 in Puerto Rico, held in conjunction with the International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses (IARW).
The transformation is meant to address the rapidly changing needs of the global perishable food and refrigerated warehouse/logistics industry, while bringing the organization's scientific and educational prowess to bear even more powerfully upon the challenge of distributing plentiful, safe, high- quality food to people around the world.
"This is all about responsiveness to our members' needs—a core value since our organization was founded," said Ray Tarnowski of the Philadelphia Warehousing & Cold Storage Co., current WFLO President. "We're seeing profound and rapid change in the perishable foods industry, and this was a logical way to maintain our leadership role. So we're very pleased that our members have committed themselves to the expanded mission, goals, and structure of WFLO."
Under its new banner, WFLO will seek to expand its already-extensive body of scientific knowledge. It will actively develop new membership. And it will work to form partnerships with governments and local businesspeople around the world to improve or establish new refrigerated food distribution networks.
"It's important that people understand that WFLO didn't just happen," adds Bill Hudson, WFLO executive director. "We spent three years planning the change. We sought advice from government agencies in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia, as well as from major figures in the trade press—not to mention IARW and WFLO members."'
The World Food Logistics Organization (WFLO) was founded as The Refrigeration Research and Education Foundation in 1943 to serve the scientific and educational needs of the refrigerated and frozen food industry. WFLO exists to develop and support systems, networks, and best practices within the global food industry and among trading partners for the safe, efficient, and reliable movement of food to the people of the world. Over the years, WFLO has grown in scope to now serve members in 45 countries on six continents; it has offices in Europe, India, and South Africa as well as its international headquarters in the Washington, DC area.
More information on WFLO, including details on membership, is available through its Web site: http://www.wflo.org, by e-mail at email@wflo.org, by postal mail at World Food Logistics Organization, 7315 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 1200N, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA, by phone at 301-652-5674, or by fax at 301-652-7269.