Tippmann Innovation Fills Key Positions
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowFort Wayne-based Tippman Innovation has hired Kristine Grudis as director of QuickFreeze (QF+). For nearly 25 years, she has been involved with the food/beverage, pharmaceutical, 3PL and industrial vertical markets with an emphasis on temperature controlled building solutions. Grudis has has developed and maintained key strategic accounts with the likes of Nestle, Sysco Food Service, Target, Costco and many more.
Also, Nick Pacitti joined the company in leading the business development effort and is also head of the Tippmann Cold Chain Management consulting practice. He has more than 35 years of extensive experience in designing, developing and delivering food logistics solutions. Pacitti is a veteran of the food industry and held senior management roles with Kraft and Nestle.
Prior to joining Tippmann Innovation, he built a consulting firm where he managed more than 300 operations management projects for close to 100 clients. Pacitti developed and successfully implemented a number of fresh food channel strategies for leading retailers. He has designed a Food Safety and Sanitation Audit, a Vendor Certification Audit and the Cold Chain Assessment and Certification for leading retailers and food distribution companies.
He was the Chairman of the Food Logistics Technical Subcommittee and a member of the Technical Advisory Committee for the Food Marketing Institute and their Safe Quality Food Institute. In this role, Pacitti guided the development of food logistics and quality practices for the industry in concert with leading retailers, 3PLs and food processors. These standards are now used in attaining the Global Food Safety Initiative, SQF certification.
In addition, Pacitti co-founded the Integrated Food Chain Center at Georgia Tech and their Supply Chain and Logistics Institute. The IFC Charter is to develop industry standards and influence policy and regulations in the safe handling of perishable foods. As a senior lecturer, Pacitti teaches cold chain management course at Georgia Tech.
He holds two master’s degrees, an MBA from The Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio and an MA from Kent State University. An undergraduate degree was awarded Magna cum Laude from LaSalle University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.