SHARE

As we enjoy this current spring, fast on the shirt tails of summer, I’d be hard-pressed not to reflect on the pandemic, the challenges we have faced, and are still facing, as well as the gratitude in the air as we start to turn a corner on what we have all endured.

Like so many businesses, early in the pandemic, CW was forced to react quickly in terms of labor, logistics, and dealing with supply chain issues. A bittersweet silver lining for us was donating millions of dollars worth of  products to charity groups, due to having a surplus of perishable ingredients.

Bruce Luong, CW Executive Vice President West Coast and Canada

I am proud and grateful of our CW team as we continue to help our customers thrive and survive through tough times. From communicating PPP Loan availability to offering outdoor dining and take away menu ideas, being of service to our industry is always on the front burner.

With all of this said, I am very pleased to say that our business is showing significant signs of recovery. Morale is also up. With the vaccine distribution, everybody is beginning to see the long awaited light at the end of the tunnel. 

After a year of working remotely, CW is very happy to be bringing our people together again (safely and socially distanced of course) for in-person sales meetings. As we finally gather at CW hubs from LA, SF, to Las Vegas on to Texas, it is incredible to witness how elated everyone is to be together again.

We are once again connecting with our chefs and seeing the rebound of the economy as restrictions slowly get lifted. We’re excited to share many new programs ready to launch that have blossomed these past six months, and look forward to rejuvenating our awesome CW Farmer’s Market Program in SoCal.

What doesn’t take us down, makes us stronger as an organization, and even more connected. As a company, we have become a lot closer after the past 15 months and because of this much more nimble than our competition. We’ve also become a lot more conscientious and sensitive to people’s individual points of view. Whether political, social, environmental, or views concerning the pandemic, it is imperative that we respect one another, and keep striving to listen.

This spring and summer I look forward to the opportunity to get back to normality; to watch my kids play soccer, take them out to eat, possibly even go on a small vacation to give my family a break. Something we all share moving away from this unprecedented time is how much everyone deserves a break, to celebrate our survival, and reflect on our gratitude for making it through and stepping slowly and collectively, back into the light. Happy spring and summer everyone!