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Issue link: https://seafoodbusiness.epubxp.com/i/72022
Top Story the issue for retailers. Earlier this spring, the FMI Sustain- able for integrating pronouncing the letter L). Taylor graduated in 1995 Seafood Committee released its Sustainable Sea- food Toolkit, a free resource for the industry that provides guidance from Auburn University (she often cries out "War Eagle!" to a colleague who went to Alabama) with a bachelor's in business man- It's about incremental and continuous improvement: We're doing good work with farmed shrimp and salmon. T ere are defi nitely great stories that can be told, even on the commodity side of "Without her tireless dedication and wonderful style and sense of humor we would not have accomplished all we have in the past six years." — Jeanne von Zastrow, senior director of industry relations and sustainability, Food Marketing Institute agement. She loves dogs (especially her Labrador- golden retriever mix, Lacey) and grungy 1990s rock 'n' roll with screeching guitars. Fresh out of school, Tay- and implementing sustain- able seafood procurement policies and procedures. T e committee meets in person twice a year. "We want to serve a role resources in providing for the greater FMI member- ship and, in some instances, the industry at large. We also know that there are some is- sues that are better addressed as a group as opposed to in- dividually," Taylor says. "As more retailers start asking for the same types of infor- mation and taking similar steps toward sustainability, the less confusing it will be for the industry to work on sustainability issues." Although it may not al- ways seem so, life for Taylor is more than vendor meet- ings, commodity reports, committee conference calls and constant contact with industry colleagues and sup- pliers. T e middle child of a close family, Taylor grew up all over South Carolina and Georgia but calls Green- ville, S.C., home. Her ac- cent may have faded a bit, but her mom's hasn't ("Now Tracy, tell me all about that sall-mon!" she'll say, lor landed a job with PYA Monarch, a foodservice dis- tributor later purchased by U.S. Foodservice (at the time owned by Ahold USA; she also was a buyer for retailer Bi-Lo, when it too was in the Ahold portfolio). She's been there ever since. Taylor started out buying spices, pizzas and chips and after about a year and a half started to work on retail sea- food, purchasing fresh fi sh for a Zebulon, N.C.-based sister company, facilitating communication between the store and its purchasing department. She's worked extensively on both fresh and frozen seafood as well as val- ue-added products, and fi nds the work engaging because there's an educational oppor- tunity around every corner. For instance, Taylor is inves- tigating new Federal Trade Commission guidelines on green product claims and how they might change what the company carries. "T is is a constantly changing business that keeps our work very interesting," she says. "T is industry and specifi cally Ahold USA con- tinue to make great strides in sustainability, which is also a passion of mine. Visit us online at www.seafoodbusiness.com July 2012 SeaFood Business 21 the business." Working closely with the New England Aquarium and the FMI committee has given Taylor an apprecia- tion of the work required to bring fi sheries to their full potential. T e company's sustainable seafood goals were set for 2015 because the necessary changes for some producers simply won't happen quickly. "We realize the impor- tance of working with and supporting fi sheries and aquaculture operations that are taking the appropriate steps toward seafood sustain- ability," she says. "Stepping away from a supplier should be a last resort as it provides no incentive for a fi shery or aquaculture operation to take the appropriate steps if it is not supported in the marketplace." Perhaps surprisingly, Tay- lor says Ahold USA works only with about 15 to 20 sea- food vendors. Maintaining Ahold USA www.ahold.com/Ahold/Ahold-USA.htm Slogan: Retail Banners: Total stores: Employees: 2011 sales: "Better choice. Better value. Better life. Every day." Stop & Shop, Giant Food, Giant Food Stores, Martin's Food Markets, Peapod 780 117,000 in 14 states $25 billion (all products) Sustainability Goal: All seafood from certifi ed-sustainable (Marine Stewardship Council or Aquaculture Stewardship Council) sources by 2015