Founded by Don Bernstein in Scranton more than 60 years ago, Maid-Rite Specialty Foods grew from a 3,000-square-foot shop staffed by its founder and two others into a substantial independent frozen-meat manufacturer. Today, it works with foodservice and retail customers on portioned products and custom private-label recipes, with annual demand exceeding 300 million portions.
Maid-Rite Specialty Foods IncStarted more than 60 years ago in Scranton with a 3,000-square-foot shop, Maid-Rite Specialty Foods now produces portioned frozen meats for commercial foodservice, retail and private-label customers. The family-founded company operates multiple processing facilities in northeastern Pennsylvania and makes more than 300 million portions a year, including custom recipes for major restaurant, grocery and foodservice companies.DUNMORE, PA
J.T.M. Food GroupBorn from Jack Maas Sr.’s 1960 Cincinnati-area butcher shop, J.T.M. Food Group now makes fully cooked frozen foods and culinary solutions for foodservice, schools, retailers, and the military. Still family-owned and operated, the Harrison-based company carries its butcher-shop roots into a 100-million-pound annual production operation, with four generations of Maas family involvement. J.T.M. is especially distinctive for combining large-scale food processing with custom menu development and kettle-crafted sauces, soups, and fillings.HARRISON, OH
Ritter Foods, LLCPhiladelphia’s Ritter Foods, LLC has been a family-owned meat distributor and Philly-style sandwich steak manufacturer since 1922. Serving the Mid-Atlantic, the company pairs fresh and frozen protein distribution with portioned beef and chicken steaks, including customized private-label programs. Its cheesesteak specialty draws on the team’s Philadelphia roots and firsthand knowledge of the city’s sandwich tradition.PHILADELPHIA, PA
Ashley Foods, IncFounded by Bernie Loke as a one-man operation in 1984, Ashley Foods has grown from a pasta and dessert distributor into a family-run Philadelphia purveyor of meats and cheeses for fine restaurants, country clubs, and hotels across the Delaware Valley. Now led by Loke’s daughter, Ashley Hanlon, the company remains deliberately small enough to monitor its products closely and tailor cuts and deliveries to each customer’s specifications.PHILADELPHIA, PA