FT. WAYNE, IN Tippmann Innovation announces the additions of Nick Pacitti and Kristine Grudis to two key positions in Cold Chain Management, Pre-Construction and QF+ (QuickFreeze).

Nick Pacitti - Supply Chain and Pre-Construction

Nick Pacitti joined Tippmann Innovation in leading the business development effort. Pacitti will also head the Tippmann Cold Chain Management consulting practice. As a seasoned food industry executive, Pacitti has more than 35 years of extensive experience in designing, developing and delivering food logistics solutions. He brings the ideal mix of advisory talent and practical experience necessary in leading large scale efforts in defining and developing key strategic and tactical initiatives, 

As a veteran of the food industry, Pacitti held senior management roles with Kraft and Nestle where he designed and reengineered a host of supply chain initiatives in supporting growth and new product launches.  Prior to joining Tippmann Innovation, he built a consulting firm where he managed over 300 operations management projects for close to 100 clients. Pacitti developed and successfully implemented a number of fresh food channel strategies for leading retailers. In concert with these initiatives, he has designed a Food Safety and Sanitation Audit (FSSA), 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 (Washington DC) 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 (IFC) 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. 

Nick 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.

Kristine Grudis - Director, QF+

Tippmann Innovation is proud to announce the addition of Kristine Grudis as the new Director of QF+. For nearly 25 years, Grudis has been involved with the Food/Beverage, Pharmaceutical, 3PL & Industrial vertical markets with an emphasis on temperature controlled building solutions. Kristine's tenacity has developed and maintained key strategic accounts with the likes of Nestle, Sysco Food Service, Target, Costco and many more.  Her goals are to consistently exceed client's expectations by delivering the most cost effective, innovative engineered solutions. 

"I am excited for the opportunity to be a part of an experienced, progressive team looking to be the most innovative leader in our cold storage industry," said Grudis.

Sam Tippmann, President and CEO, said, "Our Mission Statement begins with 'Tippmann invests in the best people' and that's not just some empty text in our employee handbook, it is the cornerstone of this company's success. The product that this company sells is not buildings or equipment, it is the services our employees provide to the Cold Chain. We have been very fortunate with growth in the last several years and I attribute that to our rock solid team. When it comes to great people, we are always hiring."