Mushroom Council marks tenth year under Bart Minor
Mushroom Council marks tenth year under Bart Minor
This month marks the 10th anniversary for Bart Minor in his role as president and chief executive officer of the Mushroom Council.
The decade for the council, based in Dublin, CA, has seen a dramatic ebb and flow.
According to a Mushroom Council press release, last year the council completed its first full year of marketing following the five-year silence that stemmed from the Supreme Court ruling against the council's checkoff advertising program. With the ruling overturned, the Mushroom Council renewed its efforts to reach Americans with new messages about mushrooms' versatility, health benefits and proper saut? methods -- encouraging consumers to use mushrooms "every day, every way."
As a result of invigorated efforts to reach consumers through the media and in-store promotions, as well as outreach to the foodservice and retail industries, total fresh mushroom shipments in 2007 exceeded any prior year reported to the Mushroom Council at higher-than-forecasted prices.
But long before the dark period came to a close, Mr. Minor was strategically planning for the future by turning the council's focus to research rather than generic consumer messaging. Research with the City of Hope Cancer Center in Duarte, CA, was one of the early opportunities Mr. Minor encouraged the council to pursue in 2001. The resulting study found that white button mushrooms may help prevent breast cancer.
"The findings of the City of Hope study and other research projects Bart urged us to support are the foundation of our successful efforts to promote the health benefits of mushrooms," said Curtis Jurgensmeyer, chairman of the Mushroom Council from 2006 through 2007. "If Bart hadn't shifted our attention to research back then, we wouldn't be where we are today."
Jim Angelucci, manager of Phillips Mushroom Farms LP in Kennett Square, PA, and a board member who voted to hire Mr. Minor, admires his tenacity. "If I were in Bart's position when the Supreme Court ruling came down, I would have probably found a different job. There's tremendous pressure to make mushrooms the 300-pound gorilla. He looks outside of the box and seems to like mushrooms even more than those of us growing them."
Before joining the Mushroom Council, Mr. Minor worked with the California Prune Board and the California Tomato Commission. He was an active member of the United Fresh Produce Association and Produce Marketing Association, and was a founding member of the 5 A Day campaign. He earned undergraduate and MBA degrees from Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, CA.
The decade for the council, based in Dublin, CA, has seen a dramatic ebb and flow.
According to a Mushroom Council press release, last year the council completed its first full year of marketing following the five-year silence that stemmed from the Supreme Court ruling against the council's checkoff advertising program. With the ruling overturned, the Mushroom Council renewed its efforts to reach Americans with new messages about mushrooms' versatility, health benefits and proper saut? methods -- encouraging consumers to use mushrooms "every day, every way."
As a result of invigorated efforts to reach consumers through the media and in-store promotions, as well as outreach to the foodservice and retail industries, total fresh mushroom shipments in 2007 exceeded any prior year reported to the Mushroom Council at higher-than-forecasted prices.
But long before the dark period came to a close, Mr. Minor was strategically planning for the future by turning the council's focus to research rather than generic consumer messaging. Research with the City of Hope Cancer Center in Duarte, CA, was one of the early opportunities Mr. Minor encouraged the council to pursue in 2001. The resulting study found that white button mushrooms may help prevent breast cancer.
"The findings of the City of Hope study and other research projects Bart urged us to support are the foundation of our successful efforts to promote the health benefits of mushrooms," said Curtis Jurgensmeyer, chairman of the Mushroom Council from 2006 through 2007. "If Bart hadn't shifted our attention to research back then, we wouldn't be where we are today."
Jim Angelucci, manager of Phillips Mushroom Farms LP in Kennett Square, PA, and a board member who voted to hire Mr. Minor, admires his tenacity. "If I were in Bart's position when the Supreme Court ruling came down, I would have probably found a different job. There's tremendous pressure to make mushrooms the 300-pound gorilla. He looks outside of the box and seems to like mushrooms even more than those of us growing them."
Before joining the Mushroom Council, Mr. Minor worked with the California Prune Board and the California Tomato Commission. He was an active member of the United Fresh Produce Association and Produce Marketing Association, and was a founding member of the 5 A Day campaign. He earned undergraduate and MBA degrees from Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, CA.
