T. M. Kovacevich builds a championship team
T. M. Kovacevich builds a championship team
Tom Kovacevich said that watching the recent NFL draft led him to reflect on what it takes to build a championship team.
“In case you don’t recall, the Philadelphia Eagles exacted revenge on the favored Kansas City Chiefs in the 2025 Super Bowl,” said Kovacevich, the president and chief operating officer of T.M. Kovacevich-Philadelphia for more than eight years. “Watching the Eagles general manager Howie Roseman navigate the 2025 NFL draft was particularly fun, and despite the team’s late picks, I think he did an amazing job, drafting 10 players that all have the chance to play an important role on the Eagles.”
Kovacevich said that building a company is much like building a football team, and winning championships only happens when the team has talent, and that talent plays for each other.
“We at TMK are blessed to have an incredible team,” he noted. “Our CEO, George Manos, has always been instrumental in building our team and creating a place where people feel they are part of the family. This is George’s great strength and probably the single most important reason for our success. They say defense wins championships, so with that in mind I thought this would be a great time to highlight some of our operations team. Today we have more than 120 people working at TMK and thus it would be impossible to name everyone who deserves mention, so I am sorry to all the team not noted.”
He is still quick to point out some of the key people at his wholesale company. “That includes Peter Hulyk, a Ukrainian-born, proud American who with a smile and his ever-present professionalism stands as an example of how to be a team member,” Kovacevich said. “In 2024, Peter pulled 7,400 orders at an average of 75 cases each for a total of 558,353 cases, but the best part is that he always gets it right and all the while he is helping others along the way.”
Kovacevich said the pandemic forced his team to dig deep to get the job done. “All of us in the food distribution business supporting retail were called on to help retailers answer the call from their customers shut out of restaurants,” he noted. “The demand was incredible and gave us all an appreciation for just how many meals are served in restaurants. To meet the challenge then, and actually everyday as well, takes strong managers who set the tone by working harder than anyone and staying until the job is done. I’d like to highlight these guys.”
He pointed to Bruce Herrin, the company’s warehouse manager, who he says will never be outworked, is calm under pressure and always prepared.
“Our receiving team managers are Big John Friesema and John Katsikas,” he added. “Nobody gets more done than these two. Big John started his career as a marine, special forces to boot, and John K pretty much is an Olympic athlete. If you come to visit us, please stay out of their way. Our DSD and night managers are Nye Francis and Randy Ayala. Both of these guys not only make sure that every effort is made to get the job done and, more importantly, to get it done right. Our transportation managers are Tim Foglio and Jon Piano. These two guys coordinate all our deliveries and all our pickups, managing more than 20 drivers, if they are awake, they are working. Trucking never sleeps, even when the drivers are still home, the trucks are getting loaded.”
Kovacevich said the message he wants to get out is a simple one.
“George Manos, Michele Carfagno, our CFO, and myself are incredibly grateful to have a championship caliber team to work with every day,” he said. “It sure is fun.”
Photo: Jon Piano and Tim Foglio.
