For more than 40 years, Graceco Industries has been processing, packaging and distributing confectionery products across Nigeria. Known for their high-quality, affordable and delicious products, Graceco is on a mission to get more Nigerians baking. To build upon their strong reputation and provide more delicious products, Graceco looked to Partners in Food Solutions and their expert network for support. “Despite our decades of experience in confectionery processing, I knew we needed to strengthen our technical knowledge,” said Adedayo Oshinnaiye, executive director of operations and supply chain at Graceco. Together, Graceco and a team of PFS volunteers got to work on a shelf life extension project and cupcake recipe optimization project.

Overseeing the project work was Hershey Procurement Analyst Paul Brown. Paul joined the PFS volunteer network in April 2021 and a week later was paired with Graceco as their Client Lead. “Getting more involved with volunteering and the opportunity to learn more about another culture and new market while providing meaningful assistance to a growing company in Africa is what motivated me to join PFS,” said Paul. “Through my volunteer experience, I’ve been able to work with many great people at PFS, Graceco, General Mills, and Cargill, and have learned a lot about other areas of expertise.”

The project volunteer teams, led by Paul, were able to deliver amazing results. After several months, the team helped increase Graceco’s product margins by 10% and more than double their product’s shelf life. “Paul has been super helpful to our company,” said Adedayo. “He’s played a key role in helping us communicate our needs to the volunteer teams, manage the team’s responsibilities and project timeline, and even shared his technical expertise with us. Paul has enabled our company to move forward
and grow.” Graceco attributes the success of their famous ‘princess cupcakes’ in the market to this project and volunteer team.

Paul is still supporting Graceco as their Client Lead today and is currently overseeing several new projects including a baby food formula and a cupcake packaging project.

Please share a little about yourself.

I have worked for The Hershey Company for 34 years leading manufacturing and supply chain operations in the US, Mexico, and China. I am currently the supply chain integration lead, supporting the integration of Dots Pretzels and Pretzels Inc businesses.

What is your main motivation for volunteering with PFS?

The opportunity to share my expertise and give back through mentoring drew me to PFS.

What was your experience like on your first PFS project?

My first project was a facility layout project with a company called Taste Cocoa Ghana. The project was relatively quick, consisting of a few meetings and reviewing facility layout documents. I was surprised by the ease in which Taste Cocoa Ghana and I connected, shared our backgrounds, and began having open dialogue about the project. It was truly a great experience. I have since worked on other projects and am currently supporting a project with Agripreneur in Zambia.

What was your favorite part of the project?

My favorite part was getting to meet all the people at Taste Cocoa Ghana and to experience their passion and willingness to learn. If you’re considering volunteering, do not hesitate any longer. The experience is very rewarding and we all have something to share from our unique experiences. I have already started my second and third projects and they are just as rewarding as the first!

David Montgomery joined DSM in January 2021 as an Account Manager in Fresh Dairy for North America. In his role, David supports sales through commercial planning, training, and customer trials.

What was your main motivation for volunteering with Partners in Food Solutions?
I came to DSM, in part, because of the partnership with Partners in Food Solutions (PFS). I am passionate about creating sustainable food systems, and I believe I could have the most impact by volunteering with an organization with these values.

Are there any specific skills you’ve improved or developed while volunteering with Partners in Food Solutions?
The biggest skill I’ve been honing is active listening. The pace of the PFS projects and the needs of the clients are really unique compared to my work with customers in the USA. It’s been a meaningful experience to learn how to listen deeply and intently, and challenge my assumptions. I’ve even been able to transfer these newly honed skills to my day job.

What is your favorite part of volunteering with Partners in Food Solutions? My favorite part of volunteering with Partners in Food Solutions is working with people from all over the world, including both the client companies and other PFS volunteers. Everyone brings their own skills and diverse perspectives to the table and it’s rewarding to collaborate with them all to solve global food challenges.

In 2016, PFS simultaneously noticed two things in Africa: a need to increase capacity in addressing technical challenges at client companies and recent college graduates’ need for professional work experience. This observation led to the development of the PFS Apprenticeship Program. In 2016, PFS started with two apprentices in Ghana and has since grown to over 100 apprentices across seven African countries. Last June, PFS hosted its first Food Safety and Quality Apprentice Workshop with the goal of training past and present apprentices on safety standards in the food industry. Part of the workshop included a professional panel of food safety experts, including Weronika Strzyzowska, a quality specialist at DSM. “The workshop afforded me the opportunity to learn directly from a seasoned professional,” said an apprentice who attended the workshop. “[The volunteer panelists] provided guidance on how to identify activities/tasks that should be performed to achieve optimal food safety.”

PFS Human Capital Services Lead Yvonne Hormenoo said, “The panel of volunteer experts was very valuable.” She added that the panelists spoke to performance measurements, operations and management reviews, standard operating procedures, problem-solving techniques, and more. “Many of the attendees said the panel discussion was the highlight of the four-day workshop!”

In an effort to address technical challenges at food processing companies in Africa, PFS developed an apprentice program that could help improve food security and give recent graduates professional work experience. Over the years, this program has grown to over 100 apprentices across seven African countries. To further promote. networking and resource sharing between apprentices, PFS needed advice on how to design an effective alumni network. With the help of six management trainees from Bühler, PFS was able to develop the program in 2021 and give recently graduated apprentices an opportunity to stay connected. The volunteers provided key insights into successful alumni programs and shared suggestions on engagement strategies such as communication platforms, content, and more.