Receiving the Hormel Foods Pride of the Jersey distinction is no small thing, but determining who should wear the company colors next may well be an even bigger deal. At least it was for Foodservice Area Manager Steven Rothenberg – until he landed on Ed Beshel.
“I wouldn’t be the person I am today without this person in my life,” Steven said while revealing his choice. “… I am honored and privileged to present the Pride of the Jersey to Ed Beshel.”
Ed joined Hormel Foods in the Dallas (Texas) Sales Office immediately after college. He wasn’t expecting a lifelong employer; he simply hoped the company would keep him around long enough to allow him to establish a career. Thirty-one years later, he knows he got his wish.
“I feel blessed to work with such a great company and blessed to have had such special people surrounding me in my career,” he said.
Based in Atlanta, Ed serves as a national sales manager, working closely with the Foodservice segment on the Sysco account, a major piece of business. According to Steven, Ed’s commitment to the Cultural Belief Results Matter is always a differentiator.
“I’ve tried to spend my whole career finding ways to deliver results and help the team …. As I became more of a veteran, I looked back at the people who put their arms around me, and I decided I wanted to do the same thing. I try to make things easier for the people I work with and for the Sysco team so they can be successful,” he said.
Not only is Ed at home with his sales role, he’s in familiar territory in the Southern United States. Though he admits he doesn’t have the telltale drawl of a Southerner, he was born in Mobile, Ala., and was graduated from University of South Alabama. He and his wife are parents to Courtney, 26, and Lauren, 23.
When he’s not working, Ed’s generally on the golf course or with family. Traveling, especially via cruise ships, is his favorite way to sit back and relax. In addition to tours on the Caribbean Sea, Ed and his wife recently took a 12-day Mediterranean cruise – plus four days in Rome – for their 30th wedding anniversary, joining two friends who were celebrating the same milestone. The attraction of cruises reveals yet another of Ed’s passions. “They’re all about service,” he said.
According to Steven, so is Ed.
“He does it in a unique way … his way. He knows when to push and when to nurture.”
