Three individuals with outstanding lifetime contributions to the meat business are set to be inducted into the Wisconsin Meat Industry Hall of Fame at a May 5 recognition ceremony. The individuals are: John Alferi, an innovative businessman who grew his family’s food service equipment and supplies company; John Cerveny, a microbiologist whose work helped improve the safety of processed meats; and Andrew Milkowski, a foremost expert on meat processing, including formulation optimization and food safety.
John Alferi dedicated his career to insuring the success of Wisconsin’s meat processors. Heading the business founded by his grandfather, he expanded Alferi Laboratories into a leading provider of seasonings, food service equipment and information, and food label software, printing and transfer technology. Alferi’s innovations include unit packaging of seasonings for specific-sized meat batches, custom blending of seasonings, Blend Master software to track all phases of processing, and Label Tailor software to format, store and print labels. After Alferi Laboratories was purchased by Kerry Ingredients, Alferi formed a consulting business in order to meet the demand for his assistance and expertise from former customers.