The Ginger People 25th Years of Gratitude

25TH BRAND ANNIVERSARY

This year marks the 25th brand anniversary of The Ginger People®  As we celebrate this milestone, one word comes to mind – gratitude.

Most importantly, we want to thank our loyal customers – the people who share our passion for ginger and have faithfully purchased our products over the past quarter century.

In tribute, we’ve selected a small group of individuals to thank – a representative sample of so many others who have helped us build our brand over the past 25 years.

Thank You to Our…

CREATORS

PIONEERS

CUSTOMERS

SUPPLIERS

COLLEAGUES

THE CREATORS

Thank You

Genevieve Duverge

ORIGINAL BRAND DESIGNER
SUBIACO, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Thank you, Genevieve, for bringing our brand to life in 1997.  Your sense of design paired with your cheeky, whimsical, “let’s not take ourselves too seriously” approach has helped shape our brand for the past 25 years.

From our consumers, we often hear, “Oh, The Ginger People! I love The Ginger People.”  You and your original designs are part of making that love and this dream come true.

With gratitude,
The Ginger People

Thank You

Malcolm Lindsay

ORIGINAL MR. KNOBS ILLUSTRATOR
1997-2021 (RETIRED)
WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Thank you, Malcolm, for giving us Mr. Knobs, the soul of our brand. With your unique vision and talented hand, you turned what many might see as a homely piece of produce into our beloved mascot. We are grateful for the care and creativity you poured into each unique illustration, first sketching and painting by hand, then converting to digital drawing in later years.

Thank you for helping us create a brand that connects us – people to people – and for the joy you’ve given so many through Mr. Knobs.

With gratitude,
The Ginger People

Thank You

Garry Sullivan

FOOD IMAGINEERING USA
SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
The_Ginger_People_25th_Anniversary_Gary

Thank you, Garry, for helping us create our first branded products. A restauranteur in Sydney, Australia and global food developer, Garry formulated our four original cooking sauces. From ginger lemongrass to sweet ginger chili, most of the formulas are a beautiful weave of Asian flavors. Oddly enough, Garry’s specialty was barbecue so we let him spin up a delicious ginger hickory sauce. Sadly, consumers didn’t bite on that one. Our sauce range lives on today, being successfully sold in the U.S. and Canada in over 10,000 outlets.

Thank you, Garry, for ensuring we were bringing great-tasting, healthful products to market.

With gratitude,
The Ginger People

THE PIONEERS

Thank You

Ingrid Gerstmann Broughton

OUR FIRST EMPLOYEE, 1990-1994

Thank you, Ingrid, for being the first employee to join The Ginger People family. We guess that makes you #1. We didn’t realize how handy it would be to have an actor on staff. Ingrid studied acting in San Francisco before she joined our company, years before we launched The Ginger People brand. To our benefit, we found she could play any role. An energetic all-rounder, Ingrid could do accounting, stand on trade show floor and  talk to trade customers and consumers alike. 

Ingrid was committed to “putting ginger in every pot in America” and suggested “we should all make gingerbread not war.” 

Thank you, Ingrid. You were delightful to work alongside. 

With gratitude,
The Ginger People

Thank You

Christie Loguzzo

MEMBER OF THE GINGER PEOPLE FAMILY
10 YEARS
The_Ginger_People_25th_Anniversary_Christie

Thank you, Christie, for being one of the early pioneers for The Ginger People. Christie joined The Ginger People in the early days of our brand, leading our sales team with determination. She was tough and committed. With a brain that fired on both sides and talent in sales and marketing, Christie opened countless doors and secured our national distribution system. When an opportunity came for Christie to move from the U.S. to Germany, she stayed on to help develop our brand in Europe.

“I’m eternally grateful for everything I learned from The Ginger People, everything we shared, and for being a part of your family for a decade. It’s probably no stretch to say my proudest achievements in my career and life came during that time. So, the gratitude certainly flows both ways,” – Christie Loguzzo

Thank you, Christie, for your drive and tenaciousness, and for being instrumental in getting us to where we are today.

With gratitude,
The Ginger People

Thank You

Diana Cumberland

MEMBER OF THE GINGER PEOPLE FAMILY
1999 – PRESENT

Thank you, Diana, for being a leader with patience, compassion, integrity and empathy. We met Diana in the mid ‘90s when she was employed by Honey Hill Farms Frozen Yogurt, a business we invested in for a short period.

Diana joined The Ginger People just after we launched the brand. Here from the early days, she’s done virtually every job along the way. Diana has earned the respect of our team, our suppliers and our customers. Now our VP Operations Emeritus, Diana is helping us find her replacement (have you seen the size of her shoes?)

“Beyond thankful for the years I’ve been at The Ginger People – a company built on high professional and personal values. A family-owned business which became my family. I am forever grateful.” – Diana Cumberland

Thank you, Diana, for setting an inspiring example for everyone in our company and our family, both professionally and personally. Our business would not be where it is today if not for you.

With gratitude,
The Ginger People

Thank You

Brad and Robin Magaro

FOUNDERS, MAXIMUM MARKETING FOOD BROKERAGE,
THE GINGER PEOPLE® BRAND PARTNERS, 2007 TO PRESENT

Thank you, Brad and Robin Magaro, for helping us grow our brand. The Ginger People and Maximum Marketing have been partners for over 15 years. As our external salesforce, Maximum first represented our brand on the U.S. east coast, then expanded to rep The Ginger People in the west.

Consistent, talented, trusted, hands-on and service-focused, Maximum invests in its team and is intentional in the way it builds its culture. Many of its staff members are original to the company, allowing them to develop the kind of relationships that accomplish goals and get things done. Maximum has remained a small enough business to still have a significant impact on our brand.

Their success is our success, and we are thankful for that mutual understanding and respect.

With gratitude,
The Ginger People

THE CUSTOMERS

Thank You

Tim Sperry

BOARD MEMBER AND ADVISOR, SPECIALTY AND NATURAL FOODS COMPANIES
GUILFORD, CONNECTICUT

Thank you, Tim, for giving The Ginger People its first break. When we first met Tim in the ‘90s, he was the Northeast Regional Buyer for Whole Foods Market. We were new to the natural foods scene and only had four cooking sauces in our range. Tim took a chance on us and accepted our tiny lineup into his region of Whole Foods.

We’re profoundly grateful for this break. Sometimes that’s all a new business needs. Thank you, Tim, for putting us on the path.

With gratitude,
The Ginger People

Thank You

Carol Frances

ORIGINAL BUYER, TJX COMPANY

Thank you, Carol, for fostering a positive buyer-customer relationship. Carol was one of our first buyers at TJX Company in the early 2000s. Collaborative, creative and responsive, Carol embraced her company’s “treasure hunt” concept and worked with The Ginger People to create and supply ginger products that appealed to the Marshall’s and TJMaxx consumer. Carol sought opportunities, was firm and professional, yet personable and kind.

Thank you, Carol, for being more of a partner than a customer. You’re a rare gem.

With gratitude,
The Ginger People

Thank You

Carmine Fiore

DIRECTOR OF SOURCING & PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT: FOOD, AGRARIAN & HOUSEWARES
WILLIAMS SONOMA
The_Ginger_People_25th_Anniversary_Carmine

Thank you, Carmine, for being one of The Ginger People’s “faith keepers” for over 25 years. You’ve always been so supportive, approachable and collaborative. You were one the first ginger cheerleaders in the U.S. You saw its potential. Back then, we were selling crystallized ginger to Williams Sonoma.

Although we don’t have anything on the shelves of your wonderful stores right now, you’ve stayed connected and introduced us to some wonderful people in the food industry and you’ve kept us in mind for any ginger-related opportunities.

Thank you, Carmine, for your faith and support. We are forever grateful.

With gratitude,
The Ginger People

THE SUPPLIERS

Thank You

John Bishop

TOTAI AMERICA – TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA,
PACKAGING PARTNER – GIN GINS®

Thank you, John, for helping us introduce the first fresh ginger chew to mainstream America. Bringing a product to market takes many steps and John’s step plays a critical role in our success. John produces our GIN GINS® candy bags, printing millions for us over the past 20+ years. Our loyalty and gratitude is born out of John’s exceptional customer service and Totai’s consistent product quality.

Thank you, John, for being more of a partner than a vendor, and for your expertise in working through the many packaging challenges over the past two decades.

With gratitude,
The Ginger People

Thank You

Paul Strazzullo

CMS, SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA
FIRST CO-PACKER – THE GINGER PEOPLE® GINGER SAUCES/GINGER JUICE

Thank you, Paul, for helping us create great-tasting, healthy products. We met Paul Strazzullo in the mid ‘90s. Paul owned CMS, a small food manufacturing plant in San Bruno, California. Willing to take on our fledgling brand, Paul helped us produce our first 4-flavor range of cooking sauces and later our ginger juice. Flexible, patient and loyal, Paul was an ideal partner for The Ginger People. Although Paul retired from CMS, our sauces are still made by his former company using our original recipes from 25 years ago.

Thank you, Paul, for sharing your expertise and helping us create top-quality products that have stood the test of time.

With gratitude,
The Ginger People

THE COLLEAGUES

Thank You

Greg Tuer

FORMER SHAREHOLDER, THE GINGER PEOPLE®

Thank you, Greg, for being a solid and dependable business partner. We met Greg in the late ‘80s, through Buderim Ginger in Queensland, Australia. Prior to the birth of our brand, we purchased product from Buderim and became its largest customer. Greg was instrumental in supporting our growth and guiding us through our initial supply agreements. Years later, Greg joined The Ginger People as a shareholder for a period.

With Greg’s encouragement, we built a ginger factory in Queensland, which he ran for over 10 years. In subsequent years, as local supply dwindled, we closed the factory and moved the equipment to a new ginger factory in Fiji.

Thank you, Greg, for putting your faith in The Ginger People. We are forever grateful for your support.

With gratitude,
The Ginger People

Thank You

Michael Hengl

BRIDGE BANK, SENIOR DIRECTOR, CAPITAL FINANCE
SAN FRANCISCO REGION, 10 YEARS

Thank you, Michael, for your faith and financial support. We’ve known Michael since the early ‘90s – even before we launched The Ginger People brand. In our early days of selling bulk ginger and as a family-owned-and-operated business without outside investors, we needed essential working capital. Michael was there as we took our first big steps and has supported us directly and indirectly for over 30 years.

Thank you, Michael, for partnering with us and for your confidence in our ability to succeed.

With gratitude,
The Ginger People

Thank You

The_Ginger_People_25th_Anniversary_EVOKE

Mikko, Tuomas and Henri

FOUNDERS – EVOKE OY, HELSINKI, FINLAND

Thank you, Mikko, Tuomas, Henri and their team at Evoke Oy, for growing and sustaining our brand in Europe. We met this trio seven years ago when their business was just getting started. With commitment, ambition and patience, Evoke Oy was founded in 2014 to develop and promote natural snacks and plant-based protein products. Today, Evoke has grown to become our long-term partner to help us grow The Ginger People brand in Europe.

Evoke’s success stems from their everyday values: responsibility, equality, adaptability, freedom and perseverance.

Evoke is a maturing and innovative business with a strong marketing core and shared values, making it an ideal partner for our niche brand in the complex European marketplace. We look forward to growing our mutual success.

With gratitude,
The Ginger People

Thank You

Lauren M. Michals, Counsel

NILXON PEABODY LLP, SAN FRANCISCO

Thank you, Lauren, for your counsel, common sense and approachable manner. All successful companies need strong legal support. Lauren has been our legal point person over 10 years and, beyond her professional role protecting our company, she has a keen interest in ginger. Bonus!

Thank you, Lauren, for being a member of The Ginger People family.

With gratitude,
The Ginger People

Thank You

Marlene Williams, Counsel

BUCHALTER LAW FIRM, SAN FRANCISCO

Thank you, Marlene, for representing us as our trademark attorney for over 15 years. Thorough and knowledgeable, Marlene has been able to unravel the mysteries of trademarks and copyright for both our international and domestic business. She has kept The Ginger People brand and our mascot, Mr. Knobs, safe and out of the hands of third parties throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

We are grateful for her longsighted view and stewardship.

With gratitude,
The Ginger People

Thank You

Kerry Vincent

FOOD NETWORK STAR AND MASTER CAKE DESIGNER
FOUNDER – OKLAHOMA STATE SUGAR ART SHOW
The_Ginger_People_25th_Anniversary_Kerry

Thank you, Kerry, for being a dear friend and loyal supporter who left “our company” too soon. A native of Australia, Kerry fell in love with an American and spent much of her career in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Host of “Save My Bakery” on Food Network, judge of “The Great Australian Bake Off,” and founder of the Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show, Kerry had incredible energy and enthusiasm for her craft.

Although not an exact fit for our health-focused brand, The Ginger People sponsored the Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show for over 10 years — mostly because we were on Kerry’s cheerleading squad, and she was on ours.

Sadly, we lost Kerry in 2021. At 75, with so much more to contribute, she was entirely too young.

Thank you for believing in us, as we believed in you.

With gratitude,
The Ginger People