Quirch Foods, headquartered in Coral Gables, Florida, has released an expanded commitment to Environmental, Social and Governance principles and practices. In 2020, the company launched a CEO-led executive steering committee to define and oversee plans to achieve long-term, strategic and data-driven goals to address a range of social and environmental issues and build customer and consumer trust.
Quirch Foods’s specific ESG initiatives include:
- Active participation in roundtable discussions of supply chains with National Fisheries Institute and Fishery Improvement Projects and formation of relationships with other leading global groups committed to regulating, preserving and improving global sourcing;
- Increasing to 98 percent the proportion of farm-raised seafood sourced from Better Aquaculture Practices-certified fisheries; and
- Working with manufacturers to convert retail packaging to recyclable materials to reduce waste. Quirch Foods intends to package more than 90 percent of all of its brands in eco-conscious packaging by 2028.
These commitments build on past successes and continued efforts to position Quirch Foods as a global leader in terms of sustainability within the food space. In the past year, for example, the company reduced its food waste by 57 percent through enhanced vigilance and systemic management. Additionally, the company has sponsored employee volunteer events engaging with local foods banks for food donations.
“Quirch Foods has been making significant strides in building our wholesale, services and brands by putting a heightened emphasis on social/environmental priorities, including the well-being of our associates and the communities we serve,” said Frank Grande, president and CEO of Quirch Foods. “Leading by example is a big part of our culture. As we move forward, we have a robust plan to continue pursuing real solutions to help address climate change, improve food sourcing and energy preservation as a company, and creating an innovative, conscious and diverse workplace promoting equal opportunity, with a zero tolerance for discrimination.”
Quirch Foods has been owned by affiliates of Palladium Equity Partners LLC, a middle market private equity firm with nearly $3 billion in assets under management, since 2018. Palladium supported Quirch Foods’ purchase of Butts Foods in May 2020 as well as the merger with Colorado Boxed Beef in October 2020.
