Commentary From Our President
Congratulations to Ralph Crowley Jr, MFA Person of the Year
Michael D. Sleeper, Chief Executive Officer, Imperial Distributors, Inc.
One of Worcester’s favorite sons, Ralph Crowley Jr., CEO of Polar Beverages, is incredibly deserving and a wonderful choice to receive this year’s MFA Person of the Year Award which will be presented at the MT Washington Hotel on Memorial Day weekend.
It’s been many years since he and his brother Chris walked together to Lee Street Grammar School from their house on Metcalf Street bullying each other and taking pride in their titles as “Rotten Ralph” and “Cruddy Chris”. But make no mistake about it, despite their competitiveness, they were extremely loyal to one another, as they are today, which has played no small part in the extraordinary growth and success of Polar Beverages.
Ralph started in his family’s business at a time when beverage companies were a pennies business, very localized with bottlers in every town. He knew instinctively that the road to success for Polar was based on taking care of its customers. Ralph understands what it means to achieve customer success. His relationships run deep. He’s humble, bends over backwards and is truly devoted to each customer Polar serves.
Ralph’s visionary leadership combined with his entrepreneurial spirit and boundless energy has propelled Polar to become the largest family owned beverage bottler in the U.S. He’s committed to the industry having served as President of the American Beverage Association, worked with the Clinton Foundation to eliminate calorie beverages in schools and is a member of the Beverage World Hall of Fame.
His commitment to the Mass Food Association has been steadfast. When Chris Flynn needed him for the association’s long range plan, Ralph was there willing to lend his expertise. He can always be counted on, as one of the good guys, to support MFA.
But with all he’s accomplished, his family still comes first. His wife Joan and 5 children, Kathryn, Elizabeth, Ralph, Andrew and Sarah are the center of his universe.
So Congratulations Ralph….. Thanks for your dedication to our industry, MFA and the beautiful city of Worcester.
For comments or questions, contact us by phone at 508-756-5156, or e-mail: msleeper@imperialdistributors.com