Edneyville Grange and Community Development Club
March 6, 2018
The meeting was held at the Edneyville Community Center with Wendy Henderson presiding. The invocation was given by Don and followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. A delicious covered dish dinner was enjoyed by all. Birthdays were celebrated.
The program was presented by Joan Rhodes, Human Resource Director at Barry Callebaut which is owned by the Jacobs Foundation and is a global company. The Mona Lisa Company was formed by a couple in the 1880’s in California and moved to Edneyville because the parents of the owner lived in Henderson County. It was originally in the tan building across the road. In 1980, the company built 35,000 square feet and then added 10,000 more. Six years ago Mona Lisa was bought by Barry Callebaut which is the largest chocolate company in the world and makes 70% of the world’s chocolate with sales of $7.2 billion per year and over 9,000 worldwide. The building was enlarged to 70,000 feet. There are now 69 employees and may go up to 80 during busy seasons.
Mona Lisa is a brand that makes speciality and decoration products along with a lot of private label work. Their best sellers are chocolate stick s. Customers are bakers, restaurant owners, cruise ships and manufacturers such as pie makers. They are environmentally conscious and the goal of less than 10% waste in their production by 2025. The company promotes sustainable cocoa in Africa. Cocoa only grows close to the equator with 50 % grown in the Ivory Coast and Ghana. The Jacobs foundation is based in Zurich with us headquarters in Chicago. It is one of the largest charitable organizations in the world and is 19% owned by the Jacobs family and 70 % by the Foundation.
The company grows through acquisition and new products. They recently acquired Gertrude Hawk Company and have a factory in California that produces Orea cookies prior to the final finishing by Nabisco. At the Edneyville plant they bring in Barry Callebaut chocolate, melt and reform it into shavings, lots of cups and decorations for cakes and other products. Totally, there are 53 factories.
Europe is the biggest consumer of chocolate; China is the least with the US somewhere in the middle. Most of the chocolate is dark chocolate with some white.
Employees, after 11 years of employment, have 4 weeks off plus 2 other days, 13 holidays, and 1 week at Christmas. We all enjoyed the shared chocolate sticks.
Minutes of the February meeting were approved as sent out to members.
Birthdays were celebrated. The Grange Family Conference is March 16-18 in at the Biltmore Park Hilton. We are collecting tooth brushes which should be dropped off at Wendy’s.
It is time for nominations for state contests. Photos are to be bare feet, celebration, bad weather and bikes. Instagram contest is graffiti. Writing is “Seeing the World Thru the Eyes of Your Pet.”
Flyers for upcoming events at the center (yarn Party and Sewing) are available. Next meeting is on April 3 when flyers for Grange Month will be available. Library Volunteers will be the guests at the April meeting. Roadside cleanup with scouts will be on April 21. The 21st Annual BBQ will be May 5 from 3-7pm.
The closing prayer was provided by Don Henderson.
Respectfully,
Liz Enloe