(Above) Saba Samaan, Sales and Marketing Assistant; Dana Kucharik, Marketing Manager and Colleen Sherfey, Senior Marketing Director
As with several visits to Chamber members, I am often taken back by the longevity and diversity of businesses in Torrance. This past week, I was welcomed to Morinaga Nutritional Foods, Inc. by Colleen Sherfey, Senior Marketing Director.
Morinaga & Co., LTD., was founded in Tokyo, Japan in 1899 by Taichiro Morinaga, whose dream was to deliver nutritious, delicious Western confectioneries to the people of Japan.
Morinaga Nutritional Foods, Inc., a subsidiary of Morinaga Milk Industry, Co., Ltd. is a global leader in dairy and soy manufacturing. At the heart of the business is a philosophy to create a new food culture based on the excellent power of milk and soy, and to make a difference in people’s health and society in general.
Morinaga Nutritional Foods, Inc. has been based in Torrance since 1985.
The company produces the popular Mori-Nu Silken Tofu brand, a line widely sold across the United States, as well as the industrial and food service ingredient Silken Soy Puree. “Morinaga’s soy products are sold in a unique aseptic package that protects fresh tofu from light and bacteria, allowing for a long shelf life without the need for refrigeration or use of preservatives,” stated Dana Kucharik, Marketing Manager.
Morinaga recently debuted Alove, a Japanese-style aloe vera yogurt. Alove is the first spoonable aloe vera yogurt in America. “We do different types of samplings and marketing to consumers in order to promote our products. We recently took samples to the Torrance Fire and Police Departments and participate in a wide variety of community events,” commented Sherfey.
The Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce thanks Morinaga Nutritional Foods, Inc. for being a member since 2006. My visit was informative and educational. The employees I met with were extremely knowledgeable and personable. I think the overall corporate culture is best described by Saba Samaan, Sales and Marketing assistant, “Morinaga Nutritional Foods, Inc. is a very nice company to work for. A family feel has been generated, the business continues to grow and progress and we are in constant communication with one another.”