Harold Anderson

With an affinity for olives and other high-end specialty food products, Harold Anderson’s kind nature and ethical business approach led him to become one of the most respected and successful distributors in the specialty food industry. 

Foray into Food. Anderson’s introduction to the food world began in his early 20s at DaCosta, a family-owned olive packing company located in Camden, N.J., a place where he would discover his niche and passion for food sales. A budding career was interrupted by the draft, and Anderson entered the Army as a combat engineer sergeant. He was among those to invade the beach at Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. 

Following his service, Anderson returned to the food industry. In his early 40s, he partnered with Emil Cashan to form Cashan & Company, one of the first regional distributors of national brands such as Hellmann’s Mayonnaise. The company was eventually sold, and in 1959 Anderson founded Haddon House Food Products, focusing on the distribution of high-end specialty food products. 

“Years ago, you had to travel around the world to establish relationships; many companies did not have U.S. offices like they do today,” says David Anderson, senior CEO of Haddon House, who continues his father’s legacy along with his own son, David Anderson Jr. “My dad would spend four to six weeks abroad annually sourcing new direct import opportunities, traveling with other specialty food founders who he considered his friends.” 

Breaking Boundaries. Under Anderson’s direction, Haddon House was among the first distributors to expand beyond set regional boundaries and make scheduled deliveries on company-owned trucks along the East Coast. 

Additionally, Haddon House was one of the few select food distributors to successfully navigate one of the biggest shifts in the specialty food industry: the transition from small independent stores to major supermarket chains. Haddon House serviced supermarket chains such as Wegmans Food Markets, Ukrop’s, and Harris Teeter. 

Accomplishments. Though distributing high-end specialties like Reber Chocolates and Walkers Shortbread was his forte, Anderson was also busy developing his own private-label brand, which quickly became synonymous with gourmet foods. 

What began in 10,000 square feet of combined office and warehouse space, Haddon House is now a 1 million–square-foot distribution center that today employs 1,200 and warehouses more than 20,000 specialty, natural, ethnic, organic, and kosher food items. 

Harold served as president of the Specialty Food Association (then named the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade) from 1975 to 1977. During that time, he helped see the first Winter National Fancy Food and Confection Show—now the Winter Fancy Food Show—come to fruition at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in San Francisco. 

Anderson passed away in 1999. David Anderson accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award on his behalf. “I believe my father would like to be remembered as a driving force—someone that contributed to the development of the industry he loved so much,” says David.  “But also as the type of man who enjoyed taking the time to sit, talk, and really develop a friendship with the people in the industry.”