An open letter to AFFI board of Directors and those allied to the frozen food industry.

We at Quick Frozen Foods Annual Processors Directory and Buyers Guide, the industry publication for 72 years, have been advised by Kraig Naasz, new president and CEO of AFFI, that the Institute is going into the publishing business by launching a frozen food industry buyers guide.

The institute went into partnership with an outside company, Multiview Inc. of Irving, Texas to compete for advertising dollars against Quick Frozen Foods. The Institute now has outside people who have no part of our industry and are soliciting companies by telephone and e-mail to buy a company listing and or advertising space or banner with rates starting at $385.00 and up. It was our impression that the AFFI has "not for profit" status.

Quick Frozen Foods Annual Processors Directory and Buyers Guide is the leading publication of the frozen foods industry and has provided the service of listing all companies involved in the frozen foods industry FREE of all charges. We have always believed this should be a FREE service and have done so for as long as we are publishing. It is hard to understand that the AFFI would charge for a listing we provide for FREE.

There is nothing wrong for private business to enter the publishing field but not our AFFI whose purpose should be to perpetuate friendships, and to maintain the traditions and promote the image and advancement of the frozen food industry by providing or encouraging financial support to educational institutions and students, maintaining or encouraging the maintenance of historical memorabilia and exhibits, and honoring individuals who have made contributions in the broadest sense to the frozen food industry. The corporation is not organized for and shall not be operated for pecuniary gain or profit. No part of the property of the corporation and no part of its net earnings shall inure to the benefit of any director or other private individual. The corporation shall never be authorized to engage in a regular business of a kind ordinarily carried on for profit or in any other activity except in furtherance of the purposes stated above for which the corporation is organized.

We have published our directory for the past 72 years and what the American Frozen Food Institute is doing not only seems to be out of the boundaries of what an institute is there for, but also is using a similar name to ours which will mislead our industry executives into thinking we may be one in the same. The AFFI is now partners in sharing the profits and monetary gain with Multiview, Inc.

We have had an extremely long and prosperous relationship with the past executives at the American Frozen Food Institute and have made numerous telephone calls to AFFI but the phone calls were not returned. I am assuming that in light of this directory perhaps that is the reason why our editorial information is not used as has always been in the past.

I have a great admiration and respect for all the people who make our industry as wonderful as it is but I am terribly dismayed at the AFFI's lack of respect for our publication and what this directory may do to our business. The AFFI is now competing with its member to take away advertising dollars and share the revenue with an outside company.

As one of the founding companies of the AFFI formation (our membership number is 85) we vehemently object to the business for profit action the American Frozen Food Institute has taken.

Sincerely, Saul Beck, Publisher, Hall of Fame member of the frozen food industry