Food and beverage recalls more than doubled year-over-year in 2024. System errors put consumers at risk of microbial contamination and undeclared allergens, and companies lose time, money and credibility. Recovery is costly and requires robust oversight to ensure operations are optimized and compliant with regulatory standards.
With over 25 years of industry experience, Greg Janzow, Haskell’s Senior Director of Strategic Industry Advisory Services, has earned a reputation among clients and colleagues as a vital resource for identifying and solving food safety issues. With a career spanning various leadership roles for large-scale operations across the food and beverage market, Janzow has developed a keen sensibility for facility operations and safety.
“My professional journey began while I was studying for my degree in chemistry at Texas A&M University,” Janzow said. “I helped manage a substantial salmon fishing operation in Bristol Bay, Alaska, as part of a summer internship program. This experience piqued my interest in food production and the logistics that go into it. I started at the entry level, but by my third summer, I led a team of around 140 fellow students. This early exposure to leadership was instrumental in shaping my career and taught me a lot about managing an operation.”
Since graduating in 1997, Janzow has worked in management roles for companies like HP Hood, H-E-B and Smith Dairy. His time in the field and eye for detail give him a unique ability to identify technical and logistical issues.
“The perspective Greg brings to a project is invaluable,” said Derek Weber, Director of Business Development in Haskell’s Food Market. “He knows what these facilities require to maintain top-tier production standards while adhering to regulatory guidelines and prioritizing safety. That kind of expertise has many applications.”
Expertise Attracts New Clients
When a potential greenfield design project for Perdue Foods was presented, Haskell’s team distinguished itself by having the only Food Safety Expert on the bid walk. Janzow’s vocabulary and intuitive questions demonstrated the unique competency of an industry veteran, and Haskell was awarded the project.
“Ours was the only team that came prepared,” Janzow said. “I was the only food safety guy there, and I could speak to them in a way the other teams couldn’t. We quickly established a rapport because I was asking the right questions and had confidence that we would deliver on the design package.”
Rapid Response for Active Project
During an expansion for General Mills, Haskell team members uncovered a potential micro-contamination. They suspected that the interior structure of a large section of the facility that was scheduled for demolition contained a high-risk contaminant.
Superintendent Cody Yax contacted Haskell’s Safety Team, which called Janzow.
“We halted all operations immediately due to the severity of safety concerns,” Yax said. “We got in touch with Greg, and he flew down the next day. Once he was on site, he identified the contaminant and gave the client options on how to address it. He was very helpful, and his presence gave the client the peace of mind that we had the expertise to ensure an effective and safe solution.
“That’s the kind of problem that usually means calling in a specialist and involving another company to ensure the issue is fully addressed. Having someone in-house that we could instantly deploy with all the right qualifications saved my team and the client a lot of time and expense.”
One-Call Problem Solving
When Schwan’s Company, a longstanding Haskell client, expressed concern about a recently acquired facility in California, Janzow responded. A USDA Inspector had found extensive deterioration across a large surface area of insulated metal panels (IMPs) and identified it as a high risk for micro-contamination.
“The IMPs were part of a clean-in-place room that had been scrutinized for contamination risks a few months beforehand, independent of the inspection,” Janzow said. “The client wanted help finding a long-term solution and to gain a clear understanding of the cause.”
He found that the client had changed its cleaning chemistry in response to the original contamination concerns. He recognized that the new disinfectant chemicals were far harsher than necessary and had corroded the IMPs. He provided an overview of his findings and offered the chemical supplier a list of alternative compounds that would clean the surfaces without damage.
“It’s not just about saving the client time and money,” Janzow said. “Quality and safety are critical to a brand’s success, and addressing these issues requires more than guidelines or emails. It demands experience and expertise. That’s what sets our team apart. We share decades of tailored industry knowledge with our clients to ensure safe, effective procedures and foster trust. We empower clients to excel and to extend that trust to their customers, making a positive impact from production to purchase.”
At Haskell, we take our clients’ goals as our own. We innovate constantly to deliver world-class solutions with the best possible effectiveness, efficiency and performance. Contact us to discuss your facilities needs.
