422401 Wed Jul 18 12:35:44 -0700 2007 6 33 Food Media and News 0 2761642 Very sad. He was a friend of mine and he leaves behind 3 young children. Has done a lot for crabmeat... found a way to produce it cheaply, long shelf life, and darn good quality. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/obituaries/bal-md.ob.sneed17jul17,0,1907684.story?coll=bal-tv-utility&track=mostemailedlink Wed Jul 18 12:35:44 -0700 2007 17318 food dude 1 2763985 Done a lot for crabmeat? Perhaps. Done a lot of good for crabmeat? Heck, no! Phillips brings in large quantities of inexpensive pasteurized (and inferior tasting) Asian crab meat, and uses questionable descriptions to imply to unwitting customers that it's the same stuff as blue crab. I'm sorry the man died, but calling him a saint isn't called for. Thu Jul 19 07:37:05 -0700 2007 2761642 11669 Hal Laurent 2 2764693 Say what you will about Asian crab, and yes, it may very well be an inferior product. But the only reason we're able to still eat *any* blue crab on the East Coast is because Phillips is meeting so much of the U.S. demand with Asian crab. Without the import, callinectes sapidus would be on the endangered species list. And Asian crabmeat may now be the only way a crabcake becomes affordable for many diners. I can assure you that if the Phillips family had their way--see http://www.umbi.umd.edu/nande/news/archive/01/041701_phillips.html --there'd be enough blue crab to go around, and jobs processing it would be kept domestically. Mr. Sneed's leadership helped introduce crab to menus throughout the U.S., whereas before it was a product pretty much restricted to the coasts. Thu Jul 19 10:39:49 -0700 2007 2763985 12051 tubman 2 2766467 I said the crabmeat was "darn good". It's obviously not as good as fresh picked Chesapeake Blue Crab, but it's a heck of a lot better than any other packaged crab I've had and better than fresh stone crab, in my opinion. Phillips' pasteurized crab also has a VERY long shelf life, yet tastes good enough to serve on it's own as part of a garnish, filling, etc. I always keep a few cans of it from Costco in my fridge- and everyone I've served it to (whether in soups, lightly seasoned on endive, or with corn and guacamole as a dip) thinks it stands up very well... tender, not fishy or bitter, and with plenty of decent sized chunks. My wife who loves crabs and was born and raised in Maryland eats it straight out of the can, dipped in vinegar and sprinkled with Old Bay. In a nutshell, Sneed produced a decent product, readily available and affordably priced. What's more, he was a nice guy who did lots of philanthropic work... good dad and husband as well. Thu Jul 19 18:47:15 -0700 2007 2763985 17318 food dude 3 3591077 I concur 100% food dude! Thanks for posting my reply. Sun Apr 13 19:27:37 -0700 2008 2766467 70054 Suzieg 2 2823708 Hal – somehow I don’t think your experience in computers makes you much of an expert about crab meat, does it? Phillips, along with other seafood suppliers, faced an enormous obstacle in the early 90’s. Being a Baltimore local, I’m sure you are aware that back in the 90’s, with seafood consumption going up in record levels, there simply wouldn’t be enough blue crab in the Chesapeake Bay to meet the rising demand in the not-too-distant future. Government agencies warned that the blue crab population was shrinking fast due to increasingly high demand. Phillips has always been incredibly loyal to its mid-Atlantic customer base and fishermen – but if the company didn’t begin to change course while maintaining its foothold with its current base, its future would be short-lived. While no one will argue the quality and flavor of genuine blue crab from the Bay – if you’re a business like Phillips, and your survival and growth is dependent upon such a limited and rapidly depleting resource, what do you do, Hal? Sit back and let your competitor look elsewhere? Let the price of crab skyrocket out of affordability due to increasingly limited demand? Phillips could have dealt with this obstacle by taking a transcendentalist approach and sticking to the same path they had taken for years – don’t change anything, just stick with tradition and forego modern business practices. Instead, Phillips took the initiative and looked elsewhere to source and package their product – in some remote places where blue swimming crab was so plentiful, it was considered a menace – until locals were shown that the ‘menace’ – when prepared properly – could be a viable local food source for themselves. Sneed was instrumental in turning that obstacle into an opportunity through Phillips Foods – and he helped to make this strategy for Phillips Foods very profitable – with triple digit growth of revenue. That means hundreds of new jobs to your local economy, Hal. And in his quest to make Phillips Food what it is today, Sneed helped to shape and redefine the entire industry. It’s funny though, Hal – ya know, I’m in the computer business too. I actually know very little about the food industry, but I know a lot about Phillips – and this subject is of particularly interest to me right now. You see, I lost my big brother when Mark Sneed passed away. Mark was highly respected by friends, colleagues, and business leaders. He had integrity, honesty, and compassion for his fellow man. And he accomplished more in 50 years than most men would ever dream of. Not just for those in the circles of the crab/seafood industry, but also for those in other business circles, circles of friends and family, and those who were fortunate enough to work for him – he WAS a Saint. Tue Aug 07 18:50:36 -0700 2007 2763985 117529 ericwsneed 1 3590870 Hal, it has taken all these months for me to find your comments regarding Mark Sneed. You're right that Mark was not a saint, but he was a good person who worked hard, lived life to its fullest, and loved his family dearly. I probably knew Mark better than anyone, since I am his mother, and I always advised him to try and leave the world a better place because of his passing through. After meeting his associates and friends I believe he did that. So while I find some of your statements somewhat repulsive--you're entitled since you didn't really know him. Sun Apr 13 18:07:55 -0700 2008 2761642 183327 Betty Sneed