Hanan Makes Big News in IndustryWeek

When our founder Stuart Hanan was young, he was asked by a friend if he knew anything about dessert whipped toppings. He did not, so he researched them, which in 1946 he launched Hanan Products. In the company’s early days, Stuart did it all – he created the recipes, made his own products, and personally (hand) delivered his toppings to local bakeries via subway from Brooklyn.

Eventually, Stuart’s son, Frank and grandsons, Paul and Ryan joined the family business. Since 2000, Hanan has doubled the volume of our wholesale whipped toppings, icings, and dessert fillings. Current CEO Frank, CFO Paul, and COO Ryan Hanan recently spoke with IndustryWeek, a well-respected, national business publication, about how the company has evolved over 75 years, their beginnings with Hanan, and the importance of effectively communicating with customers to truly understand their needs.

As told in the IndustryWeek article, Frank, Ryan, and Paul all started working at Hanan at the age of 14. Each of the family members started out washing cans, cleaning machinery, mopping and sanitizing floors, and performing all compulsory duties – from the ground up! As youngsters, Paul and Ryan always felt it was a special treat to have their father walk them around the manufacturing facility and personally whip them up some dessert toppings.

As this feature article also explains, at Hanan, we emphasize the importance of building strong relationships with our customer base-- by delivering on time and also providing them with product samples and technical support. To wow its customers, Hanan goes one step further by constantly developing new product lines to fit their needs. It is important to us that people with various dietary restrictions can get enjoyment from our products – whether vegan, gluten-free, kosher, or dairy-free. Frank, Paul, and Ryan also spoke to IndustryWeek about the company’s kosherization process it performs each January for Passover.

According to Ryan, "We speak to our customers on a daily basis. The customers are the ones pushing us forward towards these all-natural products with a more, say, Whole Foods sensibility.”

You can read the entire article here: https://www.industryweek.com/profiles-in-leadership/article/21170772/whipping-up-a-family-legacy