Papetti’s Hygrade Egg Products, Inc. is a subsidiary of Michael Foods, Inc., which produces and distributes food products to the food service, retail and food ingredient markets. Michael Foods is the world’s largest supplier of processed egg products as well as a leading provider of refrigerated potato products, cheese and other dairy products. Some of the company’s recognizable brands include Papetti’s®, Crystal Farms®, AllWhites®, and Simply Potatoes®.

Michael Foods is an advocate for the Pennsylvania workforce development system and uses the PA CareerLink® services for job postings and WorkKeys® assessments. Michael Foods strongly supports the Luzerne-Schuylkill WIB’s efforts to promote WorkKeys ® throughout the region. The company believes this value-added service improves individuals’ skills, making them more employable and businesses more competitive through a better-trained workforce.

Michael Foods serves on the WIB and also serves on the board’s Subcommittee for Performance and Evaluations. Their representative co-chairs the Northeast Pennsylvania Food Processing Industry Partnership, and Michael Foods, Inc. was one of the first companies to lead the development of this partnership.

In December 2011, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recognized Papetti’s as a “Star” site, the highest honor awarded by the agency’s voluntary protection program. Papetti’s is one of only three food companies in Pennsylvania and the first egg processing company in the United States to receive this distinction.

In February 2010, Jack Hallick, human resources manager of Michael Foods Egg Products and co-chair of the Industry Partnership, testified before the PA House Labor Relations Committee on the value of bringing industry to the table in a collaborative effort to enhance the competitiveness of individual businesses, as well as Pennsylvania’s economy as a whole. Through their collaboration with the Northeast Regional WIBs (Luzerne/Schuylkill, Lackawanna, Northern Tier and Pocono Counties), the PA CareerLinks®, workforce and economic development agencies and educational institutions, the need for a ready pool of candidates for entry-level positions in food processing companies was identified. The partnership developed a curriculum and funded “The Qualified Food Worker Certification Program,” a five-day training and certification program for individuals interested in working in the food processing industry. The program’s purpose is to generate a pipeline of new workers for employment opportunities that pay self-sustaining wages.

Michael Foods is also a committed community leader. At the corporate level, the company supports United Way Hunger efforts in most communities where they do business and where their employees reside. Annual contributions include food product donations at local food pantries, monetary donations, fundraiser activities, and volunteering with various food and hunger-related organizations. In addition, Michael Foods and its employees are engaged in various community programs.