Our Story
Today, millions of people every day, around the world, enjoy sweet and savory products that include one of our fine products.
We offer an ever-growing portfolio of off-the-shelf products and custom formulated products that include bakery fillings, bakery mixes and concentrates, beverage bases and syrups, sauces and spreads, fruit and specialty toppings and other specialty ingredients.
Our History
Tradition + Innovation since 1903
In 1899, a first-generation immigrant named Samuel Effron came to America. Fresh off the boat in the New York Harbor, the very first thing Sam ate on American soil was a slice of lemon pie. Fitting, as both Sam’s grandfather and uncle were in the baking industry in Eastern Europe. But, as he embarked on his journey in America, Sam’s priority was to get to Poughkeepsie, New York, where his brother landed just a few years earlier.
With little money in his pocket, Sam intuitively became a peddler of goods, using horse and wagon to deliver food ingredients and supplies along Main Street. After a few detours to New York City, Sam and his new wife returned to Poughkeepsie to earn a living.
Sam’s dream, which became reality, was to open a storefront on Main Street. Starting as a feed and grocery store, he began selling seeds, grains, flour, and bakery supplies to local Hudson Valley bakers, eventually adding cornmeal and coarse grains to the list of items during WWI.
It was Sam’s son and daughter-in-law, William and Sadie, who ultimately moved the business from Main Street to Smith and Oakley Streets, just a few blocks away. Bill and Sadie took the distribution business to new levels and introduced manufacturing capabilities. With the addition of the third generation of Effrons, Jack, Ira, and Mike, the modern-day version of EFCO Products was born.
Today, EFCO Products has become a global leader in the manufacturing of bakery fillings, mixes, dairy ingredients, beverage syrups, and functional ingredients. Now led by Samuel Effron’s great-grandson, Steve Effron, EFCO Products is still found on Smith and Oakley Streets in Poughkeepsie.
It’s been more than 120 years since that first slice of lemon pie, but EFCO remains committed to providing extraordinary products and has never lost sight of the importance of exceptional service and personal relationships.
Core Values
Our core values serve your success
The foods we enjoy are central to so many of life’s favorite moments. Refreshing drinks, nourishing meals and sensational baked goods are an immense part of how we experience the world around us. As consumer preferences evolve, EFCO is here to help you anticipate changes through the insights, innovation and collaboration we bring to the table. Tastes may change, but our ability to excite your customers day-in and day-out is why so many companies around the world turn to EFCO.
Trust & Execution
There’s no denying it, we have a thing for reliable service. We deliver on time and in full and take pride in being easy to work with. And that’s because we’re passionate about helping you succeed. It’s the kind of service that values long-term partnerships and collaboration—your team and our team. Our ability to respond to marketplace needs is a full EFCO team initiative. It’s the kind of exceptional service you can only truly understand by being an EFCO customer.
Product & Packaging Innovation
We say ingenuity is just the beginning. It is our global insights combined with the passion of our team that inspires us to bring ideas that add value. Keeping your customers elated; keeping them coming back each day, week—for more, is what EFCO is here to do. Our team creates and experiments with new ideas and samples in our state-of-the-art product development kitchen and research lab. Our R&D services can play a strong role in your success…turns out, playing with your food can be a great thing.
Knowledge & Customer Focus
It’s one thing for us to know your business, but we also go to great lengths to know your customer. We understand consumers’ preferences and what connects them to your business. That becomes inspiration for us and relevance for you. Together we can create beautiful food and beverages that capture the tastes your customers enjoy with their family and friends.
Manufacturing Expertise
Top-quality products manufactured with best practices and global standards
Safe Quality Food (SQF) Certified
All EFCO locations are certified in this comprehensive GFSI food safety and quality program that is recognized by retailers, foodservice operators and brand owners worldwide. Our SQF program is driven by a commitment from all to ensure that policies and procedures are adhered to and understood. We all have a role in “Say What You Do, Do What You Say, Prove It.”
Sustainability Initiatives
The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil is a global, multi-stakeholder initiative on certified sustainable oil palm products. Check our progress at www.rspo.org/members/7229.
Product Security & Traceability
We’re pleased that EFCO products are used all over the globe, but it also creates the need for unrelenting scrutiny against any contamination of the food supply chain and a modern digitalized approach to traceability. In order to minimize any threats, EFCO continually conducts risk assessments and vigilantly monitors facility security, electronic data security, employee screening and visitor policies—in essence, anyone or anything that might jeopardize the safety of our products. Additionally, EFCO’s Security Committee regularly conducts Security Audits and is registered with the FDA as required by the 2002 Bioterrorism Act. EFCO has implemented ERP and GS1 systems that allow us to trace raw materials and finished goods from the point of receiving, through production, and to customer shipments. Through the use of a modern and digitalized approach, we can know at a glance the status of every raw material and finished product.
Clean Label Commitment
In order to serve our global market and today’s consumers, we offer the below capabilities:
- No artificial colors, no artificial flavors, no artificial preservatives
- Compliance with customer-specific lists of prohibited ingredients
- Products that do not require bioengineered disclosure
- Extensive experience with international regulations
- Kosher- and Halal-certified products
- Custom formulation and matching of products and packaging
