Cookin' at Mannington Mills

Mannington, Township, NJ, September 20--What began as a group of Mannington Mills employees gathering to exchange their favorite recipes has blossomed into a project which will aid the agency responsible for bringing nutritious meals to the elderly and homebound in Salem County, according to NJ.com. "From Our Hearts To Your Table: Traditions and Recipes from Mannington Mills," a cookbook chock full of recipes from Mannington employees and retirees that range from the simple to the most elegant, came off the presses this month. It has not only been an instant hit among employees at the flooring manufacturer -- and community members lucky enough to have already purchased a copy -- but its publication will go a long way to helping one of the area's most respected non-profit organizations, Meals on Wheels of Salem County. "We chose Meals on Wheels because it is a United Way organization," said Susan Bompadre, who chaired the Cookbook Committee. "We looked at a number of organizations and we felt that it was the most appropriate one." And there was another connection -- the agency also deals with food. Members of the cookbook committee also felt that many Mannington associates and their friends and relatives have had contact with Meals on Wheels over the year. Mannington Mills officials and employees are generous supporters of the United Way of Salem County. Mannington Mills' chairman of the board Keith Campbell is enthusiastic about the project. "What a great idea," Campbell said. "Number 1 it will help a very wonderful organization and Number 2 it has helped bring the company employees closer together through their love of food." In April, the group decided it would be fun to make up a book of recipes from Mannington associates. They then decided that it could serve as a fund-raiser. Submissions were sought and soon after much hard work, the book came together. Bompadre credits Barbara Bitter, the executive assistant for the president of Mannington's Residential Business Unit, Kim Holm, as the driving force behind the book's making it into print. The cookbook is filled with nearly 700 recipes. They include submissions from Mannington Mills employees -- past and present -- from the home site in Mannington and at the company's three other flooring manufacturing plants in Epes, Ala., Calhoun, Ga., and High Point, N.C. Because of the many contributions, the book represents "a great cross section of different lifestyles," said Bompadre. Recipe submissions also include favorites from Campbell and his wife, Shirley, and mother, Buffy. Initially the committee thought a printing of 500 would do. But then changed their minds and had 2,000 copies printed. By late last week, 1,000 of those books were already snapped up. At $12 each, the books are in a three-ring binder style format for easy page turning and includes separate sections for everything from appetizers and beverages through main and side dishes, breads and rolls, deserts, cookies and candies and even a "This & That" section. Bompadre says printing costs have all been covered so the proceeds from all sales, expected to be several thousand dollars, now will go directly to Meals on Wheels programs.