Two TNG Schools Recognized as Top 10 Champions in Governor’s Breakfast Challenge

November 2, 2026

We are proud to celebrate two partner schools, Fairview Elementary School in Crestwood School District and Penn Kidder Campus in Jim Thorpe Area School District, for being recognized among the Top 10 schools in the annual Governor’s Breakfast Challenge. This recognition honors both districts and their food service teams for increasing breakfast participation, expanding access to nutritious meals, and helping students start their school days fueled and ready to learn.

At Fairview Elementary, the Crestwood team transformed its breakfast program by introducing a Breakfast in the Classroom model, making morning meals more accessible and convenient for students. Through this initiative, breakfast participation climbed from approximately 35–40% to more than 80%. This success required a complete shift in daily operations, with food service staff taking ownership of new responsibilities, preparing meals in advance, and delivering breakfast directly to classrooms. With support from Jessica Benjamin, Director of Food and Nutrition at Crestwood, the team streamlined processes and embraced meaningful changes that made a lasting impact on student participation.

Meanwhile, Penn Kidder Campus focused on offering appealing, nutritious breakfast choices during the challenge. By introducing lower-sugar options twice a week, incorporating local produce, and highlighting student favorites like yogurt, cheese sticks, and hot breakfast sandwiches, the team successfully increased breakfast participation. A special March event featuring local first responders serving breakfast also brought excitement to the cafeteria and strengthened connections between students and their community.

We congratulate both schools and their food service teams for demonstrating how innovative ideas and teamwork can create meaningful improvements in school nutrition.

Fairview Elementary School in Crestwood School District

 

Ed Caswell

CEO, Majority Owner

Ed stands by a solid brand promise: “At The Nutrition Group, we try to do exactly what we say we will do. No surprises. Guaranteed.”

The Nutrition Group began when Walter McGrew and Ed Caswell purchased a small division of Potter McCune in June of 1975. Walter needed someone that would help grow Nutrition Inc. Providentially, Ed was in the right place at the right time. Walter offered him the opportunity to help grow the new business along with a share of the company. Ed enthusiastically accepted and became Vice President. The early years were characterized by transition, from a volume-based commissary operation to bid-based contract catering and then to contract food service management.

As with any successful business, many hours were invested, much experimentation was tried and many lessons were learned. The main key to early success was hiring quality, team-oriented management personnel and nourishing and encouraging their personal and professional growth.

Mr. McGrew retired in the early 1980’s and divested his interest to Ed in 1991. The leveraged buyout necessitated creative capitalization beyond bank financing. As it turned out, the idea to sell stock to key management personnel remains a powerful component in the company’s success. This has allowed The Nutrition Group to maximize growth opportunities and improve operational capabilities. Being an actively involved owner of the company is energizing, it lights the fire of pride and commitment because it is personal.

The Nutrition Group has enjoyed continual growth guided by their top management leadership team, which has been another hallmark throughout the years of our management philosophy: a strong, dedicated and focused top management team. The corporation has developed teamwork structures and principles within all levels of our business and closely monitors and supervises daily implementation and progress.

Ed’s customer-first philosophy that fueled company growth from the beginning is still the driving principle today. The employees of The Nutrition Group embrace that philosophy in all that they do. Today, The Nutrition Group serves over 240 school districts across six states and has a Commissary Division serving daycare and Head Start children, Senior Centers and Healthcare facilities. Also, the Facilities Management Services division provides custodial maintenance management, capital project management and owner’s representative services.

Ed’s parents and grandparents passed on their entrepreneurial beliefs. He was raised in a business household. He is grateful to Mr. McGrew his first partner and business mentor. He is grateful to God, his wives, family, the many “Nutritionites”, customers, vendors and outside sources of inspiration – all of which helped him to grow and develop into the person God has graced him to be. Ed believes, “We grow more through our hardships than blessings, but we are grateful for both.” He is a man of faith whose resourcefulness, perseverance and leadership helped build The Nutrition Group.

The integrity and commitment of The Nutrition Group business model, focusing on trying to consistently please the customer and sincerely attempting to do what we say we are going to do, is what sets us apart from the competition.