Uncategorized – Food and Facilities Management | The Nutrition Group

Millions of meals

Beginning in 1975, The Nutrition Group is a third-generation family-owned business focused on food service management and facility management services. Jessica Anzelone, Managing Director, expands on the company’s history. “We began as a small company providing meals for summer camps, senior congregate dining programs and a few school districts. Since then, we’ve grown exponentially from […]

Success Story Featuring Julius K!

Meet Julius! I first met Julius while he was a student at East High. At the time, he was working with our cafeteria custodian during lunch service hours. Julius was a quiet student who did his work and didn’t interact much. I believe Julius worked one summer as a summer custodian, deep cleaning the school. […]

Lebanon city schools highlight healthy eating during School Lunch Week

The school district works with food service company the Nutrition Group and Lancaster-based farm-to-school nutrition organization Smart Partners to provide healthy meals throughout the school year. All of the district’s roughly 5,300 students are eligible for free breakfast and lunch. Read Full Article >

Northwest Elementary recognized by USDA as a trailblazer for lunch, breakfast programs

The Lebanon School District’s food service provider, The Nutrition Group, has recently received commendations from the Pennsylvania Department of Education for efforts in providing delicious and healthy foods to students. In 2024, Lebanon High School became one of 37 schools to complete the Governor’s School Breakfast Challenge. Read Full Article

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.