Spartan Profiles: Frank Meczkowski
MONSTER CUKES
'The best thing since sliced bread' is a phrase commonly applied to some new invention that's considered very useful. Well, it definitely applies to a new cucumber that debuted in 1999. The monster cuke averages 16 inches in length, 3 1/2 inches in diameter, and 3-5 pounds in weight. Moreover, it has good enough shape, taste and crunch to become a pickle so huge that one slice can cover an entire hamburger. The inventor is Frank Meczkowski, '78, product development director for Vlasic Foods International, Cherry Hill, NJ.
'A lot of people doubted we'd ever be able to do this,' says Meczkowski. 'They kept saying it couldn’t be done.'
But Frank diligently spent three years talking to seed experts, researching some 20 varieties, and finally finding one, then enduring mother nature and field trials before bringing 'the perfect product' to market. 'We called it Project Frisbee,' says Frank with a chuckle.
The Frisbee cucumber now has instantly turned into a $20 million industry, and no one should be surprised by Frank’s success. In 1994, he invented 'Stacker' pickles, a concept that caught on quickly to become a $100 million a year industry. 'I like to tinker in labs,' says Frank, who credits MSU food science chairperson Mark Uebersax with sparking his interest in the field.
He’s working on a number of new innovations in hush-hush secret, given the competitiveness of the industry. For the time being, he’d like the Frisbee cucumber to maximize its market potential. 'Americans consume a lot of hamburgers,' he notes. 'If we can put one on every one, we’ll do OK.'
