WOODLAND PARK, NJ – The Greek-American company Kontos Foods was honored with the Faith in Paterson award at the Greater Paterson Chamber of Commerce 109th Annual Gala which was held on Saturday, Jan. 27 at the Westmount Country Club in Woodland Park, NJ.

Owner and Vice President of Kontos Foods, Steve Kontos said, “We’re so proud to receive this award on behalf of Kontos Foods and all of its employees.”

Kontos Foods was founded 1987 in Paterson, NJ, by Evripides (Evris) Kontos and his son Steve, to manufacture the popular flatbread of Mediterranean cuisine. Since that time, the company has grown exponentially with artisan breads and traditional Mediterranean foods for restaurants, hotels, food service, retail specialty stores and supermarkets worldwide. The family-owned company specializes in hand-stretched flatbreads, including the Kontos Pocket-Less Pita®, Fillo dough, pastries, olives, gyro meats, and Greek yogurts, as well as nearly 50 varieties of multi-ethnic flatbreads. Kontos has over 275 employees and the company’s bread and Fillo products are made in the USA.

The “Faith in Paterson” honor goes to a business, organization or individual in recognition for their “contributions to economic development, job creation and the betterment of quality of life in the Paterson area,” according to the Greater Paterson Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber selected Kontos Foods because of its commitment to Paterson throughout the many stages of its economic growth. Late last year, Kontos announced plans for a major expansion to its manufacturing facility, which will take place over the next several years. The company received a $30 million award from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) for the expansion of its 6th Avenue facility, creating 46 new full-time jobs for Paterson, as reported in the Paterson Times which added that the median wage at Kontos is $25,000 and “with the unemployment rate at 8.9-percent or twice the New Jersey average, Paterson can use every job it can get.”

“Some 90 percent of Kontos’ employees are residents of the Paterson community,” said Jamie Dykes, president of the Greater Paterson Chamber of Commerce. “This shows you just how much Kontos supports the area and cares for this community.”

“Our roots have always been in Paterson,” said Nancy Kontos, Controller and Chief Financial Officer. “We believe in this city and want to continue nurturing the economic growth we’ve contributed toward in the past.”

More information about Kontos Foods is available online at: www.kontos.com.