Mark Sandridge
Chief Executive Officer
Mark Sandridge is CEO of Sandridge Crafted Foods, a position he has held since 1997, when he bought the business from his father.
In that time, he has overseen the company’s evolution from a highly seasonal “wet salads” business to its position today as a leading provider of fresh soups, sauces, salads, sides and proteins to the retail and foodservice industries.
Sandridge started working at the family business before entering college, and continued after earning a bachelor’s degree in food science in 1976 from The Ohio State University.
While he has overseen all aspects of the business, his primary focus today is talent development. He works with an interim management team on the methodical succession of the business to its third generation of family leadership – his sons Jordan and Dane. At the same time, he leads a companywide program to identify and mentor talented employees for the next generation of growth.
“I’ve always wanted to have a company where people were standing at the door trying to get in,” Sandridge says. “We have been pretty good at bringing in young talent and growing them within our organization. As it turns out, seeing people grow in this business is really what has motivated me over the long haul.”
He attributes the company’s growth over the past two decades to listening to customers. “We were challenged with how to make food that tasted better and lasted longer without chemicals, and that’s the goal we set for ourselves.”
That led to the company’s early adoption, in 2008, of HPP (high pressure processing), followed by expansion into sous vide and kettle-cooking technologies. “I’m a food scientist by training, and I continue to be a student of the industry,” Sandridge says.
Personal Life
Outside work, Sandridge chairs the board of governors of the Ohio Center for Innovative Food Technology, a non-profit incubator program.
He is also a longtime amateur race car driver, competing in the International Grand Touring Series. His car, a Porsche 911 GT3-R, had a prominent role in the 2019 feature film “The Art of Racing in the Rain.”
Sandridge lives in Westfield Center, OH, with his wife and two dogs. In his spare time, he enjoys golf, traveling and babysitting his grandchildren.
Mark Sandridge
Chief Executive Officer
Mark Sandridge is CEO of Sandridge Crafted Foods, a position he has held since 1997, when he bought the business from his father.
In that time, he has overseen the company’s evolution from a highly seasonal “wet salads” business to its position today as a leading provider of fresh soups, sauces, salads, sides and proteins to the retail and foodservice industries.
Sandridge started working at the family business before entering college, and continued after earning a bachelor’s degree in food science in 1976 from The Ohio State University.
While he has overseen all aspects of the business, his primary focus today is talent development. He works with an interim management team on the methodical succession of the business to its third generation of family leadership – his sons Jordan and Dane. At the same time, he leads a companywide program to identify and mentor talented employees for the next generation of growth.
“I’ve always wanted to have a company where people were standing at the door trying to get in,” Sandridge says. “We have been pretty good at bringing in young talent and growing them within our organization. As it turns out, seeing people grow in this business is really what has motivated me over the long haul.”
He attributes the company’s growth over the past two decades to listening to customers. “We were challenged with how to make food that tasted better and lasted longer without chemicals, and that’s the goal we set for ourselves.”
That led to the company’s early adoption, in 2008, of HPP (high pressure processing), followed by expansion into sous vide and kettle-cooking technologies. “I’m a food scientist by training, and I continue to be a student of the industry,” Sandridge says.
Personal Life
Outside work, Sandridge chairs the board of governors of the Ohio Center for Innovative Food Technology, a non-profit incubator program.
He is also a longtime amateur race car driver, competing in the International Grand Touring Series. His car, a Porsche 911 GT3-R, had a prominent role in the 2019 feature film “The Art of Racing in the Rain.”
Sandridge lives in Westfield Center, OH, with his wife and two dogs. In his spare time, he enjoys golf, traveling and babysitting his grandchildren.
