descendants of Sebooh Gertmenian

Contributed by Roy and Glen Gertmenian

Wayne Gertmenian and Cindy Campbell

Dr. L. Wayne Gertmenian received his B.A. at USC, his M.B.A. at the University of Idaho and his Ph.D. at USC.  He is currently, (2005), Professor of Economics at the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University.

Dr. Gertmenian served the Nixon and Ford administrations as a chief detente negotiator in Moscow for the chairman of the National Security Council, as an emissary to Teheran for the Secretary of Commerce, and as a special assistant to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

Today, he is a distinguished professor at two universities in China and advises Russian leaders on a free market economy. He has served on the board of directors of the West Coast Bancorp, the Medi-Globe Foundation, and the Near East Foundation.

His experience also includes service as the chief operating officer of the nation's leading fresh food processor and host of a talk show on business, economics, and finance.

He is the author of the Economath Primer and the nationally marketed audiotape series, Everything's Negotiable. Dr. Gertmenian was a co-founder of the California Philharmonic Orchestra and the Disabled Jockeys' Endowment, and currently serves the national Jockeys' Guild as its lead negotiator in its struggle with the horseracing industry to improve conditions of safety.

Dennis Gertmenian

Dennis Gertmenian is founder and Chairman of Ready Pac, a market leader in the supply of fresh-cut produce to retail grocery chains, mass-merchandisers and foodservice organizations throughout North America. Every day, millions of families in homes across the U.S. and Canada rely on Ready Pac products to enhance their meals while saving them time. In fact, five million pounds of fresh-cut salad mixes and other produce are packaged and shipped every week by Ready Pac.

In 1969, Dennis Gertmenian founded Ready Pac, locating its first facility in Pasadena, California. The idea for Ready Pac arose in a corner of Dennis' father's produce warehouse. While his father was away on vacation, Dennis received an urgent request from his father's largest account to provide ready-to-eat salads instead of whole produce. Determined not to lose the business, Dennis quickly bought cutting boards, French knives, and a bathtub in which he could carefully wash the produce. Three days later, he delivered exactly what the customer wanted. And Ready Pac was born.

Soon, the bathtub disappeared and modern equipment was installed. Ready Pac expanded from foodservice to make its retail debut in 1978, experiencing tremendous growth. In 1990, Ready Pac partnered with leaders in European fresh-cut produce processing and packaging technology, which led to the introduction of its popular European-Style salad blends, combining the quality of restaurant salads with the convenience of ready-to-serve. Representing the pinnacle of product quality and packaging appeal, Ready Pac's European-Style salad blends helped pave the way for a whole new array of upscale salad varieties that have now become the largest segment of packaged salads in the U.S.

Dennis has served as the chair of the board of directors of the International Fresh-Cut Produce Association and as a member of the California Department of Agriculture Task Force.

His company commits 10% of profits to community support.

Dennis received an AA degree from Pasadena City College, a Bachelor’s degree from USC and an MBA from Pepperdine University. He is on the Pasadena YMCA board of managers and is chairman of the Ready Pac to Camp nonprofit, sending underprivileged kids to summer camp.

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