Obituary: Joseph F. Greene, 1946 – 2016 F&B Industry Pioneer

PHOENIX - Nov. 23, 2016 - PRLog -- AFS Technologies, aleading global provider of software and services purpose-built for consumer goods companies, is mourning with a heavy heart the passing of a Food Distribution Industry pioneer, visionary, leader, and friend, Joseph F. Greene, at age 70.
Joe started his career in the Food Industry working at his family's distributorship, Park City Foods in Stratford, CT at the early age of nine. It was rumored he was driving trucks and making deliveries by 13.  Joe was forced to grow up quickly after losing his father at age 11. Joe learned from his Great Uncle to respect and service customers, employees and suppliers using the Golden Rule.

Uncle Sam came looking for a few good men for Vietnam. Joe was drafted into the US Army during the nation's largest draft call. While spending most of his deployment stationed in Stuttgart, Germany, the Army taught Joe about computer programming. He returned from war to write one of the first CRT based, non-punch card systems for food service distribution and was awarded ID magazine's "Innovative Distributor Award of Merit in Data Processing" and became one of the youngest to ever serve on IFDA (International Foodservice Distributors Association) Board of Directors. Always driven to succeed, Joe earned his MBA at the University of Bridgeport during the day while running the night crew at Park City Foods.

A few progressive distributors heard about his success and wanted to bring technology and automation to their businesses. In 1979, Joe formed Distribution Management Systems (DMS) and began work on a new system, written from the ground up with the specific intent to provide automation and competitive advantage to food service distributors. Many attribute key advancements in distributor software to Joe, including AIM pricing (automatic increased margin), nickel roundup and advanced deal tracking. Always ahead of his time, he programmed one of the industry's first mobile sales systems that ran on a word processor sized laptop, called a Roadrunner, that used a ROM cartridge for storage and a calculator sized LED screen. He introduced one of the first handheld sales force automation solutions that ran on the Apple Newton platform. Always a "road warrior" you might have seen him lugging around a suitcase containing the first Compaq "portable" computer.

Hundreds of distributors around the globe from small local companies to massive national houses have benefited from Joe's knowledge and friendship over the decades. Joe served as CEO of Distribution Management Systems until 2005 when the company was acquired by AFS Technologies, where he worked and served as a consultant for several years.

His loving heart, unshakable moral character, contagious laugh and brilliant mind will be greatly missed.

Joe died unexpectedly in Thailand while travelling abroad and enjoying life. He was survived by his wife Constance and their two sons, Dr. Michael Greene and Jonathan Greene and his four grandchildren. Jonathan is currently the VP of Customer Development, Supply Chain Execution Solutions for AFS Technologies.

Memorial Services for Joseph Greene will be held November 30^th, 2016 at Smith Funeral Home in Milford, CT from 1-3pm.  If you wish to make a gift, please donate to the Bridgeport Rescue Mission: www.bridgeportrescuemission.org