Boar’s Head Brand, well-known producer of quality meats, cheese, dips, spreads and condiments, was established in Brooklyn, New York, in 1905. 

Dissatisfied with the quality of hams available, founder Frank Brunckhorst set out to craft better products. 

Gene McGonigle, president of Cape Fear Provisions LLC in Wilmington, a Boar’s Head distribution business he started in December 2012, said he remains loyal to Boar’s Head traditions. 

McGonigle’s warehouse receives more than 48,000 pounds of Boar’s Head products in 379 different items every week, which he delivers to customers such as Harris Teeter, Lowes Foods, Publix, local mom-and-pop shops and Camp Lejeune. 

“We don’t just drop off the product and leave the store to deal with it. Our partnership goes well beyond the backdoor of the retailer. With most businesses in the food service sector short on labor, we are a much-needed hand in the store for our customers,” he said.

McGonigle has worked for Boar’s Head on the corporate level, has experience as a research and development director and worked for an authorized distributor of Boar’s Head near Philadelphia, where he grew up. 
“Essentially I have worked in this business for over 24 years,” he said. 

His passion for the food industry was ignited when he was 15 years old. 

“I got my first job washing dishes at Doylestown Country Club in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It was there that I met Scott St. John, a young chef in the making. He was impressive to watch in the kitchen, and our interactions lit the fire inside me,” he said. 

McGonigle earned his associate degree in culinary arts and his bachelor’s degree in food service management from Johnson & Wales University.

According to McGonigle, the demand for the Boar’s Head Brand had been growing since 2009, a result of a growing relationship with Harris Teeter. 

Grand Strand Provisions in Conway, South Carolina, was serving the market. The Wilmington area needed more local dedicated distribution. 

“Cape Fear Provisions has seen double-digit growth since its inception in 2012,” he said. “The turkey category started to take over ham in the 1990s and is now king in the service deli world.”

The fastest growing category for Cape Fear Provisions is the retail segment, small grab-and-go items including dry-cured meats, cheeses, condiments, pre-sliced meats and cheeses and charcuterie combination platters. 

“Our brand is one of the most recognized brands, both in and out of the country, for quality and service. In my time with the brand, reach to the consumer has grown tenfold,” McGonigle said. 

McGonigle said he has built a culture of long-lasting mutually beneficial relationships within his 25-person organization. 

Account managers write store orders and manage the promotion ordering planning. The delivery team handles logistics and promotional materials and rotates stock on merchandiser displays several times a week working in tandem with merchandisers. Warehouse and inventory management personnel hand-pick every order and price retail items at the warehouse. 

Cape Fear Provisions employs an executive chef, Chef Robert, who focuses on Boar’s Head products as ingredients in food service applications. Robert meets with independent small businesses and chain stores to teach new ideas and perfect recipes using Boar’s Head products for consumers to make at home. 

Cape Fear Provisions owns 11 vehicles serviced at an in-house repair shop by an in-house mechanic. 

The face of Cape Fear Provisions is the selling event team, which can be found in stores hosting events, offering samples and answering questions about the brand. 

Cape Fear Provisions is also responsible for training all deli associates hired by Harris Teeter, Lowes Foods and Publix within the Cape Fear Provisions service area. It’s a four-hour classroom workshop followed by behind-the-counter support. 

Rounding out the team is a small group of office support professionals who keep everything organized.

McGonigle said he has the opportunity to help shape company strategies through his relationship with corporate executives. 

“I am an influencer in the channel of business that I specialize in. How cool is that? It’s a huge responsibility,” he said. 

He added, “I bleed the Boar.”

McGonigle recently completed a cooler expansion and is in the process of growing his 8,000-square-foot building to 12,000 square feet. 

Cape Fear Provisions is also all about family. 

McGonigle’s adult children EJ and Sydney, have been working for the company since they were in their teens. 

“As a business owner, I love having my children at my side so I can see them develop into wonderful adults,” he said. “And I am thankful for the Wilmington community who shops for Boar’s Head products at local mom-and-pop stores and retail partners.”

So, what’s his favorite Boar’s Head product? McGonigle describes himself as an old soul. 

“I like the classic deluxe ham and American cheese sandwich,” he said, “like my mother made me for lunch as a kid.”