HAMMOND — S&W Foods announced that CEO Paul Spalitta was named Free Enterprise Champion – Business Person of the Year by the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI) at the 10th annual Business Excellence Awards on Nov. 20 in Baton Rouge.
The event honors businesses and leaders who are driving meaningful progress, economic investment and job growth across Louisiana.
“Paul Spalitta represents the very best of Louisiana’s business community,” said Will Green, president and CEO of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI). “His leadership at S&W Foods has not only fueled remarkable growth rooted in family values and service, but his dedication to improving Louisiana’s legal climate has made a meaningful impact on our state. Paul’s willingness to step forward, advocate and rally others – while continuing to run a growing company – is the kind of commitment that moves Louisiana forward.”
Over the past 20 years, Spalitta has transformed S&W Foods from a regional distributor into Louisiana’s leading independent foodservice supplier, guiding the company’s growth from $25 million in annual revenue to nearly $100 million in 2025, and overseeing the 2024 expansion into a new headquarters that more than tripled S&W’s operational capacity.
Under his leadership, S&W has earned major industry accolades including Tangipahoa Chamber Business of the Year (2020) and UniPro Key Distributor of the Year (2021 and 2023), while Paul himself was named a 2024 Biz New Orleans Executive of the Year.
“We’re grateful to have a leader who believes in doing business the right way,” S&W Foods said in a company statement. “Paul’s vision and values guide everything we do – investing in people, supporting local restaurants and small businesses, giving back to the communities we call home, and working to build a stronger, more competitive Louisiana.”
Deeply rooted in family values, Spalitta continues to build S&W into the next generation with his daughters, Tara Spalitta and Samantha Spalitta, working alongside him in the company. Beyond business, he is active in community service, serving on multiple boards including United By BBQ and Our Daily Bread Food Bank. His leadership has not only shaped the success of S&W Foods, but also contributed to a stronger, more competitive Louisiana economy.
S&W Foods congratulates all of this year’s LABI Business Excellence Award honorees and remains committed to supporting Louisiana’s restaurant and hospitality community through quality, service and local partnership.
Founded in 1978 and headquartered in Tangipahoa Parish, S&W Foods is Louisiana’s largest locally owned independent foodservice distributor, supplying more than 8,000 products to restaurants, coffee shops and operators across the Gulf South.