Our Founder

The success of the Citromax Group has been the fruit of the hands-on family management since the mid-1960s—beginning with Jacob Glueck and continuing with his daughter Vivian. Citromax’s sterling reputation in the food ingredients and flavor industry issues from the Gluecks’ commitment to growth, innovation, excellence, and sustainability.

Jacob Glueck / Founder

 

Hungary-born Jacob Glueck learned the flavor and fragrance business from his father, in Europe. A Holocaust survivor, he landed on the shores of America with little more than hope and a dream. After several years working as a manager at Citroil Enterprises and Fritzsche SAICA, in 1964, Jacob founded Citromax SACI and swiftly transformed it into one of the world’s leading growers of lemons and producers of juices and oils.

 

Jacob was also a Jewish community leader, benefactor to many Jewish institutions and causes, and he obtained the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary’s highest honor, the Eitz Chaim Award.

Vivian Glueck / President

 

Vivian Glueck was born in New York and spent her early childhood in Argentina while her father founded Citromax SACI and Fritzsche SAICA. After obtaining a BA from Barnard College in Physics and a Master’s degree from Columbia University in Astrophysics, she was employed by NASA. Two years later, she came to work for her father at Citromax and took over as acting head of the company in 1997.

 

Vivian was officially named President of the Citromax family companies in 2001. A married mother of four, Vivian devotes her spare time to charitable work and serves on the Boards of several esteemed New York institutions.