Cedar's Foods CEO Charles Hanna named 2025 Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipient

Charles Hanna, CEO of Cedar’s Foods, has been awarded the 2025 Ellis Island Medal of Honor, a prestigious national award recognizing individuals who have made major contributions to American society while celebrating their cultural heritage.

A Lebanese immigrant, Hanna was honored for his role in transforming Cedar’s from a small regional brand into the world’s largest hummus producer, as well as for his deep philanthropic commitment. 

Under his leadership since the early 1990s, Cedar’s now produces over 145 million pounds of product annually—including 120 million pounds of hummus—and is sold in more than 13,500 retail locations across the U.S. 

The company is also the second-largest food manufacturer in Massachusetts, operating a campus of five facilities totaling more than 500,000 square feet.

Hanna also founded Cedar’s with Heart, the company’s philanthropic arm, which has donated over $20 million to causes in the U.S. and abroad. 

The initiative has supported more than 150,000 people through donations of food, and funding for education, youth programs, women’s health, and vocational training. In 2025 alone, Cedar’s contributed over $300,000 to organizations such as the YMCA, Boys & Girls Clubs, Emmaus House, UTEC, and the Haverhill Police Department.

In Lebanon, Hanna has led major humanitarian projects in his hometown of Karkha, including rebuilding churches, creating jobs, distributing thousands of COVID-19 vaccines and medications, and funding critical infrastructure such as schools, heating systems, and electricity.

“This is a celebration not just of my personal journey, but of our company’s shared values and commitment to making a difference,” Hanna said in a statement.

The 2025 Ellis Island Medals of Honor will be presented to 85 individuals during a gala on May 10 in the historic Great Hall on Ellis Island. Past recipients include Presidents Ronald Reagan and Joe Biden, Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, and Muhammad Ali.