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GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2013 www.gourmetnews.com SPECIALTY DISTRIBUTORS & BROKERS 21 Specialty Distributors & Brokers BRIEFS KeHE Reveals New Enterprise Branding President and CEO Brandon Barnholt unveiled new branding for KeHE Distributors, LLC. "This new branding signals an important step in our continuing quest to be the preferred supply chain partner in natural, specialty and fresh retail products," Barnholt said. "We are embarking on an exciting new phase in our company's journey to make on-trend easy for our suppliers and retail customers." "The past few years brought a great deal of change to our industry and KeHE has grown and added products and expertise to meet the needs of today's marketplace. The KeHE brand name along with the new one earth logo effectively capture the scope of sales, marketing, product assortment, and supply chain expertise we bring to every channel of business we serve," Barnholt continued. Based in Romeoville, Ill., KeHE Distributors provides natural and organic, specialty and gourmet, international and multicultural and fresh products to more than 30,000 retail customers in the chain grocery, independent grocery, natural food store, and niche specialty retail channels throughout North America. Michael Foods Subsidiary To Purchase Primera Foods Business M.G. Waldbaum Company, a subsidiary of Michael Foods, Inc., has entered into an agreement to acquire the assets of Primera Foods Corporation. Included in the transaction will be Primera's manufacturing assets located in Britt, Iowa, and Altura, Minn., where Primera produces value-added egg products. "The purchase of the Primera business is an important decision for our company," said Jim Dwyer, Chairman and CEO of Michael Foods. "The two businesses are complementary, and the acquisition will allow the Michael Foods family of companies to extend its capacity and manufacturing capabilities." Dwyer said the initial focus of the acquisition will be ensuring a seamless transition for Primera customers. Michael Foods is headquartered in Minnetonka, Minn. The company employs approximately 3,500 people and serves customers across North America, Europe and Asia. Inventure Foods Top Executive Named 2013 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Inventure Foods, Inc., a specialty food marketer and manufacturer, announced that its President and CEO, Terry McDaniel, has been honored with an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Award in the Mountain Desert region. McDaniel received the top honor in the turnaround category. The Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award recognizes outstanding high-growth entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. The finalists and winners were selected by an independent panel of judges and honored at a gala event at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts on June 20. US Foods Named Official Foodservice Provider to World Food Championships US Foods, an innovative food company and leading distributor, will become the Official Foodservice Provider to the 2013 World Food Championships, according to Trybe Targeting. The World Food Championships will take place Nov. 7-10 in Las Vegas. The second annual World Food Championships will bring almost 500 competitors from the biggest and best food competitions around the world, including online recipe contests, into an ultimate food fight for fame and fortune. Following a tournament-style format across seven iconic food categories, the WFC will culminate with a Final Table showdown where category champions will face potential elimination in front of a live audience and a discerning panel of culinary celebrities. "At US Foods, we're passionate about food and love seeing that same passion among the World Food Championships competitors," said Pietro Satriano, Chief Merchandising Officer for US Foods. "We make it our mission to provide chefs and restaurateurs with unique and innovative products that help them showcase their culinary talent, and we are thrilled to be a part of this event and help this year's competitors develop their winning dishes and celebrate their success." As the Official Foodservice Provider, US Foods will provide competition finalists in seven categories with a fully stocked pantry for their use during the final rounds of com- petition. US Foods will also provide WFC attendees and competitors with an exclusive sneak peek into its product innovation process with main-stage cooking demonstrations by finalists in the Next Top Product contest, the company's annual competition to discover the latest trends and developments in the food service industry. "The stakes, the rewards, the impact is all getting bigger and bigger," said Mike McCloud, President and CEO of Trybe Targeting, the company that produces the four-day event. "US Foods is one of the most respected companies in the food industry, and we're thrilled to have them on board with the World Food Championships." GN Ascendant Spirits Partners with Southern Wine & Spirits for Calif. Distribution Ascendant Spirits recently announced that it has formed an exclusive partnership with Southern Wine & Spirits for statewide distribution in California. Southern Wine and Spirits of America is the largest wine and spirits distributor in the United States with operations in 35 states. Southern was one of the first companies to have state-wide distribution in California, which is now the company's largest market. As part of its partnership with Southern, Ascendant Spirits will participate in the distributor's Artisanal Group, a collection of craft brands from within the larger Southern catalog. Ascendant Spirits' Breaker Bourbon, American Star Vodka and Silver Lightning Moonshine will be featured products, soon to be followed by American Star Caviar Lime Vodka, American Star Strawberry Vodka and Pink Lightning Moonshine. Southern represents approximately 1,600 wine, spirits, beer and beverage suppliers from around the world. The distributor markets, promotes, merchandises and distributes over 5,000 brands. The company employs more than 11,000 people. During a working week, Southern sales, delivery and support staff collectively call on or service over 200,000 different chain and independent retail and restaurant customers across the country. The team at Ascendant Spirits has expressed their delight at being a member of Southern's Artisanal Group. With this directed product line, Southern has been able to form strong relationships with contem- porary mixologists, savvy buyers and adventuresome restaurateurs, providing them with unique hand-crafted spirits from around the globe. Interested retailers and restaurateurs can look now to find Ascendant Spirits products in the Artisanal Group product catalog. Organized in Santa Barbara with friends and family by Stephen Gertman in late 2011, Ascendant Spirits is the first craft distillery in Santa Barbara County, Calif., one of the premier fruit and wine grape growing regions in the United States. Ascendant Spirits uses the best American grains and the best local organic produce as key ingredients for its distinctive handcrafted vodka, gin and Whisky products. GN Korean Organic Fruit Distributor Seoree Set to Launch in United States Seoree (pronounced "sah-ree"), a premium Korea-based produce distributor, is making its official debut into U.S. markets. "I am excited by the opportunities that will be open to Seoree by operating within the American market," said Sung-Jin Kong, CEO of Seoree. "Our fruits, like premium apples and pears, are sourced from more than 150,000 orchards and farms around Korea. We have instituted a rigorous quality-assurance process that ensures only the best pieces of fruit—those with the proper sugar levels and the best texture—bear the Seoree label. We are confident that American consumers will also see and taste the great quality of our products." The brand launch is supported by two Korea-based organizations: the Korea Fruit Agricultural Company Federation and the Kim Chang Joon Future U.S.-Korea Foundation, led by former U.S. Representative Jay Kim, the first Korean-American to serve in the U.S. Congress. Seoree's entrance into the U.S. market was made possible in part by the newly minted free-trade agreement between South Korean and the United States. The agreement facilitates the sharing of products and goods between nations, fostering freer markets and broader cultural understanding. "I am highly gratified to help Seoree succeed here in the United States," said Rep. Kim in a statement. "My position in both the United States and Korea allows me to encourage economic development between our nations, and the new free-trade agreement lets companies like Seoree flourish in new markets." Seoree is one of the top professional distributors of organic premium fruit in Korea. The company supplies schools in the capital city of Seoul with fruit bars and healthy snacks for Korean children. It also has contracted with the Korean government to franchise fruit cafes across the country at public institutions, and it donates high-quality produce to Korean families in need. Across Korea, Seoree is recognized as a trusted vendor of premium produce. Visit www .seoreefruit.com for more information. GN

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