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GOURMET NEWS APRIL 2014 www.gourmetnews.com Specialty Distributors & Brokers SPECIALTY DISTRIBUTORS & BROKERS 1 4 BRIEFS KeHE's Summer Selling and Product Innovation Show Reveals What to Expect This Summer BY ZACH CALVELLO KeHE recently held its annual Summer Selling and Product Innovation Show February 4-5 at the Ernest N. Morial Con- vention Center in New Orleans, La. The popular marketing and distribution serv- ices company brought over 3,000 retailers and suppliers to the city for a two-day, in- vite-only event. Focusing on the natural, specialty and fresh product industries, re- tailers showcased summer products and new product innovations. The popularity of KeHE's annual Sum- mer Selling and Product Innovation Show continues to increase as consumers become more interested in year round healthy eating. "Our Summer Selling and Product Innovation Show is our fastest growing show and is actually one of the fastest growing shows of any kind in the U.S., as reported by the Trade Show News Network," said Ari Goldsmith, KeHE's Senior Director of Marketing. KeHE was ecstatic about the outcome of this year's show, as it experienced the largest turnout in the show's history. "We had nearly 700 suppliers exhibiting and showing product from over 1,000 brands, with 3,200 total participants on the show floor. It was very busy," said Gold- smith. Making this year's event particularly attractive for attendees was the fact that New Orleans hit a high of 73 degrees during the show, while much of the country was being hit by chilling winter storms. "The setting was wonder- ful," said Goldsmith. "People in our industry love New Orleans, with its warm winter-time weather and great restau- rants. The energy level in the convention center was high, exactly what we hoped for." As consumers turn to- ward healthier food alternatives, so do suppliers. What KeHE's Summer Selling and Product Innovation Show seemed to suggest is that this interest is here to stay. Healthy snacks were amply displayed at the show, focusing on locally sourced, all- natural, organic, non-GMO, raw and al- lergen-free products. However, KeHE experienced the greatest attendance growth from deli and bakery vendors. There was also a signifi- cant increase in new and emerging vendors at this year's show. Laurie Demeritt, CEO of the Hartman Group, spoke at the show on the topic of healthy con- sumer trends. DeMeritt addressed not only the ways in which today's healthy food trend is im- pacting producers and consumers, but also the specific reasons consumers select the products they do. Demeritt offered retailers in attendance, a number of useful tips on how they can merchandise their stores more effectively in order to drive sales. A problem in the past, during some pre- vious KeHE-sponsored shows, the com- pany's ordering systems have been unable to handle the volume and complexity of show orders. For the first time, KeHE remedied this problem at the Summer Sell- ing and Product Innovation Show, intro- ducing a proprietary new ordering system. KeHE's newly developed ordering system proved that the company can handle orders much more smoothly. The new iPad-based ordering system is intuitive, easy to use and handles complexity with ease, as shown by a 300 percent increase in orders made on the show floor. The show ended with a celebratory event hosted at the National WWII Mu- seum in New Orleans. KeHE was one of the first groups to host an event at the museum, and KeHE retailers, vendors and account managers had the facility to themselves for the evening, enjoying a menu of New Orleans-inspired food with a focus on locally sourced items and a strong representation of gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options. For more information on upcoming KeHE events, visit www.kehe.com. GN CrossCountry Marketing Celebrates 20 Years CrossCountry Marketing, a quality food broker company located in Central Vir- ginia, is celebrating 20 years in the spe- cialty food industry in 2014. Specializing in representing small to mid-size companies, CCM currently represents 18 vendors and is always on the lookout for unique lines that have impressive packaging and re- markable taste. CCM was founded in 1994 by Tom Rankin. Rankin retired in 2012, and Sharon Britton, who had worked for CrossCountry since 1999, became the company's new owner. CCM works diligently to expand its ven- dors' business in the wholesale and distrib- utor arenas. The company's wholesale territory for independent retailers covers Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Wash- ington, D.C. and parts of North Carolina. Products represented by CCM are being distributed by DPI Mid-Atlantic, Haddon House, UNFI, First Resource (formerly Wythe Will Tzetzo) and Hautly Distribut- ing. The company is also working to de- velop a regional specialty distributor network in an effort to expand the presence of its vendors' products. CCM continues to offer its vendors exceptional service with integrity. For more information on CrossCountry Marketing, contact Sharon Britton at sharon@xcmarketing.com. GN Grupo Bimbo to Acquire Canada Bread Maple Leaf Foods Inc. recently announced that Grupo Bimbo of Mexico has agreed to acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Canada Bread Company. Maple Leaf currently holds approximately 90 percent of the outstanding shares of Canada Bread. "This transaction maximizes the value of our investment in Canada Bread and focuses Maple Leaf on building its leadership in the consumer packaged meats business," said Michael H. McCain, President and CEO. "Grupo Bimbo is an excellent company with strong values and a global leadership position, with little overlap in our geographic markets. This makes for a highly complementary fit with our bakery operations and is expected to provide exciting opportunities for Canada Bread employees, customers and other business partners." Maple Leaf is in the final phase of implementing a strategy to significantly increase productivity and profitability in its prepared meats business. Mondelez International to Invest $130 Million in U.S. Biscuit Manufacturing Network Mondelez International recently announced plans to invest more than $130 million in new biscuit manufacturing technology and capabilities in its current U.S. network. The investment will focus on bakeries in Fair Lawn, N.J. and Richmond, Va., supporting priority cookie and cracker brands and product platforms. To enable this investment, the company will consolidate its current U.S. biscuit manufacturing footprint on the East Coast, resulting in the closure of its Philadelphia bakery by early 2015. The role of the Philadelphia bakery within the company's biscuit manufacturing network footprint has changed over time. The site currently produces a limited number of core products. Other facilities are better positioned to support the company's future business needs. The closure of the Philadelphia bakery will affect approximately 350 employees. Amira Nature Foods Ltd. Closes Strategic Acquisition in Germany Amira Nature Foods Ltd., a leading global provider of packaged Indian specialty rice, recently closed the previously announced acquisition of Basmati Rice GmbH, a specialty distributor of premium branded rice, particularly Basmati rice in Germany. "We are extremely pleased to complete the acquisition of Basmati Rice GmbH and look forward to growing their complementary distribution in Germany, Europe and particularly in the U.S., to further expand sales of the Amira brand." Founded in 1915, Amira has evolved into a leading global provider of packaged Indian specialty rice, with sales in over 40 countries today. Amira sells Basmati rice, premium long- grain rice grown only in certain regions of the Indian sub-continent, under their flagship Amira brand as well as under other third party brands. Amira sells its products primarily in emerging markets through a broad distribution network.

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