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GOURMET NEWS MAY 2014 www.gourmetnews.com Specialty Distributors & Brokers SPECIALTY DISTRIBUTORS & BROKERS 1 4 BRIEFS Distributor US Foods Turns up the Heat with New Line of Hot and Spicy Products US Foods is looking ahead to spring with its new product line featuring culinary cre- ations that pack a spicy punch. From fiery Glenview Farms ® Smoky Ghost Pepper Jack Cheese Slices to Hilltop Hearth ® Hot and Spicy Buns and Spicy Secret Sauce from Metro Deli ® , the new offerings feature bold flavors that will delight the taste buds of any spice-seeking diner. "This winter has been brutal throughout most of the country, but it can't last forever and this new product line … will inspire chefs to add new, fresh dishes to their menus and announce the patio is finally open," said Pietro Satriano, Chief Merchan- dising Officer for US Foods. "With our spicy offerings and twists on classic spring cravings, these products provide everything restaurant operators need to satisfy both the traditional and trend-seeking diner." Fiery foods have become more popular than ever with diners over the last year. With inventive new dishes and products that feature spicy notes of flavor, spicy food appears on nearly 70 percent of today's restaurant menus. Turning up the heat with new variations on classic bar fare, the new spring lineup includes Premium Buffalo-Style Chicken Tenderloin Fritters, Chicken Breast Chunks and Filets from Patuxent Farms ® with breading that delivers bold notes of hot sauce and vinegar. For great taste minus the heat, the Beer and Pretzel Cheese Bites from Molly's Kitchen ® , made with cheddar cheese curds from Wiscon- sin, take the classic pairing of beer and pretzels to new heights and are sure to be a top seller on bar and grill menus across the country. "Our flavorful and bold new products offer US Foods customers items that will not only appeal to diners in every segment, but will keep them coming back for more," said Satriano. To see the full spring product line and learn more about the product offerings from US Foods, visit www.usfoods.com. You can also friend the company on Face- book, follow it on Twitter and watch US Foods chefs in action on YouTube. GN Grower, Packer and Shipper MCL Fresh Inc. Consolidated and Rebranded as 4EARTH FARMS MCL Fresh, Inc. recently announced a fresh new brand presence, most notably ev- ident in the company's new name: 4EARTH FARMS. However, the company's rebrand- ing does not stop at the name change. "4EARTH FARMS is much more than a new name," said David Lake, the company's CEO and co-founder. "It's a rich represen- tation of everything we stand for across our entire supply chain. We're pleased to have a name that reflects our deep commitment to the earth, our growers, our produce and, above all, our customers." With the 4EARTH FARMS rebranding in place, the company's multiple labels MCL Fresh, RealSun, 4-Earth and Real Organics will now be part of one unified brand. All conventional products will carry the 4EARTH label, while organic products will be labeled 4EARTH ORGANICS. "As our company has grown, and as we've added more SKUs to both our con- ventional and organic product lines, we re- alized we were managing and marketing four different sub-brands," said Mark Munger, 4EARTH FARMS' Vice President of Sales & Marketing. "Because we're still growing and adding new products, we felt it was time to simplify and freshen our brand presence." Founded 21 years ago in Los Angeles, Calif., 4EARTH FARMS is one of the largest vertically integrated conventional, organic and specialty grower-packer-shippers in the United States. 4EARTH FARMS supplies wholesale, private label and foodservice produce to some of the largest retail and wholesale customers around the globe. With efficient cross-dock, consolidation and logistics, as well as state-of-the-art fa- cilities and unparalleled food storage and safety standards, 4EARTH FARMS offers a 99.4 percent fulfillment rate on a bounty of produce made up of more than 150 year- round organic SKUs, 250 spe- cialty products and conventional fruits and veg- etables. With many farm-di- rect programs, and strong grower relationships, 4Earth Farms culti- vates more than 2,000 acres in Baja Mexico, mainland Mexico, Northern California, central California, Oregon and Texas, and the company has direct relationships with growers in Chile, Taiwan, Thailand, China, and South Africa. GN Quirch Foods Launches Chiquita Frozen Foods Line Quirch Foods ® , one of the largest distribu- tors of food products in the Southeastern United States and the Caribbean, is excited to announce a licensing agreement with Chiquita Brands to sell Chiquita™ frozen Maduros (Ripe Plantains), Tostones (Green Plantains), Yuca (Cassava) and Fruit Pulp (for Juice and Smoothies). Staying true to Chiquita's tradition of of- fering high quality produce, these Chiquita frozen foods are made with 100 percent natural ingredients and contain no artificial flavors or preservatives. The Chiquita prod- ucts will be offered in innovative packaging and will be supported by strong point of sale and marketing efforts. Available at gro- cery stores this summer, Quirch will offer these products for sale in the United States and Puerto Rico. "[Chiquita is] a brand with equity and value to retailers and consumers," said Jorge Roza, Quirch Foods Marketing Man- ager. "Households trust it … Retailers know it performs." With nearly 100 percent consumer brand recognition, Quirch aims to market these products to a broader demographic. "Adding the Chiquita brand to our prod- ucts will raise awareness of the category on a national level," said Frank Grande, Vice President of Sales for Quirch Foods. "Quirch shares many of our core values and commitment to community service. We're pleased to enter this category with the all-nat- ural, quality product offerings by Quirch," said Robert Stallman, Vice President of Mar- keting and Global Licensing for Chiquita. Quirch Foods is headquartered in Miami, with additional offices and distribution fa- cilities in Orlando Fla., Atlanta, Puerto Rico and Chicago. Quirch has combined over 700,000 square feet of refrigerated inven- tory and a fleet of more than 200 refriger- ated trucks servicing its customers throughout the United States. For more in- formation, visit www.quirchfoods.com. Chiquita Brands International, Inc. is a leading international marketer and distrib- utor of nutritious, high-quality fresh and value-added food products, from energy- rich bananas, blends of convenient green salads and other fruits to healthy snacking products. The company markets its healthy, fresh products under the Chiquita and Fresh Express premium brands and other related trademarks. For more information, visit www.chiquita.com. GN KeHE to Serve as Wholesaler for New Natural Grocer KeHE Distributors recently announced that it has entered into a distribution agreement with Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, a new natural grocer. The agreement covers all of the planned FTFM locations and involves a wide variety of product categories. "KeHE's broad product assortment and its personalized and flexible approach to meeting our distribution needs make them a perfect partner for Fresh Thyme," said Sage Horner, Senior Vice President of Merchandising & Marketing for Fresh Thyme. "KeHE's product selection, including natural, organic, specialty and fresh offerings, aligns perfectly with the needs of the Fresh Thyme shopper." KeHE Distributors, LLC based in Romeoville, Ill., provides natural and organic, specialty and gourmet, international and multicultural and fresh products to over 35,000 retail outlets throughout North America. For more information about KeHE, visit www.kehe.com. Quantum Foods Sells Off Holdings to CTI Foods Holding Co. Quantum Foods, LLC, a leading independent custom provider of value-added proteins, recently announced that it is in the final stages of negotiating a sale of substantially all its business to CTI Foods Holding Co., LLC. After evaluating multiple opportunities in the process, a leader emerged with a clear strategy to move Quantum Foods past its financial challenges and onto a path for future success. The company hopes that CTI Foods, with seven existing manufacturing facilities in the United States, will provide a strong infrastructure for Quantum going forward. Quantum Foods is a leading independent custom manufacturer and processor of innovative value-added protein products. Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Bolingbrook, Ill., Quantum provides its customers with menu solutions, including portion controlled, ready-to-cook and value-added fully cooked protein products made from beef, poultry and pork. CrossCountry Marketing Representing Five New Companies Sharon Britton, owner of CrossCountry Marketing, a specialty food broker located in Central Virginia, recently announced that the company has partnered with Straw Propeller, GalloLea Pizza Kits, World of Chia and Red Truck Beef Jerky. Sharon, and her team are excited about adding these outstanding food lines to the growing list of exceptional product lines the company represents. CrossCountry Marketing prides itself on working to expand the wholesale distribution of all companies that it represents. Products CrossCountry represents are currently being distributed by a number of prominent distribution companies, including DPI Mid-Atlantic, Haddon House, UNFI, First Source and Hautly Distributing. A complete list of the food lines represented by CrossCountry Marketing can be viewed at www.xcmarketing.com. For questions or inquiries, contact Sharon Britton at sharon@xcmarketing.com. New line features bold, spicy flavors and new twists on traditional favorites

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