Oser Communications Group

GOURMET NEWS FEBRUARY 2015 www.gourmetnews.com Specialty Distributors & Brokers SPECIALTY DISTRIBUTORS & BROKERS 1 3 BRIEFS Natural American Foods Inc., a producer and distributor of honey and other food products recently announced that it has es- tablished Global Quality Ingredients Inc., a global food ingredient procurement sub- sidiary. GQI will source, test and deliver safe, high-quality and fully traceable natu- ral food products to NAF's blue-chip retail, foodservice and commercial ingredient cus- tomers. GQI will source a variety of natural food ingredients, including honey, molasses and agave, from a wide range of global loca- tions. The subsidiary company has put in place a world-class staff across three conti- nents, led by Chris Nubern, a seasoned in- dustry executive who will serve as the com- pany's Chief Procurement Officer. Joining Nubern will be Jean-Francois Chalopin, the newly appointed Head of International Honey Procurement and a veteran of the honey industry with over 10 years of expe- rience sourcing honey and other products on an international basis. Brian Shower- man, Director of Procurement at NAF, will also be joining the GQI team. "We are excited to launch Global Quality Ingredients and to welcome Chris Nubern to the company, as we continue to develop Natural American Foods' world-class pro- curement capabilities," said Rolf Richter, CEO of Natural American Foods. "With operations at Global Quality Ingredients well underway, we look forward to contin- uously sourcing the highest quality natural food products, on a global basis, for our loyal customer base." Headquartered in Onsted, Michigan, NAF provides a full range of honey and commercial sweeteners to some of the world's best known food manufacturers and foodservice customers, as well as national retailers and distributors. The company's footprint is significant, with global operations and a state-of-the-art lab for testing quality and safety. For fur- ther information, visit www.natural americanfoods.com. GN UNFI Opens Environmentally Sustainable Hudson Valley Distribution Center in New York Natural American Foods Establishes Food Procurement Subsidiary Global Quality Ingredients Natural products distributor United Natu- ral Foods recently opened a 500,000- square-foot distribution center in Montgomery, New York that will serve its growing customer base in The New York City and Long Island area. The facility was designed and constructed using sustain- able practices and is expected to achieve LEED ® (Leadership in Energy and Envi- ronmental Design) Gold certification. The new facility is located at 525 Neelytown Road in Montgomery. The distribution center will be the sec- ond largest in UNFI's East Region and will allow the company to enhance efficiencies and improve productivity through best-in- class warehousing and inventory control systems, lower operating costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Features in- clude carbon dioxide refrigeration systems, robust refrigerated cooler and freezer ca- pacity and increased cold chain integrity. The new Hudson Valley Distribution Center is expected to reduce water use by as much as 45 percent compared to a typ- ical building. In addition, the facility will achieve a reduction in overall energy usage of 26 percent. In building the center, 75 percent of construction waste was diverted from landfills, and 30 percent of the con- struction material that went into the build- ing was recycled. Thirty percent of building materials were sourced regionally. United Natural Foods Inc. carries and distributes more than 65,000 products to more than 31,000 customers locations throughout the United States and Canada. The company serves a wide va- riety of retail formats, including conven- tional supermarket chains, natural product superstores, independent retail operators and the foodservice channel. United Natural Foods, Inc. was ranked by Fortune magazine in 2006 and 2012 as one of its "Most Admired Companies." It was named the winner of the Super- market News 2008 Sustainability Excel- lence Award. GN Craft Brew Alliance Forming Strategic Partnership with Appalachian Mountain Brewery Craft Brew Alliance Inc., the independent craft brewing company which owns and distributes the top selling craft beer brands Widmer Brothers Brewing, Red- hook Ale, Kona Brewing Company and Omission, recently announced that it is forming a strategic partnership with Boone, North Carolina-based Ap- palachian Mountain Brewery Inc. The two companies will explore potential oppor- tunities to drive business growth and shareholder value through sharing re- sources in key strategic areas, including, but not limited to, brewing, purchasing, distribution and sales. "This kind of partnership aligns perfectly with what we're building CBA to do: help bring authentic craft beers and brands to beer lovers from coast to coast," said Andy Thomas, CEO of Craft Brew Alliance. "As we look to the future, we're excited to broaden the alliance with real brands that are steeped in place and legacy and nurture their ability to serve today's increasing de- mand for great-tasting, local craft beers in emerging markets like North Carolina and the Southeast." In May 2014, Appalachian Mountain Brewery won the Startup Brewery Chal- lenge at the Brewbound Session in Boston. CBA is a three-time sponsor of the contest, in which craft brewery owners have three minutes to present their business models and pour one beer that receives immediate feedback from an expert panel of judges. Following the challenge, the two compa- nies had an opportunity to work together on a collaboration beer. It was during this experience that the companies discovered a strong cultural similarity and mutual in- terest in exploring a longer-term partner- ship that would align with both companies' values and business objectives. Appalachian Mountain Brewery has re- cently begun canning on its cask semi-au- tomated canning system, supporting its objectives to expand distribution of three of its beer styles in cans. The company is initially focused on canning its flagship beers: Long Leaf IPA, Blonde Ale and Porter. GN Neogen Acquires Assets of its Chinese Distributor Neogen Corporation recently announced that it has acquired the food safety and veterinary genomic assets of its Chinese distributor, Beijing Anapure BioScientific Co. Ltd. Anapure has been a distributor of Neogen's food safety products for more than 10 years. The Chinese company was founded in 1998, with a focus on food and environment safety testing. Its food safety testing business includes more than 700 customers in the dairy, beverage and beer, animal feed, and meat and poultry industries. Neogen Corporation develops and markets products dedicated to food and animal safety. The company's Food Safety Division markets dehydrated culture media and diagnostic test kits to detect foodborne bacteria, natural toxins, food allergens, drug residues, plant diseases and sanitation concerns. The company also operates an Animal Safety Division. Sysco Names Greg Keller SYGMA President Sysco Corporation recently announced that Greg Keller has been appointed President of SYGMA, its Columbus, Ohio-based subsidiary focused on serving chain restaurant customers. Keller will report to Tom Bene, Sysco's President of Foodservice Operations. Keller began his foodservice career at SYGMA in 2000 and since then has continuously held sales leadership and executive roles. He took on additional responsibility as Vice President of Corporate Business Development for Sysco in 2010, where he was instrumental in restructuring Sysco's national account sales team and developing functional teams to support the growth and management of Sysco's national accounts business. In 2011, Keller became Vice President of Contract Sales, where he managed the sales teams responsible for the travel and leisure and restaurant segments. In 2013, Keller became Vice President of Chain Restaurants for Sysco, in addition to his ongoing SYGMA duties. Kontos Foods Expands in 2014 Kontos Foods Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of traditional Greek and Mediterranean foods, has announced that 2014 was a banner year for the company. In the past year, the company grew sales of its Kontos Flatbreads, phyllo products, Greek yogurt, tzatziki sauce and Feta cheese in the United States, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia. As part of Kontos Foods' effort to grow its export business, in 2014 the company increased expansion efforts in the Caribbean, including to Bermuda, the Bahamas, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Greek and Mediterranean foods have become increasingly popular in both retail stores and foodservice establishments in this region. "Consumers everywhere are discovering the enjoyment and health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. Consumers are embracing quality ethnic items that appeal to their desire for authentic and healthful foods," said Warren Stoll, Marketing Director of Kontos Foods.

• Cover