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GOURMET NEWS MARCH 2015 www.gourmetnews.com Specialty Distributors & Brokers SPECIALTY DISTRIBUTORS & BROKERS 1 3 BRIEFS Unified Grocers Inc., the largest wholesale grocery distributor in the western United States, recently announced that it will be the primary and preferred supplier for all of Haggen's newly acquired stores in Cali- fornia, Nevada and Arizona. In addition, Unified Grocers will also be a substantial supplier for the chain's Oregon and Wash- ington stores. The distributor's Market Centre subsidiary will supply specialty products for all the acquired stores. The announcement of Unified Grocers' agree- ment with Haggen follows news that the Pacific Northwest-based retailer has en- tered into an agreement to acquire 146 new stores as part of the merger of Albert- sons and Safeway. "This is an exciting opportunity for Unified to partner with a flourishing, dy- namic member of the Unified cooperative, build on our already strong relationship and help Haggen grow its business," said Unified President and Chief Executive Of- ficer Bob Ling. "It's great news for con- sumers, creating additional choice in the marketplace, and puts Unified in position to add significant business to the cooper- ative. The agreement will enable us to lower our costs of operation as the com- pany benefits from economies of scale and ultimately provide better pricing for all our customers." "Everything we do is designed to strengthen the trust and confidence our owners place in us every day, and the best way to accomplish that is to grow the busi- ness," Ling added. "The fact we were able to agree to a deal of this size and scope demonstrates the company's strong funda- mentals, flexibility and agility." With its recent acquisition, Haggen is set to expand from 18 stores with 16 pharmacies to 164 stores with 106 pharmacies; from 2,000 employees to more than 10,000 employees; and from a Pacific Northwest company with loca- tions in Oregon and Washington to a major regional grocery chain with loca- tions in Washington, Oregon, Califor- nia, Nevada and Arizona. The conversion to Haggen store manage- ment commenced in early February and will continue throughout the first half of the year. GN Foodservice Distributor Good Source Solutions Announces Acquisition of Dori Foods Unified Grocers to Be Primary Supplier for All Haggen Stores in California, Nevada and Arizona Good Source Solutions, a national specialty foodservice distributor, has acquired Dori Foods, a member of Frosty Acres Brands. The combined companies create a strong national distribution platform, offering greater value and product selection for ex- isting and new customers. Good Source is a portfolio company of Evergreen Pacific Partners. The acquisition gives Good Source addi- tional scale in the education sector and a stronger East Coast distribution network. Dori Foods now has access to a wider se- lection of products, such as Tools for Schools ® branded items – designed to meet or exceed child nutrition program require- ments. Together, Good Source and Dori Foods will immediately begin expanding product assortment and optimizing logis- tics to better serve customers. Good Source Solutions is a specialty foodservice distributor, which provides food and non-food products to a number of markets throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. Good Source also owns Northwest Distribution, a distributor servicing the Pacific Northwest region. GN Sysco Launches New Website, "Sobremesa" Directed at Fast-Growing Hispanic Segment Sysco Corporation, North America's lead- ing foodservice distribution company, re- cently announced the launch of a dual-language microsite geared toward the foodservice industry's Hispanic segment, which represents the United States' fastest- growing ethnic population. Sysco's new "Sobremesa" (www.sysco.com/sobremesa) site provides both English and Spanish speakers a mobile-friendly platform with culturally relevant content that addresses diverse dining trends in the United States and better serves the needs of Hispanic foodservice operators. "To effectively reach the vital, fast- growing Hispanic segment, we developed a comprehensive strategy that takes into account the segment's unique consumer profile and features a deep understanding of the culture," said Diego Rondon, Sysco's Senior Director of Segment Mar- keting, who is responsible for developing the company's marketing, selling and product strategies for multicultural mar- ket segments. "Companies cannot afford to ignore this growing and increasingly influential market." Sobremesa is a Spanish-language term that describes the valuable and essential time spent after a meal when family and friends converse. Content on the site in- cludes insights on how to reach Latino mil- lennials, multi-regional recipes created by the Sysco culinary team, snacking trends among Hispanics and much more. All news, tips, menu ideas and trend data are geared toward helping Hispanic operators drive restaurant traffic, improve operations and better address their customers' evolv- ing needs. The U.S. Hispanic population has in- creased by nearly 45 percent in the past decade, now comprising approximately 18 percent of the U.S. population, and repre- sents an estimated $1.6 trillion in con- sumer buying power. U.S. Hispanics influence all aspects of the foodservice in- dustry from marketing and branding to product development, hiring and more. "Specially crafted menu items, authentic flavors and cuisine, eating and spending time together as a family (the essence of so- bremesa), and local- or regional-sourced products are among the important cultural eating and dining habits of Hispanics," said Rondon. "So these are areas of emphasis for Sysco when it comes to a targeted market- ing strategy, product assortment and con- tent." Sysco's strategy includes a focus on de- veloping comprehensive and culturally rel- evant marketing programs that include appropriate media platforms and com- pelling collateral and tools, such as the So- bremesa microsite. "We want to effectively engage with His- panic foodservice operators and help them to improve and grow their business," said Rondon. GN C.A. Fortune Continues Expansion C.A. Fortune, a major natural, specialty and bakery broker headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, recently announced that it has added Enterprise Sales and Marketing TEAM to enhance its national footprint and coverage. Based in Arlington, Texas, Enterprise Sales and Marketing TEAM serves other Texas markets as well as those in Oklahoma, Louisiana and New Mexico. "C.A. Fortune's expansion is a great move for our company, clients and customers throughout Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and New Mexico," said Tyler Lowell, Managing Partner of C.A. Fortune. "Throughout 2014, C.A. Fortune was on the path of growth – keeping in line with the rapid growth of the specialty/natural and bakery side as the fastest growing part of our industry. We'll now be able to serve customers and clients in 41 states and more than 80 percent of the country within the natural/specialty channel." Associated Food Stores Growing in Montana and Wyoming Associated Food Stores, an independent retailer-owned warehouse based in Salt Lake City, Utah, which provides complete warehouse facilities and services to over 400 grocers throughout the Intermountain West, recently announced that three of its member retailers have entered into agreements to purchase a total of eight stores in Montana and Wyoming. Stokes Market, Ridley's Family Market and Missoula Fresh Market will purchase the stores in both states. The stores are currently Albertsons and Safeway stores. "We are excited about the growth of these stores and the opportunities each of our members will have in the future," said Neal Berube, President and CEO of Associated Food Stores. "The work we do allows family-owned stores to continue serving their communities, and we look forward to the continued success of each of these stores." Diaz Foods Acquires La Cena Fine Foods Diaz Foods, an Atlanta-based marketer of specialty foods, recently announced that it has acquired La Cena Fine Foods of Saddle Brook, New Jersey. La Cena Fine Foods has been distributing branded products to the Caribbean and Hispanic markets in the United States for over 50 years. The strategic acquisition is pivotal to Diaz Foods' expansion strategy. Diaz, a private company with revenues over $200 million, will introduce La Cena into its existing 24-state distribution network. Simultaneously, Diaz will introduce 5,000 product offerings throughout the northeast. "La Cena offers the perfect complement to brands we already carry," said Diaz Foods' President and CEO, Rene Diaz. "Introducing the La Cena family of brands and expanding the distribution area will allow us to continue to offer superior products and service to all of our customers."

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