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GOURMET NEWS APRIL 2015 www.gourmetnews.com Specialty Distributors & Brokers SPECIALTY DISTRIBUTORS & BROKERS 1 4 BRIEFS True Solution Protein Shakes will now be available at stores across the country, thanks to a new partnership with UNFI. Solid sales growth and a strong demand for plant-based protein shakes convinced the leading independent national distributor of natural, organic and specialty foods to take True Solution national. "We are very excited that UNFI sees the potential for this new product to succeed nationally," says company founder Joe Semder. True Solution meets a clear de- mand for ready-to-drink, allergen-free protein shakes. "It's lower in sugar, con- tains more protein and no artificial ingre- dients. We believe that True Solution is well-positioned to meet growing demand for this type of product," says Semder. True Solution comes in two flavors, vanilla and chocolate. Well-known Super- market Guru Phil Lempert gave it his Hit of the Week award, saying, "This is actually a delicious and very nutritious beverage. The chocolate flavor is excellent, the mouthfeel is perfect." Whole Foods Mid-Atlantic and Rocky Mountain regions, Lassens, and Dave's Marketplace along with many other retail- ers have already picked up True Solution. The company generated strong interest at last month's Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California. True Solution was launched in 2014 by food industry veterans Joe Semder and Matt Cobb, who saw a need for an alternative to shakes laden with artificial ingredients, high sugar and problematic proteins. True Solu- tion was formulated to fulfill a growing need for both young and old. The company is based out of Thousand Oaks, California. For more information on True Solution, visit www.truesolution.com. GN UNFI Picks Up True Solution Protein Shakes Unified Grocers Inc. has reached an agree- ment with Sacramento-based grocery chain Raley's to take over its General Merchan- dise/Health, Beauty and Wellness (GM and HBW) operations. The agreement includes leasing the Raley's warehouse in Stockton. Unified will become Raley's third-party provider for GM and HBW products. Under the terms of the agreement, Uni- fied has hired all the employees who work in the facility. The warehouse is only eight miles from Unified's own Stockton facility, and the partnership with Raley's provides a unique opportunity to consolidate and add addi- tional GM and HBW volume and store sup- ply sales volume. "We are looking forward to better serv- ing our members from this facility, start- ing immediately with our newest member, Haggen," said Bob Ling, President and Chief Executive Officer, Unified Grocers. "In addition, the potential is there to serve other companies from this location as well." The acquisition of the Stockton ware- house also signals a step-up in the grow- ing wellness category for Unified's specialty subsidiary Market Centre. "Mar- ket Centre has been successful in growing its HBW sales, but this agreement pro- vides the opportunity to scale the busi- ness to become big enough to buy and distribute in a more effective way," said President of Market Centre, Joe Falvey. "The addition of the Raley's Stockton warehouse will allow Unified to make the most effective use of our other fixed as- sets, freeing up space in our other ware- houses as we look to grow the business. It will potentially benefit all our retailers as we expand our GM and HBW business and add additional products." For more information, visit www .unifiedgrocers.com. GN Unified Takes Over Raley's GM and HBW Operations Unified Grocers' Springfield Logo and Packaging Earn Design Award Unified Grocers' new Springfield logo and packaging has been named a winner in the 2015 American Package Design Awards sponsored by Graphic Design USA magazine. Unified teamed up with San Francisco- based Murray Brand Communications to redesign and refresh the Springfield pack- aging, make it relevant to today's con- sumers and to attract new shoppers to the brand. After conducting extensive con- sumer research, the Murray Brand team de- signed a new brandmark and packaging system for the Spring- field portfo- lio of more than 800 SKUs. The new p a c k a g i n g was de- signed to support the brand's core essence of neigh- borly, trusted quality and to provide shop- pers a consistent, eye-catching look throughout the store. It also includes "Facts Up Front" icons developed by the Food Marketing Institute and Grocery Manufacturers Association to help con- sumers easily recognize food attributes and benefits such as fat free, low sodium and low choles- terol. The Spring- field brand has been in existence since 1947. "We have a ter- rific partnership with Murray Brand," said JoAnn Murdock, Executive Director, Mar- keting, Unified Grocers. "We've been impressed by their extensive, re- search-based approach and outstanding creativ- ity and design execution throughout the entire Springfield brand refresh process. They truly un- derstand marketing and successfully used shopper insights to achieve these award- winning results." "Winning this prestigious design com- petition, which is judged by branding, de- sign and packaging experts, validates that the new Springfield brand and packaging is beautiful work," said R.J. Murray, Prin- cipal, Murray Brand Commu- nications Inc. "It reflects our strong collabo- rative effort with Unified Grocers and their pack- aging produc- tion partner, Western Family, and allowed us to develop fresh and exciting designs which resonate with shoppers and ulti- mately drive sales." For more than five decades, Graphic De- sign USA has hosted design competitions that spotlight areas of excellence and op- portunity for creative professionals. The competition celebrates "well-designed graphics and the power of design to ad- vance the brand promise and forge an emo- tional connection with the buyer." About 2,000 entries were submitted to this year's competition. For more information, visit www .unifiedgrocers.com. GN KeHE Announces Expansion In Northern California KeHE Distributors has expanded into Northern California with a new facility, in Stockton, under the name Nature's Best Powered by KeHE. "Within the first 90 days post acquisition of Nature's Best, we recognized that the integrated value of both organizations is greater than either alone," said Mike Leone, Chief Commercial Officer, KeHE. "We are excited to announce the opening of our new facility in Stockton under this name. It aligns with our long-term strategy. Nature's Best has a very strong reputation and brand recognition west of the Rocky Mountains. The rebranding process is about more than just the KeHE logo itself. The KeHE brand is a promise to our customers that flows from our values and our culture." The current Nature's Best facility in Chino, California, has also been rebranded. For more information, viist www.kehe.com. Fresh Healthy Vending International Inks New Deal with UNFI Fresh Healthy Vending International Inc. (FHVI), a leading North American healthy vending franchisor, announced the signing of a new three-year deal with United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI), that solidifies national distribution and offers FHVI franchisees an additional discount on food purchases. "We are extremely pleased to be partnered with the largest publicly traded distributor of natural and organic products in North America. Our new deal solidifies our ability to continue offering the largest selection of healthy snacks and drinks to our franchisees and their customers," stated Art Budman, CEO of FHVI. "Additionally, having a prime vendor agreement with UNFI leverages the buying power of our franchisees. This will certainly make a positive impact on their bottom line." "Fresh Healthy Vending was our first national vending account and now represents our largest independently owned and operated national vending customer … This new agreement reflects the continued evolution of our relationship and secures distribution with our largest franchisor for the next three years." Fresh Healthy Vending, based in San Diego, California, helped pioneer the concept of vending machines stocked with tried-and-tested fresh, healthy snack options. The Company has more than 200 active franchisees, and over 2,500 machines placed in schools, universities, hospitals, airports, libraries and other locations. For more information on Fresh Healthy Vending, visit www.freshvending.com or call 888.902.7558. PA Liquor Control Board Further Loosens Restrictions The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board continued its move to loosen the state's historically restrictive liquor laws with a legal advisory that would allow beer distributors to sell 12-packs and other 'original containers' containing at least 128 fluid ounces. "[This] action … is a step towards modernization," Governor Tom Wolf said. "This action provides customer convenience at distributors and enables smaller breweries, including many in Pennsylvania, to better compete with larger institutions."

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