Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/831597
OCG Show Daily 6 7 Sunday, June 4, 2017 KF & HS: Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Country Maid has been man- ufacturing high quality, fully prepared deli salads, dips and desserts since 1962 (55 years). We are small enough to accommodate special requests, yet big enough to accommodate larger scale cus- tomers. Our products are produced the old-fashioned way, with care and atten- tion to every batch, from the potato cook- ing to the final packaging. Customer attention is at the forefront. We want cus- tomers to always remember the excellent experience that is customary when doing business with Country Maid. We offer products that taste just like homemade from Gramma's kitchen. Whether new products are ours, developed from scratch or products are produced from customers' recipes, the process is always achieved through our attention to detail. Country Maid's products taste wonderful from the first taste to the last spoonful. OSD: What do you expect to gain by attending the Show? KF: Our goal at the Show is to find new markets and expand our business while maintaining a dynamic communication with our customer base as we launch new services and products. OSD: What are you most proud of about Country Maid? KF: We're very proud of our Customer Service. Country Maid always goes the extra mile to accommodate our cus- tomers, whether the customer simply needs a last minute order or needs us to create new salads specifically for them. Chef Heath is really on top of creating new items that will satisfy our traditional Country Maid (Cont'd. from p. 1) customer base, yet bring in new cus- tomers with "on trend" offerings. OSD: Are you launching any new prod- ucts this year? HS: We are launching several new prod- ucts, including: Brussel Sprout Salad with Bacon, which has apples, walnuts, bacon and more in an apple dressing with a hint of caraway; Mediterranean Salad, which contains a variety of vegetables and kale in a tangy dressing; Ancient Grain Salad with Beets, which contains farro, quinoa and chia with fresh golden beets and broccoli, dried cranberries and mandarin oranges in a citrus vinaigrette; a tangy Red Potato Salad with bacon – a creamy potato salad with pops of flavor from whole mustard seeds and plenty of thick slices of unskinned red potatoes; and Chocolate Mousse as a new dessert offering. OSD: Who are your target customers? KF: We work with retail grocery delis, C-stores, colleges, healthcare, B & I and club stores. OSD: How do your products or services help your customers compete in their marketplace? KF: By creating "on trend" offerings, our customers have an opportunity to serve something new to their own cus- tomers. Country Maid is a USDA, FDA- inspected facility with a SQF level II cer- tification. For more information, stop by booth #2308, go to www.countrymaid.com or call either 414.383.3970 or 800.628.4354. and Cedar Lake vegetarian brands. The acquisition of these two historic brands, combined with momentous break- throughs and acquisitions in R&D, has set up the Heritage Health Food company to emerge as a premier innovator in vegan and vegetarian plant-based meat alternatives. Existing Worthington items include the 2-pound Dinner Roast (a year-round product particularly popular at Thanksgiving/holidays for generations), its Chicken, Smoked Turkey, Wham and Corned Beef slices (8 ounces) and rolls (4 pounds), and its Prosage and Chic- ketts, rolls (1 pound). The Heritage Health Food brand of products includes 10 new, all natural and vegan meat alternatives. This includes four frozen items: Sizzle Burger, Vegebob, Corn Nuggets and Garden Grain Burger. Additionally, six savory Heritage Health Food (Cont'd. from p. 1) canned veggie meats: Vegeburger, Vege- Steak, Vege-Scallops, Dinner Cutlets, Chik'n Bites and Mini Links. This is in addition to existing favorites: frozen Jumbo Hot Dog, Veggie Hot Dog, Jumbo Corn Dog, Corn Dog, Breakfast Sausage, Sausage Crumblers, Chick'n Tender and VegeFish Fillet. Kim's Simple Meals is changing the way people think of quick, healthy food. It's Shelf Stable, Just Add Water line is getting on-shelf nationwide fea- turing simple, clean and healthy ingre- dients (USDA Organic, non-GMO, gluten free, vegan, kosher, peanut/nut- free) for even the most selective con- sumer. Kim's Simple Meals are ready to be prepared straight out of the box or customized to create your own gourmet adventure. For more information, go to www .heritagehealthfood.com or call 888.237.0807. scrutinize a gem, turns it around under the light and considers every contour, each compartment. His aim this year is to bring snack products to a higher level and packaging is his preoccupation at the moment. "The product has to be seen. At Formaggio Brand, we use only the finest meats to wrap around our award-winning cheese. The quality that goes into each of these products, both in terms of ingredi- ents and production is staggering. Every single fresh mozzarella stick is wrapped with the finest meats – by hand. This product, Artisan Wraps, has been doing very well over the last several years and it was time to crank it up a couple notch- es." When Mongiello insists on cranking things up, he usually ends up creating trends in the dairy and deli cases as a rule. Competitors arise immediately and the space wars begin. It's been seen since his earliest days in the early '90s with his introduction of the meat and cheese roll. He changed the shape of the classic hock- ey puck to a chub. The ability for people outside of the Italian ethnic enclave to cook with it in a practical way became obvious and is now nearly ubiquitous. The appearance of the meat on the out- side drove sales up, creating a SKU that is still with us and with many more play- ers on the field. That field was created by Mongiello. "I like to see a progression in the Mongiello (Cont'd. from p. 1) case and over my many years in business we have seen countless steps in the right direction and incredible growth within the category in general. I like to keep things fresh, growing. In my profession I walk the store aisles, spot the trends, forecast new ones – but most important- ly, I notice where the holes are in product offerings and then develop products to fill those voids. "In recent years I've seen a huge upsurge of snack products industry wide. This category is a natural next step for our case, too. Our Artisan Wraps™ prod- ucts have been doing very well across the country and I was looking to bring them to the next level. Then it hit me. Let's put a dipping sauce together with the cheese and meat sticks and package them to go. Let's combine fresh mozzarella and char- cuterie style meats and package them so they are within the grasp of everyone everywhere. If for no other reason than to create a healthy, complete snacking expe- rience that you can put in your pocket or purse." Leave the cookies behind. The trend shows an inclination towards healthy snacks and a gourmet charcuterie experi- ence. Rely on Anthony Mongiello and his team of research developers at Formaggio Brand to change the face of the case yet again. You can count on him for that. Visit Anthony Mongiello, "The Big Cheese" of Formaggio Brand at booth #2591. IMAGINATION, AGILITY AND PROVEN SUCCESS FROM LAWRENCE FOODS An interview with Lester Lawrence, Chairman. OSD: What type of products do you manufacture? LL: As a broad-line manufacturer of pre- mium bakery ingredients, Lawrence Foods produces an extensive product cat- alog that includes cream fillings, dry mixes, fondant, fruit fillings, glazes, icings, nutrition bar components and savory spreads. Our customer base includes retail and in-store bakeries, foodservice and industrial accounts. Founded in 1890, the Elk Grove Village, Illinois, company is owned and managed by the fourth generation of the Lawrence family. OSD: How about service – what can cus- tomers expect? LL: We work hard to express market dif- ference in our commitment to quality and responsiveness to customers. The annual Dot Foods Quality and Service Award reflects this emphasis. Presented to us recently for the fifth consecutive year, and seven times in the last nine years, we have been recognized for highest performance against a number of service standards including fill rates, loading efficiencies, EDI communications and GTIN compli- ance. We take service very seriously. Our entire organization works hard in staying focused on meeting customer expectations. OSD: Are you a responsible supplier? LL: Yes! We express our sense of corporate responsibility by the con- tinuing development of initiatives that conserve resources and protect the environment. Our company has been recognized by the state of Illinois for its sustainability prac- tices for two consecutive years, as well as receiving recognition by our corporate home town of Elk Grove Village for sustainability innovation. OSD: What sets Lawrence Foods apart from competition? LL: The value of our customer collabo- ration goes well beyond price. Our suc- cess is a direct result of the success we facilitate for our clients. It resides in our continuing development and marketing of fresh ideas, product concepts and sales building strategies. We're seeing a continuation of dra- matic changes in ingredient technologies, and we're utilizing the result- ing opportunities to meet con- sumer interests in clean label and nutrition standards. Every element of our prod- uct development is driven by a focus on consumer preference and operator ease of use. We stay on top of the trends in con- sumer demand by listening carefully to our clients and developing opportunities for differentiation in a very competitive marketplace. What promotions work? What product assortment will stimulate the most sales? This is what sets retailers apart from their competition. This is how Lawrence Foods under- stands what it takes to fully partner and maximize the value we offer. It is our market proposition and our heritage. Visit Lawrence Foods in booth #1575. After the show, call 847.437.2400 or visit www.lawrencefoods.com.