Seafood Exporting Seminar Exposes Overseas Opportunities for Northeast Companies
To increase seafood industry awareness and arm companies with technical knowledge necessary to sell seafood into the European Union, Food Export-Northeast coordinated a "Developing and Maintaining Sales to EU Markets" seminar for the region's industry on November 2, 2007, in the fishing port of New Bedford, Massachusetts. Growing European consumer demand for seafood, coupled with declining European seafood harvests and the export boosting effect of a weak dollar were the topics of discussion for northeastern U.S. seafood producers. 54 industry representatives from eight northeast states gathered to learn about potential export opportunities for their products.

Food Show PLUS!^TM Helps U.S. Suppliers Maximize Their Experience at IFIA Japan
The 12th annual IFIA Japan (International Food Ingredients and Additives), held May 30 – June 1, 2007, welcomed a record 31,000 attendees from all over the world, making it the largest event dedicated solely to the food additives and ingredients industry. Each year, IFIA Japan increases in size and number of buyers. IFIA Japan Food Show PLUS!TM tradeshow enhancement services, sponsored by Food Export–Midwest, Food Export-Northeast, and the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, were available during the event to help U.S. suppliers maximize their tradeshow experience. As a result of the services offered, one U.S. supplier made a first-time export sale, 20 new buyer/seller introductions were made, and one new distributorship was formed. Collectively, the suppliers made $100,000 in new sales and anticipate an additional $900,000 in sales over the next two years.

North Dakota Supplier Feeds Global Demand for Organic Flour
Dakota Prairie Organic Flour Company, located in Harvey, North Dakota, has participated in the Branded Program for three years. Before joining the 50-percent cost share program to help with marketing their products in other countries, their export sales accounted for only five percent of their total sales and included just one international market, Japan. Today, thanks to Branded Program funding, exporting sales account for 40 percent of the company’s overall sales. The North Dakota supplier has also gained a market presence in Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Peru, and Taiwan. As a result of their growing exporting sales combined with their domestic sales growth, the company has added new facilities and doubled their staff in the last nine months. According to Dakota Prairie Organic Flour Company CEO, Grayson Hoberg, “We’ve used Branded Program funding to help us obtain translators for tradeshows. Last year we attended eight tradeshows using Branded funds and this year we’ll attend 20 tradeshows. If it weren’t for the Branded Program, we wouldn’t have been able to go after the overseas markets. Branded Program assistance makes the cost of exporting palatable. If you get even one customer per tradeshow, it pays off and we’ve averaged three new customers per tradeshow!”

Rhode Island Exporter Benefits from Food Export USA – Northeast Programs
Creative Findings LLC is a certified import/export management company that applied for the Branded Program, administered by Food Export USA – Northeast (Food Export – Northeast) and Food Export Association of the Midwest USA (Food Export – Midwest), in 2006 to help promote their gourmet foods, sweet and savory snacks, and bagels overseas. According to Leonard Rosenblatt, Principle of Creative Findings LLC, “Using Branded Program funds we attended Restaurant and Bar Hong Kong. While at the event, we took advantage of the excellent Food Show PLUS!SM services. We met dozens of serious, large import companies including the Executive Chef and Director of Disney Hong Kong. And as of right now, a buyer we met at the show is expressing strong interest in our cheesecake products.”

U.S. Natural Food Suppliers Connect With International Buyers At Natural Products West Buyers Mission
The Natural Products West Buyers Mission, March 8–11, 2007, in Anaheim, California, brought U.S. suppliers together with qualified food buyers from Canada, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, and Korea. U.S. suppliers reported 37 new contacts with international buyers.

Food Export USA-Northeast Grows Pavilion for 2007 European Seafood Exhibition by 25%
The European Seafood Exposition is the largest and most important industry event, worldwide, for the global trade of fish and shellfish products. The European Union is the largest consumer of the region’s fish and shellfish exports. France, Spain and Italy are the largest country markets. MAP-funded coordination of industry participation at this event enables Food Export USA-Northeast to both position and magnify the northeastern U.S. as a major source of quality seafood products supplied by companies that are seriously committed to foreign market development. 

Iowa Feed Supplier Growing Strong Internationally
Varied Industries Corporation (Vi-COR®), based in Mason City, Iowa, is a supplier of fermented yeast feed additives for livestock feed. The company has used the Branded Program to expand its exporting business and break into new markets including China, England, Spain, and Malaysia.

Market Builder Service Opens the Doors to the Czech Republic for Eli’s Cheesecake
Eli’s Cheesecake recently traveled to the Czech Republic where they used Food Export Association of the Midwest USA (Food Export – Midwest) and Food Export USA – Northeast (Food Export – Northeast) Market Builder service to expand exporting in the region. Through this customizable service, the Illinois company met with an International Marketing Expert who explained the market, showed them the area, and arranged meetings with the two largest distributors in the Czech Republic. The company is anticipating potential new sales as a result. According to Boris Baijlovic, Director of International Sales and Marketing for Eli’s, “Thanks to their professional services, I have a better understanding of the market and made some great contacts. In fact, I’m considering using the Market Builder service in Germany as well. I recommend the service to other companies because it gives you qualified distributor leads—then all you have to do is sell your product.”

Food Export Assocation of the Midwest USA Helps Establish Woeber’s Mustard as a Global Player
Woeber’s Mustard used to participate in one or two tradeshows per year. That changed after the Ohio company attended a tradeshow several years ago and learned about Food Export Association of the Midwest USA (Food Export – Midwest) and Food Export USA – Northeast (Food Export – Northeast). Now, Woeber’s Mustard attends over twenty tradeshows per year, helping to expand its global presence and worldwide export sales. Rick Schmidt, VP of National Sales for Woeber’s Mustard says, “We actually choose which tradeshows to attend based on if Food Export – Midwest is supporting them with Branded Program reimbursement, Food Show PLUS!SM, or an aligned Buyers Mission. Having the support of Food Export – Midwest is a very important success factor for us.” The Branded Program has helped Woeber’s Mustard fund the creation and distribution of marketing materials at tradeshows. It’s also helped them off-set the costs associated with labeling and packaging changes, thus enabling them to sell products abroad. According to Schmidt, “I’ve seen an increase in the number of countries represented at tradeshows in the past several years. We want to be a part of that.”

Branded Progam Helps Michigan Company Develop Impressive International Presence
Before Graceland Fruit/GF Cooperative Inc. started taking advantage of the Branded Program, their export sales were nonexistent. Today, exports make up more than 22% of their revenue and they’re established in Japan, Korea, Thailand, Germany, France, Taiwan, China, and the United Kingdom.

Food Export Association of the Midwest USA Uses FAS Funds to Target Natural Foods Exporting
Food Show PLUS! at the Natural Products Expo Japan Show in Tokyo included an interpreter in their booth; identifying and introducing buyers to companies; providing a market briefing; a retail tour; translation of two pages of company brochure or profile; pre-show market analysis of three products for each exhibitor; and a translated letter in Japanese (if exhibitor provided English version) as follow-up to interested buyers. Natural Products Japan Food Show PLUS! reaped $46,000 in actual sales with $750,000 in projected sales, 98 new buyer contacts, and 4 new distributorships!

2006 Food Export Marketing Forum a Taste of the Future...Savoring Export Success
The 2006 Food Export Marketing Forum took place October 1-5, 2006 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Now in its fifth year, the forum has evolved into a dynamic educational and networking event. It brought together over 40 food and agricultural companies, marketing experts from 16 countries/regions, Midwestern and Northeastern state agricultural promotion agencies, staff members from Food Export Association of the Midwest USA (Food Export – Midwest) and Food Export USA – Northeast (Food Export – Northeast), and other organizations supplying resources to help grow export sales.

Park Poultry Hatching Deal With Major Retailer in Mexico Thanks to Food Export Association of the Midwest USA's MarketBuilder Program
Food Export Association of the Midwest USA (Food Export - Midwest) provides small U.S. companies the technical and logistical assistance they need to be more prepared and effective exhibitors, through their Food Show PLUS! service. They also provide opportunities for Midwest companies to meet with pre-qualified buyers and gain one-on-one feedback about their product's exporting potential through Buyers Missions.