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Peanut Butter & Co., a New York-based food manufacturer, is successfully promoting the healthful attributes of its products overseas through the Branded Program. Peanut butter is not necessarily a food staple in every country, but Lee Zalben, founder of Peanut Butter & Co., is eager to change that. Self-proclaimed "The Peanut Butter Guy," Zalben is passionate about telling the world about the nutrition his peanut butter products provide. He’s grown his business from a single sandwich shop to a global business, exporting to Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, and the UK. Zalben attributes the 50 percent reimbursement he receives from the Branded Program for helping him deliver his message to overseas audiences.
Zalben says, "The Branded Program has been helpful in expanding our business internationally and helped to underwrite the tradeshows where we met international buyers." Peanut Butter & Co. has attended Foodex Japan, the Canadian Health Food Association Show, and the Specialty and Fine Food Fair in London all using Branded Program funding assistance.
Since beginning to export products in 2005, Peanut Butter & Co. has increased production by up to 20 percent. As a result of exporting, which was supported through the Branded Program, the company hired a person to coordinate its export sales operations and is planning to hire additional staff in 2008. Zalben expects international sales to double by 2008 and to account for 15 percent of revenue, with expansion to other countries planned.
Peanut Butter & Co. started in 1998 as a sandwich shop in Greenwich Village, New York City, NY. In addition to selling its unique handmade peanut butter sandwich combinations, the company now manufactures its signature line of gourmet peanut butter for distribution across the U.S. and to overseas markets.
Food Export–Northeast and Food Export–Midwest and are private, non-profit associations of Northeastern and Midwestern state agricultural promotion agencies that use federal, state, and industry resources to promote the export of Northeastern and Midwestern food and agricultural products. Food Export–Northeast and Food Export–Midwest administer many services through Market Access Program (MAP) funding from the USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service.
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