Three years ago, Shoreline Fruit’s export sales were a very small part of the company’s overall business.  Today, thanks to cost-share funding support through the Branded Program, the Traverse City, Michigan-based company is exporting to Canada, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand. According to Joseph Lothamer, export sales manager for Shoreline Fruit, “Our export sales are now in the seven figures. With cost-share funding through the Branded Program, we’re able to attend international tradeshows and meet foreign buyers. Branded Program funds have also helped us with the cost of new marketing materials and tradeshow booths. Our new export sales are a direct result of the help we’ve received through the Branded Program.”

The company has also used Food Show PLUS!^TM tradeshow enhancements services at international tradeshows to introduce their products to foreign markets. Lothamer explained, “In 2008, we used Food Show PLUS!^TM at SIAL Paris and Foodex Japan where we made many new buyer contacts with the potential to lead to more export sales. It would be very challenging for our small company to afford the services provided through Food Show PLUS!^TM on our own, such as interpreters and tours of local stores.”

Shoreline Fruit Growers co-op is focused on growing, processing, and marketing premium fruit products. With processing facilities in Michigan and New York, Shoreline Fruit provides the highest quality dried fruit products in the industry. Their complete line includes dried Montmorency and Balaton cherries, dried apples, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, dried strawberries, organic dried fruits, as well as chocolate and yogurt covered dried fruits. In addition, they offer a unique and diversified line of cherry products: individual quick frozen (IQF) cherries, 5+1 cherries, maraschino cherries, brine cherries, tart cherry concentrate, and cherry powder.

Food Export-Midwest and Food Export-Northeast are private, non-profit associations of Midwestern and Northeastern state agricultural promotion agencies that use federal, state, and industry resources to promote the export of Midwestern and Northeastern food and agricultural products. Food Export-Midwest and Food Export-Northeast administer many services through Market Access Program (MAP) funding from the USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service.