Food Export-Midwest sponsored the Natural Product Expo West Buyers Mission in Anaheim, California in March 2009. 25 U.S. suppliers from 15 states had the opportunity to have one-on-one meetings with qualified buyers. At the event, the companies made actual on-site sales to the tune of $80,000. 8 of these sales were first-time export sales for the companies. Projected sales for the next six to 12 months were $3,145,000. In total, the companies made 88 contacts with new buyers and established 20 new distributorships.

Happy Family Brands of Brooklyn, New York in the 12th Congressional District, exhibited at the Natural Product Expo West Buyers Mission. As a result of attending the show, the company sold product worth $14,000 to Hong Kong, $35,000 to Dubai and $4,000 to Singapore. According to Bob Zimmerman, Vice President of National Sales, “Prior to this year, I had no experience in exporting. Now we are making sales and have inquiries from other markets such as Vietnam, Korea, and Turkey.”

Happy Family Brands produces the HAPPYBABY and HAPPYBELLIES lines of nutritious and convenient baby food products. Their products include frozen organic meals and probiotic dry cereals.

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.