Food Export-Midwest’s 50% cost-reimbursement Branded Program helps small to medium-sized companies in the Midwest States gain brand awareness for their U.S.-produced agricultural products internationally.

In 2021, Valley Popcorn Company used Food Export-Midwest’s Branded Program to gain brand awareness in Canada. Using their allocated funds to gain distribution in retailers and complete targeted promotions and activities helped the Neenah, Wisconsin-based supplier gain $7,000 in sales to Canada. They also project to complete over $85,000 in sales in the next twelve months while also gaining 7 new foreign buyer contacts and establishing 1 distributorship.

Valley Popcorn Company is the producer of ready to eat brand of popcorn utilizing a tender white American-grown popcorn kernel and no artificial ingredients. Established in 1992 by Carl & Carol Freundl, the company finds the best seed, grown by Americans, and deliver directly from the farm to their facility in Wisconsin.  

Valley Popcorn Company has participated in Food Export programs since 2021 utilizing the Branded Program, Trade Leads and Online Product Catalog, and marketing seminars, and has attended multiple Buyers’ Missions.

Food Export uses funding from the Market Access Program (MAP) to help America’s small businesses increase their exports of food and agricultural products. As these exports increase, these small businesses are creating jobs and improving the strength and stability of our agricultural economy. Food Export-Midwest and Food Export-Northeast are non-profit organizations that work in collaboration with their member state departments of agriculture and the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. They offer a wide range of programs and services that help boost America’s agricultural exports.