Success Stories

Started in 2002 with a humble experiment, Miller’s Mustard was born. Making a few jars of the homemade banana pepper mustard brought smiles to family members and an idea formed to sell the unique sauce at local specialty stores. The response to the product was overwhelming and the brand grew. Fifteen years later, the award-winning mustard can be found in national grocery chains and in international markets.

Food Dreams Made Real Inc. (FDMR Inc.), doing business as Suji’s Korean Cuisine, is an Omaha-based food company specializing in true-to-the-culture Korean cuisine. The brand’s refrigerated and frozen line of all-natural, clean-label entrees, meals and sauces are sold nation-wide at such retailers as Costco, Walmart, Target and Whole Foods, in addition to several regional retailers. The company also offers a full line of foodservice items that add Korean cache to delis and hot bars at supermarkets, cafeterias, and restaurants around the country.

In August of 2017, DrNaturalHealing, Inc. from Milford, Delaware, attended Food Export’s Focused Trade Missions to the China for Retail, Food Service and Healthy Products. Food Export’s Trade Missions allows for companies to meet one-on-one with prequalified buyers in their home country. DrNaturalHealing acquired 12 new foreign contacts and 2 new agent relationships on this Trade Mission to China.

Food Export’s Food Service Buyers Mission at the National Restaurant Association Show is an annual event that represents one of their most important foodservice products Buyers Missions in the U.S. This Buyers Mission offers U.S. suppliers the opportunity to meet in a face-to-face setting with pre-screened, pre-qualified international buyers from all over the world.

In June of 2017, Clabber Girl Corporation of Terre Haute, Indiana attended Food Export’s Food Ingredients Buyers Mission at the 2017 Institute of Food Technologists Show in Chicago, Illinois. At the Mission the Indiana Supplier met with buyers from Brazil, China, Colombia, Guatemala, India, South Korea and Vietnam to introduce to them their baking powders and other food ingredient products.

In June 2017, Breton Enterprises dba Natural Nectar, from Huntington, New York, attended Food Export’s Summer Fancy Food Buyers Mission held in conjunction with Specialty Food’s Summer Fancy Food Show. At the mission the New York Supplier promoted their cookies, crackers and snacks gaining strong interest from the buyers representing South Korea and India.

Acme Organics LLC is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the 5th Congressional District; and is a manufacturer/processor of Triple Crown Organic BBQ sauces in the sauces and purees market segment. In 2017, Acme Organics LLC used Market Access Program (MAP) Branded Funds for marketing and sales applications in the following countries: Denmark, Sweden, Japan, Norway, Taiwan, South Korea, and United Arab Emirates. Acme used their Branded funds for activities such as online advertising and social media, in store sampling, print material distribution, and sample shipments. Because of their participation and these promotional efforts, they were able to achieve $80,000 in product export sales in 2017.

In 2017, East-West International Group, from Moreland Hills, Ohio, participated in Food Export’s Market Access Program (MAP) funded Branded Program. The Branded Program that provides 50% cost reimbursement for a wide variety of international marketing activities helped the Ohio Supplier gain $20,000 in new export sales to Vietnam.

The love of sharing a Korean meal with family and friends is what inspired the owners of Korean Delight dba We Rub You to create their mouth-watering Korean BBQ marinade. Made in the USA, their Korean cooking sauces are made using all-natural, non-GMO ingredients with no MSG, no high fructose corn syrup, and no artificial ingredients.

Grandma Mae’s Country Naturals Pet Food launched in 2008. The company offers all natural ultra-premium food at reasonable price points. The brand is sold throughout the United States and has recently begun selling overseas.

In 2017, Cibo Vita Inc., from Fair Lawn, New Jersey, in the 5th Congressional District, participated in Food Export’s Market Access Program (MAP) funded Branded Program. The Branded Program provides the opportunity for approved Suppliers to receive 50% reimbursement for a variety of activities including exhibiting costs at tradeshows, label modifications and advertising, and helped alleviate cost to Cibo Vita while they focused on increasing their exports to markets such as Hong Kong and Singapore.

In 2016, Vets Choice Inc., located in Deer Park, New York, in the 2nd Congressional District, succeeded increasing exports to China with help from the Market Access Program (MAP) funded Food Export Branded Program.

In 2017, Dashfire LLC, based in Minnetonka, MN, contacted Food Export’s Helpline™ for assistance in determining favorable markets for Dashfire products. Being unfamiliar with the export market for their products, Dashfire reached out to the Helpline™ with questions.

Founded in 1952 by E.M. Burger, Burgers’ Smokehouse has since grown to be a local community staple, providing their customers with high quality meats for generations. Based in California, Missouri in the fourth Congressional District, this family-owned company has a diverse product portfolio, consisting of ham, turkey, and bacon among other products.

Good snacks start from wholesome places. Good Zebra knows this. That’s why they have brought new life back to a classic cracker. Good Zebra has created Spirit Animal Crackers for the modern snacker. High in protein and made with all-natural ingredients, these crackers are a healthy update on an old classic.

In August 2017, King Preferred Inc., located in Elkhart, Indiana, contracted into the Branded Program for the first time since 2003. King Preferred has been restricted in the past from utilizing the Branded Program due to the "three-year rule”, which disqualified companies from receiving Branded Program support at eligible U.S. tradeshows in which they previously exhibited without Branded Program funds in the last three years.

JM Grain, a company that specializes in processing and exporting U.S. grown and graded pulse crops from Garrison, North Dakota works closely with Food Export Association of the Midwest to utilize our programs and services to assist their global exporting efforts.

Having a strong established distributor in the market coupled with the country’s interest in their flavorful Moroccan sauces helped New York based Supplier, Casablanca Foods LLC make an easy decision to utilize their allocated Market Access Program (MAP) allocated Branded Program funding to focus their marketing efforts in this international market.

Original Juan Specialty Foods located in Kansas City, Kansas, in the third Congressional District, has used Food Export’s Branded Program to make a spicy impact in the United Arab Emirates. Original Juan Specialty Foods has been using the Branded Program since 1999 to assist in marketing their specialty sauces, salsas, snacks and dips.

Woeber Mustard Company, headquartered in Springfield, Ohio, started producing specialty mustards in 1905 and has been working with Food Export since 2002. Through the Branded Program, the company has taken its marketing international with displays, advertising, wrapping trucks and country-specific label designs.