Natural Foods Buyers Make Deals for Montana Products

Montana organic and natural food manufacturers said they
anticipate $646,720 in sales during the next 12 months as a result of
meetings this month with regional and local buyers for 11 northwest organic
and natural store chains.

The Montana Department of Agriculture sponsored the Montana Organic and
Natural Buyer Connection, which brought buyers from Montana stores and
national chains to Whitefish for meetings October 13-14 with 25 Montana food
manufacturers.

Vendors said they expect sales from this event during the coming year to
total $646,720. They also reported that 78 percent of that amount will be
sales to new markets. Thirteen participants gained new distributorships, a
key to marketing to regional and national retailers.

Consolidation of retail stores into large regional and national corporations
has made it difficult for small businesses in Montana to contact buyers and
get their products into Montana stores, said Ralph Peck, director of the
Montana Department of Agriculture.

The event, "allowed us to present our product in person and work on a more
personal basis," said Frieda Robertson, manager of Cream of the West, a hot
cereal and granola manufacturer in Harlowton, Mont.

Buyers were from large regional and national retail establishments such as
Bashas’ in Arizona, Trader Joe’s Company in California, and Nature’s Best, a
distributor from California.

Other buyers were from Montana retail stores such as Food Works Natural
Market in Livingston, Good Food Store in Missoula, Great Grains Health Food
in Miles City, Natural Healing Health Food in Butte, Third Street Market in
Whitefish, Honeysuckle Natural in Plains, TJ’s in Hot Springs, Mountain
Valley Foods in Kalispell and Oak Street Natural Market in Bozeman.

The buyers also pronounced the meetings a success.

The opportunity for exposure to so many vendors at once was invaluable from
a time efficiency perspective, said Annie Conley of Food Works Natural
Market in Livingston, Mont.

Cara Yokomizo of Trader Joe’s Company, Calif., said it was nice to spend
time on a one-to-one basis with qualified vendors. Organic and natural food
companies that qualified with prior retail sales and necessary items such as
UPC bar codes on packaging were invited to display their wares at the trade
show, with anticipation that the buyers would be more likely to purchase
those items.

For more information about the Montana Organic and Natural Buyer Connection,
contact Angelyn DeYoung at the Montana Department of Agriculture at (406)
444-2402 or by email at [email protected].