Illinois Supplier Increased Export Sales

One of Food Export’s premiere programs is its Food Show PLUS!™ services made available to registered U.S. suppliers traveling overseas to international tradeshows. Food Show PLUS!™  can maximize tradeshow success with: pre-show product research, material translation, in-market briefings, lead generation and more.

Olympia Food Industries, Inc. of Chicago, Illinois attended the Canadian Restaurant & Foodservices Association (CRFA) Show in March of 2014 and utilized Food Export’s Food Show PLUS!™ services. These services included introductions to qualified buyers, targeted invitations to buyers, a market briefing by local USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service staff, a local retail tour, pre-event custom product research, on-site show assistance from Food Export’s In-Market Representative and post-show top lead identification.

As a result of utilizing Food Export’s Food Show PLUS!™ services, Olympia was able to report meeting 3 new Canadian buyers, achieving actual sales of $35,000 and reporting projected sales of $40,000 over the next twelve months. This would also represent a 20% increase in sales to the Canadian market.

Olympia Foods, based in Chicago, is recognized as a leader among the small group of Gyro giants. This family business was founded in 1972 with family recipes and has developed a line of over one hundred food options. With perennial favorites like Spanakopita and others all prepared with the highest of quality standards behind them. For people who follow certain dietary laws or those looking to be more health conscious, Olympia's chicken gyros and all beef Halal gyros are just a few examples of how Olympia responds to customer demand. Whether it's pre-sliced or pre-cooked gyros, cone shaped or loaves, Olympia works with you to develop a product that not only fits your menu and budget, but one that exceeds your expectations. Olympia works with retail, food service and private label markets.

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.