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WEST VIRGINIA COMPANIES NOW REAPING BENEFITS OF FANCY FOODS SHOW
The 2006 New York Fancy Foods Show – one of the largest of its kind anywhere – ended this spring, but West Virginia agribusinesses are still reaping the rewards.
“This show is especially valuable to our producers because it puts them in direct contact with commercial buyers who make large-scale orders,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass. “The investment that West Virginia makes in helping to sponsor and support these companies is small compared to the return we get back.”
WVDA Marketing Specialist Cindy Martel estimated that participating companies have easily surpassed $2 million in direct sales from this year’s show.
“There were 21,000 buyers at this year’s show and there was a nice mix of chain stores and small gourmet retailers in attendance,” said Martel. “Several of our companies received reorders from previous buyers, which shows that West Virginia products are being well-received outside the state. Our overall goal is to try to build these types of sustainable retail relationships.”
Martel added that 64 one-on-one meetings between West Virginia companies and international buyers were arranged through the Food Export Northeast Buyers’ Mission. Custard Stand representatives met with 30 buyers alone, she noted.
Participating West Virginia companies were RusLyn Confections of Morgantown, Uncle Bunk’s of Sistersville, The Custard Stand of Webster Springs, ThistleDew Farm of Proctor, Blue Smoke Salsa of Ansted, Lui-Lui of Vienna, DeFluri’s Fine Chocolates of Martinsburg and Vita Foods of Inwood, which introduced three new Budweiser Gourmet Cooking Sauces (wing, barbecue and basting) it is producing for the brewing giant.
West Virginia’s delegation to the show was sponsored by the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, the West Virginia Development Office and West Virginia State University.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.
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