On July 27, 2023, City Foods, Inc. dba Bea’s Best, located in Chicago, Illinois, attended Food Export-Midwest’s Midwest Buyers Mission, where they met with seven international buyers. Buyers from Saudi Arabia and Colombia showed strong interest in the promoted meat products from Bea’s Best, which led to sales of $230,000 to Saudi Arabia and $20,000 to Colombia.
Last year, City Foods also participated in Food Export’s Market Access Program-funded Branded Program to further the connections they made at the Midwest Buyers Mission. The Illinois supplier completed product demonstrations, made packaging and labeling modifications, created promotional literature, and developed its international website to strengthen its relationships with Saudi Arabia and Colombia.
Scott Weiss, Sales Director, said, “It was a very successful Buyers Mission. As a result, City Foods increased export business and brand awareness, overcame tariff restraints, and is developing additional products for Saudi Arabia.”
City Foods, Inc., dba Bea’s Best, produces and distributes meat and meat-related products. It has been in business for over 80 years and makes a full line of premium raw and cooked deli meats.
Bea’s Best has participated in Food Export programs since 2008, participating in webinars and the online product catalog. It has also attended Buyers Missions, Focused Trade Missions, and the Food Export Helpline.
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.
