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Minority, Family-Owned Indiana Company Benefits from Food Export Focused Trade Mission Participations

Participation in multiple Food Export Focused Trade Missions has helped Indiana-based, El Popular gain export sales that will double within the next twelve months.

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In 2023, El Popular attended Food Export’s Focused Trade Mission to Japan for Retail and Foodservice and participated in a product showcase at the Focused Trade Mission to Canada for Retail and Foodservice. The company attended a retail tour in Tokyo and met with 10 Japanese buyers. Strategically, the team at El Popular decided to display their products at the tabletop reception of the Canadian trade mission, which resulted in interest from Canadian buyers in attendance. Due to these actions, the East Chicago, Indiana-based supplier gained $150,000 in sales to Japan and $100,000 in sales to Canada.

In September of 2022, the East Chicago, Indiana supplier attended Food Export-Midwest’s Focused Trade Mission to Toronto, Canada. For the event the Indiana supplier traveled to Toronto to see the retail market environment, attend a market update seminar that included an overview of package compliance regulations for the Canadian market, and participate in private, pre-scheduled one-on-one buyer meetings.

Through their attendance and meetings, El Popular created a broker relationship that has led to several new distributor relationships. El Popular has made over $100,000 in sales and is expected to double this within the next year due to success at this Focused Trade Mission.

El Popular was founded nearly 100 years ago, in 1925, making it the oldest Mexican American-owned business in the United States. The 4th generation, family-owned business produces Mexican chorizo, Longaniza sausage, chocolate and mole sauces. El Popular operates both as a retail and food service manufacturer and a wholesale food distributor. El Popular exports to over 20 countries.

El Popular has been a Food Export-Midwest participant since 2018. They have taken part in the Online Product Catalog, Export Essentials, Market Builder and attended the Midwest Buyers Mission.

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.

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Each year, hundreds of U.S. suppliers participate in the Food Export–Midwest and Food Export–Northeast’s programs. As a result, companies are successful at generating new export sales, establishing new distributorship, expanding their production facilities,
and hiring additional employees. Read the Success Stories to learn more!

If your company has a success to share, email us at info@foodexport.org.

 

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