Since 1931, family-owned and operated Venus Wafers has pioneered healthful crackers and flatbreads to meet the changing tastes of convenience-driven consumers. From their founder’s first product more than 85 years ago, a 100% whole wheat wafer bread, and today in their Mariner and CäPeachio’s crackers and flatbreads, Venus has always strived to bake great ingredients into a variety of shapes and sizes and package them in an appealing fashion, “Venus – Simple Done Right.”
This Massachusetts-based supplier has participated in Food Export-Northeast programs since 2015 to grow and expand their international brand. In 2023, Venus Wafers participated in the Market Access Program funded Branded Program for the fourteenth year to gain brand exposure for its cracker and flatbread products. The supplier used its allocated funding to complete an advertising campaign in Canada and exhibit at four industry trade shows. These activities helped Venus Wafers gain $70,000 in sales, $155,000 in projected sales, 24 new foreign buyer contacts, and establish 4 new distributorships while gaining 1 new export market.
Last year, Venus Wafers participated in three Food Export Buyers Missions. They attended the Natural Products Buyers Mission during the Natural Products Expo West Show in March, the Specialty Food Buyers Mission at the Summer Fancy Food Show, and the Private Label Buyers Mission at the Private Label Manufacturers Association Show in November. Participation helped the company gain international brand exposure, new foreign buyer contacts, and new export sales. The company specifically gained $35,000 in sales after connecting with buyers from Australia, Canada, Mexico, and the Cayman Islands at the Specialty Food Buyers Mission. Their sales to Australia and the Cayman Islands are also notable first-time market sales for the supplier. Venus Wafers’ attending Vice President of Sales and Marketing, James Anderko shared, “The meetings were well organized, and the buyers came prepared to discuss their needs for the Venus Brands crackers and flatbreads. The length of the meetings was excellent and I had enough time to cover all items in our portfolio. We appreciate the continued hard work and great events provided by Food Export.”
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.
