Five Kansas food companies are the latest to participate in a forum that will prepare them to enter the international food market and build relationships with representatives from more than 30 countries.

Participating companies in the Food Export Midwest Marketing Forum, which took place Oct. 2-3 in Chicago, were CopperLeaf Gourmet of Lawrence, New Beginnings Food Company of Kansas City, Pantry Shelf of Hutchinson, Rabbit Creek Products of Louisburg and Sticky Stacks Syrup of Kansas City.

“The time is right to engage in international food export opportunities,” said Brent Sullivan, co-owner of Sticky Stacks Syrup. “Our attendance at the forum could end up being a real game changer for us. The contacts we made and knowledge we received made us a better company today than we were yesterday.”

The five Kansas companies participated in educational sessions related to free trade agreements, product pricing in foreign markets, the current and future consumer preferences worldwide and more.

Companies also participated in one-on-one meetings with international buyers from countries in which they plan to do business with in the future. These meetings allowed the companies to showcase their products, while also gaining valuable insights on the specific international markets.

“The buyers who were present seemed interested in finding new and exciting products that their market needed,” said Donna Cook with Rabbit Creek Products. “If you didn’t have what they were looking for, they still wanted to pursue a relationship with you for future endeavors.”  

Currently, three of the five companies export their products to countries including Canada, South Korea, Germany and more.

The Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Advocacy, Marketing and Outreach Team serves Kansas companies to develop strong business plans for the future and build relationships for potential customers both domestically and internationally. The department partners with Food Export Midwest to provide international trade opportunities for Kansas companies.

If you are interested in learning more about these international opportunities, contact Becky Sullivan at becky.sullivan@kda.ks.gov or 785-296-6080.