World Finer Foods, a leading company of more than 1,000 owned and third-party premium food, beverage, and personal care products is a pioneer in marketing and selling both domestic and international products to American consumers, with roots dating back to the 1940s and the creation of what would become a new market segment: specialty food. From household and traditional favorites to trendsetting health-conscious and global flavors, World Finer Foods offers consumers options for every taste and lifestyle and provides their clients with a team of dedicated best-in-class sales, marketing and logistical experts to grow their brands.
A Heritage of Food and Partnerships
Max H. Ries, a German immigrant who operated a textile firm in his native Munich, left Germany in 1939 and had intended to develop a similar company in Chicago. But when he arrived in the U.S., he believed he would be better off importing food. In 1947, he founded Reese Finer Foods, and its major brand “Reese” quickly became the leading brand of specialty foods in the U.S.
In addition to selling products under his own label, Ries imported and distributed other company’s items including brands such as Panni, Knorr, Maggi, and Cadbury. This concept was the blueprint for the American Marketing Team division of the company which would emerge in the early 90s.
The next few decades witnessed the expansion of the supermarket model and trends in the grocery industry of diversifying product and distribution companies. Reese kept pace with the industry, remaining a leader in the field and forging relationships with distributors and retailers that exist to this day. The Reese brand remains a well-known brand of specialty foods in the U.S. with over 60 years of acceptance. Reese is still the #1 selling brand of artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, and prepared horseradish.
In 2007, World Finer Foods acquired Liberty Richter to join forces to enhance sales and marketing for their family of clients. The partnerships that World Finer Foods has built over decades ensure that clients’ products can be delivered to the right markets in the right places.
Today, World Finer Foods markets and distributes over 60 brands of premium consumer products to fit every taste and lifestyle. We are constantly adding new specialty goods to our family to bring the latest in food trends, nutrition, convenience, and high-quality global ingredients to the American marketplace.
Some of our brands have been in the business and partnered with us for decades, and others are relatively new, working with World Finer Foods to take advantage of our expertise in the distribution, finance, logistics, and marketing of their products. We work with these companies to create and execute plans that build their sales in accordance with their goals, which in turn, continually provide the consumer with an increasingly diverse set of convenient product options for their lifestyles.
World Finer Food’s foundation was built with the recognition that by working together, a small group of producers, importers and distributors could build their networks collectively and grow for the benefit of all stakeholders and deliver high-quality products to more consumers. This emphasis on relationships remains at the core of our business philosophy today.
World Finer Foods is a member of the Specialty Food Association, The Food Institute, and is the only U.S. member of the Circle of European Specialty Food Distributors (CEISA).
Every day we work to:
Our team has unparalleled knowledge and experience in every function your brand needs from buyers and category managers to logistics and marketing experts. We have long-standing, solid relationships in existing distribution and retail channels, and have forged new ties with emerging options including eCommerce entities. We leverage these trusted relationships to deliver sales results and position your brand for optimal success at every stage of growth.
Marketers are trained in trade and consumer marketing to strategically grow your brand. We build and execute business plans designed to get your products into the hands of consumers. Our deep understanding of the competitive landscape in the U.S. along with product and industry trends position your brand for success.
We are your exclusive customer in the U.S. that sells your products to over 350 additional customers. World Finer Foods handles all order processing, invoicing, promotional spend processing, deduction processing, collections and more.
World Finer Foods manages all your logistics needs from your factory to the consumer including EDi capability, FDA compliance, inventory control measures (e.g. available to promise, full service purchasing team), and warehousing as part of our complete suite of logistics services, all sitting on our robust Oracle ERP.
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