Fresno, California – The Fresno Food Expo will recognize and celebrate food and beverage innovators and entrepreneurs from throughout Central California’s San Joaquin Valley in the 4th annual New Product Awards, presented by Baker Peterson Franklin, CPA, LLP, and the 2nd annual Fred Ruiz Entrepreneurial Award.
Central California food and beverage companies with innovative new products, or new packaging concepts, are encouraged to submit their applications for the New Product Awards. Designed to build buyer and consumer awareness, the New Product Awards serve as a strategic platform to launch products from the ground up — and in many cases result in placement in stores, restaurants and foodservice. The New Product Awards, which have debuted more than 125 new products since they began in 2013, recognize innovation within Central California’s dynamic food community through two distinctive awards: the “Buyer’s Choice Award” and the “People’s Choice Award.” Applications for the 2016 New Product Awards are now available on our website and are due July 1, 2016.
“We strongly believe providing a platform to encourage and recognize innovation is critically important not only to the mission of the Expo, but to the growth and prosperity of our region’s food industry,” stated Erin Goldfarb, Partner, Baker Peterson Franklin, CPA, LLP. “That’s why we support the Expo, and are proud to sponsor the New Product Awards.”
The 2016 “Buyer’s Choice Award” is first judged by a panel of local food industry professionals at the New Product Award Preview Event – exclusively held for media and Expo partners. The finalists will advance to the final judging round during the Business to Business Trade Show, where they will be able to present their products to the Celebrity Judging Panel who will determine the Buyer’s Choice first, second and third place winners. This year’s Celebrity Judging Panel is comprised of professionals from retail, restaurant/foodservice and packaging industries, including: world-renowned chef Erna Kubin-Clanin, Owner, Erna’s Elderberry House and Chateau du Sureau; Alan Grice, Sales Manager – Pacific Division Valley Coastal, United Natural Foods Inc.; Sean Topping, Local Marketing Lead, Albertsons – Safeway Northern California Division; and Jim Jarosz, Division Manager, Landsberg Orora.
Last year, Top O’ The Morn Farms was crowned with the “Buyer’s Choice Award” for their Farmstead Sweet Cream Butter, followed by Traina Foods Sriracha Sun Dried Tomato Ketchup in second place, and Busseto Foods Natural Salami Snack Cups in third place.
The “People’s Choice Award” is voted on by the public through the Fresno Food Expo website and Facebook page from July 14, 2016 through July 28, 2016. Last year, Molucca Chocolate was crowned winner of the “People’s Choice Award,” receiving 1,074 of the 3,721 total votes for its Craft Chocolate Bars.
“As a start-up company, we were hesitant to exhibit at the Fresno Food Expo because it was an investment for us. After participating in the 2015 Expo and entering our chocolate into the New Product Awards, we concluded it was the best thing we could have done for our business,” said Yohanes Makmur, Co-founder of Molucca Chocolate. “It’s because of our positive experience last year that we chose to unveil a new product at this year’s Expo, as well.”
These awards have also inspired unique concoctions for this year’s entries, like hard root beer, and new varieties of healthy snacks like freeze-dried organic fruit and boldly flavored nut varieties.
Also returning in 2016 will be the Fred Ruiz Entrepreneurial Award, a legacy award created in 2015 to support the mission of the Expo through mentorship and guidance from the founder behind one of the largest food manufacturing companies in the region, Ruiz Food Products, Inc. Named in honor of Fred Ruiz, founder of Ruiz Food Products, Inc. and Fresno Food Expo Board Member, this award honors companies who have the same vision and qualities that took Ruiz Foods from a small, family start-up to the largest frozen Mexican food manufacturer in the United States. In the award’s inaugural year, Rosa Brothers Milk Company was named the Fred Ruiz Entrepreneurial Award winner following a remarkable 300% growth since first launching its glass bottled milk at the 2012 Fresno Food Expo. Applications for the 2016 Fred Ruiz Entrepreneurial Award are now available on our website and are due July 1, 2016.
“Fred Ruiz is a successful, highly esteemed leader within the food industry, so for our company to be regarded as having a similar entrepreneurial spirit is a great honor,” said Noel Rosa, President of Rosa Brothers Milk Company. “Because both of our companies started as small family businesses, his mentorship provides an invaluable opportunity to learn, grow and be inspired.”
The 2016 Fresno Food Expo will take place July 27-28, 2016 with site tours and an opening reception for pre-registered buyers, followed by a trade show. Registration is currently open for buyers and exhibitors. More than 150 exhibitors and 950 key pre-qualified international and domestic buyers are expected to participate. Noted buyers already registered for the 2016 Fresno Food Expo include Whole Foods, Vallarta Supermarkets, Save Mart Supermarkets, Food 4 Less, United Natural Foods Inc., JD Food, Saladino’s Foodservice and more.
Tickets to Expolicious, the Fresno Food Expo Public Event, filled with food and beverage sampling and discovery are now on sale for $50 and can be purchased at any Ticketmaster Box Office or online at www.FresnoFoodExpo.com. Discount tickets are available at Cumulus Broadcasting, while supplies last, or on the Fresno Food Expo’s Facebook page. For more information on the Fresno Food Expo, visit FresnoFoodExpo.com.
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About Fresno Food Expo
Originally developed as an economic development initiative by the City of Fresno in 2011, the Expo has since emerged as the nation’s only exclusively regional food show bringing together growers, processors, manufacturers and industry service providers with buyers from around the world. Since its debut, the Expo has brought heightened awareness to the region’s food production industry as new, innovative businesses emerge and industry collaborations form as a direct result of the show. The Expo has introduced 226 different food and beverage companies to new customers and hosted 1,825 different qualified buyers, including over 100 strategically recruited international buyers.
Source: Fresno Food Expo