Join two powerhouse food industry organizations - The Food Institute and NASFT (National Association for the Specialty Food Trade) as they co-sponsor a webinar on Selling to Supermarkets.  This subject will prepare food manufacturers, importers and others for what it takes to break into this challenging but sales-building channel.   Subject matter experts Randy Allen, Director of Business Development - Specialty / Natural Food Division for Crossmark, Mike Jackson, recently retired President and COO for SUPERVALU® and Doug Renfro, President of Renfro Foods will provide alternate perspectives on best practices for selling to supermarkets.

This is the 2nd webinar on this topic by Food Institute and NASFT. Based on terrific responses to last year's presentation, we have brought the topic to the table again - with new speakers, new twists and new takes.  By understanding how to sell your product to supermarkets from the distinct perspectives of a manufacturer, broker and retailer, you will be better prepared to craft a plan yourself.  Stay with us after the presentations for a question and answer session where you can join in from your keyboard.  Total running time including the Q&A will be 60 minutes.

Meet Our Presenters:

Randy Allen

Randy Allen is the Director of Business Development - Specialty / Natural Food Division for Crossmark.  Crossmark is a Business Service Company, providing growth solutions and exceptional service to the CPG Industry.  Randy had been in the Specialty / Natural Industry his entire 42 year career.  He started with a small regional Specialty Food Distributor as a sales rep. He was the first Sales manager for this company, and went on to become their VP or Sales & Marketing.  During his time there, this company became one of the largest Specialty Food Distributors in the US.   After 17 years in Distribution, Randy and his wife Dee decided to start a small Specialty / Natural Brokerage company called Classic Sales & Marketing.  After 11 successful years of doing this, they sold their Brokerage to a large Grocery Food Broker. He stayed on as the President of their new Specialty / Natural Division.  Many years later that company became part of the ASM Company.  Randy was the Director of the Specialty Division for ASM until Dec. 2007.  In Jan of 2008, Randy left ASM to start a Specialty / Natural Division for Crossmark.  Randy is also a Consultant, Advisor and Mentor to many in the Industry.  Randy likes to give back to the Industry that has been so good to him for the past 42 years.  He serves on the Broker Advisory Board for the NASFT.

Mike Jackson

Mike Jackson was president and chief operating officer for SUPERVALU® , before retiring last year. Mike held a number of positions throughout the company in his 29 years there,  in both supply chain services and retail operations. Jackson served as senior vice president of operations for Retail Food Companies from 1999 to 2001, and was subsequently named executive vice president and president of Distribution Food Companies in 2001. Mike was also chairman of the National Grocers Association (NGA) Board of Directors and served on the Food Marketing Institute's (FMI) wholesale advisory board.  Mike holds a bachelor's degree in management and accounting from the University of Wisconsin. He has also completed the Wharton School executive management program at the University of Pennsylvania.

Doug W. Renfro

Doug Renfro is President of Renfro Foods.  He oversees new product development and helps manage a number of administrative areas of the business, including purchasing, legal, information systems, human resources and sales. Reared in the family business, Doug has spent a majority of his career working in a number of different capacities at Renfro Foods.  As a teenager, he worked in production, while in college he learned to formulate Renfro's recipes. After earning a bachelor's degree from the University of North Texas, Doug worked in the financial services department for a large information services company in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.  During his seven-year tenure outside the family business, he was promoted to Divisional Finance Manager, earned his Master's degree from Southern Methodist University and qualified for his Certified Management Accountant designation.  Doug, son of Jack Renfro, re-joined Renfro Foods in 1992.   Involved in a number of professional and community organizations, Doug is a past president of both the Texas Food Processors Association and the North Texas Food Sales Association.  Doug currently serves on the boards of Casa Mañana, a not-for-profit theater organization, the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, a non-profit conservation and preservation institute, the Tarrant Area Food Bank and the Horticulture Industry Advisory Council at Texas A&M University.  He has also served as a board member of Fort Worth South, a non-profit organization that works to renovate Fort Worth's southern inner city.