Geraldine Pelletier is looking forward to an exceptional year for her Vancouver company, Tartine Tarts. After persistent efforts to tap into the international market, the premium pastry manufacturer has achieved significant inroads in the US with the help of government funding through the BC Agrifood & Seafood Export Program.

One of IAF’s earliest export clients, Pelletier began laying the groundwork for expansion into the Pacific Northwest and Western US in 2014.

“With support to develop more effective branding for the Tartine product line and attend vendor shows and sales calls, we were able to establish an agreement with two key distributors and brokers in the Pacific Northwest and California,” she reports.

Delving into international waters, however, was not always smooth sailing for the Tartine team.

After considerable effort on two consecutive export campaigns, they suffered a major setback in 2015 when a US trademark ruling restricted them from marketing the ‘Tartine’ label, forcing them to incorporate a new company with the new name, ‘Tartistes.’

Despite the unanticipated delays to their export plan, Tartine eventually finalized relations with brokers and distributors on the US west coast, and by 2016 managed to secure new listings for their quiche products at a mid-sized grocery chain based in the Pacific Northwest and a national distributor.

“As a result of this early support we were able to establish the marketing and sales infrastructure required to sell and deliver product in the western US,” explains Pelletier. “Having developed the necessary relations with brokers in the geographic market in 2015, we were confident that continued efforts the following year would help us gain traction in the US market.”

Happy to help Tartine capitalize on their momentum, IAF once again delivered matching government funding that enabled them to embark on further market development activities, including meetings with prospective buyers, in-store demos, exhibiting at vendor tradeshows, and developing new marketing materials to reflect their new US brand.

By the end of April 2017, Tartine had already reached 75 percent of their export sales goal for the year, with listings at two of Kroeger’s west coast chains totaling more than $200,000 in sales.

According to a pleased Pelletier, their Tartistes 9” patisserie flan shell even managed to supplant a large European supplier listed with Fred Meyers.

“Support through the Export program has allowed us to attend more trade shows, develop more professional collateral material, and not hesitate to make trips to our geographic focus,” says Pelletier. “We are now looking forward to a good year overall for Tartine Tarts!”

Funding: $26,038 provided by the governments of Canada and British Columbia through the BC Agrifood & Seafood Export Program under Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. (EX056, EX176, EX312)

British Columbia’s solid reputation for food quality and safety and direct access by land, sea or air to sizeable markets in the United States, Asia, Europe and beyond, should make it an exporter’s dream.

“Capturing market share internationally can be daunting, not to mention expensive,” says Peter Donkers, IAF executive director. “That’s where the BC Agrifood and Seafood Export Program can help.”

Since IAF began delivering the Growing Forward 2 program in 2013, more than $2 million in matched funding has been invested in 226 projects.

The Okanagan Valley’s Jealous Fruits leveraged export funding to promote cherries in the US, Europe and several Asian countries.

They attended fruit shows, held in-store promotions, brought select customers to see their farms and travelled to meet buyers face to face. They also created a new exhibit and marketing materials.

President, David Geen, notes that sales are up over 50 per cent from last year, primarily south of the border. The company exports 85 per cent of its fresh cherry harvest.

“We could sell everything we produce, but now we don’t have to drop our prices to do so,” says Geen. “Export funding helped us develop multiple sales opportunities and get higher prices.”

More export options and higher prices play nicely into their plans to double production in the coming years.

BC seafood exporters are also benefitting from export funding. In June 2015, the BC Salmon Farmers Association partnered with the BC Shellfish Growers Association and Comox Valley Economic Development to bring international media to the BC Shellfish and Seafood Festival and Expo.

Media from the US, Korea, China and South America were hosted on special tours to salmon farms and shellfish operations, where they could meet and talk directly with producers. The value of the resulting TV, print and online coverage in international media outlets was estimated at $317,000, with circulation totalling 40 million.

“We expect international media coverage to keep growing from these new relationships,” says Jeremy Dunn, executive director of the BC Salmon Farmers Association. “Demand for our seafood is already high. This increased exposure should drive it further in these key export markets.”

For more information about the program, visit: www.iafbc.ca/funding-opportunities/export

FUNDING: $33,450to the BC Salmon Farmers Association and up to $70,700 to Jealous Fruits (three projects) through the BC Agrifood and Seafood Export Program under Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. (EX090, EX095, EX157 AND EX178)

Two years after the BC Agrifood & Seafood Export Program launched, BC companies representing a multitude of sectors are increasing sales and accessing new international markets.

Ethical Bean Coffee, a Vancouver-based Fair Trade Certified and organic coffee roaster, has not only been able to quadruple US sales by attending tradeshows in several states, but has also secured Japan as a new market through their US networking.

According to Viren Malik, Ethical Bean’s Chief Operating Officer, the funding is helping to fuel long-term growth for the company.

“The export program has contributed to immediate sales and created further opportunities that continue to develop,” explains Malik, adding that their third and current project with IAF has led to a major private label deal that will commence in late 2015.

Vancouver’s Pacific Rim Shellfish is making similar strides overseas.

“Thanks to export funding we’ve been able to expand our presence and distribute local-quality products on an international scale,” says Ed Sang, President of Pacific Rim Shellfish.

Funding allowed Sang to attend a series of events and meetings in China, as well as conduct a trade mission to Vietnam. In less than a year, the company has seen a ten percent sales increase and is making inroads with Vietnamese trade officials, potentially creating a new market for BC seafood.

Since the program began in 2013, more than $1.2 million in matched funding has been invested in over 150 projects to help BC’s agriculture, food and seafood sectors increase export sales and expand international market access.

Funding through the BC Agrifood & Seafood Export Program is available in 2015/16 to support international market development activities. Visit iafbc.ca for more information, or contact us at 250.356.1662 or funding@iafbc.ca.

Funding for the BC Agrifood & Seafood Export Program is provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and 
the BC Ministry of Agriculture under Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.

It wasn’t easy setting a date to catch up with Dionne Laslo-Baker – since the launch of her company’s export initiative, the owner of DeeBee’s SpecialTea Foods has embarked on a whirlwind circuit of promotions to grow the U.S. market for her BC-based line of unique frozen treats.

Concerned over the nutritional deficit of most frozen novelties, Dionne was determined to tap into the multimillion dollar North American industry with an unprecedented product.

DeeBee’s Organic TeaPops represent the first certified non-GMO, organic, kosher, vegan, tea-based treat that are also gluten, dairy and soy free.

As a product that caters to a growing consumer base seeking healthier, allergy-friendly alternatives, TeaPops have earned acclaim from editors for World Tea Media, the Wall Street Journal and Good Morning America, to name a few.

Help from the Export program

While eager to build on this momentum, Dionne needed some help for the next critical steps. As a funding recipient of the BC Agrifood & Seafood Export Program, matching funding helped her pursue her target market by developing new promotional materials, traveling to international events and networking with retailers and media.

Exhibiting at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California proved a pivotal turning point for the young company.

“Natural Products Expo West is the biggest food show in North America for the natural and organic market,” explains Dionne. “Having support to participate really meant breaking into the natural and organic market and accessing buyers for the West Coast … this is the show you really want to have a presence at.”

Coast to Coast

The event was so successful that Dionne reapplied for funding to attend Natural Products Expo East in Baltimore, Maryland.

The two shows combined have generated a total of 150 retail leads, which Dionne and her growing team are currently pursuing.

“We’re now listed in Rainbow Grocery in San Francisco and Sprouts stores in 12 states, thanks to Export funding,” says Dionne. “I’ve really been blown away at how much support is available that continues to help us to launch into the US.”

What’s next for the jet-setting scientist and CEO?

“We’re looking to expand our presence within the Whole Foods Market chain and anticipate we’ll reach $2 million in export sales in 2015,” she reports.

With interest growing internationally from countries like England, India, Sweden, Israel and Mexico, she may even surpass herself.

Funding: $23,817 through the BC Agrifood & Seafood Export Program under Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. (EX027, EX027.02)

From the US to the UK, throughout Asia and the Middle East, BC agrifoods have been circling the globe in pursuit of new markets, thanks to the BC Agrifoods Export Program.

In less than three months from its November 2013 launch, IAF fully committed Year One funds of over $600,000 into projects to help BC’s agriculture, food and seafood sectors showcase their products around the world.

Companies like vitamin manufacturer Herbaland Naturals, and Nutraex Food, a developer of natural sweeteners for mass produced foods, used Export funding to travel to Southern California and attend Natural Products Expo West, one of the world’s largest natural health product and supplement tradeshows.

Meyer Family Vineyards also headed south for the World of Pinot Noir Symposium in Santa Barbara, where they presented their Okanagan-produced wines to California consumers.

The Meyers were also able to travel to London to promote their award-winning pinot noir and chardonnay at trade and media tastings.

For president John Meyer, the project was a pivotal step in facilitating international market access.

“We previously secured a distributor and importer in California, but attending this event allowed us to launch into the California market,” explains Meyer. “We saw some direct sales from the show itself, plus we were able to develop some promising leads that will likely increase export sales within upcoming months.”

BC Gourmet Foods pursued target export markets in Dubai and the Middle East for their new premium seafood and wild mushroom product. As a result of project funding, the company is currently in the process of formalizing a food service partner agreement in the UAE.

Consolidated Fruit Packers (CFP) presented a bounty of BC blueberries and tree fruits to potential buyers in Germany and Japan, through a series of meetings and events. CFP president Brian Messent is particularly optimistic about the contacts they were able to establish in Japan, and is confident about their export plans for this new base.

For Messent, export funding is not only beneficial to his company, it is a key resource for enhancing the competitiveness of the entire industry.

“We are getting serious about export opportunities that can potentially boost profits for many BC fruit growers,” says Messent. “Our premium quality crops are already enjoyed within the domestic marketplace, but its important to have funding support available to help us expand our customer base and put BC products on the map.”

After a highly successful pilot year, the BC Agrifoods Export Program has been renewed for 2014-15. Up to $50,000 in matching funds is available for projects that enable industry engagement in international market development activities, including participation in international tradeshows, promotional events and incoming/outgoing missions, and creating marketing materials to support international market development. Participants must contribute 50% in cash of the total project cost.

For more program and application information, visit www.iafbc.ca/export-market-dev.htm

Funding: $33,331 through the BC Agrifoods Export Program under Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.