For Immediate Release
Contact: Kay Scherer or Brad Harker
775-687-4325


International Trade Mission Leads to Millions in Sales
Nevada Agricultural Product Companies Benefit from Partnership Activity

Three Nevada companies – Winnemucca Farms, Empire Farms and Basic Food Flavors – recently joined two additional companies from California and Oregon in a Western USA Food Ingredients Pavilion at the Food Ingredients Europe show. This international trade outreach is the result of a partnership between the Nevada International Trade Office, which supplied the leadership and administration for this targeted marketing activity, and the Western United States Agriculture and Trade Association, which provided funding.

"Nevada companies enjoyed great success both from the show, as well as from meetings set with European food ingredient distributors," said Brad Harker, international trade specialist with the Nevada Commission on Economic Development and leader of the mission. "New business contacts, sales leads and agent arrangements are some of the benefits to our companies, as is the chance to learn about competitors’ product development activities and marketing approaches."

Harker said all three Nevada companies have received initial orders and he expects to see sales from the show in excess of $1 million into the year 2000.

"This type of international marketing partnership is a cost-effective way for Nevada companies to benefit from the global economy," said Lt. Governor Lorraine Hunt, chairman of the Nevada Commission on Economic Development. "Not only do our companies increase their sales, but the Nevada businesses and our international staff are able to meet with officials to elicit support from U.S. experts overseas and to determine market conditions and barriers to trade for food ingredient products from the West."

For more information or comment, please contact the participating companies:

Winnemucca Farms (potato products) John O’Brien, president, 775-623-2900
Empire Farms (onion and garlic) Wendy Van Horn, 775-331-4111
Basic Food Flavors, Tim Wallace of Flavor Consultants, 702-255-7031