Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/769179
association news Message from President Phil Kafarakis The Specialty Food Association is feeling optimistic about the continuing growth of our industry. We're building on an already strong foundation—total U.S. specialty food sales in 2015 hit a record $120.5 billion. That's 14 percent of all retail food sales in the country. In fact, specialty food sales are growing at an impressive rate—sales rose over 20 percent between 2013 and 2015. We expect to see that expansion continue. The industry's strength positions us well for the next decade and beyond. Sales of specialty foods to foodservice grew even faster than retail sales: 27 percent vs. 19.7 percent. With continuing low energy costs, and food commodity prices also trending lower these last two years, consumers have more food dollars to spend on specialty foods, be that at traditional retailers, online, or when eating out. The character of our industry is evident in the optimism, creativity, and drive of its people. We hope you get a sense of that as you read the profiles of this year's Leadership Award winners in this issue of Specialty Food Magazine. Their spirit of doing good in the world and giving back is inspirational. These six visionaries represent our industry at its best: dynamic, engaged, excited by challenges, and committed to creating the finest products possible. Congratulations to our 2017 Leadership Award winners! At the SFA, we are honored to serve them and this industry. Thank you for all you do to advance specialty foods. We wish you a very happy 2017! Phil Kafarakis President, Specialty Food Association Message from the President WINTER 2017 101