- Return Calls Within 24 Hours
- Present New Items in a Professional Manner
- Process Purchase Orders Same Day of Receiving
- Check Purchase Orders For Pricing, Promos, Etc. and Revise
as Needed
- Confirm All Purchase Orders With Vendor and Customers
- Insure Speedy New Item Placement/Distribution
- Attend New Store Sets/Re-Sets
- Report Competitive Activity/Store Surveys
- Effective Merchandising Assistance at Retail Level
- Work With Space Management Departments For Plan-o-gram
Purposes
- Research and Resolve Unauthorized Deductions
- Attend Trade Shows
- Headquarter Presentations
- Coordinate Sales Meetings
What do you get when you take two men roughly the same age
and background who share the same work ethics, philosophies
and dedication. Then add a collection of some of the most
unique food and nonfood items propelling growth in the supermarket
today and the talents of a support team of talented men and
women?
The birth of Seidman Hudon Food Brokerage.
By the mid 1990’s, both Gary and Ed were in South Florida
in the brokerage business. In 1998, a chance meeting over
3,000 miles away from Florida brought them together. They
were both at a routine trade show(National Food Brokers Association)
in Palm Springs CA when, in of all places, a casino, they
literally bumped in to each other.
They exchanged pleasantries, complimented each other on their
positive reputations and decided to meet back in Florida.
Gary had the principals but not a lot of time and Eddie was
a little short on principals but was long on time and determination
to make a go of it in the brokerage business. Joining forces
seemed like a good idea.
At first, they got together to work on a special project.
But by the middle of 1998, they knew they had many of the
ingredients for a successful partnership. With this in mind,
they formally merged their companies in November 1998, under
the Seidman Hudon Food Brokerage banner. Their area of expertise
would be what both men knew best – the specialty foods
category with an emphasis on kosher items.
In a very short time span, the company has gone from a South
Florida food brokerage to a regional food brokerage serving
Florida, Georgia, Alabama, the Carolinas and parts of Tennessee.
SHFB believes in working closely with all parties involved
in the selling process – principals - distributors -
store level mangers - retailers and - merchandisers. We act
as a liaison to bring awareness of strengths and awareness
of areas in need of improvement. As Gary says…”the
importance of our role as brokers (is) bringing the buyer
and seller together to complete everyone’s goal making
the sale”.
This belief is also reflected on a more intimate level, within
their personnel organization. They truly act on the concept
of togetherness and have outstanding holiday parties and impromptu
luncheons. Gary takes great pride in telling you: “The
real strength [of our company] is in our people. We have great
people! Nobody in our field can match the experience levels
and capabilities of our team”.
While most all products sold by Seidman Hudon might best
be described as shelf staple “specialty foods”,
they are not all Gourmet Items. The company represents a number
of ethnic lines – Mexican foods, Indian, Asian, Thai,
Italian and Kosher Food: nonfood items such as charcoal, floor
cleaners and laundry stain remover and Frozen Foods. With
an ever-changing variety of principals, SHFB maintains continued
and close contact with the following:
Principals:
Acme
Import Company:Cadbury; Al Dente:Gourmet Pasta; Allied Old
English:AhSo,MeeTu,Grandmothers; Annie Chun's:Natural Asian
Cuisine; Almondina:Gourmet Biscotti; Andre Prost : Taste
Of Thai, Honees Candy, Odense;
Arizona Beverage Company: Powdered Tea Mixes;Azteca Foods:
Tortilla Wraps
Beaverton: Mustards; Birkett Mills: Wolff’s Kasha;Benefit
Nutririon: Protein & Fiber Cereals;Bernard Food Industries:San
Sucre,SweetNLow Mixes; Bellino: Vinegar, Oil, Condiments
Black Jewell Popcorn: Microwave And Regular Popcorn; Bosco:Chocolate
Syrup
Blue Diamond:Almond Milk,Nutthins; Bosco: Syrups
Bryant Preserving: Pickled Vegetables; Calhound Bend Mill:
Cobbler Mixes;
Cento:Authentic Italian Vegetables, sauces, oil, vinegar,Anna:Pastas,Bellino
Fine Italian Condiments ;
Ceres: Fruit Drinks
Colavita: Olive Oil, Vinegars, Pasta
Conagra: Oils, Weight Watchers; Conrad Mills: Konriko
Rice,Spices,R.M.Quiggs Rice,Hol-Grain Gluten-Free ; Cuisine
Perel: Infused Vinegars;Dare: Cookikes & Crackers;
D.L.Jardine's: Salsas,BBQ Sauces,Marinades,Shotgun Willie's-Pepppers
and Sauces
DeBeukelaer: Pirouline,Cookies;De La Sierra: Natural Root
& Plantain Chips; Del Sol Foods: Brianna’s
Salad Dressing ;Dominex:Frozen Eggplant products
Dr.Kracker:Organic Flatbread Krackers; Ferrara: Italian
Confections; Eucavani's:Fine Pasta Sauces; EuroAmerican
Brands:Specialty Confections and Fine Foods; Fischer & Wise:
Gourmet Sauces,Moms; Geneva Foods: Lysander’s
Soups
Gaucho Ranch:Chimichurri; Good Earth: Teas, Extracts
Grosvenor’s: Twinings North America : Teas; Envirocon:
Lemishine,Pet Odor Remover;
First Colony: Coffees; Hain Celestial Group: Garden Of Eden,
Terra Chips, Yukon Gold
Health is Wealth:Natural Frozen Appetizers and Entrees; Hodgson
Mill: All Natural and Whole Grain Foods; Hormel Foods: House
Of Tsang, Marrakesh Inspired Cuisine: Mousse Mixes; Jazz:
Chips for Sips;La Tourangelle: Gourmet Nut and Seed Oils;
Land O' Lakes:Cocoa Mixes
Novamex: Cholula,Jarritos,Authentic Mexican
Nueva Cocina: All Natural Latin Foods; Kedem Foods:
Kosher Entrees-Frozen;Ratner's and
King Kold: Blintzes & Potato Pancakes;
Maple Grove/B&G:
Emeril’s
Dressing, Marinades;
Maille: Mustards;
Mezzetta: Olives, vegetables; Old Fashioned/Golden: Blintzes;
Olivado: Avocado Oils; Organicville: Dressings;PickaPeppa:Hot
Sauce; Q Products: Gourmet BBQ Sauces; Rachael Ray: Olive
Oils;Rice Select: Rice and Rice Mixes; Santa Barbara :Olives,
Pickled Vegetables
Roland:Oils,Vinegars,Fruit,Vegetables,Condiments; Sensible
Foods: Crunch-Dried Fruit & Veggie Snacks;Sokol & Company:
Solo Pie and Pastry filling,Simon Fischer Fruit Butters,Baker
Cake and Pastry Fillings; Streit’s:
Matzos & Matzo Products.;Stubb's:BBQ Sauces, Marinades,
and Rubs; Sun Luck: Oriental Foods
Superior Quality: Bouillon Concentrate; Tabatchnik: Frz.Meals,Soups;
Tambo Bamba: Rice Mixes; TH Foods: Mr.Krisper's Gluten Free
Rice and Whole Grain Snacks
Thou Shall Snack:Natural-Kosher Snacks; Tony Chachere's:
Famous Creole Cuisine; T.Marzetti: Cardini, Girards, Jack
Daniels
Valor: Fine Spanish Chocolate;Walker's:Shortbread Cookies;
Woody's:BBQing Sauces; Woebers: Mustards.
Customers: Distributors
Agri Processors
Associated Grocers
Cheney Bros
Dismex Ingles
Gordon Food Service
Gourmet Products Lowes
Great American Smoked Fish
Import Mex Whole
International Cruise Lines
Jetro Cash & Carry
Kosher Brands
Merchants Export
Monel
Organica U.S.A
Paskert Distributing
Prime Line
Sysco
Tree of Life
U.S. Foodservice
Retailers:
Albertson’s, Bilo/Bruno,
Doris Markets, Ingles, Kash n
Karry/Sweet Bay,
Publix, Whole Food Markets, Winn
Dixie
Good fortune doesn’t just happen. Gary and Ed have
worked long and hard assembling their team of food sales professionals.
Their hard work is now paying off, although in the midst of
this excitement came incredible sadness.
Gary lost his Dad, Eli on August 22, 2005. Eli was a tremendous
part of SHFB because he helped them develop contacts and understand
the “tweakings” within the kosher industry. It
goes without saying, that the amount of influence and connection
Eli had with Gary was definitely a key role in his sons’
success. But what people did not realize perhaps, was the
connection Eli had with our staff. All through his 2 years
of leukemia, Eli worked with Steve Biase and Cindy Foote,
transferring his knowledge "from the master to the students”.
Here, in the present we can look fondly at the past yet we
are wise enough to also look towards the future. It is exciting,
as Ed states, “As we build the business, we are reinvesting
back into the business by adding people and expanding facilities,”
furthermore “We’ve been very fortunate,”
Ed adds. “We think we have built something very special
here.”
“Our principals and our customers have come to rely
on us. When you want something, it gets done.” Gary
says. “Our manufacturers know that no matter how large
or small they are, they [their products] are going to get
the attention and service they require. We want them to feel
they are important,” Gary emphasizes.
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