| BROKER
SERVICES
- 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
- Prepare and Confirm Price Change Notices and Promotional
Allowance
- Research and Resolve Unauthorized Deductions
- Attend Trade Shows
- Headquarter Presentations
- Coordinate Sales Meetings
STORY OF SEIDMAN HUDON
What do you get when you take two men roughly the same age
and background who share the same work ethics, philosophies
and dedication? Add in the support of two loving wives, a
collection of some of the most unique food and nonfood items
propelling growth in the supermarket today, then add the talents
of a support team of talented men and women, a lot of hard
work and the test of time. This is the recipe of success which
has created Seidman Hudon Food Brokerage, the fastest growing
and leading sales organization in the specialty foods arena.
But, it might never have happened had it not been for a chance
meeting over 3,000 miles away from home.
Both men bring strong backgrounds in the food business to
their roles as operators of Seidman Hudon Food Brokerage in
Coral Springs, FL. However, they took different routes to
get there.
Gary Seidman, Company President and Founder, was literally
born into the food business. His father Eli is a food sales
icon in Florida. For many years he was Sales and Marketing
Executive for Buitoni. For over three decades he has operated
his own food brokerage in South Florida, and remains active
to this day. It was this life that son Gary was born into.
Although at varying times he has worked with and for his father,
it can rightly be said that he mostly did it on his own, even
though the breeding and pedigree was clearly there.
Gary was raised in the Canarsie section of Brooklyn near
the bay, and often visited the pier where he learned his love
of fishing. At the same time, Ed Hudon was growing up in Connecticut
where he had an affinity for sports – particularly baseball
and basketball. Both have strong penchants for sales –
Gary has operated his own retail establishments and sold at
the wholesale level, while Ed went into wholesale distributor
sales upon graduating from college.
By the mid 1990’s, both men were in South Florida
in the brokerage business. Gary had a head start on Eddie,
having been associated with a number of other firms where
his hard work and business ethics had landed him a number
of income producing accounts. Intense, and with a drive inherited
from his father, Gary and his wife Cathy had accounts at their
Seidman Brokerage Company, but the demands and responsibilities
of the firm made it difficult for them to have a life away
from work. On the other hand, Ed Hudon also had the drive,
but was a little short on the number of principals required
to make his fledgling Blue Chip Brokerage a money earner.
Both men were plying their wares in the unlikely food mecca
of Coral Springs, Florida, yet had only the vaguest awareness
of each others existence.
It wouldn’t be until a chance meeting at an NFBA convention
in Palm Springs, CA, that they would literally bump into each
other.
It seemed like a good idea, joining forces that is. 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.
At first they joined forces to work on a special project.
By the middle of 1998, they knew they had many of the ingredients
for a successful partnership. With this in mind, they formally
joined forces in November 1998, under the Seidman Hudon Food
Brokerage banner. Their area of expertise would be what both
men knew best – the rapidly emerging specialty foods
category. Consumers tastes were changing and these types of
products offered grocers a profitable new growth opportunity.
Many of the companies it brought into its union remain and
flourish with the brokerage to this day. This includes some
of Gary’s longtime principals, such as Bernard Foods,
Bryant Preserving, Cardini Salad Dressings, Colavita Olive
Oil, Andre Prost and Twinings Teas. The company which first
took faith in Ed Hudon and made him a food broker –
Wing It Barbecue Sauce - remains with the company to this
day, as do Good Earth Tea and Superior Quality Foods. As both
men like to describe it, the company represents specialty
items – with an emphasis on kosher items.
In a very short time span, the company has gone from a South
Florida food brokerage to a statewide food brokerage to a
regional food brokerage serving the states of Florida, Georgia,
Alabama, the Carolinas and parts of Tennessee. In addition
to its domestic business, the company has found considerable
success in developing the export market for the lines it represents.
These are the positive advantages that work daily contributing
to the success of a Seidman Hudon principal. This hard work
and dedication can be found among Seidman Hudon team members
as they sell and merchandise product through their expanding
market area.
The company believes that the success which has enabled
it to become the finest specialty foods sales organization
in the southeast, is due to the close relationship it enjoys
with its principals, its distributors and their retail merchandisers,
and the expertise of its sales account executives and retail
merchandisers.
“We work closely with all parties involved in the selling
process – from our strong relationship with our principals
to our strong relationship with our distributors and their
merchandisers working in conjunction with the Seidman Hudon
sales/merchandising team.”
“We’ve grown because of our belief in the importance
of working closely with our distributors, imparting some of
our expertise to their sales force and our belief in the importance
of our roll as brokers in bringing the buyer and seller together
to complete our goal of making the sale,” Seidman says.
“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,”
he says with pride.
As Seidman Hudon get ready to celebrate their seventh year
of partnership, this dynamic duo has assembled a highly qualified
team, which counts many, many years of food industry experience.
In addition to its two namesake leaders Gary Seidman and Ed
Hudon, key management includes Secretary/Treasurer and co-founder
Cathy Seidman, Retail & Foodservice Account Executive
Steve Biase, Account Executive John Graham, Atlanta Division
Account Executive Tony Marmon, and headquarters Office Manager
Gina Schell. Along with its office and customer service staff,
Cindy Foote who handles purchase orders and Gail Hillocks
who’s primary focus is commissions and deductions, Retail
personnel, Lisa Westra (SE Florida), Rick Dimaggio (Tampa
& SW Florida), and Mike Vickery (Jacksonville to Orlando,
Florida), are in the field daily, calling on key accounts,
writing orders, working closely with distributors and performing
sales/merchandising assistance.
Customers look to Seidman Hudon Food Brokerage to provide
them with a wide array of some of the finest specialty and
Kosher foods on the market. The Seidman Hudon family of principals
include: ANDRE PROST [Taste of Thai, Honees Candy, Odense];
AMERICAN ROLAND [imported products]; BAJA TRADING [tortilla
wraps]; BLACK JEWEL POPCORN [microwave and regular popcorn];
BOSCO [syrups]; BRYANT PRESERVING [pickled vegetables]; CERES
[fruit drinks]; COLAVITA [olive oil, vinegars, pasta]; CONAGRA
[spray oils, Weight Watchers]; DEL SOL FOODS [Brianna’s
Salad Dressing]; GENEVA FOODS [Lysander’s Soups]; GOOD
EARTH [teas, extracts]; GARDEN OF EATIN [organic chips &
dips]; GROSVENOR’S [Twining Teas]; HAGENSBORG [patè,
chocolates]; HAIN CELESTIAL GROUP [Garden of Eden, Terra Chips,
Yukon Gold]; HOMEGROWN FOODS [Fantastic Foods, Consorzio,
Annies]; HORMEL FOODS [House of Tsang, Marrakesh, Pataks];
JOSE CUERVO [Cholula]; MAPLE GROVE/B&G [Emeril’s
Dressing, Marinades]; ACME IMPORTS [Cadbury Cookies]; RICE
SELECT [rice, orange rice]; SAN-J [tamari sauce, dressings,
sauces]; SANTA BARBARA [olives, pickled vegetables]; SHERWOOD
BRANDS [cookies, crackers, candies]; SUN LUCK [oriental foods];
SUPERIOR QUALITY [bouillon concentrate]; T.MARZETTI [Cardini,
Girards, Jack Daniels]; TERRA [vegetable chips] and WOEBERS
[mustards].
Kosher principals include: BIRKETT MILLS [Wolff’s
Kasha]; KINERET FOODS [kosher entrees-frozen]; KING COLD/CORKY’S
[blintzes & potato pancakes]; OLD FASHIONED/GOLDEN [blintzes]
and STREIT’S [matzos & matzo products].
While most all products sold by Seidman Hudon might best
be described as ‘specialty foods,’ that is not
to say that they are all ‘gourmet’ foods.
The company represents a number of ethnic lines –
Mexican foods, Indian, Asian, Brazilian, Thai and Italian,
all of which today enjoy widespread crossover appeal to consumers
of all backgrounds. Seidman Hudon also represents nonfood
items such as charcoal, floor cleaners and laundry stain remover.
Also, frozen foods, and some of the finest names in the kosher
food industry.
At the distributor level, the company maintains close working
relationships with a customer base that includes Anpesil Distributing;Associated
Grocers of Florida, Miami, FL; Cheney Bros., Rivier Beach,
FL; Florida Fine Biscuits; Gourmet Award Foods, [Fort Lauderdale
and Mid-Atlantic]; Henry Lee, Miami, FL; FL; J.A.M.B., Pompano
Beach, FL; Jetro Cash & Carry, Miami, FL; Kosher Brands,
Miami, FL; Monel, Miami, FL; Organica U.S.A., Miami, FL; Pakert
Distributing, Tampa, FL; Prime Line, Miami, FL; Gourmet Products,
Pompano Beach, FL; Sysco; and U.S. Foodservice, among others.
The company also sells to cruise ships, ethnic distributors,
Kosher distributors, health food distributors and exporters.
Key retail account coverage includes customers such as Albertson’s,
BiLo/Bruno’s, Ingles Markets, Kash n’ Karry, Kroger’s,
Lowes Foods, Publix, Winn-Dixie and Whole Foods Markets. The
company prides itself on the close working relationship it
enjoys with its customers – no matter their size or
location.
“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,” Seidman emphasizes.
The company is currently in the midst of a dramatic growth.
Within the last seven years alone, it has realized a doubling
of its business.
Coinciding with this growth has been the addition of a number
of new key personnel. Each of the recent acquisitions to the
company has brought with him/her significant contributions.
“The addition of Steve Biase gave us an added presence
in the areas of foodservice and the perishable cheese business,”
Seidman says. “At the same time, John Graham has brought
us a strong background in the cookie and snack business. John
sells to all the Hispanic cookie distributors, as well as
many other customers in South Florida and the Bahamas.”
“Tony Marmon, our new Account Executive in the Atlanta
division – with his long time presence in the Georgia
and Carolinas markets, gives our customers in the Southeastern
states a knowledgeable and dependable contact … a person
they can trust and deal with in confidence.”
The company was enjoying the growth it was experiencing
however, it was taxing its physical capabilities to keep pace.
With this in mind, Gary and Ed moved the firm to new and expanded
offices in January 2004. These new facilities, located close
to the previous headquarters at 7684 Wiles Road, will provide
nearly twice the current office space. “We will have
room for added staff and retail personnel,” Seidman
says. This new office space goes hand in hand with new computer
systems that are being made available to office and account
sales personnel.
“As we build the business, we are reinvesting back
into the business by adding people and expanding facilities,”
Ed says, with pride.
This good fortune just doesn’t happen. Gary and Ed
have worked long and hard assembling their team of food sales
professionals. Their hard work is now paying off.
“Our principals and our customers have come to learn
that when you [they] want something, it gets done [here],”
Seidman says.
“We’ve been very fortunate,” Hudon adds.
“We think we have built something very special here.”
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