“We plan on having the same booth spot as years past, and we’re very excited about the show,” he said. “It’s in our backyard, and they do a great job bringing the buyers in. The location is excellent — we get people coming in, going out and congregating up front. It’s always busy.”

That traffic, he said, allows the company to connect with a steady stream of customers and industry peers throughout the day. 

“We bring almost all the items we carry and make a nice display, but we also leave room in the booth for our customers to come in and talk,” Klein said. “Every year our booth looks a little different. Sometimes the space we’re allocated changes, so we work with it. This year we’re hoping to have a new backdrop.”

All members of the company’s sales team will take part in the event, rotating through the booth to ensure that visitors can speak directly with representatives. Klein said the show offers a rare chance to have meaningful conversations with so many customers in such a short span.

“It’s a tremendous opportunity to speak to so many of our customers in a six-hour period,” he said. “You might pick up a few new customers, but more often you end up selling existing customers items they didn’t know we carried.”

Success at the show isn’t measured just by new accounts or immediate sales but by engagement and enthusiasm. 

“At the end of the day, we consider it a successful show if we’ve spoken with everyone we wanted to see and felt a lot of positive energy from the people we talked to — and from ourselves,” Klein said. “It’s also a great networking opportunity because we see a lot of our suppliers there, too. It’s more than just selling.”

For Maurice Auerbach, 2025 has been a strong but challenging year, with pricing and logistics remaining major talking points across the industry. 

“People are always asking about pricing and why everything is going so high,” Klein said. “Different products from different countries of origin all have an effect. It’s very hard to hold existing pricing when costs are involved.” 

He noted that logistics also remain a concern, as delays in ports and shipping continue to impact timelines. 

“The boat may dock on time, but getting it off the boat and to us is always a problem,” he said. “There are so many things involved in getting the product to the customer.”

Despite the challenges, Klein said the company remains optimistic heading into 2026. 

“It’s been a good year, though a tough one, so you have to work harder,” he said. “We always hope to grow, and a lot of that depends on the economy. There are issues that affect restaurants and food retailers, but hopefully things improve as we move forward.”

Having exhibited since the show’s inception, Klein praised its organization and energy. “They’ve done a great job,” he said. “We really appreciate all the effort that goes into it. It’s a show we look forward to every year.”