The Herbal Garden looks to expand its reach through alliance with Fresh Connect
The Herbal Garden looks to expand its reach through alliance with Fresh Connect
The Herbal Garden in Wauconda, IL, and Fresh Connect in Chicago have signed an agreement whereby Fresh Connect will handle foodservice sales for The Herbal Garden. Acting as account representatives, Fresh Connect will represent The Herbal Garden to chain operators as well as distributors.
"Andy Siegel and his group at Fresh Connect are not only going to strengthen our existing customer relations with their incredible foodservice sales outreach but also bring our name to the forefront of the culinary herb category," Jennie Giammasi, marketing manager of The Herbal Garden, said in a statement.
The Herbal Garden is a leading Midwest supplier of organic and non-organic culinary herbs, specialty lettuces and gourmet edible flowers. Founded in 1986 by Chef Vern Meyer of Chicago, its product line and sales have steadily grown, placing The Herbal Garden at the forefront of the gourmet culinary herb and edible flower category. Over 23 varieties of premium herbs are available as well as an extensive line of specialty lettuces and edible flowers.
"No one has ever understood chefs the way Vern and his crew do, stated Andy Siegel, president of Fresh Connect. "They are always bringing the next great idea to market. It's really exciting to work with a company that is truly on the cutting edge. Vern Meyer is the only chef that I am aware of who is also a grower and packer of fresh herbs.
"We truly understand what the culinary community is looking for. We're able to speak their language, stated Mr. Meyer, owner and CEO of The Herbal Garden. "We are able to bring a higher level of value to chefs and operators because we develop customer-driven programs that actually target certain needs and then fulfill them.
The Herbal Garden's products are grown in the company's 15 state-of-the-art hydroponic and seed-starting greenhouses as well as 60 additional organically farmed acres in the Midwest. They are then packed and shipped from the company's 16,000-square-foot distribution facility, which is HACCP certified by third-party auditor PrimusLabs. The Herbal Garden's recent expansion in organics with 40 acres in Mexico has made year-round supplies possible.
Fresh Connect was formed in early 2005 to provide targeted sales and marketing solutions to foodservice marketing channels on behalf of the grower-shipper community. It is supported by a staff of regional representatives, who work closely with accounts and offer a variety of services such as food show support as well as key account presentations, product menu development at all levels and development of collateral materials.
"Andy Siegel and his group at Fresh Connect are not only going to strengthen our existing customer relations with their incredible foodservice sales outreach but also bring our name to the forefront of the culinary herb category," Jennie Giammasi, marketing manager of The Herbal Garden, said in a statement.
The Herbal Garden is a leading Midwest supplier of organic and non-organic culinary herbs, specialty lettuces and gourmet edible flowers. Founded in 1986 by Chef Vern Meyer of Chicago, its product line and sales have steadily grown, placing The Herbal Garden at the forefront of the gourmet culinary herb and edible flower category. Over 23 varieties of premium herbs are available as well as an extensive line of specialty lettuces and edible flowers.
"No one has ever understood chefs the way Vern and his crew do, stated Andy Siegel, president of Fresh Connect. "They are always bringing the next great idea to market. It's really exciting to work with a company that is truly on the cutting edge. Vern Meyer is the only chef that I am aware of who is also a grower and packer of fresh herbs.
"We truly understand what the culinary community is looking for. We're able to speak their language, stated Mr. Meyer, owner and CEO of The Herbal Garden. "We are able to bring a higher level of value to chefs and operators because we develop customer-driven programs that actually target certain needs and then fulfill them.
The Herbal Garden's products are grown in the company's 15 state-of-the-art hydroponic and seed-starting greenhouses as well as 60 additional organically farmed acres in the Midwest. They are then packed and shipped from the company's 16,000-square-foot distribution facility, which is HACCP certified by third-party auditor PrimusLabs. The Herbal Garden's recent expansion in organics with 40 acres in Mexico has made year-round supplies possible.
Fresh Connect was formed in early 2005 to provide targeted sales and marketing solutions to foodservice marketing channels on behalf of the grower-shipper community. It is supported by a staff of regional representatives, who work closely with accounts and offer a variety of services such as food show support as well as key account presentations, product menu development at all levels and development of collateral materials.
