Small Companies Eligible to Apply for USMEF 2014 Branded Products Promotion Program

James Geller, Geller International president, and Mike Barker (r.), VP Evergood Fine Foods, at the Savour show in Singapore

Smaller U.S. companies that are seeking assistance in promoting their branded red meat products internationally are eligible to apply for the 2014 USMEF Branded Products Promotion Program.

The program provides financial assistance to small (less than 500 employees) for-profit companies or U.S. agricultural cooperatives that own a commodity brand, with the provision that products promoted under the program must contain at least 50 percent U.S. red meat.

During fiscal year 2013, the USMEF program, which utilizes funding from the USDA Market Access Program (MAP), provided support for 11 companies that targeted 13 international markets, ranging from Aruba, China and Germany to Indonesia, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates.

Cumulatively, the 2013 program helped produce more than 400 business contacts and 90 export trade leads, leading to significant increases in exports by the participating companies.

Exporter Geller International participated in the 2013 program, focusing on the retail sector in Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong as outlets for its high-end U.S. processed pork items. Geller was invited to and attended the Cold Storage Singapore Savour show this March to reach retail customers in the region with its exciting new products.

“USMEF’s Singapore representative came to our booth at the event to support us,” noted James Geller, president of Geller International. “USMEF’s team has been a great assistance in making the program a success.”

Branded Products Promotion Program funds can be used to offset certain costs in support of export development activities in international markets in the following three areas:

• Exhibiting at trade shows and fairs, including select U.S. domestic trade shows with large international attendance;
• Retail and foodservice promotions, including demonstrations, point of sale materials, signs and displays; and
• Seminars, including materials, translation of company literature, interpreters, set-up costs/room rental and presentation production.

Information regarding the USMEF Branded Program, including guidelines and an application, can be found here. If you have questions or wish to submit an application, please contact Beka Gill at bgill@usmef.org.

Hi-res photo for use with this release: James Geller, Geller International president, and Mike Barker (r.), VP Evergood Fine Foods, at the Savour show in Singapore