Apr 7, 2008Wada Farms, Farm Fresh Direct Form Fresh Potato Marketing Group
Wada Farms Marketing Group, Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Farm Fresh Direct, Monte Vista, Colo., have partnered to create Category Partners LLC, a marketing organization designed to better enable the two potato suppliers to support the changing needs of retailers, foodservice operators, wholesalers and consumers.
The companies will continue to operate their business and sales operations separately, but will work together to improve category management and marketing approaches, said Bob Meek, CEO of Wada Farms, and Jim Knutzon, president of Farm Fresh. The men said it didn’t make sense to create two infrastructures to do the same thing in the current economy.
Category Partners will focus on category management, innovative products and packaging and promotion, all with a consumer focus.
Mac Johnson, who most recently was vice president of domestic marketing for the United States Potato Board, will head up the new venture as president and CEO. Johnson has been at the Potato Board for eight years directing their retail, chip, research and innovation programs, and prior to the Board held senior marketing positions at Tom’s Foods, General Mills, Beatrice Foods and Ketchum Advertising.
Category Partners, LLC will be headquartered in Denver.
