Food firms pair up for sweet private expo

SARASOTA — A pair of area food distributors, Troyer's of South Florida and McClain's Old Florida Gourmet, plan to host a food expo Aug. 20-21 geared toward the national gourmet gift marketplace.

The show is not open to the general public, according to a release.

Both Troyer's and McClain's cover the entire state and work together on product distribution. “We discovered each other four or five years ago through mutual customers and found that we are a greater force working together,” Troyer's of South Florida owner Dave Stutzman says in the release. “We will help each other distribute product and try to cross promote to help each other's business. Working together also helps our customers.”

The expo, the statement adds, is expected to include national companies such as Jelly Belly, The Spice Lab, DeLallo and Taffy Town, in addition to multiple regional companies. The expo is also expected to attract national retailers such as Paradies, which operates airport and hotel shops, as well as hundreds of retailers statewide.

Troyer's of South Florida is a regional distributor of 1,500 Troyer brand Amish cheeses, meats, deli foods and a range of other specialty food products. McClain's Old Florida Gourmet is a regional distributor of gourmet food, bulk and count candy and Florida specialties and novelties. McClain's distributes more than 4,500 products from 75 suppliers.