In January 2008, General Trading Co., located in Carlstadt, New Jersey, in the 9th Congressional District, attended the Northeast Buyers Mission where they were introduced to a buyer from Egypt. In August 2008, they made their first sale of assorted food products to the region valued at approximately $20,000, followed by a second order in November for an additional $20,000. Orders continued from the Egyptian buyer throughout 2009, increasing from every other month to once a month and totaling $200,000.

According to General Trading’s Export Team, “We are hopeful that the monthly orders will continue. This one sale that was made possible through contacts we made at the Northeast Buyers Mission has resulted in a four percent increase in our export sales.” As a result of this and other growth in their export sales, the company was able to add one new office employee and provide more steady work for warehouse employees in their export department—increasing operation from one-two days a week to five days a week.

General Trading Co. is a full-service grocery and dairy supplier / distributor / wholesaler / exporter carrying more than 10,000 grocery and 2,000 dairy items, including brand name products and their own private labels. They offer export service to Europe, South America, Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean. Their products fall under the full-service grocery, dairy and frozen retail foods markets. 

Food Export–Midwest and Food Export–Northeast are private, non-profit associations of Midwestern and Northeastern state agricultural promotion agencies that use federal, state, and industry resources to promote the export of Midwestern and Northeastern food and agricultural products. Food Export–Midwest and Food Export–Northeast administer many services through Market Access Program (MAP) funding from the USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service.