Seven Companies Participate in New Exporters to Border States (NEBS) Event in
Seattle
On March 21-22, 2016, seven agri-food companies from Alberta and British Columbia (BC) participated in
the annual New Exporters Border States (NEBS) event to explore export opportunities in the Pacific
Northwest (PNW). In collaboration with the Consulate General of Canada in Seattle, the program
consisted of an educational component which featured several speakers, one-on-one meetings with a
specialty food manufacturer representative and four guided store tours. Participants were also given the
opportunity to attend the Northwest Foodservice Show which is one of the largest food-related shows in
the PNW on March 20, 2016.
Northwest Foodservice Show
Dates for the 2016 Seattle NEBS event were in part chosen to coincide
with the Northwest Foodservice Show, one of the largest food-related
shows in the Pacific Northwest, featuring several prominent local
distributors/wholesalers, including Portland’s Cash & Carry and Seattle’s
The Peterson Company. Shelly Nguyen, International Initiatives Officer
and Manisha Arora, Trade Development Officer, attended the show to
establish relationships with potential clients and to identify opportunities
and product trends.
NEBS Program
Three companies came from Alberta and four from BC
representing a range of food and beverage products,
including specialty teas, juice, frozen berries, dried meat
snacks, mead, nutraceuticals and hot sauce.
“This event was an excellent educational opportunity for
Alberta and BC companies, with little to no previous
international trade experience, to be introduced to exporting
and to explore the potential of the US Pacific Northwest
market first-hand,” said Shelly Nguyen, International
Initiatives Officer, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry.
“Companies indicated that they were satisfied with the event
and found that they were able to learn more about exporting opportunities in PNW. In addition, they
expressed interest in exporting and plan to pursue the PNW as a target export market as a direct result of
this event.”
Market Outreach Initiative
Concurrent to the NEBS event, Manisha Arora, Trade Development Officer, US West Coast, AF, met with
US buyers and distributors who may be interested in Alberta agriculture and food products.
For more information on this and future NEBS events, please contact:
Shelly Nguyen, International Initiatives Officer, 780-422-7103, [email protected]