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KeHe looks to cultivate emerging brands

KeHE elevate program to help startups ‘reach more shelves’

Russell Redman

January 24, 2020

2 Min Read
KeHE Distributors-truck.jpg
KeHE said it envisions a network of no more than 200 brands under the KeHE elevate program.KeHE Distributors

Better-for-you and sustainable food wholesaler KeHE Distributors has launched KeHE elevate, a program to help grow promising, early-stage brands.

Announced on Friday, the KeHE elevate incubator program brings emerging brands a high-touch platform for building up their market presence and reaching more shelves nationwide. A distributor of fresh, natural, organic and specialty foods, KeHE said its category management team will act as trusted advisers and educate brands on the evolving landscape and drive sales and points of distribution via elevate.

“The struggles that emerging brands face within the retail landscape are tough. In fact, 95% of new products fail each year, according to the Harvard Business School,” Katie Paul, vice president of category management and growth solutions at KeHE, said in a statement. “KeHE is uniquely positioned to help suppliers via elevate, which is designed to alleviate those barriers by providing a broad range of growth and profitability support from our merchandising and sales teams." 

KeHE Category Management is now actively searching for program candidates. The Naperville, Ill.-based company said the elevate network of brands will be limited, not exceeding 200. To submit products, suppliers can go online to KeHE’s RangeMe website.

Related:The Fresh Market partners with brand incubator

KeHE noted that KeHE elevate is designed to boost support for its retailer partners by identifying promising products and curating a robust brand portfolio to enhance their assortments, besides helping developing brands ramp up their marketplace potential.

“We look for brands that are purpose-driven, have high-quality ingredients, are innovative in their category, represent a future trend, have a unique taste profile, and will appeal to consumers at the shelf,” according to Rachelle Radcliffe, director of brand development at KeHE.

An employee-owned, B Corp-certified company, KeHE supplies natural food stores, supermarket chains, independent grocery stores and other specialty retailers across North America through its 15 distribution centers.

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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