The Purple Crow Celebrates its Summer Food Show 2024

“Our Summer Show was great!” said Rick Calabro, general manager of the Purple Crow, at the close of the event held at the Hispanic distribution center’s Winston-Salem facility on Thursday, June 13, 2024.

As has been traditional over the years, the Hispanic food trade show was held in a very family-friendly atmosphere, where suppliers and buyers of grocery products made good business deals.

“Buyers benefited significantly from the savings offered during the show, which led to amazing volume sales,” noted Calabro, who, along with his entire Purple Crow team, offered personalized attention to exhibitors and attendees.

Likewise, Calabro thanked everyone who attended the Summer Show. “The turnout was truly amazing, and we were delighted to see so many of our loyal customers. Their presence added incredible excitement and energy, making the event a resounding success.”

In turn, representatives of the many product brands offered at the trade show expressed their satisfaction with the number of deals and business contacts they achieved during the event.

“Attending the Purple Crow show has been an incredibly beneficial experience for the Gamesa brand,” said Keith Shelnut, Gamesa brand Key Account Manager, who highlighted that the event allowed them to showcase their innovative products directly to key retailers who stopped by the booth. 

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“The interactions with these retailers are unparalleled because they come to our booth. It’s one of the few places where all the retailers come to us rather than us coming to them. That’s very valuable; it helps us build stronger relationships and understand their needs. Most importantly, the show’s participation has led to substantial increases in sales because, at the end of the day, we all want to get more sales. We thank the Purple Crow and the Calhoun family for inviting us,” added Shelnut.

For his part, Franklin Morales, district sales manager for Novamex, made the most of the Purple Crow Summer Show 2024 to present new products and the company’s flagship line of beverages, such as Jarritos and Sangria Señorial.

“The show has been excellent. We saw a lot of customer traffic and many new customers. This drives us to have a better future, and we are really grateful to the Purple Crow for the support it always gives to our brands,” Morales said.

In the candy and snacks category, Mondelez USA was one of the many companies present at the show, with several of its brands most loved by Mexican consumers.

Juan Ramon, Jay, Garcia, national sales manager for Mondelez USA, said he didn’t have a moment’s respite during the Purple Crow Summer Show 2024.

“Collaborating with the Purple Crow here in North Carolina was a pleasure. I’m in charge of Ricolino, Vero, and Coronado with Mondelez USA, and I am very happy to be here. Sales were pretty good. That is the best incentive for those of us who come from out of town to be able to sell because, at the end of the day, that is what we come for,” said García.

In the neighboring booth, Esteban Cuellar, national sales director of Manzela USA, also expressed his satisfaction with the results of his participation in the Purple Crow Summer Show 2024.

“We started at 8:00 in the morning, happily receiving customers. Fortunately, very good numbers, very good sales as always here with the Purple Crow,” said Cuellar.

In turn, Antonio Gomez, southeast sales director of Market 5201, highlighted the presence of many of the top large customers. “They came from several areas, both from Virginia, Maryland, obviously from here, North Carolina, and Georgia. I feel that it has been one of the best years for us because every year we notice a jump, it means that more and more customers are coming, and with the promotions, they support us a lot,” said Gomez.

At the end of the trade show, General Manager Rick Calabro said, “We are incredibly grateful for the unwavering support of our supplier community and look forward to continuing to grow alongside them. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed, including our vendors, clients, and employees. Your contributions were invaluable in creating an unforgettable and enjoyable event that surpassed all our expectations. On behalf of all of us at the Purple Crow, thank you!”