IMPROVING LIVES / OUR STORY
It was 1998.
CCF Brands founder Ron Whaley was asked if he could develop the first major retail warehouse egg program. At the time Ron was partners in a year-old company called REW Marketing, which represented firms focused on selling their products in retail.
Ron and his partners went to work, meeting with egg producers as well as various retail employees who worked in the freezer, cooler, and warehouse divisions. Eighteen months later the new program was rolled out through one Distribution Center in Illinois. Ron remembers the retail customers' initial reaction.
“It was the difference between dark and daylight. The stores were getting their products and they were getting what they wanted on time,” Ron said.
Ron was asked to implement the new warehouse program in two additional distribution centers. Relationships were built and communications were improved with both the egg farms and distribution centers. Everything clicked as eggs were being efficiently delivered from farms to plates.
“Our customer started selling so many more eggs,” Ron said. “Their profits were up, damages were down, and they were just absolutely thrilled with the program.”
From there the business mushroomed. The program expanded nationally in 1999 and Country Creek Farms was established the following year. That company evolved into CCF Brands in 2006.
Today CCF Brands is a Category Manager for fresh-shelled eggs in major retail, supplying billions of eggs annually.
The company has pioneered many innovations, including the introduction of the first mid-tier priced egg brand, Great Day Farms. CCF Brands also revolutionize the egg business by focusing on customer and consumer needs. CEO Justin Whaley cited CCF’s holistic approach to the business.
“The egg industry has been overwhelmingly focused on the production side of business,” Justin said. “We simply shifted the focus over to the marketing side.”
“That means we pay attention to category management, forecasting and replenishment, analysis of data, and all the things you could take to a retailer and show them we could collaboratively make decisions together and grow the market.”
While its beginnings relate to the egg, CCF Brands today is focused on driving innovation and helping others turn their ideas and products into the next big thing.
“We tell potential clients and partners that if you have a great idea or product, we can help open doors with our extensive retail knowledge and history of working with the mass channel,” said Jodie Daniels, Director of Marketing for CCF Brands.
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