Carlisle, Pennsylvania, United States – Ahold USA hosted its first annual Local/Diverse Business Opportunity Fair on June 16, 2011 with a goal of strengthening its connection to local agricultural and diverse businesses.
Participants from more than 140 companies were given the opportunity to have their products reviewed by Ahold USA Procurement Teams for possible placement in more than 750 stores throughout the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. More than half of the vendors who participated have businesses headquartered within the Ahold USA geographic footprint. Other attendees included representatives of diverse, woman or minority-owned businesses.
“At Ahold USA, we maintain a strong commitment to developing business opportunities with women-owned, minority-owned and regional businesses and supplying their products to our customers,” said James Sturgis, director of supplier diversity & trade relations, Ahold USA.
Both the Giant Carlisle and Stop & Shop divisions have hosted similar events in previous years. Recent restructuring provided the opportunity to create a larger event that was inclusive of all the Ahold USA divisions.
“The event was an outstanding opportunity for me as a small business person,” said Marietta John, founder/president of Bucketcake Inc. “The procurement teams were very interested in my business and how we could fit into their system, answering my questions thoroughly. This was an important opportunity for me and my company and I’m looking forward to a new partnership with Ahold USA.”
