Tampico Beverages manufactures refrigerated juice drinks and punches under the Tampico brand name. They are available in a variety of serving sizes and an array of fruit flavors, including mango, kiwi-strawberry, and peach. It offers bottled water flavored to appeal to Hispanic taste buds (pi�a colada, mamey-mango and grapefruit-tangerine). The company's beverages are distributed throughout the US and more than 50 other countries. Tampico (formerly known as Marbo) began making its juice products in the early 1980s and claims to be the #1 refrigerated juice drink in the US. It was acquired by food retailer, Houchens Industries, in 2008.

S&W Seed breeds seeds of the alfalfa variety. The agricultural company contracts locally grown alfalfa seeds from farmers in California's San Joaquin Valley, processes them at its production facility, and sells them to agribusinesses and farmers around the globe for use in growing animal feed -- particularly alfalfa hay -- for dairy and beef cattle, horses, and other livestock. About 50% of its certified seeds are sold to customers in the Middle East and Latin America, since the varieties it produces are better suited for warmer climates. S&W Seed also produces wheat on occasion and is looking into producing stevia, a natural, no-calorie sweetener. The company went public in May 2010.

PEZ Candy wants its treats heads above the rest. The US division makes tiny brick-shaped candies and imports the zany dispensers for them that are popular with kids and adult collectors. PEZ makes its colorful candies in the US; its dispensers, which feature a figurehead, are made in Hungary and China. PEZ's products are available through US retailers, including Wal-Martand Target, and in more than 60 other countries worldwide. The firm's product has spawned a number of lively Web sites, avid collectors' clubs, and brisk dispenser sales on eBay. PEZ originated in Austria in 1927 as a small peppermint candy and arrived in the US in the 1950s; the parent company, PEZ International, is still located in Austria.

SunOpta was founded in 1973. SunOpta Inc. has three business segments: SunOpta Foods, Opta Minerals Inc. (Opta Minerals) and SunOpta BioProcess Inc. (SunOpta BioProcess). SunOpta Foods operates in the natural, organic and specialty foods and natural health product sectors. SunOpta Foods is comprised of five operating groups: Grains and Foods Group, Ingredients Group, Fruit Group, International Sourcing and Trading Group and Distribution Group. Opta Minerals processes, sells and distributes silica-free loose abrasives and other specialty industrial minerals to the foundry, steel, roofing shingle and marine/bridge cleaning industries. SunOpta BioProcess operates facilities in Brampton, Ontario and pilot plant facilities in Waterdown, Ontario.

DFA is one of the world's largest dairy cooperatives, with some 17,000 member/farmers nationwide. Some 1.8 million cows belonging to member/farmers produce about 62 billion pounds of milk a year, which DFA markets. Along with fresh and shelf-stable fluid milk, the co-op produces cheese, butter, dried whey, dried milk powder, and other dairy products for industrial, wholesale, and retail customers worldwide. It also offers contract manufacturing services. The co-op has some 30 manufacturing sites located throughout the country. DFA, which netted more than $8 billion in sales in 2009, is a major supplier to US dairy powerhouse, Dean Foods.

Randall Foods looks at a chickens and cows and sees dinner. The company processes poultry, pork, and beef into fresh packaged chicken and meats, and distributes them to retail food outlets and foodservice operators in Southern California and Arizona under the Randall Farms brand name. It makes some 500 different products, offering a variety of fresh beef, chicken, and pork products. The company's value-added fresh meats are sold under the Easy Does It Meals brand contain everything to make a complete meal. Randall also offers a line of natural meats from animals free of artificial ingredients and raised using no antibiotics or growth hormones. President and CEO Stan Bloom owns the company.

Bimbo Bakeries USA (BBU) is serious about making breads, cakes, and cookies. The US subsidiary of Mexico's baking behemoth, Grupo Bimbo ("bimbo" is a shortened version of the Spanish word "bambino" or "small child"), BBU operates 35 bakeries and has more than 7,000 distribution routes. In addition to bread, the company also manufactures tortillas, bagels, snack cakes, muffins, and pizza crust, as well as sweet and salty snacks. It makes and distributes products under the Bimbo, Boboli, Mrs Baird's, Oroweat, Old Country, Weber's, Francisco, Tia Rosa, and Marinela brands.

The V&S Group has absolute power -- er, make that "Absolut" power. The company is Sweden's top supplier of wine and spirits, but it is best known for its Absolut vodka, which is sold in 126 markets. The group is comprised of three business units: V&S Absolut Spirits, V&S Distillers, and V&S Wine. V&S has a long-term agreement with Maxxium Worldwide, a spirits distribution consortium, for distribution of its beverages outside the Nordic countries and the US. In 2008 the company was auctioned off to Pernod Ricard by its owner, the Swedish government.

John Nagle Co., a full-line wholesaler of fresh and frozen seafood, was founded in 1887 by John J. Nagle. Since then, four generations of the Nagle family have upheld their strong commitment to family traditions and values within the seafood industry. The founder’s great-grandson, Charles Nagle, is the company’s current president.

The Northern California La Tortilla Factory was founded in 1977 by Jose and Mary Tamayo. The La Tortilla Factory might not have abuelitas (grandmothers) hand-patting each tortilla like the old days, but this family-run business cranks out traditional corn and flour tortilla and taco shells at a brisk rate. It produces a number of varieties, such as regular, herb-flavored, organic, multi-grain, flavored, organic, extra virgin olive oil, low-carbohydrate, gluten-free and fat-free. Its brands include La Tortilla Factory, Sonoma, and Smart & Delicious. La Tortilla Factory sells its products to retail food outlets and foodservice operations; its products can be found in major retail stores, delis, and restaurants throughout the US.

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