OtherNorthwest Food Processors Association Announces Free Associate Member Category for Small Food Processing Businesses
Contributed by NWFPA
Northwest Food Processors Association (NWFPA), the leading regional food manufacturing trade association in the U.S., today announced a unique free membership category for small food processing businesses. Food processors with annual sales of $1 million or less can become Associate Members of NWFPA without having to pay annual membership dues.
Associate Processor Members will receive members-only discounts on events, education and training products, and will be able to post job openings in the association’s online Jobs Board. They will benefit from a company name listing in the print and online directory, and will receive ongoing industry news and publications, such as the association’s flagship newsletter, Northwest Reports.
“The association’s primary purpose is to strengthen the competitiveness of the Northwest food processing industry,” said NWFPA board chair Mark Dunn of J.R. Simplot Company. “By making basic membership services readily available to even the smallest food processors, the overall industry becomes stronger through greater food safety knowledge and a more robust processor network.”
The category will have some limitations. Associate members will not have voting rights, nor will they have access to the association’s valued issue managers, which provide high-level expertise on important food industry priorities, such as food safety, regulatory affairs and government relations. Associate members also will not be allowed to serve on committees without a special invitation from the committee chair.
To spread the word about this new program, NWFPA plans to reach out to smaller, family-owned food processing companies through its broad network of public and private entities that currently support local small businesses. Of particular interest will be the 100th Annual Northwest Food Processors Expo & Conference January 12 – 15, 2014 at the Oregon Convention Center.
Food entrepreneurs will be a major focus of the concluding day of the NW EXPO, Wednesday, January 15, 2014 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Final day registration is “free-for-all,” and will feature 30-minute presentations customized for small-medium food processors.
Food processors interested in becoming a member of NWFPA can find more information and download an application from the membership section of the association’s web site, www.nwfpa.org/membership.
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Northwest Food Processors Association (NWFPA) represents the interests of food processors in Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Members include fruit and vegetable processors, seafood, dairy, poultry, bakeries, specialty and fresh-cut. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, the association represents 450 member companies including nearly 80 food processors which employ 40,000 workers at 150 production facilities throughout the Northwest.
CONTACT:
Tawnia Linde, Membership Development Manager
503-327-2212 (direct)
