This is about as blind-date-ish as one can get in CPG, a quick LinkedIn chat turned into a podcast episode in a matter of 48 hours. Matthew Kubick from Local Demo Service (a national sampling and roadshow vendor in the US) shares his insights on how product sampling drives impact for better-for-you brands.He breaks down his playbook for CPG growth and shares why patience is a founders' greatest asset when scaling a sustainable brand across competitive markets like Costco and Sprouts.Learn more about Matthew and his team at: https://www.localdemoservice.com/Learn more about SHELFSPACE and its host, Corwin Hiebert, here: https://www.shelfspacepodcast.com/And to the SHELFSPACE corporate partners, thank you!TD Business Banking https://www.td.com/ca/en/commercial-bankingFasken https://www.fasken.com/en/services/industries/agribusinessRhema https://rhemamade.com/Pacific Coast Distribution https://www.pacificcoast.ca/Picnic Creative https://picniccreates.com/Benchmark Sixty https://www.benchmarksixty.com/
46 years, one family, and a whole lot of tasty almonds. Mitch Oberfield joins Corwin Hiebert to talk about NatureSource's small-batch premium nut mixes, roasted snacks and Salad Toppers, AND what it takes to run a food manufacturing business across international markets. The conversation gets into pricing strategies, supply management and quality control. They even explore: how front-of-pack warning labels are reshaping innovation strategy, the trade challenges of exporting globally, and the thinking behind their recent packaging glow-up. As always, a quick galactic shout out to the partners who make SHELFSPACE possible: TD business banking– which is actually this episodes’ lead sponsor, and the rest of the cosmic corporate crew: Pacific Coast Distribution, Fasken, Benchmark Sixty, Rhema, and Picnic Creative. Learn more about the brand at https://www.natursource.com/. Learn more about the show and the host, Corwin Hiebert, at https://www.shelfspacepodcast.com/Learn more about how our corporate partners help food and beverage brands and retailers:TD Business Banking https://www.td.com/ca/en/commercial-bankingFasken https://www.fasken.com/en/services/industries/agribusinessRhema https://rhemamade.com/Pacific Coast Distribution https://www.pacificcoast.ca/Picnic Creative https://picniccreates.com/Benchmark Sixty https://www.benchmarksixty.com/
This one's with Aaron Henderson from SweetLeaf — an early investor in Olipop and one of the sharpest CPG minds I know. We talk holograms in the aisles, QR codes that finally do more than slow-load a website, and the future of fiber and Stevia as health-focused ingredients. We also get into how brands like Drizzle Honey are navigating US-Canada tariffs, and what it takes to build a shopping experience people actually enjoy. Learn more about the brands we talked about: https://www.sweetleaf.com/https://drizzlehoney.com/Thank you to the businesses helping bring SHELFSPACE to your podbox: Pacific Coast Distribution, Fasken, Picnic Creative, TD Business Banking, Benchmark Sixty, and Rhema. Learn more about Corwin Hiebert and this podcast here: https://www.shelfspacepodcast.com/
We're going to stay on the food recovery train for this one because it's a topic that's very near and dear to my heart. As we all know, every year, tons of good food never makes it past the loading dock — not because it's bad, just because the system isn't built to redistribute. This conversation is with Jessica Regan from FoodMesh, a platform that's already helped recover more than eighty million meals by making food rescue as simple as a few clicks. We get into why grocery stores get most of the attention on food waste while farms and manufacturers face the same problem with far less support, how siloed the food system still is, and what real coordination — and better policy — could look like. Learn more about how your business can tackle food waste at https://foodmesh.ca/. SHELFSPACE is proud to have an out-of-this-world team of corporate partners who not only make this show possible but also know and love the food and beverage space. Follow the links below to learn more about how their teams can support your next mission:TD Business Banking—They have dedicated themselves to the food and beverage sector with local relationship managers who partner with you to understand the specific hurdles you face every day. https://www.td.com/ca/en/commercial-bankingFasken—As the largest law firm in Canada, this expert team provides comprehensive legal counsel to help food and beverage manufacturers navigate complex regulatory landscapes, multi-jurisdictional growth, and mergers and acquisitions.https://www.fasken.com/en/services/industries/agribusinessRhema—This specialized contract manufacturing and packaging team has the creativity and technical expertise to deliver high-quality, market-ready dry-powder formulations that give your brand a competitive edge.https://rhemamade.com/Pacific Coast Distribution—This Western Canadian team delivers reliable, temperature-controlled logistics and warehousing tailored specifically to the unique demands of the food and beverage industry. https://www.pacificcoast.ca/Picnic Creative—Known as a one-stop shop for creating custom food and beverage content, this team knows how to capture and communicate your brand’s unique voice. https://picniccreates.com/Benchmark Sixty—These consultants deliver impact through data-driven operational strategies for food service businesses, helping them optimize labor productivity and protect profit margins. https://www.benchmarksixty.com/
We love talking about what's new on the shelf — but what about what's not there at all? This conversation is with Kailey, who went from CPG founder to leading a new chapter at Odd Bunch, a food rescue business cutting waste and getting perfectly good food to more people. Their produce boxes have been one of the hottest things in direct-to-consumer grocery, and now they're taking on the pantry — saving consumers money and solving logistics headaches for manufacturers. Learn more at Odd Bunch. If you're in the food and beverage manufacturing industry then our SHELFSPACE partners might be a great fit for your business -- take a look into how these teams can help you scale-up and win: TD Bank, Fasken, Benchmark Sixty, Pacific Coast Distribution, Rhema, and Picnic Creative. Okay, here's my conversation with Kailey.Learn more about who's behind this show at https://www.shelfspacepodcast.com/.