Company History
Last Updated on Friday, 04 January 2008 08:36 Written by Administrator Monday, 03 December 2007 22:56
1960
- Webeco founded by its original partners, Murray and Sid Weil. Company begins as a specialty food and dairy product distributor handling gourmet cheeses, specialty foods and gourmet chocolates.
1969
- When the US government expands the quantity of imported dairy items allowed into this country, the company applies for (and is granted) historical imported cheese quotas by the USDA.
- Two subsidiary companies, Miami Distributors and Queso Training, are formed to manage separate quota portfolios.
1980
- Webeco Foods is purchased by the principals of Walkers Foods, a large New York City based importer and distributor.
1980s
- Leveraging its historical import quota portfolio, Webeco makes the strategic decision to refocus itself on the importation of cheese products.
- Sales are concentrated primarily within the food service channel, selling to a broad base of distributors and cruise ship handlers.
1988
- Mario Fernandez is hired as sales manager and ultimately replaces Webeco’s existing management team.
1990
- Faced with years of declining sales, the company moves from an office park near Miami International Airport into a shared warehouse space with Dutch Cheese Company, a Holland cheese import company owned by Mario Fernandez.
- This consolidation enables both companies to reduce overhead, and allows Webeco to abandon costly public storage facilities in favor of its own on-site warehouse.
1990’s
- The company begins the process of diversifying its customer base to reduce its reliance on low-margin cruise ship and airline catering sales.
1991
- Webeco begins importing Swiss cheese directly form Denmark, a line that has since grown into the company’s top volume seller.
1992
- Webeco begins importing cheeses directly from Spain.
1994
- The company expands its business into the retail supermarket channel for the first time.
- Mario Fernandez purchases Webeco from Walker Foods and brings in brothers Luis and Jose Teijeiro as partners.
1998
- Webeco and Dutch Cheese Company merge operations, and retain the corporate name of Webeco Foods, Inc.
2000
- Webeco develops a consolidated French import program, adding a wide array of French specialty cheeses to its growing product portfolio.
- The company reaches agreement with Forlasa, the premier cheese manufacturer in Spain, to become its exclusive US importer/agent.
2002
- The company enters into an agreement with Dos Pinos, Costa Rica’s leading dairy product manufacturer, to become its exclusive US importer/agent.
2005
- Webeco enters into agreement with Ferrarini, Italy’s premier manufacturer of cooked ham and dry cured meat products, to become its US importer/agent.
- The company relocates north of Miami into a modern new 31,000 sq.ft. warehouse facility in Medley, Florida. The new building features an expanded product cooler, freezer, dry storage warehouse and cheese cutting room.
- Webeco absorbs the assets of Cadur Trading Company and First Choice Distributors, and begins servicing the top four retail supermarket chains in South Florida with its own direct-store-delivery (DSD) distribution fleet.
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