Made-Rite Sandwich Company introduces new brand Chattanooga-based
Made-Rite Sandwich Company -- among the nation's leading single-serve sandwich
and packaged snack makers -- is introducing a new brand for virtually all
of its products.
In March, Great American Deli will replace Made-Rite, the company's primary
retail brand for almost a half-century. The introduction culminates months
of research, planning and preparation.
"The changing nature of the marketplace and the new markets we've entered
over the last few years, coupled with our desire to develop innovative new
products and processes, has led us to take this step," says Keith Sullivan,
Made-Rite's president. "After doing business with Made-Rite as our main brand
since 1959, it's a big change -- but also very exciting."
Made-Rite, with annual sales topping $15.5 million, is privately held and
family owned, founded by Sullivan's father, Ray Sullivan, now board chairman.
Made-Rite stocks its products in more than 4,000 convenience stores and across
10 Southeastern states, as well as some vending machines. In addition to the
Made-Rite sandwich brand, the firm also markets food products bearing several
additional brands, including Orpie's, Wolftever and Casa Del Toro. Great American
Deli will supplant all except Casa Del Toro.
Made-Rite's "Hot-2-Go!" product line of hot-served sandwiches introduced
in 1998 are sold at select convenience stores in 30 additional states and
accounts for roughly 20% of total sales. Based on a patented packaging process
that allows food to be served fresh longer, "Hot-2-Go!" is the fastest growing
segment for Made-Rite.
Products bearing the Great American Deli brand started to appear on convenience
store shelves in March 2005.
Beyond the process of converting package printing processes for the new brand,
Made-Rite also will rebrand its fleet of some 80 delivery and service trucks
and vans and provide its convenience store clients with new point-of-purchase
signage and cooler stickers. "This kind of transformation is a big job," Sullivan
says. "But it's something our customers are excited about, and it goes without
saying that everyone at Made-Rite is extremely excited. We're absolutely focused
on making it a smooth transition."
The new brand has been in development for months as Made-Rite's management
team worked closely with some of the nation's leading marketing, branding
and food industry consultants.
"It's been a well-planned process that has allowed us to thoroughly review
a wide range of options and develop a new brand that better reflects who we
are today and our direction for the coming decades, says Sullivan. "The name
has a solid, heartland feel and the visuals for packaging are dynamic with
plenty of shelf appeal. "In consumer testing up against leading competitors,
Great American Deli is a home run."
We've relied on some of the best experts in the marketing and food business,"
says Sullivan. "Daniel+Douglas+Norcross in Chattanooga worked closely with
us in laying out the plan and managing our new introduction to market. Together,
we chose Master-McNeil for the naming phase, and Fitch:RPA to develop the
actual packaged goods trademark. We've also brought onboard Mattson and Company,
one of the top food consultancies, to work with us on research and development
for new products as well as refining and reformulating a few of our current
offerings."
