Santa
Catarina
Premium canned tuna from the Azorean sea. The tuna is caught using the Pole and Line method (1 man, 1 fishing rod, 1 fishhook, 1 tuna fish) without any sort of predatory activity, being the only fishing method to be considered Dolphin Safe and environmentally sustainable. It is then manually canned with ingredients grown in the Azores.
A US company had recently gained the import rights for an Azorean brand of canned tuna that fit a niche in the higher end side of canned products and the flavors of the cut fillets were unique. In the spring of 2014 we were able to set up a meeting with HEB's Brand Development Manager.
HEB asked for private labeling opportunities, but instead we worked out an exclusivity deal for 5 years in the area. We hit 60% of shelves in HEB in spring of 2015.
The launch was with a BOGO coupon and that helped in a huge way getting trial from consumers. As a whole, the business has been very successful and our exposure as being a supplier to HEB has helped gain notice and entry from other retailers.
