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Attention editors and journalists: To receive media advisories and press releases, please email info@OrganicSugars.biz and note "media interest" in the subject line. We'll be in touch as soon as possible.
Many thanks, The Wholesome Sweeteners Communications Team
At 8 a.m. on Saturday, October 1, 2011, more than 350 kids will participate in the Fifth Annual Sugar Tri Kidz Triathlon held at First Colony Aquatic Center in Sugar Land. Wholesome Sweeteners is once again the title sponsor of the event, which is fast becoming a popular tradition in the community and is now the largest kids triathlon in the South. The “kids only” event, which includes swimming, biking and running, is great for kids who want to try competing in a triathlon.
“Wholesome Sweeteners is proud of our continued support of this event which creates an environment for kids that fosters a healthy lifestyle and sense of accomplishment as well as some friendly competition,” say Nigel Willerton, Wholesome Sweeteners’ CEO and triathlete who competes in Iron Man events in the US and UK. “Year after year this triathlon continues to be successful thanks to all the hard work of the participants, volunteers and sponsors.”
In order to participate, children must be between the ages of 5-12 as of December 31, 2011 and be a USA Triathlon member, which costs only $5 per year. Distances for each portion of the triathlon varies based on the child’s age group.
The triathlon not only provides area children with the opportunity to compete and be active but also gives back to the community. The proceeds of the event go to the Snowdrop Foundation and the Cdifferent Foundation. The Snowdrop Foundation is an organization dedicated to assisting patients and families at the Texas Children’s Cancer Center. The Cdifferent Foundation is especially close to Willerton’s heart as he helped guide a blind athlete, Brandon Adame, through the inaugural Texas Iron Man Competition this past May. Cdifferent was founded to inspire visually impaired people to lead active and healthy lives. The foundation creates opportunities for the visually impaired athletes to compete in events such as the Iron Man by matching them up with sighted guides.
Parents who would like to register their kids for the race or who are seeking more information can visit http://sugartrikidz.org.
MEDIA ADVISORY:
Wholesome Sweeteners Surpasses Fair Trade $4 million Milestone!
For Immediate Release: September 29, 2011
Media Contacts:
Monica E. Clem, Marketing Communications Coordinator, Monica@OrganicSugars.biz, 281-275-3120
Since pioneering the Fair Trade Certification process for sweeteners in 2005, Wholesome Sweeteners has paid more than $4 million in social premiums to benefit farming and beekeeping cooperatives in the developing world. Fair Trade premiums are paid over and above the price of the product and must be used by the co-op to benefit the community as a whole. As a member of a Fair Trade cooperative, farmers are given the opportunity to own land, send their children to school, and build thriving communities. Workers on Fair Trade farms enjoy safe working conditions and living wages. Fair Trade farmers and farm workers invest Fair Trade premiums in social and business development projects like scholarship programs, health care services, quality improvement trainings, and organic certification.
Because farmers receive a fair price for their products, they are able to practice environmentally sustainable farming methods (no harmful agrochemicals or GMOS) that protect their health and preserve valuable ecosystems for future generations.
“This is such an important milestone for Wholesome Sweeteners,” says Pauline McKee, VP of Marketing and Company Co-Founder. We have worked hand in hand with our farmers and beekeepers for the last 6 years to make sure they not only produce the finest sugars and honeys but also have the tools to live a life with meaningful employment and living wages. We are stewards of the land where our products are produced. It is our responsibility to help create a healthy, thriving and sustainable community for our cooperative families and future generations.”
Wholesome Sweeteners has worked closely with our farming and beekeeping cooperatives all around the world to help make a direct impact on their communities. Imagine life without the basic necessities of electricity and running water; many people would have a hard time. Social premiums paid by Wholesome Sweeteners helped bring safe drinking water and electricity to
our co-op’s village in Malawi. Villagers no longer have to walk miles for clean drinking water or live without basic necessities that are so common in the developed world.
In Paraguay, Fair Trade premiums paid by Wholesome Sweeteners help farmers buy tractors and trucks, and convert thousands of acres of conventional cane cultivation to organic cane cultivation, normally a 3-year process. And in Mexico, Fair Trade premiums support schools and clinics, and help communities maintain ties to ancient indigenous cultures while participating in the global marketplace.
As awareness of Fair Trade products and their benefits grow, Wholesome Sweeteners will continue to educate customers and champion the rights
Nigel Willerton, Company Co-Founder and CEO of Wholesome Sweeteners and Jorge Baez, President of the Paraguayan FT Co-op, Caneros Organicos Asociados (CORA) in front of the new trucks that Fair Trade premiums paid by Wholesome Sweeteners helped purchase.
| of farmers in developing countries. With Fair Trade products, customers can be sure that Every Purchase Matters!
MEDIA ADVISORY:
Bobbie Kahara Moves to Marketing Group at Wholesome Sweeteners
For Immediate Release: September 22, 2011
Media Contacts:
Sarah Miller, Director of Marketing, Sarah@OrganicSugars.biz, 281-275-3146
Monica E. Clem, Marketing Communications Coordinator, Monica@OrganicSugars.biz, 281-275-3120
Bobbie Lynn Kahara may be new to the marketing group at Wholesome Sweeteners but she is no stranger to the company. Prior to her position as Events and Promotions Associate Marketing Manager, Bobbie was in the customer service department of the organization for approximately four years. During this time, she had an opportunity to engage with customers on a daily basis, developing an immense appreciation for their needs and expectations, which she feels will benefit her in her new role.
When Bobbie learned of the opening in marketing she decided to apply for the position because she was keenly interested in expanding her knowledge of the operations of the company and felt she could leverage the skills she has acquired during her many years in customer service.
“We are thrilled to have Bobbie join our team,” remarked Pauline McKee, Vice President of Marketing for Wholesome Sweeteners. “Her prior experience and understanding of our customers and the industry will enhance our marketing efforts and be a huge asset to the company.”
Bobbie’s responsibilities are focused on managing the planning, scheduling, organization and co-ordination of all trade shows, consumer exhibitions, promotions, demonstrations, and marketing events for the company. This is no small task since the company attends approximately 30 trade shows and expos a year.
“Previously, I usually worked with customers via email or over the phone so trade shows provide a wonderful opportunity to meet with our customers face to face,” said Bobbie.
Bobbie has learned that the typical consumer customer for Wholesome Sweeteners is more informed about the food he or she purchases and consumes. She recognizes that customers have different reasons for choosing Wholesome Sweetener products. It may be because the products are organic, or support Fair Trade, or perhaps because they are non-GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) certified.
“While working in customer service, I frequently heard from customers who were very appreciative of the selection of sweeteners we provide,” Bobbie proudly states. “I think that’s what makes us unique is that we offer such a large selection of products – everything from low-glycemic to zero calories to agaves, honeys and syrups.”
Bobbie shares that she enjoys learning new things and that is the main reason she applied for the marketing position. It’s clear to those who work with Bobbie that she truly enjoys interacting with customers.
Since she began working at Wholesome Sweeteners, Bobbie admits she has developed a strong appreciation for the importance of organic and natural foods.
“I have made a number of changes in my lifestyle.” She adds “I’m now very conscious of how and where I shop and what types of food I purchase for my family. I also recognize the significance of shopping at local farmers markets and patronizing restaurants that serve local meats and produce. I know that making these small efforts will benefit not only my family, but the community and the environment.”
Currently, Bobbie is coordinating the company’s attendance at the annual Natural Products Expo East, taking place in Baltimore later this month. The company has exhibited at the show for a number of years and it is one of the biggest trade shows the company attends. This is the first large trade show that Bobbie is responsible for managing and her excitement is evident, partly because the company will be introducing several new products at the show.
Although she spent most of her childhood growing up in Maine, Bobbie has been in Houston for more than 20 years. Bobbie and her two sisters moved to Texas after their mother decided that the family needed a change. She laughs as she explains that her mother couldn’t have picked a place more different from Maine than Houston.
She recounts how her mother quickly acclimated to Houston. According to Bobbie, “I don’t think we were here for more than a week when my mother bought a bumper sticker that read ‘I wasn’t born in Texas but I got her as fast as I could’.”
Bobbie concludes by sharing that her new job is just about perfect for her because it allows her to learn the marketing side of the business but she can still frequently engage with customers – something she has grown to enjoy immensely.-Carlos Arcos
MEDIA ADVISORY:
Wholesome Sweeteners Welcomes Monica Clem as Marketing Communications Coordinator
For Immediate Release: September 15, 2011
Media Contacts:
Sarah Miller, Director of Marketing, Sarah@OrganicSugars.biz, 281-275-3146
Monica E. Clem, Marketing Communications Coordinator, Monica@OrganicSugars.biz, 281-275-3120
Monica Clem, one of the newest additions to Wholesome Sweeteners growing marketing group, explains that her passion for organic and sustainable foods began while she was in college.
Originally from El Paso, Texas, Monica attended St. Edwards University in Austin. While at St. Edwards, Monica began working for the Austin Farmers Market, an organization under the umbrella of the Sustainable Food Center (SFC). SFC is a non-profit dedicated to creating opportunities for individuals to make healthy food choices and to participate in a vibrant local food system through organic food gardening, relationships with area farmers, interactive cooking classes and nutrition education. She worked with the farmers market for two years, starting off as an intern but after quickly proving her abilities, she was hired on permanently.
She admits that she gave her “blood, sweat and tears” to the farmers market. While her college friends were getting ready to go out on Friday night, she was going to bed at 9 p.m. since she had to be up on Saturday morning at 3 a.m. to help with the set up at the market.
“I don’t regret those early mornings because this was the beginning of my love for sustainable and organic foods,” says Monica. “I developed a great respect for those small farmers that were trying to make a living off farming. It made it all worthwhile when a farmer would tell me that because of the farmers market, they were able to support their family.”
As the Marketing Communications Coordinator for Wholesome Sweeteners, Monica is responsible for a multitude of activities. She manages the company’s web presence including overseeing all of its online social media efforts that allow the brand to better engage with its customers through such popular social media networks like Facebook and Twitter.
Monica explains that social media provides the company with an opportunity to increase the visibility of the brand and communicate with consumers one on one. She explains how a customer may visit the Wholesome Sweeteners website and decide to try one of the posted recipes. The customer may then go to the company’s Facebook page or send a tweet asking a question about the recipe, like what is the conversion for different types of sweeteners.
According to Monica, the challenge is to respond in a timely manner. “Members of the marketing department take turns monitoring our social media outlets and responding to any inquiries,” Monica states.” Someone in the department is connected at every point during the day. We can’t always reply immediately but we make the utmost effort to reply to all customer requests by the end of each day.”
She points out that this interaction with the customer via social media networks provides a great perspective in real time on who the customers are and what products they are using.
Monica shares that the company also attempts to offer its social media followers information on a broad range of topics that promote a lifestyle that is aligned with the company’s philosophy like organics, non-GMO verified products, Fair Trade and sustainability, to name a few.
Currently, Monica is preparing for National Fair Trade Month in October. Wholesome Sweeteners is working with Fair Trade USA to educate the public on Fair Trade and the benefits of purchasing Fair Trade products. She explains that it is important to let the public know that Fair Trade is not about giving aid to these farmers but is a means to provide them with a fair premium for their products that allows them to provide for their families and help build schools, health clinics, and roads.
She gives one of many examples of how the Fair Trade premiums that Wholesome Sweeteners paid to its partners in Africa helped bring clean drinking water to the farming village. She adds that stories like this will serve as a powerful motivator for consumers to purchase Fair Trade because they can make a direct impact on the lives of farmers and their families in developing countries as well as encourage environmentally-friendly farming practices that benefit everyone.
“This is one of the largest marketing efforts that Fair Trade USA has offered and we are excited to be a part of it,” says Monica. “There is an ongoing opportunity to educate consumers about organics and Fair Trade as well as about the Wholesome Sweeteners brand. For instance, consumers, especially in more rural areas may not be able to buy our products at their local supermarket but we can tell them where they can purchase our sweeteners online.”
She mentions that 36 percent of consumers know about Fair Trade products so a goal has been set to increase this number to 40 percent through Fair Trade month.
Outside of work, Monica and her husband stay busy with their 13-month old daughter. Monica tries to purchase organic and all-natural foods as much as possible to feed her family. It’s a zeal she developed when she began working with the farmers market in Austin. She proudly admits that they are feeding their daughter only organic and natural foods. They are so committed to doing this that they made their own baby food until recently when their daughter began eating solid foods.
Monica confesses that she and her husband are “foodies” and cook frequently and also enjoy trying out new restaurants in Houston’s vibrant dining scene. She proudly puts forward that food is a centerpiece of her family’s life and is a wonderful way to bring family and friends together. They spend so much time in the kitchen that she and her husband built their dream kitchen.
“Wholesome Sweeteners was such a natural fit for me,” Monica says with a smile. “Joining Wholesome is like returning to those amazing days when I was working for the farmers market and I couldn’t be happier.”-Carlos Arcos
MEDIA ADVISORY:
Wholesome Sweeteners’ CEO to Run Across Ethiopia—
for fair trade and education
For Immediate Release: January 5, 2011
Media Contacts:
Pauline McKee, VP Marketing, Pauline@OrganicSugars.biz, 281-490-9579
Karen Stevenson, Communications, Karen@OrganicSugars.biz, 773-904-7915
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On of the runners ... Wholesome Sweeteners' CEO Nigel Willerton.
The beneficiaries ... Students in Afursa Waro, Ethiopia |
Houston/Sugar Land TX – Nigel Willerton checks the knots on his shoes, stretches a bit, and then heads out onto the road. Yesterday, he ran 11 miles; today, he’ll run another 17 miles; then he’ll board a plane for Ethiopia. Willerton is training for a 250-mile ultra-marathon. On January 9, he will join ten other runners in the ten-day** Run Across Ethiopia, a fundraising event to support school building projects in that country’s Fair Trade coffee-growing regions.
At 45, Willerton, a Houstonian, is an established Iron Man competitor, but more than that, he’s committed to Fair Trade and has seen first-hand what additional income can mean for farming cooperatives and their communities. Willerton helms Texas-based Wholesome Sweeteners, US’s largest supplier of Fair Trade Certified, organic and natural sugars, honeys, and agave syrups. Willerton pioneered standards for Fair Trade Certified sweeteners in the US in 2005.
Fair Trade Certification represents a binding contract between Wholesome and the farming and beekeeping cooperatives in Malawi, Paraguay, Mexico and Brazil that supply Wholesome’s sugars and honeys. The Fair Trade agreements provide for direct payment, fair market prices, and a social premium paid beyond the price of the cane sugars and honeys the co-ops supply. Since 2005, Wholesome has paid more than $2.5 million in social premiums to cooperative partners. (Premiums are above and beyond the price of the sugar or honey) In turn, the co-ops have invested the premiums in safe water, transportation, and communication systems; schools and clinics, and the resources to maintain them; and in organic and sustainable practices that will ensure future income for the co-op members and their families.
“Sometimes, that extra mile makes all the difference. Add 250 of them together and we can make a real impact,” Willerton says. “The Run Across Ethiopia is about direct intervention in education, above and beyond supporting Fair Trade farmers, to make the desperately needed schooling happen now! It’s simple really--building a new school in Ethiopia could take a lifetime, or a few months if we can help with the right resources. Long-term, education and knowledge will lift countries like Ethiopia out of poverty.”
The run will begin in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, and wind through the Great Rift Valley to Afursa Waro, the hub for more than 129 coffee cooperatives and more than 800,000 families. “Our goal is to let farmers know that people on the other side of the world really care about their kids’ future—and to back it up with money. I am honored to have been invited to participate in the run.”
The project is a campaign of On The Ground, a non-profit 501c3 established by Chris Treter, the founder and president of Higher Grounds Trading Company in Traverse City, Michigan. OTG works directly with communities around the globe to help them gain sustainable access to fresh water, education, and quality healthcare. According to OTG, the average coffee grower in Afursa Waro earns $1.25 a day; it will take more than $40,000 to build a single school there. (The average American spends $165 a year on coffee, more than 50% of the annual wage of the people who grow and pick the coffee beans in Afursa Waro.)
Through the Run Across Ethiopia, OTG is on track to raise more than $175,000 to build a number of schools to serve the co-ops’ kids. Willerton’s efforts will be an individual contribution to the cause (tracked daily on Wholesome’s on-line resources). Wholesome Sweeteners matched, dollar-for-dollar, every individual donation made in Willerton’s honor before December 31, 2010. For more information, please visit www.OrganicSugars.biz.
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For more information ... In addition to following Willerton’s blog at www.OrganicSugars.biz, see his great interview and hear why he is Running Across Ethiopia (the link is on Wholesome's home page as well). Visit http://www.onthegroundglobal.org/On_The_Ground/Home for complete updates on the runners’ progress.
** The Run has been extended to 12 days.
MEDIA ADVISORY
Wholesome Sweeteners: Taking a firm stand against GMO foods
For Immediate Release: 4th January, 2010
Media Contacts:
Pauline McKee, VP Marketing: 281-490-9579; Pauline@OrganicSugars.biz
Karen Stevenson, Communications: 773.904.7915; Karen@OrganicSugars.biz
Sugar Land, TX --- It’s really all about food—what we eat, how it’s grown and by whom, and how it’s made. For years, Wholesome Sweeteners has been a staunch advocate for “clean food,” food that’s free from synthetic chemicals, food that’s grown rather than manufactured, food that our great-grandparents would recognize and know how to cook. “Sometimes it seems that we’re a long way from real food,” says Pauline McKee, Wholesome Sweeteners VP of Marketing. “As a company specializing in organic and all-natural sugars, honeys, agaves and syrups, Wholesome Sweeteners appreciates consumers who take the time to read labels. Product labels tell us where the food comes from, who made it, what is in it and how it is produced. More than that, a product label speaks volumes about a company’s business beliefs and practices.”
“Case-in-point,” says McKee, “the Non-GMO Project recently verified Wholesome Sweeteners’ products as compliant with their rigorous non-GMO standard. Their verification reinforces our long-standing commitment to always offer consumers organic and sustainably produced sweeteners that are as close to nature as they can be. The Non-GMO Project has independently verified that we practice what we preach.”
The Non-GMO Project is a not-for-profit collaboration of “manufacturers, retailers, processors, distributors, farmers, seed companies and consumers” – all of whom share the belief that consumers should know if their food is genetically modified or not. More than an independent 3rd party verification, the Non-GMO Project verification allows Wholesome Sweeteners’ packages to bear a stamp to assure consumers that a food product has been tested for GMOs.”
McKee believes that consumers need this verification now more than ever. “As more of our foods become genetically modified and deliberately mixed with non-GMO crops, it is very difficult for any of us to exercise our right to choose between GMO and non-GMO foods. I’m evermore concerned over genetically modified food ingredients,” says McKee. “I know that millions of others are too. This is an important assurance for all of us.”
The recent Non-GMO verification adds to Wholesome Sweeteners’ market distinction of also being the only Fair Trade Certified™ sweetener company in the United States. The Fair Trade label, which appears on the company’s sugars from Malawi and Paraguay, and honeys from Mexico and Brazil, means farmers who produced the products are being given a fair chance in the marketplace.
About Wholesome Sweeteners
Wholesome Sweeteners is the nation's leader in Fair Trade Certified, USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified and sustainably produced sugars from Malawi and Paraguay, Blue Agave syrups from Mexico and honeys from Mexico and Brazil.
Based in Sugar Land, Texas, Wholesome Sweeteners was established in 2001. The company is celebrating it’s 10th anniversary this year. In addition to bringing the best organic, sustainable and unrefined sweeteners to the North American market, Wholesome pioneered the certification process for Fair Trade Certified sugar and honey. Since pioneering Fair Trade, Wholesome has paid more than $2.5 million to farming and beekeeping cooperatives in the developing world. Fair Trade means that farmers can buy land, send their kids to school, and build thriving communities.
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As featured ...
Chadwick Boyd, of Atlanta's Lovely & Delicious, wades through a sea of sweeteners on Good Day Atlanta. Enjoy the recipe!
New Product Release: 2010 (PDF)
Contact: Karen Stevenson, Communications Manager, 773-904-7915 or Karen@OrganicSugars.biz
What’s your FLAVOR?
Wholesome Sweeteners
Introduces
Cinnamon, Maple, Strawberry and Vanilla
FLAVORED BLUE AGAVES
“These are amazing … From pancakes, to coffees and iced beverages, I can think of a million uses and tons of recipe ideas for each new flavor!”
--Karen Stevenson, Wholesome’s taste-test team
The innovators at Wholesome Sweeteners have introduced amazing NEW Cinnamon, Maple, Strawberry and Vanilla Flavored Organic Blue Agave Syrups. Made from the renowned Blue Agave, Wholesome’s Organic Blue Agaves are low glycemic, 25% sweeter than sugar and now with incomparable pop-in-your-mouth flavors!
Organic Cinnamon Flavored Blue Agave Syrup
Cinnamon’s spicy warmth, with a sweet, mild fragrance blended perfectly with Organic Raw Blue Agave. Try it in coffee, hot chocolate, on waffles, toast or in gingerbread.
Organic Maple Flavored Blue Agave Syrup
Warm maple tones and comforting aroma blended perfectly with our sweet Raw Blue Agave. Perfect on pancakes, wonderful on ice cream, oatmeal, in glazes and marinades, or in your own homemade granola.
Organic Strawberry Flavored Blue Agave Syrup
Tease your taste buds with this sweet, strawberry-flavored Raw Blue Agave. Perfect as a topping for cheesecake, in herbal tea or strawberry lemonade, and in home made salad dressings.
Organic Vanilla Flavored Blue Agave Syrup
A lush vanilla-bean flavor blended perfectly with our sweet Blue Agave. Excellent in beverages like almond and rice milk, in mixed drinks, in baking, and as a rich dessert topping.
As always, Wholesome’s Blue Agave products are organic, GMO-Free, gluten-free, and kosher. No HFCS or synthetic chemicals.
Also from Wholesome Sweeteners
New reformulated Light Organic Corn Syrup also now available in a recyclable, unbreakable bottle. It’s the organic alternative to conventional corn syrups. Each bottle contains one full cup. With just a hint of organic vanilla, it's perfect in pies, baked goods and candies. Delicious poured over pancakes, waffles or ice cream. (GMO-Free, gluten-free, and kosher. No HFCS or synthetic chemicals.)
About Wholesome Sweeteners
Wholesome Sweeteners is the nation's leader in Fair Trade Certified, USDA Organic and sustainably produced sugars, syrups, nectars and honeys, all made from nature's best resources.
Based in Sugar Land, Texas, Wholesome Sweeteners is a young company with generations of experience and expertise behind it. In addition to bringing the best organic, sustainable and unrefined sweeteners to the North American market, Wholesome pioneered the certification process for Fair Trade Certified sugar and honey. Since pioneering Fair Trade, Wholesome has paid more than $2.5 million to in social premiums to benefit farming and beekeeping cooperatives in the developing world. Fair Trade means that farmers can buy land, send their kids to school, and build thriving communities.
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