(Image Placeholder: Team in North America)
For Countree Food, this wasn’t just a three-day trade show — it wrapped up a demanding 12-day trip across North America. After twelve days of travel, store visits, and conversations across the U.S., this November left us with three words: Gratitude, Growth, and Grit.
This year, “Growth” took the form of product innovation. We were proud to have three new developments selected for the PLMA New Product Expo:
High-Protein, convenient, creamy mushroom soup format.
A plant-forward option fitting the growing interest in natural sources.
Guava, Passionfruit & Hibiscus. No artificial colors or flavors.
Buyers also showed steady interest in our core items — Sweet Corn in flexible packs, Yellow Peaches and Mandarins harvested at peak freshness, and ready-to-eat Fruit Cups.
Our trip didn’t end at the booth. Countree’s leadership team — Chris San, Edward Zou, and José Wang — spent a full week visiting retailers, reviewing packaging trends, merchandising formats, and price points for 2026.
“Seeing products on the shelf and hearing feedback in person helps sharpen our roadmap. There’s no real substitute for that.”
As the team heads home over the Bering Strait, our thoughts turn to the people who make such trips meaningful — partners abroad, and especially our colleagues in China.
What we presented in Chicago reflects the work of teams across production, quality, logistics, and operations. To everyone who supported this trip: thank you.
#CountreeFood #GratitudeGrowthGrit #PLMAChicago #FoodInnovation
