Michael Rosenberg, CEO of The Promotion in Motion Cos., was representing Welch’s Fruit Snacks’ new superfruit offering at this year’s National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Expo, held Oct. 8-10 in Las Vegas.
The superfruit mix has “some really interesting flavors that are really on trend right now, like blends of goji berry and starfruit and dragonfruit and acai, and other berries and fruits that seem to be very much on people’s purchasing lists today, as consumers are looking for better-for-you snacking options,” he said. “With Welch’s, it’s all about the fact it’s produced with real fruit ingredients and that they’re very on trend with Millennials and consumers that are looking to find better snacking options.”
Rosenberg said consumers are snacking more than ever, but they are reading labels and looking at ingredients.
“A little factoid for you: Consumers eat more than 100 packs every second, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That’s quite a lot of fruit snacks,” he said. “We run 24/7; we’re actually expanding our New Jersey factory right now. We also have facilities in Spain, and both facilities run 24/7. We keep hiring people, we keep growing and putting in more equipment. We’re sort of like the American dream personified.”
While Welch’s is about being better for the consumer, Rosenberg said on the other side the company is featuring its new original Gummy Factory gummy fun mix, which is on a huge growth trajectory.
“That plays into the indulgence side,” he said. “It’s fun, delicious and very experiential—there are up to 18 types of gummies in one bag. You buy one bag and it’s like buying the entire shelf of different items and mixing it into one bag.”
Unique gummies are found in each of the various varieties in different flavors, different shapes, different colors.
“It’s visually brilliant and consumers are really reacting very positively to it. We see huge growth for that going forward,” Rosenberg said.
He said the product’s success validated some of the research the National Confectioners Association has done that showed that people don’t want to just feel that they’re eating better, they also want to feel that they’re indulging themselves.
Their emotional well-being is just as important to them as their physical well-being, he said.
Rosenberg started The Promotion in Motion Cos. Inc. in 1979 from his college dormitory room, with $150. Today, it is one of the world’s largest confectionery and snack producers, and is one of the 50 largest privately owned companies in New Jersey. The company has been ranked in the top 10 fastest growing CPGs by Boston Consulting and IRI for the last six years, Rosenberg said.
“Our company grows double-digits north of basically 15 percent every year,” he said. “It’s a tribute to the great people we have working at our company.”
The company also owns brands such as SunMaid and Toggi Wafers.
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