USMEF Hosts Team from E-Mart, Korea’s Largest Retailer
USMEF Hosts Team from E-Mart, Korea’s Largest Retailer
A team of 16 meat buyers and product managers from South Korea’s largest retail chain is visiting the United States this week to learn more about U.S. beef production, processing and merchandising. E-Mart, founded in 1993 as Korea’s first discount retailer, now operates more than 125 locations.
The group began its tour Monday at the Denver headquarters of USMEF, learning about U.S. beef exports, USMEF marketing programs and global trends in beef production and consumption. Later in the day, they traveled to Fort Collins for technical presentations at the Agricultural Research, Development and Education Center (ARDEC) at Colorado State University.
USMEF Economist Erin Daley (left) presents an overview of global beef exports to the E-Mart team while USMEF-Korea's Elly Sung (standing, right) prepares to translate
Tuesday’s activities focused on the retail sector as the team visited Tony’s Meats on Broadway and Marczyk Fine Foods, two Denver outlets specializing in high-quality beef cuts. They also visited larger supermarkets and discount stores to view the wide range of retail meat outlets available to U.S. consumers and their different merchandising methods for beef.
Gwang-Mo Kim, a buyer for E-Mart’s imported beef division and first-time visitor to the United States, said the tour is providing the group with an outstanding educational experience.
“It was very impressive to see Colorado State University working so closely with the industry to help develop quality livestock,” he said. “The scale and quality of the work being done at the CSU research center is just amazing. I would like to see something similar in Korea, but we do not have any such facility.
“The retail stores were also very impressive,” Kim continued. “In Korea, we do not have many small, specialty stores like those we visited here. Their beef displays were very creative and consumer-friendly.”
On Wednesday the group traveled to Fort Morgan, Colo., for a tour of the Cargill beef plant and lunch with the plant’s management team. The group will conclude its U.S. activities on Thursday in Las Vegas, with a tour of the Outwest Meat Co. portion control plant and additional retail store visits.
The E-Mart team is accompanied by Junil Park, USMEF-Korea retail specialist, and Elly Sung, USMEF-Korea assistant marketing manager. Sung explained that the U.S. tour, made possible through support from the Beef Checkoff Program, is a critical step in expanding retail opportunities for U.S. beef in Korea.
“E-Mart is such an important partner in presenting U.S. beef to the Korean consumer,” she said. “This really helps USMEF distinguish U.S. beef and show these buyers and managers why it is the right product for E-Mart customers.”
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The U.S. Meat Export Federation ( www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn and soybean checkoff programs.
For more information, contact Jim Herlihy at jherlihy@usmef.org.
USMEF complies with all equal opportunity, non-discrimination and affirmative action measures applicable to it by contract, government rule or regulation or as otherwise provided by law.
USMEF Hosts Team from E-Mart, Korea’s Largest Retailer
A team of 16 meat buyers and product managers from South Korea’s largest retail chain is visiting the United States this week to learn more about U.S. beef production, processing and merchandising. E-Mart, founded in 1993 as Korea’s first discount retailer, now operates more than 125 locations.
The group began its tour Monday at the Denver headquarters of USMEF, learning about U.S. beef exports, USMEF marketing programs and global trends in beef production and consumption. Later in the day, they traveled to Fort Collins for technical presentations at the Agricultural Research, Development and Education Center (ARDEC) at Colorado State University.
USMEF Economist Erin Daley (left) presents an overview of global beef exports to the E-Mart team while USMEF-Korea's Elly Sung (standing, right) prepares to translate
Tuesday’s activities focused on the retail sector as the team visited Tony’s Meats on Broadway and Marczyk Fine Foods, two Denver outlets specializing in high-quality beef cuts. They also visited larger supermarkets and discount stores to view the wide range of retail meat outlets available to U.S. consumers and their different merchandising methods for beef.
Gwang-Mo Kim, a buyer for E-Mart’s imported beef division and first-time visitor to the United States, said the tour is providing the group with an outstanding educational experience.
“It was very impressive to see Colorado State University working so closely with the industry to help develop quality livestock,” he said. “The scale and quality of the work being done at the CSU research center is just amazing. I would like to see something similar in Korea, but we do not have any such facility.
“The retail stores were also very impressive,” Kim continued. “In Korea, we do not have many small, specialty stores like those we visited here. Their beef displays were very creative and consumer-friendly.”
On Wednesday the group traveled to Fort Morgan, Colo., for a tour of the Cargill beef plant and lunch with the plant’s management team. The group will conclude its U.S. activities on Thursday in Las Vegas, with a tour of the Outwest Meat Co. portion control plant and additional retail store visits.
The E-Mart team is accompanied by Junil Park, USMEF-Korea retail specialist, and Elly Sung, USMEF-Korea assistant marketing manager. Sung explained that the U.S. tour, made possible through support from the Beef Checkoff Program, is a critical step in expanding retail opportunities for U.S. beef in Korea.
“E-Mart is such an important partner in presenting U.S. beef to the Korean consumer,” she said. “This really helps USMEF distinguish U.S. beef and show these buyers and managers why it is the right product for E-Mart customers.”
###
The U.S. Meat Export Federation ( www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn and soybean checkoff programs.
For more information, contact Jim Herlihy at jherlihy@usmef.org.
USMEF complies with all equal opportunity, non-discrimination and affirmative action measures applicable to it by contract, government rule or regulation or as otherwise provided by law.