Source:  NCDA&CS, 8/24/10

A local company’s success in exporting its barbecue sauce, nuts and salsas to more than 50 countries has earned it an award from the federal government.

Ford’s Gourmet Foods, maker of Bone Suckin’ Sauce and an assortment of specialty food products, received an Export Achievement Certificate from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Sen. Richard Burr and state Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler presented the award to company officials at the N.C. Specialty Foods Association’s fall conference Aug. 23.

“Ford’s Gourmet Foods has embraced international marketing,” Troxler said. “In doing that, the Ford family has worked closely with our international marketing section, the state Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of Commerce.”

Ford’s Gourmet Foods grew out of the family’s produce business, which opened in Raleigh in 1946. In 1992, the company began marketing Bone Suckin’ Sauce, a barbecue sauce based on the family recipe.
Ford’s made its first international sale to the United Kingdom in 1994. Today, the company exports its products to more than 50 countries, including Australia, France, New Zealand, Spain and Sweden. Since 2003, Ford’s exports have increased by 400 percent, and exports now account for about 30 percent of total revenue.

In 2008, the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services honored the company with its Exporter of the Year Award.