Unique Growing Solutions Welcomes Fortune 100 Veteran to Zaycon Foods
Richard Braddock elected as Chairman of the Board, will invest in farm-fresh grocery business
HOUSTON, Sept. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Unique Growing Solutions, Inc. (OTCQB: ALNE) commented today on the addition of Richard Braddock, a renowned Fortune 100 executive, as Chairman to the Zaycon Foods brand. Just two weeks ago, Unique Growing Solutions signed a letter of intent for the acquisition of Washington-based Zaycon Foods, a leading distributor of fresh meats in the all-natural and organic grocery industry.
"Unique Growing Solutions congratulates and greatly looks forward to the addition of Richard Braddock to the Zaycon Foods team," said Unique Growing Solutions CEO Richard Johnson. "Richard Braddock's dynamic track record of providing insight for growing brands like Priceline, as well as industry leading food delivery company Fresh Direct, is invaluable as Zaycon and Unique Growing Solutions move forward together. We are confident that his leadership will assist Zaycon in our mutual goal of cost-efficiently providing all natural and organic food to families, while in turn improving distribution and driving revenue for the company."
Zaycon Foods, a five-year-old drive-through bulk grocery business currently delivering farm-fresh foods directly to nearly 400,000 customers via 1,400 delivery locations in 48 states, announced on September 4, 2014, that veteran Fortune 100 executive Richard Braddock has assumed the new position of chairman of the board and will make a significant investment in the company. Braddock views Zaycon's bulk buying power, low prices, and no-stores-needed model as a blueprint for major growth and diversification, including expansion into additional food and non-food products.
Braddock's background spans 19 years at Citicorp, including three years as president and chief operating officer; one year as CEO of Medco Containment Services; two years as non-executive chairman of True North Communications; four years as chairman of private equity firm MidOcean Partners; and six years as chairman and CEO of Priceline.com. He joined New York's home-delivery grocery business FreshDirect in 2005 as chairman and served as chairman and CEO from 2008 to 2011, helping grow revenues to $300 million in New York City alone.
Zaycon Foods, which will generate nearly $18 million in gross revenues in 2014, allows consumers to place pre-paid online orders for caseloads of fresh meat, seafood, dairy and produce. The company dispatches refrigerated trucks filled with farm-fresh foods to designated "event" locations on specific days and unloads orders directly into customers' vehicles.
"Zaycon has created a unique and viable business model that has all the ingredients for substantial growth, including online ordering, farm-fresh foods, significant consumer savings, and the ability to avoid the overhead associated with building physical infrastructure in hundreds of cities," Braddock said. "In the past 18 months, with limited resources, the company has tripled its customer base, tripled the number of delivery sites, and expanded its product mix. Zaycon is also one of the most effective users of social media marketing to build its loyal customer base. This is just the tip of the iceberg in its growth potential and a major reason that I decided to become involved."
"Rick's participation in our business will help accelerate our growth, attract new talent, and build a board that can provide vital strategic guidance to take us to the next level," said Zaycon co-founder and CEO Mike Conrad. "This is a strong vote of confidence from a man with deep experience in both the food and general business space, and an impressive track record in growing other companies."
See Richard Braddock interviewed on Bloomberg Friday, September 5, 2014
About Zaycon Foods
Now delivering to nearly 400,000 registered users at more than 1,400 locations across 48 states, Zaycon Foods is "How Smart Families Buy Big & Save Big." The innovative company offers families a better way to save on fresh meat, fish, produce and dairy items by selling in bulk directly from refrigerated trucks. The trucks make local deliveries in the parking lots of churches, businesses and schools, enabling consumers to save an average of 50% when compared to standard retail prices. Customers are alerted to upcoming delivery dates in their area by email and social media, and place orders online via a fast and simple process. Founded in 2009, Zaycon Foods is headquartered in Spokane Valley, Washington. For more information, visit www.zayconfoods.com.
About Unique Growing Solutions, Inc.
Unique Growing Solutions is a sales, leasing, and consulting company that provides turnkey solutions to the natural/organic food industry. The Company has developed proprietary Enviropods that incorporate cutting edge hydroponic grow systems with intelligent greenhouse lighting, and ancillary horticulture support apparatus. These Enviropods provide growers with a comprehensive clean-room environment to maximize the quality and quantity of their crop output. The Enviropod business model concept is intended for small businesses and individuals, leveraging the economies of scale to mitigate the financial barriers of entry for novice or experienced growers.
Unique Growing Solutions also plans to launch proprietary wholesale food and beverage brands leveraging their portable growing systems. The Company believes this portability will give them access to local markets and cater to the immediate needs of such markets regardless of the seasonality of crops or geographic and or climate limitations.
Visit our website at www.uniquegrowingsolutions.com
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-- risks related to accurately predicting, delivering or maintaining sufficient quantities of products to support our planned initiatives or launch strategies, including possible ingredient supply limitations;
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SOURCE Unique Growing Solutions, Inc.
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