“Step in...to great ideas” is the theme Nunhems, a global seed company with US headquarters in Parma, ID, chose for its most recent advertising campaign and the way to invite the produce industry to visit the Nunhems booth at PMA’s Fresh Summit Exposition in Atlanta.

Jennifer Armen-Bolen, business development manager for the company, said, “Nunhems seed genetics provide vegetable, watermelon and specialty melon varieties with discernable characteristics to meet the needs of retailers and improved hybrids for growers operating within a broad array of farming conditions and customer needs.  We exhibit at PMA because it brings industry people from around the world who are actively looking for new products, new services, and new ways of approaching their businesses.  We can show the value Nunhems brings to the produce industry to increase consumer selection and product revenue.“

To encourage attendees to visit the booth, Nunhems sent out over 2500 keys to customers, prospective customers, vendors and other industry professionals to try to unlock the bright orange door in the booth and win the $2500 first prize.  The booth design reinforced messages seen in trade publication advertising and direct mail.

The winning key holder never arrived at Nunhems’ booth.  The company held a second chance drawing following the show from all the key holders who left behind a business card when their key did not open the door.  The winner of the $2500 grand prize was Bill Saussaman, wholesale sales for Four Seasons Produce, Ephrata, PA.  Saussaman commented, ”One of our growers, Rey Jimenez of Jimenez Farms, Santa Paula, CA, pulled me over to the Nunhems booth to show me watermelon and melons that he will be growing for us this season.  That’s how I happened to meet and talk about seed varieties with the people from Nunhems while my wife tried our key and dropped a business card in the bowl.”  

Additional winners included Shari Krueger, marketing specialist, New Star Fresh Foods, Salinas CA; John King, sales, Peter Rabbit Farms, Coachella, CA; Chuck Alexander, category manager, Lowes Foods, Winston-Salem, NC.  

Nunhems, headquartered in The Netherlands, operates with 1000 employees in all major vegetable production areas in Southern, Western, and Eastern Europe, Central and North America, South America, Middle East Northern and Southern Africa and Asia/Pacific.  The US headquarters are in Parma, Idaho.  For specific product information, visit the web site at www.nunhemsusa.com.