Mariano’s Meet the Buyer Expo for Minority and Women-Owned Business Owners

Deborah Bayliss | As of Friday, August 15, 2014

Seventy diverse business owners and entrepreneurs converged on Rush University Medical Center’s, Searle Conference Center on Harrison Street last Friday to participate in Midwest grocer, Roundy’s, Inc., 2nd annual Meet the Buyer Expo which provides local minority- and women-owned, operated and distributed businesses in food-related industries, an opportunity to place their products on Mariano’s store shelves. The expo also showcases minority vendors who already have products in the store.

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Harvard Graduate, Chris-Tia Donaldson, founder and sole owner of Thank God I’m Natural (tgin), a line of natural hair -and skin-care products, attended Midwest grocer, Roundy’s, Inc., 2nd annual Meet the Buyer Expo that provided local minority -and women-owned, operated businesses in food-related and other industries, an opportunity to place their products on Mariano’s store shelves. Donaldson was one of the minority -and women-owned businesses selected last year. Her product line is now carried in Mariano’s West Loop store. Roundy's is the parent company of the Mariano's grocery store chain.

Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., Roundy’s is the parent company of Mariano’s grocery store chain.

Asked why it was important to hold the minority-and women vendor fair, Bob Mariano, 62 Chairman and CEO of Roundy's Supermarkets, told the Chicago Citizen Newspaper, the only media at the event, “It’s to make it less complex and easy for small entrepreneurial companies to have access to the people who make decisions about what goes on the shelf. The entrepreneurs who are here with us have good products and ideas and simply wanted the opportunity to speak to someone who can make a decision and then once the decision is made they can move on and at least hear, ‘yes your product is going to go in or no it is not because of this or that and here’s what you have to do,’ but at least they get feedback.”

Mariano went on to say, that they were not looking for any specific type of vendor or product.

“What you get to see are a lot of creative people and this is an exploration opportunity for us,” Mariano continued.

Alicia Garcia-Abner, president of Trinal Inc., a Diversity and Inclusion Consulting company that partnered with Mariano’s on the Expo, served as moderator for the event.

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Bob Mariano, Chairman and CEO of Roundy's Supermarkets, listens during panel discussions at Roundy’s, Inc.

“This event is very important because there is no one out there like Bob Mariano and what he has done for the food industry that has such an impact on the industry," Garcia-Abner said. "I’m very pleased with the turn out. Everyone is very excited and we’re excited for them. They’ve been afforded information from all of these resources and have sat in on a panel discussion. We’re really excited because this is very important.”

Harvard Graduate, Chris-Tia Donaldson, founder and sole owner of Thank God I’m Natural (tgin), a line of natural hair-care and skin-care products already being carried in Mariano’s West Loop store, spoke with the Chicago Citizen Newspaper about her journey.

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Andrea Polk, owner of Solo Noir, an organic skin-care product line, attended Roundy’s, Inc., 2nd annual Meet the Buyer Expo that provided local minority- and women-owned, operated businesses an opportunity to place their products on Mariano’s store shelves. Roundy's is the parent company of Mariano's grocery stores.

“We basically sell natural hair care and skin care products for all hair types and we are based here in Chicago,” said Donaldson. “Last year, I was invited to participate in the fair because I am a minority certified business and Mariano’s was looking to increase its relationship with minority -and women-owned businesses and I had the opportunity to speak with the buyers and Mr. Mariano’s personally about my product and it was a very instant connection. Based on that meeting we were given the opportunity and an invitation to be in their West Loop store and that was in July of 2013.”

You can find out more about Donaldson’s products at www.thankgodimnatural.com.

Andrea Polk, founder of Solo Noir, ethnic skin care products for men, displayed her products at the Expo and is hoping to land them on Mariano’s store shelves.

“I’ve been in business for 20 months. Solo Noir is a line of organic shaving and grooming products for men,” said Polk who resides in Chicago’s south suburbs. “We carry five products that help make grooming simple."

You can find out more about her products at www.solonoirformen.com. 

Of the 70 vendors attending the Expo, 39 were returning companies and 30 were new, with products ranging from meats, to sweet treats.

Roundy’s will follow up with the vendors in two weeks or sooner to discuss next steps. No word yet on when final selections would be made.

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