May 26, 2023
Our 30th anniversary celebrations continue! This time, we’re rolling out a video series featuring CEO, President and Founder Cammie Chatterton’s most memorable Bay Food moments. In this first video, Cammie shares how she left a job to become a regional perishable broker and business owner.
In 1993, Cammie and her business partner, Mark Woolever, founded Bay Food Brokerage in Tampa, Florida. They saw an opportunity to be a leading regional perishable broker, focused on meat and deli.
In this video, Cammie describes:
- Why they took the leap
- The initial struggle most new businessowners encounter
- How they eventually broke through to become a leading regional perishable broker
Watch the video now (1:43 long)
Video Transcript:
Probably my most favorite moment of Bay Food Brokerage was when I had the guts to join with my business partner and us open Bay Food Brokerage on April 1, 1993, at the young age of 29 years old.
We opened the company because at that time, there was just a lot of large national brokers that were buying up smaller brokers and they honestly were not doing a great job. I was a regional for a manufacturer at the time, and I recognized that there was a need for a regional perishable broker in the state of Florida and in the Southeast.
So, we opened up the company, and like anybody who opens a company, it was a struggle. We did it a little differently. We did not have a manufacturer when we first opened, but we had a great customer base of customers who would work with us and wanted to support us once we got something to sell them.
So little by little, manufacturers came on. Our first big manufacturer was Jennie-O Turkey Store, which I’m proud that 30 years later, they’re still a partner of Bay Food Brokerage’s. And we struggled, worked hard, and over those first two years, obviously it was a big struggle, but it paid off.
Looking back on it, I don’t know if it was stupidity of being a young 29-year-old girl or a lot of guts to leave a job and open up a company, but I’m so glad that I did, and thank God every day that I had the guts to do it.
Looking for a regional perishable broker with a 30-year track record of success? Contact us today to learn how we can help you.