Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria, based in Northbrook along with its own Malnati’s pizza offers customers a dozen other food products from various local companies based in Chicago, including Vienna Beef and Carson’s ribs, Eli’s Cheesecakes and Garrett’s Popcorn. This is just an example of the collaboarion amongst local food companies in Chicago. At a recent annual meeting of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, Elster and Heins two other active entrepreneurs launched a new collaboration that would work towards the Go Local initiative.

Elster’s company Crop to Cup helps support Uganda’s family farmers while Heins’ Bean and Body makes health conscious tea and coffee beverages which are sold in cans (that can be held in our cup holder). Both of them have come together and also roped in Mark Vend, a Northbrook based distributor to popularize the concept of local food companies serving the pantry rooms of companies and offices in Chicago. They have collected quite a few food companies which are locally based to ensure deliveries can all happen in the same truck. This innovative idea is likely to receive patronization from some companies which have Go Green committees that encourage it to move towards the direction of doing our bit for environmental conservation and protecting natural resources.

In the annual meeting, where this collaboration was launched, James Tyree, chairman for the last 3 years, handed over the chair to Dehaas, who is the managing partner of the Midwest region of Delloite. She pointed out that innovation and collaboration can launch the region towards progress in the coming years. She felt Chicago has the potential given its diversified economy, truly high class transportation and a very important location. Terry Opalek, who is one of the partners in Terry’s Toffee, also felt that the time is right for the local food companies to compete for the stake in distribution of food products to corporate customers in the region. Terry’s toffee sells 15 flavors of toffee in its own retail shop and around 90 other stores. Terry Opalek told that more and more customers are now looking for products which are local.

Heins and Elster were active prior to this collaboration too in the same lines. They were instrumental in starting the Odd Pairs event which brought together food companies and left them to compete with each other, demonstrate their creativity and bring together an Odd Pair. These entrepreneurs are now planning to enter into the distribution channels that will help them serve local products and beverages to the offices.