Ray Freeman

Developed a profitable $180,000+ territory by consulting with customers about inventory management, food cost, and menu pricing. Onboarded several multi unit restaurant groups.

• Responsible for pioneering and developing the Houston marketplace with meat protein sales directly to customers.
• In less than six months have reached annualized sales in excess of $4 million. This has been achieved through building relationships and consultative sales to white table cloth restaurants, country clubs, and hotels.

• Responsible for sales, marketing, and training within the Center of the Plate Category.
• Lead COP sales from -10.00% to a May 2016 performance of 14.89%.
• Kept finger on the pulse of the market to ensure product mix addresses customer needs.
• Accountable for competitive pricing and maximizing margins.
• Engaged product specialists, vendors, and broker partners to assure case growth.
• Oversaw purchasing of center of the plate products

• Responsible for managing all Specialist including the supplier/broker network affiliated with specialist categories.
• Continued to be responsible for all center of the plate categories and customer profitability consultations relating to menu design and pricing, recipe costing, and food cost analysis.
• Achieved 8.6% case growth in the Specialist Program for FY 2012. Increased the growth gap between Street Sales and the Specialist Program to 7.4% from 2.3%.
• Implemented a structured system of managing respective categories and the suppliers/brokers within them.
• Created a Company wide system of utilizing suppliers/brokers to make qualified, targeted calls resulting in a closure rate of 73%.
• Oversaw purchasing of all center of the plate products

• Responsible for sales related to all center of the plate categories, including ongoing training, marketing, and work in the field. Worked closely with purchasing for market relevance and competitiveness.
• Effectively grew center of the plate sales in year one by over 36,000 cases equaling $4.9 million in sales. Gross profit increased in respective categories 10.2%
• Implemented a market plan and sales strategy for center of the plate sales growth.
• Established a comprehensive meat protein training program for new and existing salespeople.
• Assisted Merchandising in restructuring center of the plate categories, evaluating product mix, and consolidation of products. Identified products needed for market relevance.
• Awarded 2011 Specialist of the Year.

• Responsible for sales related to all center of the plate categories, including ongoing training, marketing, and work in the field. Worked closely with purchasing for market relevance and competitiveness.
• Built a comprehensive center of the plate program in all Divisions resulting in percent of protein sales increasing from 32% to 43% Company wide. Gross profit per case was also increased over $1.00 per case on center of the plate sales.
• Provided the Company with double digit sales growth over 5 1/2 years in three Divisions (Jackson, MS, Clanton, AL, Newberry, SC). Current growth in the South Carolina market exceeds 20%.
• Utilized October 2007 through June 2008 to rebuild the North Alabama District as District Sales Manager. Good hiring practices, training skills, and management technique enabled this District of 5 sales people to increase from $60,000 per week to $120,000 per week during this time frame.
• Assisted sales manager's with training. Involvement included teaching the sales cycle, pricing strategies, and order enter entry program in addition to center of the plate training.
• Involvement with Restaurant, Hospitality, and Chef's associations in respective markets. Have consulted with many chefs and restaurant owners across the southeast. Consulting has included menu analysis, design and costing. Continue to source products requested and products to keep customers on the cutting edge of the industry.
• 9/04-3/05 spent as a DSR. Transformed an underperforming $13,000 route to $70,000+ with a GPPS in excess of $200.
• 10/07-4/08 spent as a DSM rebuilding the North Alabama District. Inherited 3 sales people and $65,000 in sales. Targeted hiring, GAP analysis training, and servant leadership principles escalated the District to over $200,000 is sales within six months.
• Left Merchants to come "home" to Texas.

• Sales of upper tier protein products in the Southeast market.
• Achieved over $4 million in annual sales in a market where this Company had no prior sales. Client base included Gulf Coast casinos and Brennan's restaurants and Emeril Lagasse's restaurants in New Orleans, LA.
• During this time frame served as consultant to Mitchell of Mississippi, the Sara Lee broker for the MS market. Trained sales staff of eight on Sara Lee meat products including beef, pork, and turkey further processed products.

• Direct sales of further processed protein products in San Antonio, TX, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi markets.
• Increased sales over $5 million with sales to new distributors, additional product sales to existing distributors, and effective management of eleven broker partners.
• This included rebuilding the San Antonio market and pioneering other markets.
• Arranged for further processing of government provided commodities for many Parishes in the State of Louisiana. Got product spec'd.in Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama school districts enabling Company to grow sales in this arena.
• Dramatically grew Company recognition and customer base in each marketplace by being available to address customer needs and providing industry relevance with product line.