Auckland, NZ. TradeWindow (NZX: TWL), a leading Australasian TradeTech company, has staked a position in the huge U.S. and European food assurance market, announcing a partnership agreement with FoodChain ID, a leading provider of technology-enabled food safety, quality and sustainability solutions for the food and agricultural industry. The signing of this agreement coincides with TradeWindow making its first full-time permanent staff appointment in the U.S.

The agreement is for TradeWindow’s Assure+ solution (previously known as Rfider), an FDA award winning supply chain traceability platform to be offered to FoodChain ID clients as an integrated solution.  Assure+ is designed to assist businesses meeting broad market and consumer demand for more transparent and digitally enabled supply chains. In combination with FoodChain ID’s integrated platforms, it will enable more compliance, safety and transparency in these supply chains.

TradeWindow CEO AJ Smith is delighted by the partnership opportunity for Assure+ to complement the digital solutions, and technology-enabled food safety and verification services FoodChain ID already offers to its 30,000 customers worldwide.

“FoodChain ID, which entered into a recapitalization transaction with Berkshire Partners in 2020, has offices in 14 countries, so this partnership agreement amplifies our progress over and above the new wine, honey and coffee customers we’ve already gained in Australia, South America, UK and the U.S. since completing the acquisition of Rfider in mid-July this year, and integrating it into our suite of supply chain solutions as Assure+,” he says.

FoodChain ID’s SVP for Digital Solutions Jason Grimm states: “TradeWindow’s Assure+ is a welcome addition to FoodChain ID’s integrated digital solutions offerings which provide the data, technologies, and tools needed to meet growing demand for higher levels of transparency, accountability, safety, and sustainability across the supply chain and navigate the New Food Economy.”

“As ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) expectations on food producers continue to grow, our customers are seeking efficient ways to prove where their food comes from and provide visibility all the way from the paddock to the plate. Using Food Chain ID’s platform integrated with TradeWindow Assure+ they have access to an intuitive mobile first solution, where mobile devices are now widely used even in emerging economies. This will enable us to accelerate the digital transformation of our certification offerings globally,” says Mr Grimm.

FoodChain ID is headquartered in Fairfield, Iowa in the United States and has offices in Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Mexico, Romania, Serbia, Thailand and the United Kingdom.

TradeWindow has also appointed its first U.S. based Business Development Manager to support the relationship with FoodChain ID and grow the U.S. market. Dallas-based Eric Salting brings more than 15 years’ experience in supply chain roles in major U.S. logistics companies and transport digitisation roles. He has also previously served in logistics and transportation roles in the U.S. military and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from University of North Texas, specialising in logistics and supply chain.

“The United States is a vast and exciting market with exacting standards for food safety and security and we delighted to gain this foothold through our new agreement with FoodChain ID and our first employee on the ground in the U.S.,” says AJ Smith.