Kohl puts best food forward at OLC show
Sep 20, 2007

By Rodney Hart Herald-Whig Staff Writer

The 10-foot globe hanging from the Oakley-Lindsay Center ceiling represents the world for Kohl Wholesale.

More than 2,500 people are expected to attend Kohl Wholesale's annual food show Thursday at the civic center. The globe of the world, 10-feet in diameter, has been suspended from the ceiling for a week and has caught the eye of Quincy Community Theatre patrons and others in the OLC.

Called "Passport Kohl Wholesale," the event features 204 booths decorated with international themes. Marketing Director Suzette Willoughby said the invitation-only food service show is primarily for Kohl customers and potential customers, but it also benefits local hotels, restaurants and other businesses.

"We're calling it the best food show in the world," Willoughby said.

Willoughby said this year's show is expected to be the biggest Kohl has hosted and the event is designed to inform Kohl Wholesale customers about industry trends. They also will sample various products.

This is the 20th anniversary of the event. Recently expanded markets and company growth have spurred expansion in the food show, as well, Willoughby said.

"Every year we invite more and more people," she said. "We've expanded our bid department into the schools, mostly in Missouri and in Illinois."

Willoughby said Kohl Wholesale recently added four sales representatives to the 30 already on staff. Kohl Wholesale competes with at least five national wholesale firms and many smaller independent businesses. It's starting to push into the Springfield, Ill., and Kansas City markets, she said.

Kohl Wholesale has 220 employees and has hired about 50 people in the past year. The company is owned by brothers Mark, Rick and Matt Ehrhart. Their father, Richard Ehrhart, is the chairman of the company board.

"We are American-owned and an independent distributor, and we pride ourselves on customer service," Willoughby said. "We're customer-driven. We cater to customers and give them that extra service that larger corporate distributors don't."

The show also has a big economic impact in Quincy. In addition to being one of the biggest Oakley-Lindsay Center events of the year, Willoughby says most of Quincy's hotel rooms are sold out with out-of-town guests coming to the show.

"A lot of them are coming to the reception (tonight), so they'll also go out to eat and fill the restaurants," Willoughby said.

The show will also feature a food service sanitation manager certification refresher course, and a seminar for managers and staff about being too sick to work.

Kohl Wholesale's corporate office is at 130 Jersey, and it also has a large showroom with a full line of products open to the public at 140 Maine. No membership is required to shop at the store, which opened seven years ago.

Kohl Wholesale was founded in 1873 by Niklaus Kohl. As a broadline distributor, Kohl carries fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy, fresh meat, frozen items, dry goods, disposables, kitchenware, equipment and cleaning supplies. Kohl has been associated with the buying group Golbon since 1996 and carries more than 250 Golbon Label products.

Kohl provides service to restaurants, hotels, supermarket delis, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, retail groceries, caterers, taverns and many other businesses within a 150-mile radius of Quincy.


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