New member corner: Akeron and Hain Daniels
We catch up with FWD’s latest new members, Akeron and Hain Daniels, to discover what they have to offer the wholesale sector
Alice Allegrino, Managing Director, Akeron (pictured above)
Vicki Philpott, Customer Controller, Hain Daniels
You have to make an elevator pitch about your company. How would you describe it?
AA: Akeron is a family owned business, scaled up for international markets. We provide software that empowers food suppliers and wholesalers in decision-making on their net revenue growth. Thanks to the digitalisation of the entire process, from planning to invoicing, we provide greater transparency and daily updates on revenues and trade promotions, supporting profitable growth.
Trade agreements, promotion planning and ROI simulation, trade optimisation and sales forecast, incentives and compensation for the sales team are the core processes of the solution, which is powered by Microsoft and fully integrated with any ERPs.
VP: Hain Daniels UK forms part of the international arm of Hain Celestial, based in the US. We have a variety of sites across the UK that manufacture a wide selection of well-loved grocery brands, including Linda McCartney,’s Hartley’s Jams & Jelly, and New Covent Garden Soup.
What are the latest developments within the business?
AA: Akeron has a market-leading position in Italy, serving all major food suppliers and wholesalers. We recently opened the UK subsidiary to support our existing customers’ branches and provide local support to prospective new customers.
VP: Our company mission is to ‘create and inspire a healthier way of life for our consumers, customers and the communities we work in’ and we are committed to finding the best way to service their needs in what is an extremely challenging environment.
We are focused on service and availability to ensure we build strong operational foundations from which we can continue to grow. We also continue to deliver a large number of exciting NPD launches across Meat Free and Everyday Puddings, which have landed well and help to evolve the categories.
What can you offer FWD’s membership and the wholesale sector?
AA: Thanks to digital technology, we help food suppliers and wholesalers achieve greater visibility on forecasted sales volumes and more accurate input on demand planning/inventory level, control margin tracking the impact of ongoing promotion on the P&L with greater accuracy on period-end closing, and enable the sales force to plan and agree promotions according to the ROI of the campaign.
VP: We pride ourselves on the quality of the products we produce and that they are all attainable for a wide cross-section of UK consumers. We are excited to support FWD members and the wholesale sector by providing relevant, competitive prices coupled with the experience and deep understanding of the categories we work in. Our commercial team work closely with FWD members to drive mutual growth across our portfolio and we are always open to new opportunities, so do get in touch.
Are there any innovations in the pipeline you’d like to shout about?
AA: We are fully integrated with any information system and we have released a specific app for CRM market-leader Salesforce.
VP: We are working on a huge number of innovative new products, such as a jelly sours range for kids and a cocktail-inspired range of 10cal jellies.
New Covent Garden makes it easy for shoppers to try fresh soup with classic flavours, including new Creamy Tomato.
Our plant-based portfolio is helping families switch to one meat-free meal per week with ranges such as Linda McCartney Family Value, which includes sausages, burgers, meatballs, chicken nuggets and fish fingers. There are also some fantastic future concepts in the pipeline!
Akeron Alice Allegrino FWD members Hain Daniels new members Vicki Philpott
