Our Mission is to bring the market the best in specialty, natural, perishable foods, better-for-you foods, and confections. In doing so we hope to improve the qualify of life and help shape the culture of America.

We develop, train and maintain a staff committed to excellence in our field.

We value innovation, grit, service and precision.

We have a centralized administrative team increasing efficiency and allowing for effective sales management.

Committed Staff
Brand Development

We identify and approach appropriate retail and wholesale customers for our brands.

We generate program ideas designed to maximize the visibility and sales potential of brands.

We maintain persistent and aggressive efforts in developing sales.

We communicate regularly and effectively with clients and customers

Data Analysis

We provide data analytics necessary to support sales through our proprietary analytics and sales tracking tools.

We participate in efforts to maximize retailer, distributor and client asset management.

We partner with our clients in all areas of budgeting and planning to provide meaningful data to develop and grow their business.

Our headquarters office is located in Lisle, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.
Corporate Office
Corporate Functions
Administration, Central Order Processing, Data Analytics, Deductions, Finance, General Management, and Marketing
Satellite Office Functions
We have sales and merchandising experts stationed throughout the US. Their functions include execution and development of sales programs in their areas. All clients are encouraged to build and maintain relationships with corporate and satellite locations with respect to the development and execution of sales plans.
Our concept recognizes two important points in the building of our brands in today's market:

The requirement that programs be designed and offered to multiple trade classes in order to maximize brand penetration in a given market and that many brands have items that are developed for specific trade classes.

That marketing programs should be customized to meet the needs of the particular customer and market in concert with the needs of the brand.

Brand Development

ABOUT US

Hanson Faso Sales & Marketing is dedicated to the success of our clients and customers.

We foster that success using our passion and experience in combination with fact-based marketing to develop effective sales opportunities that deliver profitable results.

OUR PASSION:

Great Food

OUR EXPERIENCE:

Leadership with both the depth and range of industry experience.

The quality of our efforts has been recognized by our peers over the years.

One Inductee Guild Internationale des Fromage
One ACS Certified Cheese Professional
One inductee NCA Candy Hall of Fame
Three inductees Specialty Food Hall of Fame

OUR FACTS:

Proprietary Sales and Inventory Management.

Reporting in conjunction with syndicated data and mastery of customer reporting systems.

The Trade Classes we cover include Grocery, Natural, Drug, Mass, and Alternate Channels.

OUR GOALS:

We strive to build a culture of excellence through sales execution, administrative support, business analytics, and continuous improvement.

We want to be the standard of excellence for brokers in the sales and marketing of specialty, natural organic, better-for-you foods, confections, and perishable foods.

We are a company of people

Senior Leadership

STEWART REICH

President & CEO

Stewart is a veteran of over fifty years in the specialty food industry. Prior to becoming a broker, he led the distributing and manufacturing businesses of Charlotte Charles. In 1983 Charlotte Charles became the first specialty food company to go public. At the time of the IPO, Stewart was serving as Executive Vice President of the company.

In 1990 the company was sold to Portland Food Products where Stewart continued his career as Vice President and General Manager of American Specialty Food Distributing. Following the sale of that company, Stewart became an industry consultant and, in 1994 entered the brokerage field after buying Three Crown Sales which, in 1995, merged with Hanson Faso Associates forming the predecessor company to Hanson Faso Sales and Marketing.

Throughout his career Stewart served on many Specialty Food Association committee including several years as the Chairman of the Broker Council. He also became the first broker ever to serve on the Association board. In 2019 he was inducted into the Specialty Food Hall of Fame.

Stewart holds a a bachelor’s degree, cum laude, from Washington University, St. Louis, and a master’s degree from George Washington University.

MICHAEL REICH

Chief Operating Officer

Michael has been with the Company, on a full-time basis, for almost 20 years. He has experience as a retail merchandiser, he has made end user calls in food service, and he has worked his way through the ranks of our sales department. Michael has also played a key role in the development of our proprietary sales analytic software. Today he serves as our Chief Operating Officer.

Continuing our tradition of service to the industry, Michael has served in various committee posts for the Specialty Food Association and, today, as a member of the Association’s national board of directors.

Michael holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and a master’s degree from Roosevelt University.

KAREN MCPHERSON

Chief Financial Officer

Karen, our CFO, has over thirty years on experience with both private and public firms. She began her career as a CPA at Price Waterhouse.

She has a proven track record in finance and human resources and expertise in business intelligence and data management.

Karen has been with the company for nine years and has been instrumental in the development of our organizational platform.

She holds a BS in Accounting from the University of Illinois.

STEPHANIE SEPER

Senior Vice President, Marketing

Although Stephanie started her professional career in banking her love of food brought her to the industry almost 40 years ago. Starting on the manufacturing side, Stephanie served in marketing and administrative roles with Sunfield Foods and Westbrae Natural Foods. From there she entered the brokerage arena with Presence Marketing and ultimately went out on her own as a partner in ROI, a specialty and natural food brokerage. After the sale of ROI, Stephanie moved back to the manufacturing side of our industry as a regional sales manager with World Finer Foods.

In 2000, Stephanie joined Hanson Faso as an account executive. Her career has progressed with us as she assumed a role on our leadership team, first as our Vice President of Brand Development and Social Responsibility and now, as our Senior Vice President of Marketing.

Her agreement with the company philosophy of service to the industry has led to her position as a member of the Buyers Council for the Plant Based World Expo.

DAWN EMERY-JANZEN

Senior Vice President Sales & Merchandising, Central

Dawn has had a diverse career in our industry. She started in retail as a cashier and became the Natural Foods category expert at Copp's Corporation. From there she joined Milwaukee Biscuit, a Milwaukee based distributor, filling the role of expert in Natural Foods. Milwaukee Biscuit was purchased by Tree of Life. Dawn joined our company in 2007 and today serves as our Senior Vice President for Central Region Sales.

She holds a Certified Nutrition Specialist qualification from Cornell University and is our representative to the National Confectioners Association.

KENT WALKER

Senior Vice President, Perimeter

Kent’s entire career has been in the food industry. He started in food service and eventually owned his own restaurant. He has worked for Sysco, served as a regional sales manager with Rocco Turkey, and as regional sales manager for another manufacturer, Richelieu selling both private label and branded program. Kent also held an account manager position with PMI, a brokerage ultimately bought by Acosta.

Kent joined our company in 2014 when we purchased CDS, one of the country’s premier perimeter department brokers, where he was a partner.

Kent is an expert in cheese and meats and has earned the coveted ACS-CCP. He also serves the industry and is currently on two committees for the IDDBA.

He has a degree in Finance from Kansas State University.

JOHN HENNESSEY

Senior Vice President Sales & Operations, East

John is a seasoned professional in the CPG industry, having held key roles at top companies like E&J Gallo Winery, Constellation Brands, and Nestle Waters North America. John has also served as the National Sales Director for Twinings of North America, Vice President of Sales for Republic of Tea and, prior to joining our Company, Vice President of Sales at Chex Finer Foods.

John excels in strategic leadership and sales management and team development. He has advanced training in negotiation, sales and leadership and holds a BA in Economics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

BRENDA STEELE

SVP West & Natural Business Development Director

Brenda started her career in food working in a small independent natural food store. From there she joined Wild Oats, serving in various roles. While at Wild Oats Brenda’s work earned her corporate recognition for profitability, as well as marketing events including her demo programs and her innovative cooking fairs.

Brenda’s appetite for learning about the industry lead her to join a natural food broker as a sales representative. In 2008 she founded her own firm and successfully lead the building of her company, Independent Natural Food Brokers, to be a brokerage industry icon.

Brenda joined our company in 2024 when we purchased her company.

Brenda is a graduate of Colorado University, Denver. During her time at CU, she served three years as the President of the Student Association of Musicians.