The success of any food business hinges on three pillars—high-quality ingredients, a reliable supply chain and big appetite to innovate and grow. ICI Foods, a family-owned food distributor, expertly manages this delicate balance, becoming a trusted partner for top-tier ingredients to various industries, from meat processing and nutraceuticals to pet nutrition and bakeries.
ICI Food’s extensive ingredient inventory managed through strategically placed warehouses across the U.S. ensures next-day deliveries. With a 70,000-square-foot warehouse in Kings Mountain, NC, ICI can handle even the most demanding orders. Products are always in stock and ready for immediate dispatch. The 2001 acquisition of Salco Salt, which added a 50,000-square-foot dry storage facility in Miami, aided the company in boosting this distribution power.
“When clients work with us, they get more than just a fast supplier,” says Adam Hovermale, Co-President. “They get the convenience of one point of contact; one invoice and every food ingredient is taken care of in one go.”
This efficiency gives food businesses a natural edge. They maintain lean operations, reduce excess inventory and free up capital that would otherwise be allocated to surplus stock.
Every delivery from ICI is more than a shipment; it contributes to the business success. Their approach to client partnerships is deeply personalized, with an understanding of specific needs. Whether sourcing organic ingredients for clean-label products, specialized starches for texture enhancement or natural sweeteners for healthier options, ICI delivers the exact ingredients needed to meet production goals.
Consider the story of a beef jerky company that started small, buying just one sack of sugar. Later, they landed spots on Costco and Publix shelves, and even secured football team sponsorships. ICI was there every step of the way, eventually supplying millions of pounds of ingredients. ICI went above and beyond to establish a warehouse just 20 minutes from their client’s plant to ensure urgent orders from major retailers like Costco could be delivered around the clock. This helped the client meet tight deadlines and keep their promises to customers.
A Curated Collection of Premium Ingredients
Managing a curated collection of premium ingredients with over 45 varieties of the finest food ingredients, ICI maintains an impressive inventory from acidulants to sugars. This diverse selection is significantly enriched by distinct offerings from brands that have become part of ICI’s family through strategic acquisitions, adding depth and variety to its product range.
The acquisition of Salco Salt expanded ICI Foods’ portfolio, offering a broad spectrum of salts, from the delicate grains of sea salt and pink Himalayan to the rough textures of pretzel and kosher salts.
The integration of retail brands like Some Honey and Pure Sweet Honey introduced a wide variety of raw, natural, and unfiltered honey, including orange blossom, clover, wildflower, cranberry, buckwheat, mesquite and sunflower. Coming in November 2024 is the exciting launch of a new hot honey.
ICI continues to innovate with products like convenient, individual Honey Spoons—perfect for on-the-go sweetness without the mess of traditional jars. Named as a top innovative product in 2023 by Food & Beverage Magazine, Honey Spoons is just one of the many products developed by the talented Some Honey team. These Honey Spoons are rolling out across select Albertsons grocery stores and Walmart, with plans to expand in-store and online retail presence for 2025.
ICI also offers premium agave and molasses under its trusted brand, giving discerning customers even more high-quality options.
Seamless Warehouse Operations and National Delivery
Efficient delivery and personalized service match the company’s commitment to quality and variety. At its Charlotte distribution center, towering stacks of well-organized ingredients stand ready to be shipped. Cutting-edge, rail-to-truck transloading capabilities enable railcars to ease into place to load. Tankers of liquid ingredients and boxcars of dry goods are transferred to waiting trucks. This optimization means quicker turnaround, reduced costs and fewer customer delays—ensuring operations run smoothly and consistently.
It’s about preserving our traditions while creating a collaborative environment where leadership and innovation are shaped by our shared legacy and vision for the future
The company’s strength also lies in its extensive network of divisional sales managers. Spread across every corner of the U.S., these managers are vital to ICI and its customers. They provide personalized service, forge strong relationships and ensure every order is fulfilled accurately and promptly.
Precision Packaging for Every Ingredient
Within its expansive warehouses lies ICI’s packaging unit. It is dedicated to crafting bespoke package designs that flawlessly accommodate an array of bulk liquid components, including corn syrup, sucrose, liquid sucrose, molasses and liquid citric acid. Each product is carefully measured to meet customer requirements and transferred into pristine containers.
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When clients work with us, they get more than just a fast supplier. They get the convenience of one point of contact; one invoice and every food ingredient is taken care of in one go
Its attention to detail shines when meeting client preferences, such as miniature pails for effortless handling or giant drums and totes for efficient bulk storage. ICI makes sure every customer receives a packaging solution that is impeccably customized to their operation. Consider the instance of its honey packaging at the Wisconsin facility. From charming eight-ounce and 12-ounce bear-shaped bottles to one- to five-pound containers for culinary uses, ICI Foods offers a packaging solution for every pour—even up to a tanker of honey for industrial use.
A Pillar of Purity and Safety
ood safety is the bedrock of ICI’s entire operation. Its BRC-certified warehouse and the SQF-certified plant in Verona, Wisconsin, which is also non-GMO verified, USDA Organic and Kosher-certified, reflect its dedication to purity, quality and ethical production.
The rigorous Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) audits take safety to the next level, integral to ensuring that the processes consistently meet the highest industry standards.
The company runs 23 tests on honey to ensure it is free from adulteration. It’s all about delivering the real deal, just as nature intended.
ICI also takes a proactive approach to food safety, with a comprehensive plan based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles. The team is always a step ahead, identifying potential risks and implementing safeguards to ascertain everything they produce is safe to eat.
It uses TraceGains, a high-tech management system that boosts traceability for even more peace of mind. This technology provides an extra layer of oversight, so every product that leaves its facility meets the highest safety and quality standards.
Building on a Legacy of Vision
ICI’s powerful market presence is the result of the expertise and vision of three industry veterans—Don Hovermale, John Lorenze and Buddy Crowder.
Hovermale and Lorenz, experienced in leading corn wet-milling plants like Corn Products (now Ingredion) and food processing companies such as Hubinger Company (formerly part of H.J. Heinz, now Roquette), joined forces with Crowder, a seasoned sugar broker with deep market expertise. Their collective knowledge and passion for ingredients laid the foundation for a company committed to delivering exceptional value across the supply chain.
Their vision is still alive and thriving under the guidance of the current generation, Adam Hovermale, his mother, Linda Hovermale, Lorrain Lorenze (John’s wife) and Rick Crowder (Buddy Crowder’s son). They lead ICI with the same dedication and drive that inspired its founders.
Building Success with Teamwork
The family business approach extends to the way ICI Foods treats its customers, who are regarded with the same warmth and loyalty. For instance, Hovermale and his wife make it a point to fly out and dine with clients, and the sales team regularly joins customers at concerts and football games. These personal touches help forge lasting relationships.
“It’s about preserving our traditions while creating a collaborative environment where leadership and innovation are shaped by our shared legacy and vision for the future,” says Hovermale.
Open communication with customers and colleagues, staying calm under pressure, respecting one another, operating with integrity and executing as a team are the core of ICI’s market success.
This internal culture also drives the company’s dedication to giving back to the community. It proudly supports the SEAL Legacy Foundation, which assists the families of those who have served the country, including educational support and various charitable causes.
A Future of Digital Ventures and Health-Conscious Delights
Partnering with Domino Sugar, one of the largest sugar producers, ICI is growing its customer base by expanding its palette of ingredients. The goal is to melt down the sugar in liquid form and ship it in tanker trucks or packed in pails, drums or totes.
Embracing the digital age, ICI has launched an Instagram page for the Some Honey brand (@somehoneyco) and its new online store, somehoney.com. This move into social media and e-commerce connects ICI Foods more directly with customers, providing them with easy access to the latest products and updates.
Building on this digital momentum, the company is expanding its product offerings to cater to a broader audience. The upcoming launch of a children’s line featuring organic, sugar-free honey gummies will promote healthy and enjoyable snacks. ICI is set to launch a nutraceutical gummy line for adults. This new line will feature natural honey-based options, such as sleep gummies, as a way to prioritize wellness every day.
As ICI Foods evolves whether through its nutritious new products or enhanced digital presence, it consistently sweetens the success of every partner they serve with each order fulfilled and every shipment sent.
