Sangmidang seeks North American, European expansion through global partnerships

Hur Jin-soo, vice chairman of the South Korean bakery conglomerate Sangmidang Holdings, met with George Gellert, Chairman of the Gellert Global Group (GGG), and U.S. Ambassador to France Charles Kushner in Paris this week to discuss potential overseas partnerships. On Wednesday, Sangmidang announced that Hur had engaged in talks with Gellert and other GGG executives regarding business developments and possible collaboration.

Samlip, Sangmidang's popular mass-market bakery arm, could team up with GGG to broaden its presence in the U.S. supermarket and food service sectors, with the possibility of entering Canada and Mexico, according to the Korean company. GGG, based in the United States, specializes in importing and distributing a variety of food products to retailers, food service distributors, restaurants, hotels, cruise operators, and food manufacturers across North America.

The company sources over 4,000 products from 60 countries and generates annual sales exceeding $1.7 billion. The initial conversation occurred on October 18, when Hur attended a reception held by GGG's partner firms at the U.S. ambassador's residence in Paris. The event, organized by Kushner, brought together approximately 130 industry representatives.