Welcome Letter
January 2, 2024
Dear Suppliers,
Rainforest Distribution Corp. (“Rainforest”) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets of Associated Buyers, LLC (“Associated Buyers”). This combination will provide our value chain partners with increased operational efficiencies and service levels; a deeper focus on executing retail programs; and additional support for local and emerging brands.
Rainforest would like to extend our most sincere welcome to each of Associated Buyers’ existing suppliers and partners. Rainforest has built itself upon being a supplier-friendly and value-added distribution partner with a passion for brand-building. We focus our attention and resources on executing programs and support that our largest competitors cannot. Our combination with Associated Buyers will provide our suppliers with broader geographic reach; deeper focus on executing custom retail programs; and increased support for local and emerging brands. Rainforest and Associated Buyers, as well as our mutual retail customers, are excited about the opportunities this combination will create for all stakeholders.
Rainforest will begin directly servicing the existing customers of Associated Buyers on February 28, 2024. In the meantime, Rainforest and Associated Buyers are working diligently on systems integration, inventory consolidation, and operational optimization. You will continue to receive purchase orders from Associated Buyers between now and the closing date; and you should fulfill those purchase orders consistent with past practices. You will also continue to receive payment on open invoices directly from Associated Buyers within your established payment terms, until those balances are satisfied in full.
Depending on your manufacturing and shipping lead times, you will begin to receive purchase orders directly from Rainforest between one and four weeks prior to the closing date. Purchase orders received directly from Rainforest will be shipped (or backhauled, if applicable) to Rainforest’s distribution centers and should be invoiced directly to Rainforest. Rainforest and Associated Buyers will ensure that inventory levels are maintained appropriately throughout the transition. Following the closing date, all Associated Buyers’ retail customers will be served from Rainforest’s South Easton, Massachusetts or Bayonne, New Jersey distribution centers.
As part of the transition process, Rainforest requires that all of Associated Buyers’ suppliers be onboarded into Rainforest’s current operating and information systems. Thank you in advance for your time in this effort. We know that there is a lot of admin and paperwork: THANK YOU! In the “Onboarding Instructions” section of this webpage after this welcome letter, you will find a checklist of the required forms and documentation as well as other important Rainforest information.
We are asking that all Suppliers complete this process by January 19, 2024.
Rainforest does not anticipate any pricing changes as part of this transaction. We presently intend to purchase your items at the same cost, and generally under the same terms, currently in place with Associated Buyers. Likewise, we do not anticipate any pricing changes to any existing retail customer presently purchasing these products – so your retail prices on the shelf will remain the same.
In the coming weeks and months, we will be reaching out to each supplier to introduce ourselves personally, as well as working together to identify your goals moving forward. Rainforest is also pleased to report that many key members of the Associated Buyers team will join the Rainforest team to ensure continuity of existing supplier and customer relationships. In the meantime, should you have any questions, please send them via email to AB-transition@rainforestdistribution.com (please be sure to include the name of the brand/company you represent in any email directed to us).
We are very much looking forward to working with you and helping grow your brands.
Thank you,
Rainforest Distribution
Amaury Schoon
Senior Vice President of
Sales
Roger Perrett
Director of Supplier
Success
Paul Sasenbury
Senior WFM Coordinator
Shadrach
Christopoulos
Purchasing Manager
Onboarding Instructions
Onboarding Deadline: January 19, 2024
As Rainforest will begin directly servicing the existing customers of Associated Buyers on February 28, 2024, we require that your onboarding forms be submitted before January 19, 2024. Given the onboarding time frame and deadlines, we have grouped the required forms and documents into two workflows: Priority I and Priority II. We highly recommend that you prioritize completing Priority I requirements as soon as possible to avoid delays in slotting your items in the assigned Rainforest Distribution Center.
In the table below, please click the “Download” button in each row to save the form / document to your computer and then complete ALL of the requested forms. Some documents are for review only and you will be asked to acknowledge that you’ve read and understand the information in them. If a template is not provided, please upload your own document(s) in the requested format.
Onboarding Checklist Workflows
Priority I
When you have all Priority I forms and documents ready for Rainforest, please click the button below to access a form where you can upload all Priority I forms and documents in a single submission.
Priority II
Please submit all Priority I forms and documents before moving onto Priority II items. When you have all Priority II forms and documents ready for Rainforest, please click the button below to access a form where you can upload all Priority II forms and documents in a single submission.
If you have any questions, please review the FAQs listed below prior to submitting additional questions to AB-transition@rainforestdistribution.com. (Please be sure to include the name of the brand/company you represent in the subject line of any email directed to us).
Transition FAQs
Rainforest currently serves WFM in more than 15 states, including the entirety of the legacy NA, NE, and MA regions. Rainforest offers each WFM store location with between three and six deliveries per week, depending on store location needs. WFM is aware of this transition.
No. There will be no price increases to customers as part of this transition. In some instances, with Whole Foods Market specifically, AB-authorized items will enjoy a price decrease.
No.
No. Customers will not lose any delivery days during the transition cutover. Rainforest’s South Easton, MA (will serve AB’s Non-WFM customers and WFM’s legacy NA Region) distribution center and Bayonne, NJ (will serve the legacy NE Region) distribution center will be slotting AB-authorized items in advance of the transition date so that items are available for delivery to customers on the transition date.
It’s important that suppliers comply with the January 19, 2024 onboarding submission deadline to ensure Rainforest has time to set up your items in its distribution centers.
Depending on your manufacturing and shipping lead times, you will begin to receive purchase orders directly from Rainforest between one and four weeks prior to the closing date. Purchase orders received directly from Rainforest will be shipped (or backhauled, if applicable) to Rainforest’s distribution centers and should be invoiced directly to Rainforest. Rainforest and Associated Buyers will ensure that inventory levels are maintained appropriately throughout the transition.
A designated Purchasing Manager will be in charge of your inventory levels and for placing purchase orders based on historical and forecasted demand. You will receive a formal introduction when the Purchasing Manager places the first purchase order of your items.
Many key members of the Associated Buyers team will join the Rainforest team to ensure continuity of existing relationships.
No.
AB will provide price change submissions to Rainforest up through an effective date of 03/01/2024. Price changes with an effective date of later than 03/01/2024 should be communicated directly to Rainforest.
Rainforest Distribution has a 90-day policy on any item maintenance (including price changes, pack change, upc change, unit size change). The Item Maintenance Form is available in the Supplier Onboarding Portal (under the Priority 1 Workflow). The Item Maintenance Form includes the follow calendar in effect for 2024:
| Month | Effective Date | Submitted By |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1/1/2024 | 9/29/2023 |
| February | 1/29/2024 | 10/27/2023 |
| March | 2/26/2024 | 12/1/2023 |
| April | 4/1/2024 | 12/29/2023 |
| May | 4/29/2024 | 2/2/2024 |
| June | 5/27/2024 | 3/1/2024 |
| July | 7/1/2024 | 3/29/2024 |
| August | 8/5/2024 | 5/3/2024 |
| September | 9/2/2024 | 5/31/2024 |
| October | 9/30/2024 | 6/28/2024 |
| November | 10/28/2024 | 8/2/2024 |
| December | 12/2/2024 | 8/30/2024 |
Promotions submitted by AB to retailers (including Whole Foods Market) will be honored as submitted.
Rainforest Distribution will begin submitting promotions on behalf of suppliers/brands to Whole Foods Market for the August 2024 promo-cycle and all promo cycles beyond. Rainforest Distribution will begin submitting promotions to other customers for the May 2024 promo-cycle and all promo cycles beyond.
Suppliers should upload their 2024 promo calendar through the onboarding portal.
Associated Buyers will follow existing advertising plans for January and February 2024 to provide continuity and continued presence in the marketplace for suppliers. Advertising costs will be deducted from existing outstanding payables to the supplier. If no outstanding payables apply, or AB will not be re-ordering prior to the transition, AB will either cancel the advertisement, or issue an invoice for the advertisement (Supplier’s discretion.)
Below are the few alias you can use based on your needs:
- Questions related to the transition AB-transition@rainforestdistribution.com
- Cost Change Submission: costchange@rainforestdistribution.com
- Questions related to Invoice Status / Chargeback: ap@rainforestdistribution.com
- Promo Submission: promos@rainforestdistribution.com
- Scheduling a delivery: receiving@rainforestdistribution.com
Rainforest intends to purchase your items at the same cost, and generally under the same terms, currently in place with Associated Buyers. Please make sure to complete the Payment Terms section of the Supplier Agreement in the onboarding portal.
You will need to ship/deliver your products to your assigned Rainforest’s distribution centers. (Exact addresses are included in the “Shipping and Receiving Guidelines” in the onboarding portal / materials.)
- Products authorized in the WFM’s Legacy NA Region will be assigned to Rainforest’s South Easton, MA Distribution Center;
- Products authorized in the WFM’s Legacy NE Region will be assigned to Rainforest’s Bayonne, NJ Distribution Center; and
- Products sold to customers other than WFM will be assigned to Rainforest’s South Easton, MA Distribution Center.
Yes. Rainforest intends to offer the same services as AB in this respect. Please make sure to complete the appropriate sections of the New Supplier / Item Setup Workbook to ensure Rainforest can prepare to coordinate future pickups.
About Rainforest
- 4 Distribution Centers (avg. of 130k sq ft each); all with ambient, refrigerated and frozen temperature zones;
- Service to more than 3,000 stores in 18 states from Maine to West Virginia
- FOB and backhaul programs available in 18 States
- More than 60 dedicated Sales Team Members
- More than 5,000 SKUs carried from 950 vendors;
- Brokerage services include category reviews, promotional submissions, weekly reporting, item maintenance, cost changes, etc.;
- More than 140 owned and operated trucks and Trailers in the Rainforest DSD system.
- Ability to tailor services for any brands’ specific needs;
- Ability to Immediately onboard new vendors and items (no new vendor/item fees);
- Receiving dock appointments available within 48 hours;
- Vendors have direct communication with purchasing managers and transparent inventory visibility;
- No new item slotting fees, No reporting fees, No slow-mover fees, No item maintenance fees;
- Electronic payment remittance;
- Focus on Inventory planning and prioritization retailers’ fulfillment rates.
Rainforest Distribution is not a delivery service. We are focused on building brands through true partnerships with our Suppliers. Rainforest looks for the first, best and most innovative in each product category.
We have a special love for local, innovation, and partners who work hard!
Additional Core Services
Rainforest is passionate about helping you build your brand. We’ll help you plan your promotional and price strategy, new product launches, sales incentives, and overall market strategy.
Rainforest fields a team of dedicated sales professionals who place orders in person in for our most loyal accounts. Our sales professionals work closely with each buyer to maximize the potential of each of our products.
Rainforest offers full merchandising support to ensure your products are always on the shelf for the consumer to buy.