A trio of Red River College grads have teamed up to launch a new company that’s poised to become the leading distributor of specialty foods in Central Canada.

Chris Boreski (Business Administration, 2004), Wayne Doerksen (Red Seal Chef, 2001), and Brennan Taniguchi (Business Administration, 2010) are the driving forces behind World Wise Distribution, a new Winnipeg-based company that was launched to meet the growing demand among retailers and restaurants for natural, organic, gluten-free, kosher, vegan, locally-grown and other specialty food products.

“It’s a great feeling to see the amazing reaction from our wholesale customers when they see our wide assortment of products,” says Boreski, operations manager at World Wide Distribution. “They know they can purchase them here — from a local company.”

Since most distributors are based in Toronto or Vancouver, local retailers are usually forced to purchase specialty items from out-of-province.

“Shipping dollars outside (of Manitoba) is no longer necessary,” says Doerksen, a former chef and self-described product guru who saw the market need for a local distributor specializing in locally-grown products.

“Our business model is based on fast delivery and local expertise — something that was really lacking in the marketplace, when the closest specialty natural foods distributor was based in Toronto.”

The launch of World Wise Distribution has opened the door for more Manitoba-based specialty food processors to gain immediate access to a local distributor, which in turn helps to get more Manitoba products into the marketplace, says Taniguchi, logistics manager for the new company.

“They key to our success is our unique product offering and our strategic positioning here in Winnipeg,” says Taniguchi. “With the development of CentrePort and the North American Trade Corridor, Winnipeg is quickly becoming the location of choice for logistics-related companies.”

Shown above, from left: Wayne Doerksen, Brennan Taniguchi, and Chris Boreski, of World Wise Distribution