This episode features Rodd Willis, Director of Natural & Specialty at Dot Foods. His 25-year career at Dot Foods has included positions in sales, management, supply chain, and business development. He is based out of St. Louis, MO. He holds an MBA from the University of Missouri.  Dot Foods, Inc. carries 125,000 products from 1,020 food industry manufacturers making it the largest food industry redistributor in North America. Through Dot Transportation, Inc., an affiliate of Dot Foods, the company distributes foodservice, convenience, retail, and vending products to distributors in all 50 states and more than 55 countries. Topics Covered Dot Foods’ role in the food industry. Macro trends in food service and retail as we emerge out of the pandemic. Current state of the plant-based food industry and why Rodd and Dot Foods are bullish about the future of this category. Why Rodd believes meat and dairy alternatives will continue to grow and learn which sub-categories have the most (and least) growth potential in the short term. What food service and retail buyers are looking for today and how brands and buyers can be best prepared for what’s going to be trending next. Why Rodd is excited about participating in Plant Based World Expo 2022. Plant Based World Expo: The Only 100% Plant-Based B2B Show, Sept 8 -9, 2022, NYC. SAVE 20% ON YOUR PASS WITH VIP CODE: EFTP20. TO REGISTER AND LEARN MORE VISIT PLANTBASEDWORLDEXPO.COM Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices