We know the foodservice industry better than any other software vendor. We continually hear from customers that they selected us because we are the most knowledgeable about foodservice business practices and are able to recommend new ways of doing things based on our work with other manufacturers. Because we’ve been in your shoes, we’re committed to designing and delivering industry-specific solutions that enable you and your company to thrive and effectively manage your business. We take inefficient business processes and shape those into useful tools for streamlining business, managing contracts, controlling trade spending, gaining business intelligence, and growing your business profitably.
Our products are focused on Visibility, Accountability and Profitability:
- Visibility – we provide insight for appropriate users throughout the organization into existing deals, profitability, claim data, who approved what and when, change history and other aspects.
- Accountability – we enable organizations to push responsibility and accountability to the lowest levels of the organization within defined approval criteria and automatically route deal requests and claims for approval.
- Profitability – we enable organizations to evaluate deal profitability inclusive of all other deals with the same customers [e.g., buying group deals] and facilitate a shift from volume to profitability focus.
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| 2010 |
January |
Blacksmith Applications Appoints Mike Kosek as Senior Vice President of Sales
Continental Mills Selects Blacksmith Applications' Trade Promotion Management Solutions
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| 2009 |
November |
J.R. Simplot completes successful implementation of Recapture module
Testing with Tibersoft for fully integrated e-POD settlements solution
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October |
Simplot implements Recapture feature to reduce available volume/dollars for distributor trade payments
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September |
Releases FORGESM Version 6.0, with features to automate analysis for better decisions with less effort
Norpac goes live with auto-pay module
Bay Valley Foods goes live with FORGESM Analytics
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August |
Foster Farms adds the Fernando’s business, purchased from ConAgra, to their implementation of the Blacksmith Application Suite
Custom Culinary extends their use of the Blacksmith Application suite with FORGESM Analytics
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July |
BagcraftPapercon goes live with FORGESM Trade, FORGESM Settlements and FORGESM Analytics in less than 5 months
Smithfield Foods extends the Blacksmith Applications Suite to additional businesses
Bay Valley Foods retail division completes successful implementation of FORGESM Trade
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June |
Custom Culinary implements FORGESM Settlements
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May |
Tina Wefer rejoins to head up marketing, product strategy, thought leadership
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March |
MARS Foodservices re-implements with the Blacksmith Application Suite during worldwide SAP conversion with Budget Management feature to control commitments relative to budget balance available
Bay Valley Foods implements GAUGESM offline sales reporting
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February |
BagcraftPapercon selects Blacksmith Application Suite
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January |
Simplot implements FORGESM 5.1 release with Match Central, a tool to simplify deduction management
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| 2008 |
December |
FORGE Trade 5.0 introduces advanced capabilities for pricing and freight management
FORGE Settlements 5.1 delivers Best In Class integrated end-to-end processing
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November |
SOLO Cup Company selects Blacksmith application suite
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October |
Pepsi Foodservice and Blacksmith complete strategic blueprint
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September |
Advance Food Company implements FORGESM Trade solution
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August |
NORPAC Foods launches Blacksmith Suite
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July |
Cavendish Farms launches FORGESM Trade and Settlement solutions
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June |
J.R. Simplot completes successful implementation
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April |
Genpak implements FORGESM Trade Solutions
MARS Foodservices adds FORGESMAnalytics for advanced reporting and analytical capabilities
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March |
Armour Eckrich implements FORGESM Analytics |
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| 2007 |
October |
Sabert implements FORGESM Analytics |
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August |
ConAgra Foods successfully implements fully integrated e-POD settlements solution with Blacksmith and Instill |
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July |
Blacksmith and Technomic complete ‘State of the Industry’ Best Practice and Benchmarking study for the Disposable Goods categories
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May |
Armour Eckrich [Smithfield Foods] successfully implements FORGESM |
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March |
Bay Valley Food completes successful implementation of the FORGESM suite of solutions |
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January |
MARS Foodservice selects the FORGESM suite to manage trade spending, settlements and sales reporting |
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| 2006 |
November |
Heinz Foodservice goes live with Blacksmith Applications FORGE AnalyticsSM
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October |
Mission Foods selects Blacksmith Applications and its entire product suite to manage its trade spending |
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May |
Custom Culinary selects Blacksmith Applications and its FORGESM Trade, Settlements and Analytics to manage its trade spending, deductions, and sales reporting
Blacksmith releases Version 1.0 of FORGE AnalyticsSM, its web-based sales, trade, and financial reporting and analysis tool for manufacturers
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March |
Blacksmith Applications and Technomic, Inc. extend and expand their "Best Practices" Trade Spending Study for foodservice manufacturers
ConAgra extends their use of the Blacksmith Applications Suite with the implementation of FORGESM Analytics
Sabert Corporation selects Blacksmith Applications and its FORGESM Trade and Analytics solutions to manage its trade spending, operator contracts, and distributor trade deals
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February |
Blacksmith Applications releases GAUGESM, a powerful new offline sales reporting application for foodservice sales professionals
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January |
Foster Farms selects Blacksmith Applications to manage contracts, trade spending, and deductions with its FORGESM Trade and Settlements
Blacksmith Applications releases FORGESM 4.3
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| 2005 |
December |
McCain Foods USA goes live with FORGE SettlementsSM, Blacksmith Applications' Deduction Management solution
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October |
Flowers Foods goes live with Blacksmith Applications FORGESM
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August |
McCain Foods Canada goes live with Blacksmith Applications FORGESM
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May |
Heinz Foodservice goes live with FORGESM
Blacksmith Applications and Technomic, Inc. collaborate on Foodservice Trade Spending Improvement Study to identify inefficiencies in trade spending processes and practices and to provide benchmarked insights and define best practices for foodservice manufacturers
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January |
Blacksmith Applications releases FORGESM 3.2 |
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| 2004 |
October |
Pactiv Corporation goes live with FORGESM Trade and Settlements using Web Services technology for real-time data communication with SAP
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April |
Blacksmith Applications releases Version 1.0 of its Deduction Management solution, FORGE SettlementsSM
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March |
Hunt-Wesson goes live with FORGESM, Blacksmith Applications contract and trade spending solution
Fernando’s Mexican Foods goes live with FORGESM, Blacksmith Applications contract and trade spending solution
Gilardi Frozen Foods goes live with FORGESM, Blacksmith Applications contract and trade spending solution |
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| 2003 |
November |
Lamb Weston selects Blacksmith to manage their trade
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October |
awayX Solutions becomes Blacksmith Applications, Inc.
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June |
ConAgra Refrigerated Foods goes live [Armour Swift-Eckrich ] |
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| 2002 |
November |
awayX Solutions deploys it first major upgrade,
featuring functionality enhancements for formula-based, automated
pricing programs and the ability to capture overlapping trade
rates within profit margin calculations |
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January |
awayX Solutions releases Version 1.0 of its Contract and Trade Management solution for foodservice manufacturers
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| 2001 |
September |
ConAgra Dairy Foods Company (CDFC) agrees
to become awayX Solutions’ partner in developing enhanced
features and functionality for the initial release of its Contract
and Trade Management solution |
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August |
awayX Solutions completes development on
the beta version of its Contract and Trade Management solution
for foodservice manufacturers |
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January |
awayX Solutions begins development on the
beta version of its Contract and Trade Management solution for
foodservice manufacturers |
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| 2000 |
October-
December |
awayX Solutions leads several multi-functional
workshops with major foodservice manufacturers to uncover common
industry issues and to identify solutions that could be standardized
across a wide range of manufacturers. Participants included
Tyson Foods, Veryfine, Anchor Foods, and ConAgra Foods |
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April |
awayX Solutions is founded with a mission of providing easy-to-use, strategic solutions for foodservice manufacturers to manage complex sales and marketing issues surrounding both operators and distributors |
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