Bryan Real, president of United Food Group in Elgin, Ill., was recently named NAMA’s Allied Member of the Year - Coffee as part of the association’s 2014 Industry Awards. Real will be presented his award at the 2014 NAMA OneShow in Chicago, Ill. April 9 to 11.
The Allied Member of the Year - Coffee award recognizes an individual and their company who has exhibited the highest level of integrity, dedication and leadership in the coffee service industry. The recipient of this award must excel in all areas of business and show leadership within the community.
After graduating from Southern Illinois University in 1982, Real purchased a Volkswagon repair shop in Carbondale, Ill., and quickly made it profitable. He sold the business a couple years later and moved to Chicago, Ill. to start Unified Beverages, an office coffee and vending company. As the business grew, Real began developing his own line of dry powder mixes for use in vending machines.
In 1995, Real sold Unified Beverages and started Food Concept Developers, Inc. Real’s focus for Food Concept Developers was to create a national brand of products for the vending, office coffee, convenience stores, club stores and grocery stores.
Real established United Food Group, based in Elgin, Ill., in 2005 to concentrate on continued brand building, contact packaging and property equipment design. United Food Group continues to develop its own proprietary brands with a focus on packing and designing new and innovative equipment for the beverage industry.
