Varstar Ready

for C hallenges and O ppor tunities

Varstar Alliance is a leading freight brokerage company and trusted provider of transpor tation ser vices across the Nor th American supply chain. The Varstar networ k of transpor tation companies and logistics professionals is also dedicated to providing successful solutions that meet the diverse needs of their individual customers in today ’s rapidly changing marketplace

Ford’s Gourmet Foods is the Master Distributor for Bone Suck in’ Sauce Bone Suckin’ Sauce Sweet Southern™, available in both original and hot, brings all the flavor that BSS fans expect with the unique addition of pure cane sugar This creates a savory sweetness that will be an exciting addition to your grilling pantry “Although most customers consider BSS their favorite barbeque sauce, Sweet Southern is probably the closest we have come to a traditional barbecue sauce,” said Patrick Ford, Vice President of Ford’s Gourmet Foods. “Using cane sugar versus molasses and honey add to the depth of caramelization and creates this incredibly unique flavor that still lets you k now it ’s Bone Suckin’ Sauce but has a personality all its own We’re excited for our customers to try it ” Like all Bone Suckin’ Sauce products, Sweet Southern is non-GMO, gluten

S L : L i q u i d I V s e l l s a f u n c t i o n a l hyd r at i o n p o w d e r t h a t , w h e n a d d e d t o w a te r, p ro m o te s i n c re a s e d a b s o r p t i o n o f wate r a n d o t h e r a d d e d v i t a m i n s a n d m i n e ra l s to p ro m o te p ro p e r hyd rat i o n , which may help whole body health and we l l n e s s

NH: When did you star t work ing for Liquid I V ?

SL: I star ted wor k ing at Liquid I V in March 2016 I was one of the first 10 employees at the company.

NH: So, you’ve watched Liquid I V grow from a star tup to a well- established brand

SL: I have! I t ’s been incredible to watch a brand with such focus and dedication grow Liquid I V has grown more than 400 percent since 2020 due to the creativity, dedication and hear t of its team.

NH: 400 percent since 2020 is quite significant! How do you think that your sustainability and clean water access work affec ts the company ’s growth?

S L : L i q u i d I V ’s p r o d u c t w o r k s , a n d i n s o m e ways, i t fe e l s l i k e i t s e l l s i t s e l f B u t we a l s o l i ve i n a t i m e w h e re m o s t c o ns u m e r s w a n t t o k n o w t h a t t h e p ro d u c t

Like nearly all businesses and families over the past two and half years, Varstar has dealt with the challenges posed by COVID -19. Varstar has emerged as a stronger company – a company that is ready for the future

G oing for ward, the focus of Varstar ’s business remains on providing exceptional ser vice to customers, which has meant doubling down on a commit- free, contains no high fructose corn syrup and is Kosher certified Ford’s will present Sweet Southern and the rest of its full product line in booth #5282 at the show

About Ford’s Gourmet Foods

Ford’s Gourmet Foods is a fourth generation, Raleigh, North Carolina-based family business that creates and distributes some of the world’s greatest tasting non-GMO, gluten free Kosher certified foods including Wine Nuts and Fire Dancer Jalapeño Peanuts and the internationally acclaimed Bone Suckin’ Sauces – the only barbecue sauces rated No 1 by Newsweek, Food & Wine and many others.

Bone Suckin’ Meatloaf

The best meatloaf recipe ever!

Yield: 4-6 ser vings

Ingredients

• B one Suck in’ Sauce Sweet S outher n, t h a t t h e y ’re b u y i n g i s n o t j u s t g o o d fo r t h e m , b u t g o o d fo r t h e i r c o m m u n i t i e s a n d p l a n e t I t h i n k L i q u i d I V ’s p ro d u c t d o n a t i o n w o r k , c l e a n w a t e r a c c e s s p ro j e c t s a n d d e d i c a t i o n t o s u s t a i n a b l e b u s i n e s s p r a c t i c e s m a k e c o n s u m e r s f e e l g o o d a b o u t b u y i n g L i q u i d I . V. p ro d u c t s

NH: Why is Liquid I V so committed to responsible, sustainable business operations?

SL: Liquid I V believes ever yone deser ves access to proper hydration and overall wellness. We can’t operate a company dedicated to wellness while ignoring the wellbeing of our planet. I t ’s our duty to ensure we are focused on making a positive impac t on the world

NH: Liquid I V just released its first public sustainabilit y repor t What motivated your team to do that?

SL: That ’s right! The Liquid I V team released its first public sustainability repor t in O c tober 2022, cover ing Liquid I.V.’s 2021 sustainabilit y effor ts I’ve been pushing to compile and publish a sustainability repor t for Liquid I V for several years now We released this repor t to benchmark our current sustainability effor ts and to publicly commit to mak ing our business operations sustainable and responsible ment to enhance and upgrade technology to meet the needs of and oppor tunities for the transpor tation industr y

As Varstar welcomes a return to a normal day-to - day business environment, the company is also encouraged to see so many people outside of the transpor tation industr y now fully aware of the impor tance of an efficient continental supply chain to their day-to - day lives

Ultimately, the Varstar family has the interests of families in both the United States and Canada front and center

1/2 cup

• Ground Beef, 1 1/2 pounds

• Onion, 1 Medium, Diced

• Breadcrumbs, 1 cup toasted

• Egg, 1 Beaten

• Salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons

• Pepper, 1/2 teaspoon

Instruc tions

1 Preheat the oven to 350˚F

2 Combine all ingredients in a loaf pan

3 Place the loaf pan in the oven for one hour at 350˚F

4 Baste with additional Bone Suckin’ Sauce

Sweet Southern during cooking time

5. Enjoy!

Bone Suckin’ Chicken

Super easy and Bone Suckin’ Good!

Yield: 4-6 ser vings

Ingredients:

• Bone Suck in’ Sauce Sweet Southern, 1

?

SL: At the end of 2021, we were 69 percent of the way (by weight) towards our 2025 pack aging goal, which is for 100 percent of our final produc t pack aging to be post-rec ycled, reusable, rec yclable or compostable We also conver ted onethird of our car tons to thinner cardboard material with a bleach-free inner layer as par t of that goal

NH: Liquid I.V. refers to itself as a purpose - driven company. What is the purpose that drives Liquid I.V.?

SL: Liquid I V believes that water security is a human right, and so our impac t wor k is centered around hydration aid and funding clean water access projects

NH: When did your team star t doing purpose - driven work? What was the first example of that work?

SL: We star ted our produc t donation program in 2015 and gave the Los Angeles Mission shelter 500 ser vings of Liquid I V to its houseless population To date, we have donated over 36 million ser vings to those in need

NH: What has changed since the team ever y day. Varstar plays a cr itical role in ensur ing that ever ything from what goes on the k itchen table to produc ts for the home arrives on time

Varstar ’s commitment to technology centers on a management system ( TMS) that combines state - of-the -ar t technology in an easy formula providing a wide range of functions that enables the company to be a shipper ’s one -stop -shop

For more information, go to www varstaralliance com

18- ounce jar

• Whole Chicken, quar tered or eighths

Instruc tions

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F (set oven rack to middle position).

2. Pat chicken dr y with paper towels and place on bak ing pan lined with aluminum foil

3 Season both sides of chicken with salt and black pepper

4 Bake chicken for 45 minutes

5 Pour Bone Suck in’ Sauce Sweet Southern over the chicken, turning the pieces over with tongs to coat both sides

6 . B a k e f o r a b o u t 1 5 m o r e m i n u t e s , u nt i l t h e i nte r n a l te m p e rat u re re a c h e s

1 6 5 ˚ F

7 Enjoy!

For more information, visit w w w bonesuck in com, call 919 833 7647 or stop by booth #5282 first began doing purpose - driven work?

SL: In 2021, Liquid I V star ted to expand its impac t work beyond produc t donations and into funding water secur it y and clean water access projec ts

NH: Can you tell me about your clean water access projec ts? What par tners do you work with? What k ind of work does Liquid I V suppor t?

SL: In 2022, we helped fund piped water connec tions to provide clean water access for hundreds of families in West Virginia that had intermittent water access and experienced poor water quality due to 100-year- old infrastruc ture.

NH: What comes nex t? What is the Liquid I V team look ing for ward to in 2023?

S L : I n 2 0 2 3 , l o o k o u t fo r o u r gra nt p rog r a m s , i n c l u d i n g a s e r i e s o f g r a n t s t o e x p a n d c l e a n wate r a cce s s a n d o u r s i gnature program, called The Confluence, w h e re o u r te a m s e l e c t s a co h o r t o f 1 2 vetted organizations to receive funding f o r t h e i r w a t e r s e c u r i t y w o r k . C o n f l ue n ce gra nt re c i p i e nt s a re i nv i te d to a n a n n u a l e v e n t t o c o n n e c t w i t h e a c h o t h e r a n d p ro b l e m s o l ve fo r w a t e r i ns e c u r i t y

For more information, go to w w w liquid-iv com or stop by booth #N1703 and booth #3815