Top Women In Store Brands 2024: Julie McGuire, FedUp Foods
For more than a decade, Store Brands and Women Impacting Storebrand Excellence (WISE) have teamed to honor women across the private label industry who have had and continue to have a major impact in the store brand segment.
From supply chain to sales, marketing, finance, and more, members of the Class of 2024 each play a vital role in moving store brands forward amid new and ongoing challenges that include rising prices, capacity issues with manufacturers, and evolving demand from consumers.
Meet this year's Top Women In Store Brands honorees.
Julie McGuire
FedUp Foods
Supply Chain/Procurement Award
The utilization of innovative sourcing strategies while maintaining a commitment to sustainability have been keys to Julie McGuire’s success in her role as strategic sourcing specialist at FedUp Foods.
McGuire has played an integral role in establishing FedUp Foods as the largest private label fermented beverage manufacturer in North America. Specializing in kombucha, prebiotic sodas, tepache, and cold brew coffee, the company operates with a mission of environmental and social impact, values that McGuire champions daily.
The 2024 Top Women In Store Brands Supply Chain/Procurement Award honoree, McGuire’s primary responsibilities at FedUp Foods revolve around balancing quality, cost, and resilience in the procurement process, ensuring the company’s supply chain remains agile and dependable.
“I’m incredibly grateful and honored to be named for this award in the company of such powerful, impactful women in this industry,” McGuire said. “Producing store brand and private label products can feel very much behind-the-scenes, and it’s super cool for a little spotlight to shine on the work that I do each day with care and intentionality.”
Over the past year, her leadership was pivotal in organizing the first FedUp Foods Summit, which brought together top suppliers to explore regenerative practices in the beverage industry. McGuire’s ability to foster deep relationships and initiate collaborative discussions with these partners has laid the groundwork for a more sustainable supply chain.
Beyond relationship management, colleagues said McGuire is a master at risk mitigation. She implemented a dual-sourcing strategy that has bolstered the company’s supply chain, securing reliable ingredient sourcing from multiple suppliers while maintaining rigorous quality standards. Additionally, her proactive logistics solutions have optimized the flow of goods, reducing transit time and ensuring peak ingredient freshness.
McGuire’s dedication to sustainable sourcing is driving real change in the food system. Through McGuire’s efforts, FedUp Foods has become a leader in Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC), working with smallholder coffee farms and larger co-ops to secure ROC-certified coffee beans. This work will soon make FedUp Foods the second-largest holder of ROC coffee in the U.S.
“A lifelong passion for good food and thriving food systems put me in the right place at the right time, with the coolest women-owned company in North Carolina, at the cusp of major growth in the store brands industry,” McGuire said. “I approach my work as being very human-to-human vs. transactional and enjoy the challenge of seeking the most mutually beneficial outcomes.”