Mid Atlantic Food Trade Organization

What Mid Atlantic Food Trade Organization does

MAFTO (Mid-Atlantic Food Trade Organization) is a 501c3 nonprofit trade association serving food industry professionals across the Greater Philadelphia and broader Mid-Atlantic region (including New Jersey, Delaware, and Southeastern Pennsylvania). Founded in 2005 through the merger of four predecessor organizations — the Association of Manufacturers Representatives, Tri State Dairy Deli Association, Philadelphia Food Trades Organization, and Mid Atlantic Frozen Foods Association — MAFTO has a combined heritage of over 100 years serving the retail and foodservice industries. The organization is governed by approximately 25 volunteer board members drawn from senior leadership at member companies, and operates with a free membership model open to qualified food industry professionals; the current active member count is 404.

MAFTO's product surface is event-driven and community-oriented rather than technology-based. Its core offerings include four annual flagship events — General Membership Dinners, the Annual Golf Outing, Christmas for All Kids Holiday Party/Monte Carlo Night, and Retailer Dinners (Spring and Fall) — held at venues such as College Park Marriott Hotel & Conference Center and Springfield Country Club. Beyond events, MAFTO runs a College Scholarship Program (185 scholarships totaling $709,000 awarded since 2005, including a partnership with the Academy of Food Marketing at Saint Joseph's University) and a Community Care Package Program that has distributed 5,000 care packages and driven over $2,000,000 in donations to Philabundance, Small Things, and regional food pantries over three years. The organization has no proprietary technology platform; its digital presence consists of a WordPress-based website (mafto.org) used for event registration, membership enrollment, and online donations.

Revenue is generated through event ticket sales ($200–$450 individual, $3,500–$4,500 per table), event sponsorships (Gold at $5,000–$10,000; Platinum at $10,000–$15,000), the 2026 Fundraising Drive ($25–$1,000+ donation tiers with logo recognition for $1,000+ gifts), and Community Care Package sales ($100 per box, with corporate bulk pricing). Go-to-market is event-driven and community-led, supplemented by media partnerships with OutFront Media and Food Trade News. MAFTO does not disclose financials; total scholarship disbursement and charitable pass-through donations suggest a small operating budget with a lean (largely volunteer) cost structure.

Name

Mid Atlantic Food Trade Organization

Legal name

Mid-Atlantic Food Trade Organization

Website

https://mafto.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

MAFTO is a 501c3 nonprofit trade association that unites food industry professionals across the Mid-Atlantic region through annual networking events, a college scholarship program, and charitable food assistance initiatives. It serves 404 active members and is supported by sponsorships from major regional food manufacturers and retailers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Industry Trade Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK), Agriculture, Food & Nutrition Congresses (THAHAJAI)

Keywords

• Food industry networking
• Trade association events
• Industry scholarship programs
• Community care packages
• Food trade organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Pausa

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Revenue: MAFTO raises money through social and trade related events including General Membership Dinners, Annual Golf Outing, Christmas for All Kids Holiday Party/Monte Carlo Night and Retailer Dinners. Sponsorships at various levels (Gold, Platinum) provide significant revenue.
2. Fundraising Campaigns: Annual fundraising drives soliciting donations from members and corporate sponsors. Contributions of $1,000 or more receive recognition with company logo on scholarship page and acknowledgement at events.
3. Community Care Packages: Sale of community care packages at $100 each, with proceeds donated to Philabundance, Small Things and food pantries. Corporate orders of 20+ may receive invoices.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MAFTO is a 501c3 nonprofit trade organization that unites food and beverage industry professionals across the Mid-Atlantic region through annual networking events (Golf Outing, Fall/Retailer Dinners, Christmas for All Kids/Monte Carlo Night, Gala Weekend), a Community Care Package charitable program, and a college scholarship initiative. Membership is free for qualified food industry professionals, with funding generated via event ticket sales, tiered corporate sponsorships, and donations.

Product overview

MAFTO (Mid-Atlantic Food Trade Organization) is a 501c3 nonprofit trade organization that serves as a unified platform connecting professionals across all sectors of the food and beverage industry. The organization operates as a single unified offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture, providing a portfolio of event-based services including annual networking events (Golf Outing, Gala Weekend, Fall Dinners), charitable initiatives (Christmas for All Kids/Monte Carlo Night, Community Care Package Program), and educational programs (Scholarship Program). Membership is free and open to food industry professionals. The organization generates funding through event sponsorships, ticket sales, and fundraising campaigns to support its mission of advancing the food marketing industry through education, scholarships, and community outreach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MAFTO Annual Golf Outing

Quantifiable outcome

• 185 scholarships totaling $709,000 awarded since 2005
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• Saint Joseph's UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAFTO has established a scholarship program with the Academy of Food Marketing at Saint Joseph's University. This partnership ensures the next generation of food industry leaders are both well educated and well-rounded. The organization also partners with SJU for various industry events and networking opportunities.
• Pennsylvania Food Merchants AssociationsupportingOthersRegional industry association partner supporting food trade initiatives in Pennsylvania.
• Delaware Food Industry CouncilsupportingOthersRegional industry association partner supporting food trade initiatives in Delaware.
• New Jersey Food CouncilsupportingOthersRegional industry association partner supporting food trade initiatives in New Jersey.
• PhilabundancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary food bank beneficiary of MAFTO's Community Care Package program. Over $2,000,000 in donations have been driven to Philabundance and other food charities. Philabundance receives care packages and monetary support from MAFTO's charitable initiatives.
• Small Things Food Pantry and Community Outreach OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner receiving support from MAFTO's charitable programs. The organization is a recipient of Community Care Packages and fundraising donations from MAFTO events.
• Ignite2X AdvertisingsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerAndy Morfopoulos of Ignite2X Advertising serves as MAFTO Community Care Package committee chair. The agency handles marketing and coordination for the care package program.
• OutFront MediaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner providing billboard recognition for corporate orders of 100 or more Community Care Packages, driving regional awareness for participating brands.
• Food Trade NewsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner driving awareness within the region and with the trade for MAFTO's charitable programs and events.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• New Jersey Food Council: New Jersey-based food industry trade association and current MAFTO partner. Comparable because both are regional food-trade associations with overlapping audiences in the Mid-Atlantic and offer similar networking, legislative, and educational programming.
• Delaware Food Industry Council: Delaware-based food industry trade association and current MAFTO partner. Comparable to MAFTO as a neighboring Mid-Atlantic state-level association providing industry networking, advocacy, and information services to food retailers and suppliers.
• Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association (PFMA): Pennsylvania-based food industry trade association and current MAFTO partner. Comparable to MAFTO as a regional association serving similar retailer/wholesaler members with overlapping Pennsylvania focus and parallel networking/advocacy programming.

Broad incumbents

• Food Marketing Institute (FMI): The largest US trade association for the food retail industry, serving retailers, wholesalers, and suppliers with conferences, education, advocacy, and research. Directly comparable to MAFTO as an industry-association peer operating one tier above the regional level and competing for the same CPG/retailer mind-share.
• Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce: Regional chamber of commerce serving Greater Philadelphia businesses, including food industry members. Comparable to MAFTO because both serve the Greater Philadelphia business community and host networking events, leadership programming, and advocacy in overlapping geographies.
• National Grocers Association (NGA): National trade association representing independent grocers and wholesalers, with annual conferences and advocacy programming. Comparable to MAFTO because both aggregate food retailers, wholesalers, and suppliers to provide networking, education, and policy engagement.
• Consumer Brands Association: Trade association (formerly the Grocery Manufacturers Association) representing CPG brands. Comparable because many MAFTO member brands (PepsiCo, Kraft Heinz, Hormel, Bimbo Bakeries) are also Consumer Brands members, creating overlap in conferences, advocacy, and corporate sponsorships.

Emerging players

• American Bakers Association: Trade association representing the baking industry in the United States, with networking events and advocacy. Comparable because Bimbo Bakeries and Knauss Foods are MAFTO board members, creating overlapping membership and conference exposure for food-trade suppliers in the same Mid-Atlantic region.

Direct peers

• National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA): Trade association for the frozen and refrigerated foods industry. Direct peer because one of MAFTO's predecessor organizations (Mid Atlantic Frozen Foods Association) was a frozen-foods trade group, and NFRA operates with the same model of networking events, scholarships, and industry promotion.
• International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA): Trade association serving the dairy, deli, bakery, and foodservice industries with networking, education, and a flagship trade show. Direct peer to MAFTO because both serve food-trade professionals with an annual show, networking events, and education in the same broad food industry.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mafto_

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mid Atlantic Food Trade Organization