For years, H&W Ingredients operated as two connected but distinct entities: H&W, a broker of fruit and nut ingredients, and Dayton Foods, a distributor serving customers with direct, fast-turn needs. Though united under one leadership team, their brand presence (two websites, two LinkedIn pages, and different customer-facing messages) told a fragmented story.
As the business continued to grow, so did the need for a more unified message. It was a topic H&W Ingredients/Dayton Foods President John Schwaab, Marketing Lead Linda Dunbar, and the rest of the H&W team had been thinking about for years.
“There was always confusion about whether we were one or two companies,” said the H&W team. “We’d gone back and forth for years. It felt complicated and daunting.”
That complexity combined with limited internal marketing resources led the team to partner with CMO-OnLoan, who had already supported broader strategic work with parent company Skidmore Sales & Distributing. The goal was to bring simplicity, structure, and alignment to the way H&W shows up in the market.
Bringing Two Brands into One Clear Message
The work began not with assumptions, but with listening. CMO-OnLoan interviewed the H&W team to understand how they saw the brand, how they communicated with customers, and what concerns or opportunities they saw in consolidating their presence.
“We weren’t coming in with a fixed answer,” said Amy Connor, Founder & CEO of CMO-OnLoan. “We wanted to understand the legacy of each brand, the pride behind them, and what mattered to the people who worked there.”
Based on input and feedback received, the recommendation was to keep both brand names while presenting them through one unified online presence. A single website would tell the full story, while still giving space for each brand to live within it.
“It was great having an objective person thinking about the company,” said John. “This took away the emotional reaction about the two brands. It was helpful having someone walk through the process so the internal team could understand the impact and get comfortable with the change.”
Simple Tools, Aligned Team
The decision to unify the brand brought momentum. CMO-OnLoan helped streamline marketing touchpoints, connect H&W with a new web partner, and implement marketing channels like Google Business and LinkedIn pages.
Small shifts made a big difference. “This felt so much more doable,” the H&W team said. “The process was organized, well-run, and clear. Amy got to the heart of the matter quickly.”
The clarity also helped bring internal alignment. “I’m proud that our staff was happy with the decision,” the H&W team shared. “There wasn’t any internal discourse. It was a peaceful transition.”
Clearer Communication, Greater Possibility
With a unified website and brand plan in place, H&W is positioned for smoother communication, stronger visibility, and easier implementation across their small but capable team.
“By helping them be more cohesive in how they communicate, we’ve made it easier for them to find and serve more customers,” Amy said. “That clarity opens the door for continued growth.”
To learn more about H&W Ingredients, visit https://www.hwingredients.com.