(BRK.A), (BRK.B)
Berkshire Hathaway’s McLane Company, Inc., one of America’s largest supply chain providers for retail and foodservice, has launched HiBird, a new premium chicken program designed specifically for convenience stores. The unveiling took place at McLane Engage, the company’s annual trade show, held July 22–24 in New Orleans.
HiBird is the latest addition to the McLane Fresh brand family and features a crave-worthy menu of chicken sandwiches, strips, potato wedges, and white cheddar mac and cheese. The lineup is highlighted by HiBird’s signature sauce—a creamy, tangy, mildly spicy take on the classic comeback sauce.
Engineered for ease of execution, HiBird offers turnkey support for retailers, including training, merchandising, and equipment, enabling stores to deliver restaurant-quality meals with minimal complexity. Products are adaptable to fryers or rapid cook ovens and boast long shelf lives, offering flexibility across store formats.
“We’re proud to introduce HiBird to help convenience retailers meet the growing demand for premium chicken,” said Vito Maurici, McLane’s Chief Customer Experience Officer. “The program is designed for speed and simplicity, making it easy to bring top-tier offerings to market.”
Engage 2024 features nearly 200 exhibitors, including Hershey and Altria, and highlights McLane’s Emerging Brands marketplace, which now spans 330 brands and 3,900 products. This includes recent category expansions in Health/Beauty/Wellness and General Merchandise. New beverage samplings include Kohana, a ready-to-drink coffee energy drink.
McLane’s private label subsidiary, Consumer Value Products Inc., also debuted updated products such as:
YUMBEES: A variety of chewy, gummy, and hard candies
Divinely Sweet: On-the-go mini cookie cups
Beau Dacious: Premium upcycled pet treats and toys
In addition to food and beverage innovations, McLane is spotlighting new data-driven tech tools designed to help retailers and suppliers make faster, smarter business decisions.
“This year’s Engage shows how we’re helping retailers of all sizes innovate and grow,” said Chris Smith, President of McLane Retail. “We’re not just a distributor—we’re a strategic partner committed to shaping the future of retail.”
© 2025 David Mazor
Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.