Mark Krakauer has been engaged with PLMA from the day of its founding and is the first person to be inducted into the Private Label Hall of Fame as an independent broker. It is largely the result of his advocacy at its very first meeting that the fledgling organization for manufacturers agreed to carve out an associate membership category for the middlemen upon whom so many in the industry depended for sales representation and product development. Perhaps no individual better personifies the broker’s signature ability to open new categories by identifying growth opportunities in both food and nonfoods, and by ushering new suppliers and their capabilities into the private label business. Across the years, Mark has served PLMA and its membership as a trusted advisor. Known to all and occasionally even respected as MWK Marketing.