SAN BERNADINO, CA - You know the saying, you’re only as good as the people who work for you? (Or did I just make that up?) Regardless of that phrase’s origin story, it’s one we should all take to heart, just as Stater Bros. Markets has. The Southern California-based chain recently announced the hiring of its new Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Jerrold Williams, meaning that it’s right on track to walking in that phrase’s footsteps.
Prior to joining the grocer, Williams held various roles of increasing responsibility for leading packaged goods and retail service companies such as Kellogg Company, where he ultimately earned the role as the Head of Human Resources for the largest sales region in the company. He also served Daymon Worldwide in the capacity of Vice President, Human Resources before advancing to the position of Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer.
Williams most recently held the position of Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for Hostess Brands. Williams earned his Master of Business Administration from Western Michigan University and holds a Juris Doctor Degree from the Michigan State College of Law.
“The grocery business is also a people business,” said Pete Van Helden, CEO. “I’m confident Jerrold will fit right into our ‘Family’ and his extensive experience will add significant value as we continually strive to attract, develop, and engage strong talent now and in the future."
In this role, Williams will report to President Greg McNiff. He will oversee the Stater Bros.’ Administrative Division, which includes the company’s Human Resources, Labor Relations, Equal Employment Opportunity, Compliance, Insurance Adminstration, and Workers Compensation department. According to a press release, he is also charged with advancing Stater Bros.’ leadership development and career progression processes. Additionally, Williams will join the Company’s Executive Management Team which devises the company’s key strategic initiatives.
Congratulations to Jerrold on this new role! As we continue to report on the latest in retail executive news, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
HOUSTON, TX - The individuality that leaders bring to the table inevitably impacts the business they lead, especially when it comes to such pivotal roles as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The global foodservice distribution company, Sysco Corporation, recently announced some important changes to its leadership team, stating that current President and CEO Tom Bené will be stepping down from his roles effective January 31. Bené will stay on as an Executive Advisor until March 1, to be available to assist with a smooth and orderly transition of leadership. The Board of Directors unanimously elected Kevin Hourican as the company’s new President and CEO, who will start on February 1.
“
I have been honored to lead Sysco over the last few years and I am incredibly proud of all that our team has accomplished,” said Bené. “Sysco’s leading market position in the foodservice industry, our unique capabilities, and talented associates have positioned us well for the future. It has truly been an honor and a privilege to work alongside our 69,000 dedicated associates to bring our strategy to life.”
According to a press release, Sysco’s board believes that these senior leadership changes will enable the company to accelerate performance, fully capitalize on its scale advantages, and drive meaningful operating improvements. Specifically, the board believes Hourican’s expertise across key company capabilities—sales, supply chain, logistics, operations, and digital technologies—will unlock meaningful value for customers and other key stakeholders. Hourican most recently served as Executive Vice President of CVS Health and President of CVS Pharmacy and is a proven business leader with two decades of experience driving market-leading growth for large organizations.
“I am thrilled to join the Sysco team. Sysco has an exceptional business model and significant headroom for profitable growth,” Hourican commented. “I look forward to working with Ed, the Board, and the talented global team to continue the company’s success and identify new opportunities to enhance our market leadership and long-term growth prospects."
Prior to joining CVS Health, Hourican held executive leadership roles at Macy’s, most recently serving as Senior Vice President, Regional Director of Stores, responsible for the management of 110 department stores in the Mid-Atlantic region. He holds an undergraduate degree in economics and a master’s degree in supply chain management from The Pennsylvania State University.
In addition to this monumental transition, Sysco elected the lead Independent Director Ed Shirley as Executive Chair, replacing Tom Bené. Additionally, Brad Halverson has been elected as the new lead Independent Director. Both changes will be effective January 13.
As Executive Chair, Shirley will work closely with Hourican to ensure a smooth and successful transition, lead the Board of Directors, and provide input on key strategic priorities.
“We are pleased to welcome Kevin as our new president and CEO,” Shirley began. “Kevin brings a demonstrated track record of delivering strong growth, market share gains, customer service improvement, and operational efficiencies within large and complex environments, having run an $85 billion business and leading large divisions at multi-unit retailers. He takes a strategic approach to winning in underdeveloped markets while driving new innovation. The board is highly confident Kevin has the skill set and vision to capture the opportunities ahead and we look forward to working with him and the full leadership team to deliver enhanced value for shareholders.”
He continued, “Tom has made many significant contributions to Sysco and the board and I are grateful for his leadership, integrity, and dedication to our associates and customers. During his seven years at Sysco, he led important strategic initiatives that strengthened the company’s overall performance and increased shareholder value. As CEO, he also renewed our focus on the customer, fostered a culture of empowerment, and elevated the importance of corporate social responsibility, all of which will underpin our future success. The entire board thanks Tom for his dedication and service and we wish him well in his next endeavors.”
Shirley joined Sysco’s board in 2016 and has served as lead Independent Director since November 2018. He has substantial experience in executive leadership, strategy development, marketing/brand development, and business operations, both domestically and globally, developed in his various senior executive positions with large consumer products companies.
“As part of a deliberate and thoughtful process to ensure Sysco is best positioned for its next phase of development, we are pleased to announce Kevin Hourican as the company’s new president and CEO,” said Larry Glasscock, Chairman of the Governance and Nominating Committee. “The board believes Kevin’s leadership and skill set align strongly with Sysco’s strategic priorities in this next phase of accelerated growth. Moreover, Ed’s familiarity with the company and deep experience over decades running highly successful consumer businesses will ensure a smooth leadership transition.”
Brad Halverson joined the board in 2016 and is the former Group President, Financial Products and Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer of Caterpillar Inc.
Regarding the financial outlook, Sysco remains confident in its ability to achieve its financial objectives and is aligned with current fiscal year consensus estimates. Congratulations to the company on such integral leadership changes!
REDWOOD SHORES, CA - Whether you believe in astrology or not, one thing’s for sure: Horoscopes are hot right now with consumers, and marketers across the food space are relying on the stars for campaign guidance. The Mushroom Council is the latest in this space to latch onto the trend with its all-new social media campaign, “What’s Your Mushroom Horoscope?”
“We wanted to begin the new year with a fresh way to inspire fans to discover mushroom varieties they may not be as familiar with and even try out a new recipe,” said Bart Minor, President and CEO. “We expect our digital audiences—whether they are ‘delicate and mystical’ Pisces or ‘classic and loyal’ Capricorns—will have fun determining whether their designated mushroom reflects their personalities.”
According to a press release, the fun, playful social media campaign will feature email newsletters, blog posts, social media content, graphics, and more in order to encourage consumers to discover their 2020 mushroom sign based on their corresponding zodiac.
Along with assigning each mushroom variety a unique personality description, the Mushroom Council is also providing recipe recommendations to inspire the culinary use of mushrooms. Curious as to what mushroom you are? Find out below!
- Aquarius, Beech: Innovative & Versatile
- Pisces, Oyster: Delicate & Mystical
- Aries, Portabella: Ambitious & Bold
- Taurus, Crimini: Joyful & Reliable
- Gemini, Yellow Oyster: Creative & Vibrant
- Cancer, Enoki: Sweet & Emotional
- Leo, Maitake: Adventurous & Unique
- Virgo, Shiitake: Practical & Intense
- Libra, The Blend: Harmony & Balance
- Scorpio, Trumpet: Happy & Energetic
- Sagittarius, Pink Oyster: Dreamy & Whimsical
- Capricorn, White Button: Classic & Loyal
Where my fellow shiitakes at!?
Alongside the campaign, the Mushroom Council is also releasing a graphic of the recognizable zodiac wheel, which will match up each sign to a mushroom variety or The Blend. The innovative campaign runs all January long.
For more exciting ways produce purveyors are upping their marketing game, stay right here with AndNowUKnow. After all, no matter your sign or corresponding mushroom variety, ANUK is the right produce news source for you!
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - Chiquita is pulling back the curtain on the latest consumer shopping habits and connecting the dots between its findings and its major category growth. Specifically, the tropical fruit provider discovered that 31 percent of respondents in a recent survey said that one-quarter to one-half of their annual produce purchases are organic. With this statistic in mind, Chiquita is setting forth to lean into this rising demand for organic produce.
“The growth in organic bananas is mainly driven by increased distribution in response to consumer demand and their interest in transparency across the supply chain process, and free-form products,” said Jamie Postell, Director of Sales North America. “At Chiquita, we are happy that consumers today are increasingly food-conscious and aware and simply want more options in their eating.”
According to a press release, it used to be that approximately one in 20 containers of bananas were organic, and now that number has changed dramatically to one in 10. Chiquita attributes this change to the steady increase in demand led by young consumers, who are demonstrating that their buying habits when shopping for produce are steadily shifting in the direction of organics. In addition, more consumers are prescribing to healthy eating and supporting companies that care for the environment, workers, and the community.
In turn, Chiquita supports this consumer movement through a few different initiatives, one being to produce bananas in a carbon-footprint-reducing way. Before a product can be officially labeled 100-percent organic, a USDA-approved certifier must inspect the place where the food is grown to ensure that the grower is adhering to all the rules and requirements to meet USDA organic standards, as noted in a press release.
Another initiative of Chiquita’s is its Star Care containers, which are used for 100 percent of the organic loads shipped to the U.S. in order to ensure a fresher, more environmentally friendly banana with a longer shelf-life. The new ultra-efficient containers use software that automatically regulates the containers’ compressor to control the atmosphere. Chiquita implemented the new containers at the beginning of 2019, resulting in a positive environmental impact and a reduction of CO2 consumption by 17,000 tons per year.
To learn more about Chiquita’s organic bananas and some tasty recipes to incorporate them into, click here. And for more of the freshest produce news around, stick with us at AndNowUKnow.
FRANCE - As an international grocer, Lidl has been growing its presence in the U.S. and Europe with new stores and new facilities to establish an extensive retail footprint. But France has been another target of growth, and Lidl reports that it is continuing ahead with plans to open dozens of new stores in the coming years.
The retailer opened around 50 new stores in France in 2019, according to Capital.fr., including 16 bought from French grocer Casino Group, and another 17 from Leader Price. According to the news source, Lidl plans to keep up with this rate of expansion, aiming for several dozen new store openings per year by 2022.
Lidl has been ramping up its expansion stateside—most recently focusing on the East Coast—but is also accelerating its growth in the rest of Europe as well. This year the retailer announced an ambitious plan to open 230 stores in the United Kingdom, backed by a new distribution center—its largest in the region.
What will be the next stage of Lidl’s global expansion? Keep reading AndNowUKnow for updates.
UNITED STATES - Both Weis Markets and Brookshire Grocery Co. have partnered with Mercatus to use its digital commerce solution, AisleOne™, to boost their abilities to better engage with their customers. The personalization intelligence machine, which taps into shopper data and behaviors by learning algorithms informed by deep grocery expertise, will help both retailers provide relevant product content to shoppers.
"At Weis Markets, we are always striving to better understand both online and offline shopping behavior to create engaging experiences for our customers," said Ron Bonacci, Vice President of Markerting and Advertising, Weis Markets. "We’ve already made significant progress with our company’s digital grocery shopping program since partnering with Mercatus and look to do even more in 2020. AisleOne represents the next phase of our program. It will help us deepen our relationships with customers and personalize values and incentives."
According to a press release, the new technology will enable both grocers to:
- Generate automatic personalized catalogs and search results tailored to each individual shopper
- Utilize a deep well of shopper data from online and in-store inputs
- Serve personalized product suggestions based on shoppers’ basket, past purchase, and adjacent profile data
- Enhance the overall shopping experience for a faster, more enjoyable checkout process
- Gain full transparency into and control over their customers’ data and product recommendations
"A year ago, we launched online ordering with curbside pickup service to 100 stores across Brookshire’s, Super 1 Foods, and FRESH by Brookshire’s banners," said John D’Anna, Chief Strategy Officer, Brookshire Grocery Co. "Now, we are excited to expand our partnership with Mercatus by adding AisleOne personalization to our online shopping capabilities and creating a more personalized, convenient, and enjoyable customer experience."
Sylvain Perrier, President and CEO of Mercatus, added, "We’re excited that Brookshire’s and Weis Markets are adding AisleOne to their digital commerce experiences. Shoppers have come to expect a personalized shopping experience, and these two grocers know they need to deliver on that while continuing to own the shopper relationship. Our AisleOne solution will help both grocers fulfill these promises by delivering hyper-relevant experiences to their shoppers, boosting retention rates, and building lasting loyalty."
As the grocery landscape continues to shift and consumers’ preferences change, AndNowUKnow will be here to report on the latest in retail news.
MEXICO - Walmart Mexico (Walmex) kicked off 2019 with the strategic optimization of its supplier relationships in February. This strategy proved to be quite successful as by the year’s end, the retailer had finalized its biggest Mexico expansion since 2013, opening 134 new stores within one of Walmart’s largest markets, according to CNBC.
Now with 3,407 stores in the country, Mexico has the largest number of Walmart locations besides the United States, as stated by the company in a monthly report. The majority of these new stores fall under the Bodega Aurrera family including the Bodega Express format, which is more cost effective to build than some of Walmart’s other formats. According to the news source, the Bodega chain is Walmart’s way of appealing to low-income communities in Mexico.
In addition to the surplus of Walmex locations, the company reported a 2.6-percent rise in sales for December, while the overall sales for Mexico locations rose by 4.1 percent.
Will Walmart maintain its position as one of Mexico’s biggest grocers in 2020? Keep clicking back to ANUK as we report on the latest.
SALINAS, CA - Western Growers is doing all that it can to light the way for our industry via its Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology (WGCIT) arm. Its latest effort is co-hosting the first-ever Salinas Valley Energy Forum alongside Concentric Power, an energy technology company that partners with some of the country’s largest grower-shippers. The forum, which will take place on January 27, 2020, was designed to help growers and fresh food providers from California’s agricultural regions maintain productivity and improve profitability through energy independence.
“Energy is a huge part of farming. In fact, everything done after harvest requires power,” said Dennis Donohue, Director of the WGCIT. “Our members provide over half the nation's fresh fruits, vegetables, and tree nuts, so it’s critically important we help them navigate the energy challenges currently facing the state.”
According to a press release, Western Growers co-created the forum following historic fire seasons that bankrupted California’s largest energy utility and led to widespread Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) last fall. Unreliable and unstable energy is a major disruption to the agriculture industry, and the cost of energy for ag companies can be unpredictable, having risen nearly 20 percent since the beginning of 2018 within the PG&E service territory. As a result, Western Growers and Concentric Power are working together to help forum attendees learn the following:
- What is happening across the state from an energy perspective
- Local power options and solutions
- How to execute energy projects at little to no upfront cost
- How to invest in sustainable infrastructure
- How Salinas Valley cities are improving and promoting economic development
“Technological advancements, business models, regulation changes, and the low cost of capital have made energy independence a viable option,” said Brian Curtis, Concentric Power’s Founder and CEO. “Many organizations simply don’t know that it can pencil out both economically and technically. With power shutoffs now happening year-round and utility rates continuing to rise, ag and other fresh food producers are finding that status quo is no longer an option.”
At the forum, a panel of experts representing energy developers, government agencies, and solution providers will present to forum attendees and help provide insights into how the California region’s agricultural industry can overcome the instability in energy availability, reliability, and pricing. Representatives will include Brian Curtis; Rick Sturtevant, State Energy Coordinator for the U.S. Department of Agriculture; Norm Groot, Executive Director at the Monterey County Farm Bureau; Rene Mendez, City Manager for the City of Gonzales; and Gregg Morasca, Vice President of Strategic Customers at Schneider Electric. Moderator Matthew Willis, Vice President of Product and Business Development at Concentric Power, will lead the forum.
The Salinas Valley Energy Forum will be held at the Taylor Farms Curious Classroom on January 27, 2020, from 8:30-11:30 a.m.
For more exciting events happening in the fresh produce industry, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
YAKIMA, WA - Though we may be deep in winter, the taste of autumn can be had all year, with the crunchy, juicy Autumn Glory® apple. With caramel and cinnamon notes, the Autumn Glory apple is reminiscent of a crisp fall day, and consumers have clearly latched on to the variety’s unique flavor profile. Category data numbers paint a vivid picture of the phenomenon surrounding this sweet tooth-satisfying apple, and how it livens up the produce aisle in any season.
Grown exclusively by Superfresh Growers®, the Autumn Glory is renown for its incredible taste and rosy pink hues. The variety is grown conventionally and organically, and is naturally GMO-free.
This past December, the Autumn Glory apple dominated sales for the month, delivering the highest-growth percentage of all apples, a press release stated. The variety was up 119 percent in dollars, and up 223 percent in volume. Its growth has been astronomical, as the next highest year-over-year growth was at 61 percent, placing the Autumn Glory 3.6 times higher in growth percentage than any other apple, according to Nielsen® data in regards to the last four weeks, ending December 28, 2019.
The Autumn Glory apple has made a definitive splash in the apple category, and nutritionists, influencers, and media have celebrated the variety’s unique qualities. With over 31.8 million media impressions received this crop year, the Autumn Glory apple has been featured in Country Living, Men’s Health, Thrive Magazine, Runners World, and Bicycling.
For more news on the apple category, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
MIAMI, FL - With a portfolio of offerings that runs the gamut from berries to asparagus—and everything in between—Crystal Valley Foods has its work cut out for it when it comes to growing and delivering quality produce to market. Luckily, the company has a full range of growing regions that are as diverse as the fruits and vegetables it produces. Consistent quality and year-round availability is tough to achieve, but Crystal Valley’s carefully thought out global growing programs are designed to provide its customers and consumers the best of the best through every season.
“In order to ensure that we have consistent supply of blueberries for our customers year-round, we source from a variety of countries,” Marketing Manager Katiana Valdes, told me. “Starting in the fall and through the spring months, we have Peruvian, Argentinian, and Chilean fruit. In the last few years, we began sourcing product from the U.S. including Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and North Carolina.”
Crystal Valley continues to grow its blueberry and blackberry programs to keep up with consumer demand for the berry category. The grower currently sources blackberries from Guatemala year-round and from Mexico, a region that grows and packs berries from October through May. As Crystal Valley expands its berry programs, it formed a new partnership with Georgia-based Superior Berries Company and doubled down on its existing growing regions, according to Katiana.
“This year, we are partnering with Superior Berries to provide premium, Georgia-grown blueberries to our customers. Additionally, we have a good supply of blackberries from Mexico and Guatemala throughout the year,” she said.
The marketing maven assured me that as long as the weather cooperates, good-quality and high-volume blueberries are anticipated over the next several months from Peru and Chile, and we can expect the same for its blackberries from Guatemala and Mexico.
Asparagus is another cherished crop that Crystal Valley produces year-round, with growing operations in Peru and Mexico as well. Peru is a year-round source of asparagus, which is essential for Crystal Valley to ensure a consistently good supply and quality throughout the year. But Peru isn’t the grower’s sole focus. Crystal Valley also sources its asparagus from Mexico, where it supplies product throughout the year, from the Central Mexico season during the summer, as well as Baja California, Mexico, in the fall and Caborca in the spring months.
“Peru is year-round, and it is our goal to always keep at least some production coming from Peru during the Mexican harvest windows, in case there are weather related events in Mexico that interrupt their normal supply,” Katiana commented.
According to Katiana, promotable volume of asparagus from the Caborca, Mexico, region is expected for February through April, with 11- and 28-pound boxes available. In the industry, Mexico is a prized growing region—one that Crystal Valley intends to cultivate.
“Over the last several years, we have increased our volume from the region year over year, and we are once again looking forward to incremental volume this year,” said Katiana. “We have strong, long-term partnerships with growers in Mexico, and we are constantly adding to our list of high-quality growing partners in order to make sure we meet the needs of our customers.”
As Crystal Valley evolves and diversifies its growing programs, the company is exploring several other avenues of growth. In December, Crystal Valley acquired Joco Produce, a company specializing in the import and marketing of fresh, Asian, tropical, and specialty fruits and vegetables, which will position the grower as a one-stop-shop for customers who like to think outside the box. Crystal Valley has also taken a long hard look at its own infrastructure, identifying every possible opportunity for improvement.
“We have recently finished remodeling our Miami warehouse. We have added additional cooler space, increased receiving and loading capacity by adding dock doors, and we have a completely new repack room with added capacity to make more value-added items. We have also added an additional precooling area for faster turnaround time on outbound shipments,” Katiana informed me. “The extra space will allow us to take on more handling and cross docking as needed for our customers.”
With such robust and comprehensive category programs, Crystal Valley has clearly positioned itself as a valuable partner for retailers looking to ensure a year-round supply of exceptional fruits and vegetables.
Keep reading AndNowUKnow for more industry insight.