SEATTLE, WA - Amazon executives visited several of the 20 finalists for its $5 billion second-headquarters project, adding fuel to the speculative fire as to where its second headquarters—dubbed HQ2—would land. The visits over the past couple of months have included New York City; Newark, N.J.; and Chicago, according to people familiar with the matter. As the Wall Street Journal reported, Amazon has also followed up with other locations such as Miami and Washington, D.C.
It is unclear which way Amazon is leaning, and people are wondering about specific cities' chances, given that this process has stretched over more than a year. People familiar with the matter suggest that Amazon is in favor of an urban site. However, two suburbs of Washington, D.C. have long been speculated to be front-runners, in part because Chief Executive Jeff Bezos has a home there and owns the Washington Post.
The speculation began as soon as Amazon announced its public search last September. The company said it could hire as many as 50,000 employees and invest more than $5 billion in the new location over nearly two decades.
238 cities, towns, and regions applied with proposals, and Amazon announced 20 finalists in January of this year. The shortlist of 20 locations included cities like New York and Los Angeles, as well as smaller cities like Pittsburgh, Columbus, and Indianapolis that have recently experienced an economic revival.
People close to the process caution that Amazon is still in negotiations with several cities and hasn’t yet completed a deal with any one location. They said the company may negotiate near-final deals with several of them before announcing its ultimate selection.
Where will Amazon's HQ2 land? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
MADISON, WI - Some of us have a thing or two to celebrate, but I reckon not many of us have a long list of BIG happenings to boast about like The Little Potato Company. To bolster its position in the market and sing the praises of the potatoes we know and love, the company is spilling the beans—or, rather, potatoes—on its new facility, evolving distribution, and growing team.
“There is so much to be excited about. We celebrated our 20-year anniversary two years ago, and opened a new facility outside of Madison, Wisconsin, about a year and a half ago. We’re also gaining more distribution, our teams are growing, and we are launching new products to transform the way consumers cook and eat Little Potatoes,” Christa Wagner, Director of Advertising and Promotions, divulges. “Our companyis doing more and more each year to promote our products with compelling transaction driving merchandising at the retail level and through advertising and promotions. It’s a great time to grow and sell Little Potatoes”
What makes the new location so special, you ask? The strategically positioned Wisconsin-based facility has enabled the company to improve efficiency and logistical operations, Christa shares, and Wisconsin has great soil to grow Creamer potatoes.
“The new facility was built from the ground up and opened in January 2017. Wisconsin is a great region to grow high quality Creamer potatoes with great farmers. In addition, the new packaging facility has given us a great opportunity to streamline, making our logistics, operations, and our supply chain run much more smoothly.”
Its new facility might be where the hub of U.S. operations is, but the company is making strides to increase its distribution bandwidth all over.
“We're still a young, growing company with tons of opportunity in Canada, where our focus is optimizing our assortment. In the U.S., there are so many opportunities to grow, across every channel,” Christa tells me.
To bring the company’s vision to life, it employs top-notch, values driven seasoned professionals at every level. Christa shares that those joining the Little Potato Company’s team have been strategically chosen to better its efforts every step of the way.
“At the moment, we have growth in every department. In our packaging facilities, with our hourly staff, we have amazing people who are given an opportunity to thrive and grow within the company. We have brought in some heavy-hitters in with our senior leadership as well—most notably, we brought in Mark Currie, VP of Operations and Supply Chain. He has been with us now for about four months and is making a tremendous impact to our operational efficiencies. In addition, we have four new members on our marketing team to drive product innovation and retail programs. And our sales department is hiring regional sales managers in the U.S., and we just filled our Director of Sales Canada role. It’s hard to pinpoint one area, because our team is strengthening across the board.”
Congratulations on the new members of the team, The Little Potato Company, and on the exciting endeavors ahead! We look forward to seeing how you thrive!
LOS ANGELES, CA - While Pacific Trellis Fruit/Dulcinea Farms does have the shiny new varieties and sparkly packaging PMA Fresh Summit attendees have come to expect from one of the year’s hottest shows for innovation, this produce company’s real focus in Orlando goes so far beyond. I sat down with Josh Leichter, General Manager, to learn more about the unique partnership opportunities the team will be offering at booth #608, not to mention some of those fancy new offerings, too.
“I think what really makes our booth a must visit is how much we are doing to create opportunities to program business out with retailers. In today’s competitive retail landscape, retailers need all the tools they can get,” Josh explains. “We’ve found a lot of success creating customized programs with our retailers and helping them find the most aggressive and sustainable pricing possible. At PMA, we really want to convey the message that we have an open book with our partners, and how that can be very beneficial in growing business on both sides.”
As for the products Pacific Trellis Fruit/Dulcinea Farms are providing for those partners, the company has much to offer on both sides of its business.
“For PMA, our team will bringing a couple things we are excited about. On the Pacific Trellis side, we will be featuring new grape varieties from our 2018-2019 imported grape season, including the JAM Grape, which is a black seedless variety with a Concord-type flavor from Brazil, as well as Cotton Candy grapes out of Spain, Brazil, and Peru. Our imported grapes and stonefruit are both ripe with promotional opportunities,” Josh says.
As for Dulcinea Farms labelled products, a strong fall and winter melon program has lent the company plenty of good product to show off at the booth.
“Our PureHeart® mini seedless watermelons are coming out of Mexico in conventional and organic. The Dulcinea brand has such great consumer recognition at retail, and we want to continue that development as our product line grows,” Josh adds. “This is the first season we have packed our imported easy-peel mandarins out of Chile and Peru in the Dulcinea label, and we’re excited by how much positive feedback we have already received from our partners.”
To learn more about the fruitful partnerships and dazzling product offerings Josh and the Pacific Trellis Fruit/Dulcinea Farms team have to offer, come to PMA Fresh Summit booth #608. See you there!
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - As grocery continues to shift to the digital world, Instacart is reaping the benefits. This week, Instacart announced it raised $600 million in its latest financing round led by D1 Capital Partners, upping its valuation to $7.6 billion.
“The U.S. is nearly a $1 trillion grocery market, and last year we saw almost every major grocer in North America bring their delivery business online in a significant way. We believe we’re in the very early stages of a massive shift in the way people buy groceries and we expect that one in five Americans will be shopping for their groceries online in the next five years,” said Instacart’s CEO and Founder Apoorva Mehta. “We’re excited to partner with D1 Capital on this investment, which is a testament to the growth we’ve seen and our ambitious plans for the future.”
Instacart plans to use this investment to expand further into North America, increase awareness of its brand in retail stores via marketing endeavors, and recruit additional engineering and product development talent, according to a press release.
“We have strong conviction in Instacart and its team and pursued the partnership because of the company’s unique industry leadership position and the growth opportunity ahead. Grocery is the largest category within U.S. retail and it is also one of the least penetrated online. The industry is at a tipping point and there will likely be a significant acceleration in the adoption of online ordering for grocery delivery over the next few years,” said Dan Sundheim, Founder of D1 Capital Partners. “We believe that traditional retailers will lead the category online, as their brick-and-mortar stores are the most effective distribution centers for fulfillment of online grocery orders. Instacart’s world-class management and engineering team has proven to be a highly effective partner for grocers to serve customers in new ways.”
Instacart currently has over 200 retail partners, including the likes of Kroger, Aldi, Loblaw, Sam’s Club, Sprouts, Publix, Albertsons, and Walmart Canada.
What's next for Instacart and online grocery? AndNowUKnow will continue to keep an eye on all the retail movements happening in the interwebs.
MCALLEN, TX - In the produce industry, time is of the essence, and the early bird that knows about a hiccup in harvest or a new crop on the market is often the one who gets the worm, so to speak. Here to help you be that early bird is Lone Star Citrus, with its new bi-monthly newsletter focused on all things Winter Sweetz Texas red grapefruit.
"We are looking forward to an abundant harvest this year and sharing valuable insights with the trade as the season kicks off," said Trent Bishop, Vice President of Sales. "Due to several factors being slightly different than they were at the start of last season, we expect the first six weeks of the Texas season to be a less volatile market than it was last year, possibly taking out the peaks and valleys leading up to Thanksgiving."
Subscribers to the new Winter Sweetz newsletter will be the first to know harvest updates and gain further insights as the crop hits the market then progresses throughout the season. This year, according to a press release, Winter Sweetz’s groves experienced an optimal summer with timely rains that produced more tonnage on the trees than the previous year. This heavier volume of fruit, strong juice market price, and small gap between the California and Texas season has the company expecting a steadier market this year.
Winter Sweetz has been dedicated to being a helpful resource for the produce industry beyond the trade newsletter, as well. The company has built an extensive market database for its retail partners to grow shopper demand in the grapefruit category.
PMA Fresh Summit attendees can visit booth #1800 to learn more about this year’s crop and how targeted research can help increase sales and grow the category. And to receive the company’s trade newsletter, sign up here.
BENTONVILLE, AR - Shafter, California, will soon be the new home to Walmart’s first high-tech distribution center for fresh and frozen groceries. As the retailer seeks out ways to better serve customers, it wants to transform the way its distribution centers operate, according to a blog post. With more efficient, forward-looking tech, this distribution center—slated to open in the fall of 2020—will use WITRON technology to process grocery perishables, such as produce, eggs, and dairy, in addition to frozen goods.
“The high-tech distribution center in Shafter will allow us to move product to stores and clubs faster so that we can better serve customers,” said Tim Cooper, Senior Vice President of Supply Chain for Walmart.
The new distribution center will move 40 percent more product than a traditional facility, the blog post noted. Rather than manually stacking boxes and building pallets, the center will allow associates to use the new technology to do the heavy lifting.
“Every product is measured and documented so that we know how to handle it,” Shayne Wahlmeier, one of the engineers on the project, explained. “A computer algorithm shows all the cases ordered for a given store and determines how to palletize them to maximize the space on a pallet or trailer. It also takes into account density—what’s crushable, what’s not.”
Due to the fact that the tech helps associates build a more flexible, dense pallet, more products will fit onto a truck. This reduces transportation costs; savings which can be passed on to customers. In addition to these savings, fewer damages to product will account for a reduction in food waste.
How will this new distribution center stack up against competitors? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
ORLANDO, FL - Produce professionals settling into Orlando enjoyed a celebration of leadership today. Industry trailblazers Joe Pezzini, President and CEO of Ocean Mist Farms in Castroville, California; and Dave Corsi, Vice President of Produce & Floral for Rochester-based Wegmans, were both honored with leadership awards at the PMA Fresh Summit Convention & Expo’s first Forum for the Future on October 18th. These awards were given to those who demonstrate exceptional volunteer commitment to PMA and to the fresh produce and floral industry, as well as to those that stand out for their collaborative leadership.
“These two gentlemen are always willing to bring to the table their talent, resources, and, most importantly, their time to move our association and industry forward,” said PMA CEO Cathy Burns. “Without a doubt, the global fresh produce and floral industry is stronger because they are part of this community, and their ideas and insights have helped move PMA closer toward fulfilling its vison of building a healthier world.”
Pezzini won the Robert L. Carey Leadership Award because of his mutual respect and appreciation of everyone he meets, according to a press release, and these virtues are what make him admirable. Retired President and CEO of Castellini Group in Newport, Kentucky, Bill Schuler also expressed Pezzini’s strong record of volunteer service with PMA and other industry organizations. Pezzini served on PMA’s Board of Directors and Co-Chairs for PMA’s Science and Technology Committee.
“This year’s recipient has been fearless in meeting industry challenges head on — most notably, issues of food safety,” said Schuler. “He is always a thoughtful and strategic person when sharing his thoughts on a subject and always considers the good of the entire industry.” Schuler, the 2017 Carey award recipient, presented Pezzini with this year’s award.
Pezzini was thrilled to receive the award that honored his commitment to the industry in many ways. The Robert L. Carey Leadership Award was established in 2012 to honor former PMA President Robert. L. Carey, who led PMA’s charge from 1958 to 1996. He transformed the organization from one with 100 members and a narrowed focus on produce packaging to one that includes thousands of dynamic and lively members from all corners of the industry. By orchestrating the connection between buyers and suppliers, PMA has become a powerhouse, and this award celebrates that. This year’s winner, Pezzini is recognized for his work in the same vein as Carey’s.
“It is an honor to be recognized by PMA as this year’s Robert L. Carey Leadership Award recipient,” said Pezzini. “I have been fortunate to be able to serve PMA and the industry in various leadership capacities over the years. I am grateful and proud to follow in the footsteps of Bob Carey and the previous award winners to serve the produce industry.”
Corsi received the Bryan E. Silbermann Collaboration Award because of his spirited cooperation, leadership, and dedication to the industry. This is the second year that this award has been given out, so Corsi succeeds Tim York—President of Salinas, California-based Markon—who was the first recipient last year.
“Our awardee doesn’t hesitate to get involved in industry issues, either chairing a project or working behind the scenes to make things happen,” said York, when teasing out Corsi’s identity to the audience. “With a wide reputation for working across the supply chain, it’s no surprise to hear a colleague describe this year’s recipient as ‘a consensus builder with a special talent for achieving collaboration among diverse industry representatives.’”
Corsi’s volunteer experience spans throughout the industry and includes his roles as Chair of PMA’s Board of Directors and as a Board Member of the Center for Growing Talent. He has also been on committees and task forces for PMA and Center for Growing Talent, and Corsi currently serves as the Chair for Center for Produce Safety’s Board of Directors, proving his dedication to advancing food safety. Corsi used his time to shine as an opportunity to put the Center for Produce Safety’s efforts at the forefront of discussion and to support its efforts with future collaborations.
“I am honored, humbled, and, quite frankly, blown away in being recognized for this award,” said Corsi, who credited his mentors and company’s Founder for his collaborative style. “When you become a volunteer leader, taking quality time away from other areas of your life, sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone, you do all this in order to make a difference. Robert Wegman created our culture of taking care of our people first through respect, care and listening. If you don’t have those values, how do you collaborate?”
A presentation was given to offer congratulations from Bryan E. Silbermann, who was not able to attend the ceremony. The namesake award was established in 2016 to recognize Silbermann’s 30-year career at PMA and 20 years as President. The award celebrates collaborative leadership to unite industry members or organizations, even those outside the awarded professional’s own organization, to create mutually beneficial solutions for the industry as a whole.
Congratulations to both Joe Pezzini and Dave Corsi! Happy Show-Going, friends!
ORLANDO, FL - Litehouse, Inc., a 100 percent employee-owned company and the No. 1 Refrigerated Salad Dressing (RSD) brand in the U.S. and Canada, will showcase its latest product innovations at Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) Fresh Summit. These new products include Litehouse Snack Packs, Organic Spoonable dressing and Pumpkin Spice Caramel, as well as refreshed branding and packaging for Freeze Dried Herbs, Caramel Dips and Litehouse Simply Artisan cheese. During the past two years, Litehouse has made strategic investments in its manufacturing facilities and increased production capabilities to support overall business growth and product innovations like Litehouse Snack Packs.
Innovation and Convenience: Snack Packs and Organic Spoonable Dressings
According to a 2018 IRI Snacking Study, consumers snack more than twice per day on average, and 56 percent of consumers want convenient, portion-sized snacks. Introducing: Litehouse Snack Packs. The single-serve, 1.5 oz. snack-size portion cups are available in two classically-delicious and top-selling Litehouse dressing flavors: Homestyle Ranch and Blue Cheese. The versatile snack pack format provides portion control and great taste in a convenient package – perfect for lunches or snacking on the go.
Unlike many competing products on the market, Litehouse Snack Packs do not contain artificial preservatives, colors or flavors, and are made without high fructose corn syrup or added MSG. Available in a six-pack of 1.5 oz. cups, Litehouse Snack Packs can be found in the refrigerated produce department at grocery retailers nationwide for an SRP of $3.99-$4.49.
Litehouse Organic Spoonable dressings are a new take on the company’s classic, creamy dressing flavors and will help make organic even more accessible for consumers across the country. Unlike many organic dressing options, which are thinner, vinaigrette-style dressings, Litehouse developed more traditional, thick and creamy options – just like those found in its core dressing line – but organic! Litehouse Organic Spoonable dressings are Certified USDA Organic, Certified Gluten Free and non-GMO, and are available in an 11-ounce glass jar in four classically-delicious and top-selling flavors: Ranch, Blue Cheese, Caesar and Coleslaw.
Increased Consumer Demand Spurs Company Growth
As demand for Litehouse products continues to increase across the retail, foodservice, club and value added channels, the company is continuing its strategic investment in equipment and facilities. In September, Litehouse completed an expansion to its Hurricane, Utah manufacturing facility, which added over 175,000 sq. ft. to the existing facility, tripling the overall square footage. This added space allows for a significant increase in production capacity to support the company’s phenomenal growth. The Hurricane, Utah expansion is in addition to the expansion Litehouse completed at its Sandpoint, Idaho-based manufacturing facility at the end of 2017, which added 26,000 sq. ft. of additional space.
PMA Fresh Summit attendees can visit booth 643 to see the latest Litehouse product innovations and expanded packaging refresh. For more information, visit www.litehousefoods.com.
VERO BEACH, FL - Greenyard USA/ Seald Sweet announces a new label design for this upcoming Florida Citrus season, using historic vintage labels. “We are creating a collage utilizing old Florida vintage style labels to celebrate our 110th year anniversary and to embrace our history” says Mayda Sotomayor, CEO of Greenyard US/Seald Sweet. These designs revive the old ‘crate labels’ used more than half a century ago, when citrus was shipped all over the country in wooden crates. This retro-design brings back to life Seald Sweet’s original labels used in the 50’s, depicting their beautifully illustrated designs from the past.
Mayda Sotomayor stated that “The retro-labels for oranges and tangerines reflect the heritage of Florida citrus, which was our beginning. Although Seald Sweet now sells a wide variety of produce from around the world, we want to remember and show-case that Seald Sweet was born in Florida, as a Citrus grower cooperative, more than a century ago”.
These limited edition labels were created for Florida oranges and tangerines, including the “Fresh from Florida” Logo. This Logo associates the members' products with Florida agriculture’s worldwide image of excellence, which has been carefully cultivated and promoted by the Florida Agricultural Promotional Campaign (FAPC) program since its beginnings in 1990.
As part of our winter domestic citrus program, the new packaging is available now through January. An ‘old-new’ look for fresh fruit!
TORONTO, CANADA - HelloFresh and Chefs Plate have entered into an agreement to combine their Canadian businesses. HelloFresh will acquire all shares of Chefs Plate. Together, the two companies will have targeted revenues of about CAN $200 million (U.S. $153 million). As part of the global HelloFresh group, meaningful synergies and an economy of scale will allow Chefs Plate to further enhance its brand positioning and accelerate growth, the companies noted in a press release.
"We are proud to join forces with the leading global meal kit company HelloFresh," said Jamie Shea, Co-Founder & CEO of Chefs Plate. “Since our launch in 2014, we have pioneered the meal kit market following our clear mission to create meaningful human connections through food. Now, we have the unique opportunity to further accelerate our plans and create an offering that attracts even more customers. We are more than delighted to have found a partner in HelloFresh that shares our passion for food and quality at all levels. The partnership will allow us to leverage the strength of the most successful global player in the market and at the same time continue to build a sustainable Canadian food system and support the community around us."
The press release noted that Canadian customers will benefit from two strong brands serving distinct meal kits for every need. Based on the complementary customer bases and leading positions at different pricing points, HelloFresh and Chefs Plate plan to strengthen both brands along distinct offerings for its Canadian consumers. By leveraging synergies across marketing, sourcing, and operating expenses both brands gain significant means to further accelerate the individual brand strategies and to expand the joint market leadership.
"The integration of Chefs Plate is a big leap for our ambitious plans for the Canadian market. Together, we are not only the largest player, but we also create a superior offering. In the future, we can serve the widest range of individual consumer needs with two strong brands," said Ian Brooks, CEO of HelloFresh Canada. "We are more than happy to have the talented Chefs Plate team on board and are looking forward to working together on many exciting projects."
For the latest in acquisitions, meal kit companies, and more, keep reading AndNowUKnow.