WESTLAKE, FL - J&J Family of Farms is adding a new hire to complement the beginning of its growing season; the company announced that it has hired Clinton Turner as its new Director of Human Resources.
Turner brings extensive human resources experience—over a decade’s worth—from companies like 24-Hour Fitness, Party City, and Gravity Concepts.
In his new role, Turner will work with management to continue to attract top-quality talent to J&J. Turner will also implement employee training programs and develop employee recognition programs for the company, according to a press release.
“Clinton Turner is a true professional,” said Lynn Rundle, CEO. “His strong service and experience in the military attracted us to him, and we are fortunate to be able to introduce Clinton to the produce industry.”
Clinton holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the University of Georgia and is a Captain in the Army Reserve.
Congratulations, Clinton, from all of us at AndNowUKnow. We wish you and the entire J&J team the best.
SELAH, WA - Staying true to its Wholesome to the Core mission, Rainier Fruit recently announced its latest holiday marketing program: Pears for Pairs. This campaign launches in stores in October, and supports both the company’s pear program and the ninth annual Hanes National Sock Drive. Proceeds from bulk pear and pear bag sales will be donated to the charity, which has distributed more than 2.5 million pairs of socks to those living homeless across the United States.
“At Rainier, our #WholesometotheCore values guide everything we do,” said Mark Zirkle, President of Rainier Fruit. “We believe in collaborating to do the most good, and parterning with Hanes on its 2018 National Sock Drive feels like a natural extension of our focus on making a difference in the communities where we do business, while offering an opportunity for consumers to exercise their values with their wallets by making a socially conscious purchase.”
According to a press release, the homeless epidemic reaches across the nation and touches every state. The National Law Center of Homelessness & Poverty reported that up to 3.5 million people experience homelessness each year in the U.S. Those who are homeless can walk an average of 10 miles a day, putting more wear on their socks in one week than the average American does in one year. This is why socks are among the most needed, but least donated, items.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Rainier Fruit to expand the reach and impact of our Hanes National Sock Drive,” said Sidney Falken, Chief Branding Officer for HanesBrands. “We want to spark a movement to help those living homeless in America, and this is a great step toward that goal.”
In addition to in-store merchandisers that promote the campaign, Rainier has several consumer events lined up to raise awareness of the promotion. The first event, a fruit giveaway and sock collection drive on November 10, will be held at the Wanderlust Festival in Austin, Texas. Rainier and Hanes will host the sock collection event to close out the festival weekend and donate the proceeds to the local charity Mobile Loaves & Fishes.
Rainier Fruit will also use its social media platforms to raise awareness about the issue of homelessness, including an online promotion on “Giving Tuesday,” during which Rainier will donate a pair of socks for every share of its post.
“Based on our research, pears are an impulse buy, so we’re hoping that this creative and unique campaign will capture new category sales and support repeat purchases, while also fulfilling our company mission to be Wholesome to the Core,” concluded Andy Tudor, Vice President of Business.
The Pears for Pairs campaign is open to all retailers and will run from October through December at retail locations nationwide.
For the latest in how our industry is working to make the world a better place, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
CORAL GABLES, FL - Del Monte Fresh Produce is helping to make the high seas green after entering a definitive agreement to build six energy efficient container ships to replace its current U.S. East Coast fleet of vessels. The new ships will service the company’s ocean transportation lanes between Central and South America and U.S. ports, with the first ship delivery expected for late 2019.
“Del Monte was one of the first large-scale banana producers to receive the SCS Carbon Neutral Certification for our banana operations in Costa Rica. These new ships are an extension of our sustainability commitment on the high seas,” said Vice President of Marketing Dennis Christou. “The six state-of-the-art container vessels will not only increase our tonnage capacity and speed to market but will also significantly reduce air pollution and energy consumption. The new energy efficient vessels are designed to meet the most stringent IMO (International Maritime Organization) Emission control regulations coming into effect in 2020.”
192 meters in length with a breadth of 30 meters and a design draft of 9.3 meters, each vessel will have a 634 forty-foot-high cube container capacity. According to a press release, the six vessels were designed by Shanghai Merchant Ship Design & Research Institute and will be built at the CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Company shipyard.
The six new vessels are expected to expand to all of Del Monte’s ports when they all come into service.
For more of the latest news like this, keep following AndNowUKnow.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - With a number of policy questions in the air that carry weight in the produce industry’s future, all eyes are on this year’s Washington Conference and what we all hope produce might take home.
“The great thing about this conference and the wide range of attendees is that each person making the trip to Washington comes with their own story, passion for our industry, and position on issues they bring with them,” Cindy Jewell, Vice President of Marketing for California Giant Berry Farms and Chairman of the Board for United Fresh tells me.
Cindy explains that the industry divides and conquers in setting up groups meeting with lawmakers: “I might be focused on talking about nutrition programs, but the person sitting next to me might be anxious to talk about NAFTA or food safety regulations that need improvements with regard to investigations of outbreaks. The staff does a great job of preparing all of us with background on several issues and what we are asking of legislators during our visits. It’s all about being heard and making sure we bring our stories to those making decisions that affect our livelihood!”
When I ask Cindy about key focuses of this year's conference she’d like to highlight, she tells me that immigration reform has been on the list for as long as she can remember: “It looks like this year we might be coming together with a new approach that I am excited about. We are going to meet and discuss the option of going on the offense for a change and maybe even work together to craft our own bill addressing true reform that works for ag—developed by people in ag, rather than waiting for those in D.C. to craft solutions for us—which sounds exciting to me. There are some other issues that we can affect, like NAFTA and the Farm Bill, to ensure specialty crops are being considered as these major deals move forward.”
Mac Riggan, Director of Marketing for Chelan Fresh, shares that this year in particular presents an opportunity to look at new avenues of export and how to manage the situation at hand.
"This will be my first time going in a few years knowing it will benefit me and my company. I’m curious, like everyone else, to see what’s going on with current trade policy changes and how we can navigate our way through them. I’m hoping, in light of changes this year, this will help me steer our company through it,” Mac tells me. “It’s a time to meet my colleagues and competitors to see how we can adapt to the changes and find new homes for our fruit. Too often we don’t do what we need to until we are forced. If and when China is viable again for trading fruit, that will create more demand. I can’t change what has happened, you can only do the best you can and I tend to look at things glass half full.”
Cindy, too, says that in regards to import/export policies, there is a meeting with a task force at the conference to talk about how the industry can create a stronger advocacy group for our international members.
“The staff at United has been working with some of our members on how can we can expand our international trade support. There are so many international issues we can support beyond expanding a trade show or marketing our products, so I am excited to be part of a discussion that will continue to show the value that United and its member services brings to our industry every day. Stay tuned,” she comments.
Brock Nemecek, North America Marketing Manager for T&G Global Limited also looks forward to what can be achieve by bringing our industry together on Capitol Hill.
"It’s important that our industry speak to our congressional representatives in a united voice, especially as we’re facing so many complex issues that affect all aspects of our business," Nemecek explains. "My hope is that, through the United Washington Conference, we’re able to influence our leaders to drive and adopt policies that will eliminate challenges, and increase opportunities and growth for our industry. I’m excited to be here representing the apple industry specifically as tree fruit is quite vulnerable to some of the trade policies being discussed and developed recently."
This year, United Fresh is introducing several new networking, education, and advocacy events to keep pace with the ever-changing political climate. According to the conference calendar, attendees will join industry executives at the new Global Trade Forum, two days of Congressional Meetings, the Fresh Festival on Capitol Hill, and the United Fresh & Congressional Friends Afternoon at the Ball Game with the United Fresh Board of Directors.
“I have had a couple of conversations with people recently about attending this conference and its interesting how some people say, ‘I don’t go because nothing ever gets done.’ Being the eternal optimist, I just don’t see it that way. If we don’t go to Washington D.C. and speak directly to lawmakers about our issues, concerns, challenges and wants—then who will? If we don’t speak for ourselves, who do we expect to speak on our behalf?” Cindy concludes. “I look at it like voting: If I don’t vote, then I don’t get an opinion, and I certainly can’t complain when something doesn’t go my way. So, I say—show up, be heard, and make a difference.”
It all kicks off today. AndNowUKnow will continue to bring you the latest as we look to see where the pieces fall as the industry brings its voice together in Washington D.C.
LANCASTER, PA - Strengthening its position in the Northeast grocery market, Wegmans Food Markets debuted its 98th store this week—a 120,000-square-foot property at the corner of Harrisburg Pike and Route 30 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The store made its debut Sunday, September 23, drawing outsized crowds to the much anticipated location.
“We’re all here for the same reason: our customers,” said Store Manager Jimmy Bellis, in a press release anticipating Sunday’s opening. “Our aim is to make food shopping a pleasure. We can’t wait for the doors to open at 7 a.m. on Sunday. Shoppers from this area have been traveling to Downingtown and Harrisburg to shop at our stores for a very long time…That’s part of what makes this opening so special for us. We felt welcome here before the first shovel was in the ground.”
According to local news source Lancaster Online, the 7 a.m. opening drew a crowd of close to 2,000—with some prospective shoppers waiting in line for hours to be the first shoppers inside.
The Lancaster store employs a team of 475—a team that had been working for the past several months, according to the company’s press release, preparing the store for its opening.
The store focuses on organic choices and features more than 4,000 organic items. And the company noted that Executive Chef Keith Briggs and his group of 100 culinarians at the new store have been ready to bring Wegmans’ latest innovations starting day one.
The store features three innovative firsts for the Pennsylvania market:
- The Burger Bar: a family-friendly, casual restaurant that serves burgers and sandwiches, fresh salads, soup, sides, kids’ meals, and beer and wine by the glass
- Authentic Italian pizza, made to order, from a custom rotating brick-hearth oven, and quick-fired at 800 degrees on volcanic stone from Mt. Vesuvius in Italy
- A made-to-order salad station with fresh ingredients from the market: crisp greens, grains, toppings, and dressings
The company also noted that Lancaster-area shoppers can now enjoy everything Wegmans is known for—including an expansive produce department that offers hundreds of fresh fruits and vegetables.
For more, read Wegmans press release in its entirety, here.
FREEPORT, TX - It’s usually the thought that counts, but sometimes, it could be your undoing. I don’t mean that in a spooky Halloween way—I mean that in a, “Oh no! Someone just donated a box of bananas that included alleged drugs!” kind of way. Word on the street is that two sergeants from a Texas prison picked up two donated pallets of bananas at the Ports of America in Freeport on Friday. The 45 boxes of ripe goods were donated to the Wayne Scott Unit in Texas’ Brazoria County and were never claimed.
“One of the boxes felt different than the others,” the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) said. “Inside, under a bundle of bananas, he found another bundle! Inside that? What appeared to be a white powdery substance."
After testing, the substance was deemed to be cocaine, which led to a full-on search of the banana shipment. The TDCJ reported that 540 packages of cocaine were found, with a street value of $18 million.
Authorities don’t know from whence the shipment came or to whom it was intended, but investigations are underway, according to NPR.
“Sometimes, life gives you lemons. Sometimes, it gives you bananas. And sometimes, it gives you something you’d never expect!” TDCJ shared.
The news source shares the statistics on bananas used as a vehicle for drug transactions:
- 9 tons of cocaine in a banana shipping container from Colombia were spotted by Spanish police in April. (The Associated Press)
- In February, Albanian police also discovered 1,350 pounds of the narcotic were discovered in a banana shipment from Colombia by Albanian police in February. (The Associated Press)
- 2.3 tons of cocaine were found in a banana shipment from Colombia and other South American countries by Romanian Authorities in July of 2016. (The Associated Press)
- 13 supermarkets in Germany received banana boxes containing cocaine from Colombia in January and May of 2015. (BBC)
How are criminals attempting to infiltrate our market with their dealings? Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow to keep up to speed on where and how the action is occurring.
BAKERSFIELD, CA - A big congratulations are in order for Grimmway Farms! The company appointed Dana Culhane Brennan as Director of Corporate and Government Affairs, where she will be made responsible for the development and implementation of policies involving local, state, and government affairs. In her new role, Brennan will be the company’s official spokesperson for its global operations.
“I am thrilled and honored to be joining an outstanding company like Grimmway. I look forward to using my years of experience within the legislative and political realm to help navigate the unique challenges associated with doing business within the current political climate. Grimmway Farms has a long and rich history in California and it’s a privilege to join the team,” Brennan said.
Brennan will be based in Arvin, California, at Grimmway’s corporate headquarters.
Prior to her new role, Brennan was the Chief of Staff for California’s 16th State Senate District and worked under the Senate Republican Leader Emeritus Jean Fuller since 2007. While working at the State Capitol, Brennan oversaw the development and execution of the Senator’s legislative agenda, directed operations and duties of staff in both the Capitol and District offices, and supervised all District-specific communications efforts, according to a press release. She offers unique and extensive political insight into detailed processes, as well as provides over 11 years’ worth of experience creating partnerships all over the nation in community, government, and business sectors.
“I am excited to be working with someone who has such a deep understanding of the processes and procedures of California’s legislature. Dana’s knowledge and experience will prove invaluable in guiding Grimmway through the complexities of local and state government, and helping us achieve solutions to the many important issues facing both our industry and our state,” said Joel Sherman, Vice President of Safety and Corporate Affairs at Grimmway Farms.
Brennan brings with her a degree from Eastern University. She is an active member of the Capitol Network, and she attended the Focus Leadership Institution. While named as a Rising Star by The Bakersfield Californian in 2009, she was later chosen as one of the Top 20 under 40 People to Watch by Bakersfield Life Magazine in 2014.
What new achievements and accolades await Dana Brennan, as she steps into her new role at Grimmway? We’ll have to keep our eyes peeled as she makes her mark on our industry.
Congratulations to the whole Grimmway Farms team on this exciting addition!
FRESNO, CA - In an effort to showcase the benefits of consuming normal amounts of grapes each day—including long-term health for hearts, brains, and colons—the California Table Grape Commission is launching a new ad campaign. The ad series will sit pretty on the pages of magazines and newspapers in both print and online, on health-focused websites, on television, on radio, and on social media.
“Consumers have always loved grapes for their great taste, convenience, share-ability, and beauty. Through this campaign, consumers will learn that the health benefits grapes provide go beyond the basics of eating a favorite fruit as part of a healthy diet,” Kathleen Nave, Commission President, explained in a press release. “It is already established that grapes are a heart-healthy food, and now research in the areas of brain and colon health is emerging that suggests that grapes may have an even broader role to play in long-term health.”
Research pointed to these areas of health, as well as a variety of others, and the Commission’s latest campaign aims to utilize online and print and broadcast avenues of advertising to focus on the power of the whole fruit. Grapes offer over 1,600 documented natural plant compounds, including antioxidants and other polyphenols, according to the release, and the organization’s ads detail research from a scientific study in the area of heart, brain, and colon health, which points to the beneficial natural plant compounds.
For more information on campaigns that keep fresh at the forefront of consumers’ minds, stick with AndNowUKnow.
BEAR, DE - Food industry redistributor Dot Foods is expanding its Northeastern distribution network, announcing it is setting up shop in Bear, Delaware, later this year. The new $36 million facility joins the company’s other Northeast locations in Maryland and New York.
“It is a great day when we get to announce a new distribution center,” said President Dick Tracy in a press release. “The Delaware location will give us more capacity in the East. This is a high-volume area of the country where we expect to see continued growth. Our Delaware location will service customers in Eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. We’ve received a warm welcome from folks at both the state and local level in Delaware, and we look forward to continuing to build more relationships as we establish operations in the area.”
Set to be built on the 35 acres of land at 301 American Boulevard, the new distribution center will total over 188,609 square feet, which includes main and outbuilding facilities like an 111,000-square-foot refrigerated, frozen, and dry storage space, a 12,600-square-foot office space, and a 9,700-square-foot garage. In total, the company will hire 125 people, up to 200 of which by 2022, to work warehouse, truck driver, and administrative roles at the new facility.
“We’re really glad to see this great project move forward,” said Damian DeStefano, Director of the Delaware Division of Small Business. “Dot Foods’ choice to locate its new facility in Delaware is a testament to the state being an excellent place for businesses to grow and thrive.”
Along with the new facility, Dot Foods also established trucking operations for Dot Transportation in New Castle, with plans to hire 50 drivers who will eventually move to the Bear distribution center.
“We’ve already started hiring in the region and have great truck driving careers available today,” Tracy continued. “Our New Castle terminal is up and running. If you’re interested in joining our team, I encourage you to visit DriverforDot.com. Our drivers are a key part of our business, and we have some great opportunities at our newest location. We’re excited about the talent available in this area as we hire drivers, warehouse personnel, and office staff.”
Dot Foods plans to break ground in October on the Bear facility, with it in full operation by fall of 2019.
For more of the latest news like this, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.
BENTONVILLE, AR - Walmart and its subsidiary Sam’s Club is taking a big stance on food safety—specifically food safety surrounding leafy greens. Following this year's earlier E.coli outbreak, the retailer is implementing blockchain technology to try and curb these incidents.
In an open letter to suppliers, Walmart and Sam’s Club plan to require leafy green suppliers to trace their products all the way back to the farm using blockchain technology. These systems are expected to be in place this time next year. Due to this change, information gathered by these suppliers will be accessible through tech that offers real-time, end-to-end traceability from farm to table.
In a blog post, Walmart noted that blockchain allows for digitized sharing of data in a secure, trusted way. It’s essentially a form of record-keeping that is open to users.
Frank Yiannas, VP of Food Safety explained how blockchain simplifies the process of lettuce making its way from the field to your plate.
“In the future, using the technology we’re requiring, a customer could potentially scan a bag of salad and know with certainty where it came from,” Yiannas stated. “[...] We’ve been working with IBM to digitize the [food system], so the information is captured on the farm with a handheld system. It’s [also] captured at the packing house at the supplier.”
The blog post noted that Walmart plans to use the power of blockchain to speed up identifying, researching, and reacting to food safety situations.
Will other retailers follow suit? AndNowUKnow will continue to report the latest in industry news.