LOS ANGELES, CA - In my house, there’s always something to celebrate. Sometimes it’s the little things, while other times it’s the truly big wins. After one of its best-selling seasons ever, The Wonderful Company is celebrating its Wonderful Halos, and I caught up with Wonderful Halos’ Director of Marketing Diana Salsa to find out more about the company’s winning season.
“Wonderful Halos—one of America’s top mandarin brands—broke records with its best-selling season ever. This was driven by Halos’ $28-million-dollar marketing campaign investment that included television advertisements, digital, print, social, billboards, PR, and FSIs, as well as the success of its award-winning ‘Grove of Goodness’ Point-Of-Sale (POS) displays at retailers nationwide. More than 43.4 million U.S. households purchased Wonderful Halos and Halos dollar sales were up over 8 percent. It was a big win,” Diana told me.
This season, over 2.5 billion servings of Halos were shipped to retailers nationwide. Specifically, Diana noted, Halos saw over 50 percent market share—two times bigger than the nearest competitor—and 88 percent brand awareness, with over two-thirds of consumers who buy mandarins choosing Halos. The season also included big wins during peak holiday occasions, including Thanksgiving 2017 (+6 percent in dollar sales), Christmas 2017 (+30 percent in dollar sales), Valentine’s Day 2018 (+27 percent in dollar sales) and Easter 2018 (+19 percent in dollar sales) versus last year, according to The Wonderful Company's data.
Diana also said that Halos, overall, account for 40 percent of total produce dollar growth during the California mandarin season, with this season reaching a record in velocity sold—+100 percent more than The Wonderful Company’s nearest competitor, according to The Wonderful Company's data.
Part of The Wonderful Company’s big win this season was thanks to its pivotal POS display program, the “Grove of Goodness!” This season, over 20,000 displays shipped to retailers nationwide, with some stores taking the displays to new areas of the stores for mandarins, like the frozen food aisle, deli, pharmacy, lobby entrance, and at checkout. As a result, retailers with the “Grove of Goodness” POS experienced more than two times lift in velocity growth compared to retailers without a display. The “Grove of Goodness” displays even won the 2018 Most Innovative Fruit Packaging or POS Solution at the Viva Fresh Gateway Awards, a truly big win!
Congratulations, Wonderful Halos, on an outstanding season! Here’s to many more!
SANDPOINT, ID - Litehouse Inc. announced the appointment of Charmaine Cook as Vice President of Human Resources. She brings to the company years of HR experience, having previously served as the Vice President of Human Resources with The Hain Celestial Group and as the Senior Vice President of Human Resources for The Broe Group.
“I am honored to join a team that demonstrates integrity, accountability, and dedication in their daily work and lives,” commented Cook. “I am proud to join my fellow employee-owners in a shared mission to grow the perimeter of the grocery store and lead in product innovation, which continues to make Litehouse a world-class place to work.”
The company noted that she is a key addition to its senior leadership team, in a time when Litehouse is expanding its portfolio. As we reported in our sister publication, Litehouse recently expanded its dressing line into the organic category.
“One of our strategic priorities as a 100 percent employee-owned company is to engage, develop, and empower our employee-owners,” stated Jim Frank, President and CEO, in a company press release. "As we position for growth and succession, Charmaine is a leader who embraces our company principles and knows that great companies only thrive with great employees. We are delighted to have her expertise and guidance as we continue to grow.”
At Hain, Cook oversaw HR services for the global company with over 5,000 employees and played a key role in supporting the company’s growth during her nearly seven-year tenure. Since 2016, Cook has owned and operated her own HR consulting business in Denver, Colorado. She holds an Education Teaching Credential and has received two national HR certifications. She has been a guest lecturer and adjunct faculty member for colleges and universities in California, Colorado, and New York. Currently, Cook is completing her B.S. in Business Administration with a focus on HR Management and Organizational Leadership and Development from Colorado State University.
Congratulations to Charmaine Cook and the Litehouse team!
WENATCHEE, WA - This year, it’s all about A Half-Mile Closer to the Moon™ cherries and Rave® apples, two varieties Stemilt Growers pushes later in the season to give itself an edge in the produce aisle. Both offerings are unique in their own ways, and I caught up with Stemilt Growers’ Marketing Director Roger Pepperl to learn more about these summer stand-outs.
“Our A Half-Mile Closer to the Moon cherries are a special cherry that we start packing around August 15th every year. And the reason why we name it A Half-Mile Closer to the Moon is because they actually are a half-mile higher than sea level and higher all the way up to 4,000 feet above sea level, which gives us that advantage of being late,” Roger tells me.
Specifically, the cherries’ growing altitude allows retailers to offer the brand all the way through September. The Rave apple is another later-in-the-season offering from Stemilt and one that Roger highly recommends.
“The Rave apples are a really special apple we’re going to have this year—this is the first big crop year we have. What makes Rave unique is it is picked end of July, beginning of August. It’s got Honeycrisps, and it’s got Monarch—an apple out of Arkansas,” Roger shares. “It will be one of the juiciest apples you’ve ever eaten, and it’ll fracture like a Honeycrisp, and it’s got a really nice attitude to it—a nice flavor that’s different from any apple you’ll eat.”
For the full deets on A Half-Mile Closer to the Moon cherries and Rave apples, watch our exclusive video above.
For the latest in and around the produce industry, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.
PLANT CITY, FL - Wish Farms announced that it has expanded its relationship with Michigan grower, Leduc Blueberries. The company noted that this expansion marks a projected increase of about 30 percent over last year’s volume from the region.
“This five-year agreement is fantastic because we are now completely aligned,” said Teddy Koukoulis, Wish Farms’ Director of Blueberry Operations. "This deal speaks to our team’s continuing effort to work with exceptional grower-packers that adhere to our rigorous food safety standards, quality guidelines, and core values.”
The Michigan blueberry season kicked off this July and will last through mid-September. Coming off record high temperatures, more moderate temps are expected in the region this summer. According to a company press release, volume is projected to reach 2 million pounds, and Koukoulis is optimistic that number could flourish to 3 million over the next five years.
“We anticipate great blueberry growing weather for the region this season. The Duke, Blue Crop and Elliots varieties all look and taste excellent and fall in line with our company’s simple, yet impactful mission statement: To Provide the Best Tasting Berries,” said Koukoulis.
The Leduc family has been growing blueberries in Paw Paw, Michigan, since 1955. What once was a 20-acre farm grew into a 400-acre operation. Their son, Joe, is now the owner-operator.
“We are excited to market 100 percent of our crop with Wish Farms,” said Leduc. “The fact that they are also a family-operated business is just icing on the cake for us. This is a great opportunity to continue growing together, hopefully for years to come.”
For the latest in fresh produce news, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
NEW YORK CITY, NY - Walmart has announced plans to redouble its expansion efforts in New York City; the major retailer has outlined plans to open a new Jet.com fulfillment center and introduce same-day and next-day delivery options to the highly competitive urban market.
According to a report by Bloomberg, Walmart plans to open the new facility in the Bronx this fall—contending with retail rivals Target and Amazon who already offer some form of same-day delivery within the city. And while the fulfillment center is currently anticipated to deliver only Jet.com and not Walmart goods, Fox Business speculated that the facility could shift at some point, giving Walmart proper a foothold amidst rival retailers and delivery services in the area—including FreshDirect, Whole Foods, and Instacart.
In a statement emailed to both news sources, Walmart said that Jet.com’s new fulfillment center will be located at 1055 Bronx River Drive and will create hundreds of jobs within the area. Jet.com leased the 200,000-square-foot warehouse this April, prompting speculation that Walmart would eventually introduce delivery options throughout New York City.
The announcement comes just a week after Walmart named a new U.S. Chief Customer Officer and a new Chief Marketing Officer and less than a month after the company announced plans to invest in hiring 2,000 “Technologists” in an effort to boost the company’s e-commerce business.
Will Walmart’s expansion plans succeed in growing its brands and positioning the company for future success in grocery retail? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
SALINAS, CA - TMD Creative is celebrating this week, announcing it has been awarded for outstanding achievement in design from the Visual Media Alliance annual 2018 Showcase Awards. After competing against nearly 150 entries from printing, design, ad agencies, and graphic art firms, TMD Creative won an award for the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation’s 2017 Annual Report.
“We are thrilled to win this award, but we are even happier to provide our clients with award-winning work that communicates its purpose visually,” said President and CEO Nick Pasculli.
The Showcase Awards, hosted by the Visual Media Alliance in San Francisco, is a visual media competition that covers the Northern California and Northern Nevada region. Promoting excellence in visual communications and emphasizing the role print media plays in our industry, the Showcase Awards recognize the creative professionals who contribute their talents to visual communications, acknowledging and recognizing companies and individuals who produce the best in visual media, according to a press release.
TMD Creative will receive its award August 15, 2018, at the VMA Award Ceremony in Jack London Square, Oakland, California. Congratulations, TMD Creative!
BAKERSFIELD, CA - With ‘organic’ topping the list of buzzwords that excite our industry, it comes as no surprise that companies are working hard to expand their organic programs. Among such trailblazers is Anthony Vineyards, grower and shipper of California table grapes. The company is continuing to generate enthusiasm around its portfolio as we approach this year’s Organic Produce Summit (OPS), where Anthony Vineyards is due to showcase its organic grape and date programs.
I chatted with John Harley, Anthony Vineyards’ Vice President of Sales and Marketing, to learn a bit more about what the company has in the works and what buyers and attendees alike should expect to see from the team this year.
“We’ll be showcasing not only our organic grape program, but our organic dates as well, under our Sun Date label. That’s something that’s expanding on a yearly basis with us,” John shares with me, before dialing into the specifics. “We’ve been expanding our conventional date program all along, but once we received a high amount of requests for an organic line from our date customers, we took our date program in the same direction as our grape operations. This season Anthony Vineyards will be showcasing a host of varieties from organic green seedless grapes to organic red and black seedless grapes as well.”
Anthony Vineyards has seen firsthand the growth that organic programs can bring, and is looking forward to showing those attending OPS what Coachella Valley grape growers and beyond are all about.
“It’s been a long process for us,” John says as we discuss how the company’s organic program has evolved over the years. “Over the last seven to eight years, we’ve seen double-digit growth in the organic category and we’ve converted a lot of our acreage to organic production. Any new varieties we come up with that fit the organic profile, we put into that program. The biggest thing is to have the continuity on a weekly basis of organic production and that’s what we look for.”
This season, Anthony Vineyards will be showcasing a variety of fruit from organic green seedless grapes to organic red and black seedless grapes.
When I ask John what he’s most excited about for the upcoming show, he remarks that it’s the chance to connect with other growers and buyers that keeps him coming back.
“We look forward to being able to present to the public who we are as a company, and bring more value to our customers and future customers,” he concludes.
Curious to see what else the company is up to? Make sure to stop by OPS booth #304 to find out for yourself.
GREENSBORO, NC - Riding the wave of its turnaround plan set in motion as Apollo Global Management took over ownership in 2016, The Fresh Market has announced it will close 15 underperforming stores. These soon-to-be-shuttered stores are located in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin, according to a report by The Chicago Tribune, and are expected to close within two to four weeks.
“Over the last eight months, our company has been executing a turnaround plan and we’ve seen great progress. However, for a variety of reasons unique to each retail location, that progress is not evenly distributed and, as a result, we have decided to close these long-term underperforming stores,” said CEO Larry Appel in a statement reported by the source. Appel was appointed at the beginning of that eight month time period he refers to in September 2017.
We first reported on Apollo Global Management’s intention to buy and turnaround The Fresh Market in late 2015, after the firm achieved a successful purchase and IPO with retail chain Sprouts Farmers Market. In total, Apollo’s acquisition of The Fresh Market was valued at $1.36 billion. In the wake of that acquisition, several members of the retailer’s top leadership positions have been filled with new blood, including CEO Larry Appel, Vice President of Merchandising, Produce, Vic Savanello, and Chief Merchandising Officer Rich Durante.
“We do not expect any further store closures in the foreseeable future,” Appel continued.
Will this streamlining of its stores be enough to give The Fresh Market the competitive edge it is looking for? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
SACRAMENTO, CA - Kroger has announced it will not require produce suppliers protected under PACA to participate in Net 90 payment terms. After asking its produce suppliers to waive their PACA rights and agree to 90-day payment terms in late June, which, at the time, the retailer said “was not considered optional,” Kroger has reneged in a new letter obtained by ANUK.
Signed by Matt Hodge, Sr. Manager, Enterprise Sourcing Finance at Kroger, the letter states that, “For those PACA-eligible produce suppliers who are interested, [Kroger] will continue to negotiate for payment terms that are permitted within their PACA Trust rights.” The letter was addressed directly to Judith Wey Rudman, Director of USDA’s PACA Division.
“Our produce suppliers received a letter outlining our recently-modernized payment terms and supply chain finance opportunity. We’ve shared with individual produce suppliers that we will respect existing contractual and legal mandates including PACA. We never intended for PACA-eligible produce suppliers to waive their PACA Trust rights,” Hodge wrote in the letter. “At the same time, we’ve welcomed and listened to feedback from our produce suppliers and other important stakeholders—including yours. I’d like to take this opportunity to clearly state that produce suppliers protected under PACA are not required to participate in Net 90 payment terms.”
I discussed the new revelations with Matt McInerney, Sr. Executive Vice President of the Western Growers Association.
“My hat is off to Kroger and its response to suppliers before the implementation of the policy, set to take place August 1st. Western Growers is very pleased and appreciative of Kroger listening to its produce suppliers and having a respectful conversation,” he shared with me. “At the end of the day, PACA trust rights are never negotiable, and they should always be retained. This was a positive outcome, and we extend our thanks to Kroger for doing the right thing.”
California Fresh Fruit Association’s President George Radanovich released a statement following Kroger’s announcement that echoed many of McInerney’s sentiments.
“We appreciate Kroger’s acknowledgement that the ‘Net 90’ payment plan didn’t work for the produce industry. We stand by our position that Kroger’s original push to implement its plan was wrong and illegal. To force suppliers to forfeit their rights under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA), an act created specifically to protect the perishable fresh fruit industry was unconscionable and should never have been proposed,” he said, commending the fresh produce industry for being “a unified voice” on an important issue.
Radanovich concluded, “As I’ve stated before, the fresh produce industry has been a good partner to Kroger; we appreciate that Kroger remembered that partnership and fixed the mess it created.”
AndNowUKnow will be continuing to discuss the change in policy with the produce industry in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for more reporting.
BELLEVUE, WA & BAKERSFIELD, CA - Arable Capital Partners has partnered with Lodi, California-based Lodi Pump and Irrigation (LPI) and the company’s principle Steve Borra Jr. The food- and agriculture-focused private equity firm announced the new partnership this week, adding LPI’s full service irrigation capabilities and reputation for delivering high-quality irrigation systems and services to its repertoire of ag companies.
“When we look at the business operation, history of outstanding customer service, and leadership that Steve and his team have at LPI we see a great fit for Arable and the type of business we like to invest in,” noted Greg Richards, Managing Director at Arable, in a joint press release.
Throughout the past 30 years, the two companies’ press release noted, LPI has set the industry standard for drip and sprinkler irrigation design and installation services throughout California. With a reputation for personal service and effective system design, the family-owned business has become one of the region’s largest and most well-respected service providers.
“Steve has grown LPI by entering new markets and adding additional product offerings. We are excited to partner with Steve and continue to invest for the long-term,” said Derek Yurosek, Managing Director of Arable.
LPI currently serves customers with high-value growing operations that include grapes, almonds, walnuts, olives, and other row crops throughout the Golden State. And because of the company’s geographical presence and exceptional reputation, LPI stood out to the Arable team, who felt a strong fit and an opportunity to invest in LPI and expand operations.
Borra Jr., who will continue to serve in the capacity of President of LPI, noted that the feeling was mutual, and LPI saw the opportunity to work with Arable’s team of industry veterans with extensive agriculture and investing experience as invaluable.
“Our family saw a great cultural fit with Arable from the start and quickly developed a collaborative relationship with their team. This combination will help us better serve our customers and provide enhanced opportunities for our employees and business partners,” Borra Jr. said.
The two companies will reportedly continue to build LPI as a company and work together to serve the irrigation systems and services provider’s clients and team members.
For more fresh produce news, keep reading AndNowUKnow.