WENATCHEE, WA - A new face is joining the ranks of the CMI Orchards team, with the company announcing Doug Culbertson will be its new Food Safety Manager. Now tasked with overseeing food safety managers at CMI’s seven packing facilities in Washington State, the company sees Culbertson working to continuously improve its food safety initiatives.
“I’m truly excited to join CMI,” said Culbertson upon his appointment. “CMI has a strong track record in food safety and well-established protocols and procedures. I’m looking forward to working with the CMI team to ensure that our products always meet the highest standards in the industry.”
Culbertson, who will be assuming the food safety position previously held by the soon-retiring Bob Carter, previously held the role of Quality Assurance and Food Safety Manager at National Frozen Foods. Culbertson also has a Bachelor’s degree in Food Science from Ohio State University.
“We’re delighted that Doug is joining the CMI family,” shared company President Bob Mast. “CMI is absolutely committed to food safety, and we believe Doug’s wealth of experience will keep us at the forefront of these initiatives.”
In a press release, Mast also noted that food safety programs in the apple industry have taken on renewed urgency over the last several years, further explaining, “We know that our relationship with our retail partners and consumers rests in delivering safe and healthy products every single day. There are no exceptions.”
With Culbertson leading CMI’s food safety mission, 2018 looks to be a banner year in the making for the apple company. AndNowUKnow will keep you updated with the latest on food safety initiatives and beyond!
LOS ALAMITOS, CA – Hot offerings from the Southern Hemisphere are here to warm up our Northern Hemisphere holidays, and Frieda’s Specialty Produce's South African-grown lychees are sure to brighten up and lend a unique twist to holiday spreads with their fragrant sweet-tart flavor.
“Getting lychees this time of year is an absolute treat and they will be quickly snapped up by shoppers as an impulse buy,” said Alex Berkley, Senior Account Manager. “And because they tend to be a limited-supply and hard-to-find fruit, shoppers do not mind paying a premium for them, especially during the holiday season.”
Frieda’s is now offering lychees to customers in 10-pound bulk cartons and also 12-ounce clamshells aimed at reducing shrink and leakage.
According to Frieda’s press release, fresh lychees have traditionally been available in spring and early-summer from the Americas, and contra-seasonal availability has opened up additional sales opportunities for retailers during the holiday months. Since South African lychee import to the U.S. was permitted in 2015, the company has distributed increasing volume and expects this season to be the best yet—with supplies through January.
Frieda’s also notes that Chinese New Year—beginning on February 18th—is a great target for retailers—and advises customers to stock up on supply in January to help create more sales. Furthermore, the company notes, the fruit’s popularity has grown in recent years, expanding from its traditional demographic to include culinary enthusiasts and millennials.
Frieda’s recommends displaying fresh lychees under refrigeration to extend shelf-life.
For more news on seasonal offerings in the fresh produce industry, keep following AndNowUKnow.
ROSEMONT, IL – US Foods’ current President and Chief Executive Officer Pietro Satriano has been appointed Chairman of the Board, after serving as President and Chief Executive Officer of the company and as a member of the Board of Directors since July 2015.
“On behalf of the board and management team, I’d like to thank John, Rick, and Nate for their significant contributions to US Foods. Their counsel and support have been invaluable in shaping our company’s success,” said Satriano, who joined US Foods in 2011, in a company press release. “I am honored to be appointed Chairman and want to thank the board for the opportunity. I look forward to collaborating with the board as we continue to execute our Great Food. Made Easy. strategy.”
In addition, current Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee for US Foods and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Tech Data Corporation, a wholesale technology distributor, Robert “Bob” Dutkowsky has been appointed Lead Independent Director after becoming a director of the company earlier this year.
“In my new role, I remain committed to promoting sound governance practices and helping US Foods drive continued growth and value for our customers, employees, and shareholders,” said Dutkowsky.
After announcing the opening of its secondary public offering of 39,955,545 shares of common stock, which also included the repurchase of 10,000,000 shares of common stock, last week, US Foods also announced yesterday that this public offering is now closed.
Congratulations, Pietro Satriano and Robert Dutkowsky, and good luck in your new roles.
For more produce industry news like this, keep checking back with AndNowUKnow.
MCALLEN, TX – As 2017 comes to a close, the new year once again provides opportunities for those in the produce industry to break into new markets and build off of existing programs. Looking to 2018 to continue the expansion of its western veg, value-added, and organic programs, GR Fresh’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing Tony Incaviglia shares the company’s goal to continue to make a place for itself in the U.S. market and the status of the upcoming winter transition.
“We’re traditional farmers at heart, and in the past, we grew to provide quality and consistency, and then we concerned ourselves with who and where to market our goods,” Tony tells me. “However, we’re evolving our focus, developing true partnerships and relationships that include custom growing, and providing more value-added items to meet that rising demand in the market. We also have an opportunity to develop our western veg program—there’s a lot of potential for western veg out of this part of the country.”
Expanding categories like iceberg lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, romaine, and red and green leafs, GR Fresh is looking to western veg to provide more value and consumer options under its brand name as it spreads to additional U.S. retailers.
With a vision to be a sustainable industry leader, GR Fresh is not only meeting retail and consumer demand by expanding its organics program, but also illustrating its deep-rooted respect for the environment, its employees, and its neighboring communities.
“Currently, demand for organically produced goods continues to show double-digit growth, which is providing market incentives for farmers across a broad range of products. Organic sales account for over 4 percent of total U.S. food sales, so it is just good business sense to want to be a part of such a dynamic category,” Tony adds.
The USDA organic sticker increasingly found on GR Fresh’s produce is a product of the good relationships the company has in place. Currently, GR Fresh is transitioning selections like bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant, and more, with some options like grape tomatoes currently in the third and final transition year in the process of becoming certified organic.
Also in transition is GR Fresh’s winter harvest, which will be occurring over the next thirty days, from Torreon growing region to Culiacan and other surrounding Mexican regions.
“Right now, we need Mother Nature to step in, and so far she has,” Tony says. “Weather has been really good with no hiccups. It was a little warm there for some time, around the 90s, but it's settled down now to comfortable growing temperatures.”
This year, Tony expects several million cartons of tomatoes and veg items, including Roma, round and grape tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, carrots, zucchini, and yellow squash, will be grown, packed, and shipped to GR distribution locations and sold throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
With the transition happening soon, keep your eyes peeled for GR Fresh’s expanded western veg, value-added, and organic and conventional products as it looks to compete in the U.S. market. And kick off the upcoming New Year with the flavors of Mexico with GR Fresh’s many varieties!
For more on the happenings within the produce industry, stay up-to-date with AndNowUKnow.
IRVINE, CA - For many members of the produce industry, January 1st, 2018 will not only bring cause to celebrate the New Year, but also cause to take a look at the changing minimum wage laws that may affect their businesses. In an effort to educate members of Western Growers, the Association’s Vice President & General Counsel Jason Resnick compiled a list of legislation that will affect employers in California, Arizona, and Colorado starting next month.
"With annual minimum wage increases, the erosion of the agricultural overtime exemption [in California], rising healthcare and workers’ compensation costs, and expanding regulatory burdens, many farmers are finding it increasingly difficult to compete with other states and other countries," Resnick tells me. "Farmers are price takers, not price setters—they can’t raise their prices to cover significantly higher employment and regulatory costs."
Below is Resnick's breakdown of how the minimum wage laws will affect Western Growers members in the following states:
California
In 2016, SB 3 was signed to gradually increase the minimum wage in California to $15 per hour by 2022. Beginning January 1, 2018, employers with 26 or more employees will be required to pay non-overtime-exempt employees $11.00 per hour while businesses with 25 or fewer employees will have to pay their non-exempt employees $10.50 per hour.
The increased minimum wage rate also impacts the salary thresholds for exempt executives, administrators and professionals under California law, increasing it to $45,760 annually for employers with at least 26 employees, and $43,680 for employers with 25 or fewer employees. Employers should also be aware that a number of cities, such as San Francisco, Emeryville, and Oakland have higher minimum wage rates than the state.
Arizona
Under Proposition 206, the Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act, Arizona’s minimum wage will increase to $10.50 per hour on January 1, 2018; $11.00 per hour in 2019; and $12.00 per hour in 2020. In 2021, the Arizona minimum wage will increase each year by the cost of living.
Colorado
With the passage of Amendment 70, effective January 1, 2017, Colorado's minimum wage had been increased to $9.30 per hour and is increased annually by $0.90 each January 1 until it reaches $12 per hour effective January 2020. Thereafter, it will be adjusted annually for cost of living increases, as measured by the Consumer Price Index used for Colorado. For 2018, the minimum wage in Colorado is $10.20.
New Mexico
The minimum wage in New Mexico remains $7.50 per hour, which is greater than the federal minimum wage of $7.25. Some cities and municipalities in New Mexico have established their own minimum wage rates, including:
- Albuquerque: $8.75
- Bernalillo County: $8.65
- Santa Fe: $10.84
- Santa Fe County: $10.66
- Las Cruces: currently $9.20 to increase to $10.10 on January 1, 2019
As the country continues to look towards new legislation and regulation regarding wages, AndNowUKnow will continue to report on the shifting agricultural landscape. Until then, visit Western Growers' website to learn even more about all issues in Ag.
CAMARILLO, CA – On the sixth day of Christmas, Houweling’s Group said to me... It is closing out 2017 on a good note by welcoming Todd Plaxton to its Sales Management team. Now, that's the kind of holiday carol I like to celebrate!
“Todd brings the skillset, dedication, and drive that is required in our industry. His experience within the greenhouse sector enables him to hit the ground running, while also bringing a solid business approach,” said Mike Reed, the company’s EVP Sales, in a recent press release.
Plaxton’s experience is wide-ranging, having held positions at blue chip organizations outside of the industry at Nestle Foods, and at produce industry organizations such as Star Produce and The Oppenheimer Group. With so much telling experience, Plaxton is jumping into his new position with both feet.
“I have always had a tremendous respect for Houweling’s, and their reputation in the industry as an innovator and quality grower. At the same time, the company has evolved with the changing retail landscape. Major retailers continue to adjust and address their supply chain, favoring a direct relationship with growers. Houweling’s has done a tremendous job at fostering these retail relationships, and I look forward to building on the upward trend with my accounts,” said Plaxton in the same press release. “Service is critical in this business. I advocate for my customers and ensure I am proactive to address issues well before they ever appear on my customer’s radar. While it sounds simple, this business isn’t. Constant care and attention is needed to deliver first-time customer service.”
Not only is Houweling’s excited to bring Plaxton on deck, but it sounds like Plaxton is off to the races in his efforts to further establish customer satisfaction by addressing consumers’ needs attentively. With the addition of Plaxton to the sales management family, we at AndNowUKnow wish Houweling’s Group and its over 200 acres of greenhouse farms every success the industry has to offer.
BENTONVILLE, AR – What’s in a name? For Walmart Inc., the retailer formerly known as Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., a lot is at stake in it. The chain announced plans to change the company’s legal name to one word, without the dash or the “Stores” in tow. By shifting the name’s direction, the company is hoping to reflect its focus on streamlining customers’ in-store, online, mobile device, pick-up, and delivery experiences.
“Our customers know us as Walmart and today they shop with us not only in our stores, but online and with our app as well,” said Doug McMillon, Walmart president and CEO, in a recent press release from the retailer. “While our legal name is used in a limited number of places, we felt it was best to have a name that was consistent with the idea that you can shop us however you like as a customer. Looking ahead, we’ll continue to invest in and strengthen our stores around the world and expand our eCommerce capabilities as we help save customers’ time and money. As time goes on, customers will increasingly just think of and see one Walmart.”
Walmart is the umbrella company for nearly 60 different banners located throughout the world. Some of these include eCommerce sites, while others account for more than 11,600 stores and clubs within its 28-country reach. Walmart launched its first international location in Mexico City in 1991, and introduced Walmart.com in 2000.
Wal-Mart, Inc. was the launching point for the company, which registered under this name in 1969, before incorporating the “Stores” at the end of its title in 1970. The name has not legally changed since 1970’s transition, but the organization has been using its current Walmart logo for its operations and services since June of 2008. While the change might throw some loyal customers off at first, consumers and investors can rest assured that the company will continue to trade on the NYSE as WMT and the company’s name should reflect "Walmart."
Will the retailer’s newly rebranded name pay off in the long haul, continuing to launch sales upward and promote its innovative industry prowess? AndNowUKnow will continue to report with the latest.
WATSONVILLE, CA – Celebrating its fifth annual event and its continuing mission to bring salad bars to schools around the country, The California Giant Foundation’s Tour de Fresh has announced that 2018 sponsorship opportunities are now available.
“This year is a huge milestone for us as we celebrate five years of successfully providing access to fresh fruits and vegetables for thousands of students across the country,” said Cindy Jewell, Vice President of Marketing for California Giant Berry Farms, in a Tour de Fresh press release. “We’ve seen how impactful it can be when companies and individuals within the industry come together with a common purpose. I’m confident that this year will be our most successful yet, as we’ve been able to grow every year since the event’s inception.”
The event’s press release noted that this year’s ride successfully sponsored 47 salad bars—placed in schools this fall. And in 2018, Tour de Fresh says it is committed to offering a wide variety of sponsorships to companies within the fresh produce industry—as well as affiliated industries—in order to reach the event’s goal of donating over 50 salad bars to schools across the U.S.
2018 Tour de Fresh sponsorship packages offer companies year-round marketing opportunities, media exposure, and customized benefits based on sponsorship level. Last year’s sponsors were reportedly included in more than 320 media placements in trade and consumer publications and earned more than 115 million total impressions.
“We’re proud to be a premier sponsor for another year with Tour de Fresh. The event aligns directly with our values at Mission Produce to work as a community to support education, nutrition, and local outreach,” noted Robb Bertels, Vice President of Marketing for Mission Produce. “Our team gets so excited to participate each year that we’ve had to start raffling off rider spots!”
This year’s Tour de Fresh event will involve a four-day ride beginning in Kirkwood Ski Resort near Lake Tahoe on July 22 and ending in Monterey, CA on July 26—just prior to the PMA Foodservice Conference. Tour de Fresh noted that the event provides both significant sponsorship and fundraising opportunities for companies to engage directly with a cause that they are passionate about and provides a forum for friends and colleagues within the industry together for a little fun before the popular conference.
To build on the Salad Bars to Schools program this year and in the future, the United Fresh Start Foundation’s salad bar campaign and Tour de Fresh support will ensure fresh lunch options continue to be readily available to the next generation.
Opportunities to join confirmed sponsors such as Americold, California Giant Berry Farms, Coosemans Worldwide, Fight Like a Girl Foundation, JAZZ Apple, Mission Produce, Okanagan Specialty Fruits, Pajaro Valley Fresh, PMA, and Tanimura & Antle are now available.
For more information about the Tour de Fresh, interested parties are encouraged to visit http://www.tourdefresh.com/ or contact the Tour de Fresh team directly at [email protected].
GRANITE BAY, CA – After more than 9 months of user research and web development, Joe Produce has launched its new website “Joe 2.0.” The culmination of working with thousands of produce companies and many more thousands of site-users over the past six years, Joe 2.0 is the first major revision in the company’s history, and the meticulous, detailed site has been met with positive feedback from employers and job seekers alike.
“This is a giant step for us in terms of changing our website. It’s one thing to change an information-based site, but when your site is your main customer interface, it’s all that much more serious” said Joe Produce’s President Rex Lawrence, in a press release. “After we received the high scores from our last focus group, we knew that it was time to launch. I could not be happier! It's now an ongoing process of refinement and adding greater value as we move forward.”
JoeProduce.com is now faster, cleaner, and easier to use, overall enhancing and bettering user experience. Instead of approaching the site like a job board, the team focused on creating a job store, emphasizing philosophy and strategy in order to add value for the company’s clients and job seekers.
“In the days, weeks, and months to come, visitors will see new features and refinement that will make their experience progressively better,” added Lawrence.
Some notable changes include:
- New, user-friendly homepage that Includes the Quick Check Features: Latest Jobs, Jobs By Location, and Featured Jobs
- Featured Jobs are enhanced job ads that can be found throughout the site
- Larger font and enhanced readability throughout the site
- Popular Produce Areas, a new category, ranging from Salinas to Yakima and more, each have their own page now
- A new “Search” page, with a wide selection of options to search narrowly and/or by various categories
- Enhanced Company Profile pages and Job Description pages
- Easier access to JoeProResumes.com—the resume writing service—and Joe Produce Search—the executive recruiting division
- The ability to submit a confidential resume directly to us is now even easier
- FAQs for both Job Seekers and Employers is easier to find and read
The new and completely redesigned website now offers companies the enhanced ability to market their jobs, as well as provides more ways for job seekers to find that special job. To see the redesign yourself, visit www.joeproduce.com.
For more produce industry news, stick with us at AndNowUKnow.
LAREDO, TX – We all love avocados, so it is a shock to the heart when we hear of them being used in any fashion other than our favorite dips or add-ons. With that being said, a 2000 Freightliner tractor trailer chauffeuring a frozen avocado pulp shipment through its second inspection was harboring 3,003 packages of alleged marijuana on Wednesday, November 29th. U.S. Customs and Border Control (CBP) officers at the Laredo Port of Entry reported that the packages weighed in at a grand total of 4,739 pounds.
“Our CBP officers face many challenges daily while facilitating lawful trade,” said Alberto Flores, Port Director at Laredo Port of Entry, in a recent press release from the organization. “CBP’s layers of enforcement such as the non-intrusive imaging system, canine, and the officer’s experience play an important role in the intercepting of these dangerous narcotics.”
Here’s how it happened: a CBP officer at World Trade Bridge sent the tractor trailer to a secondary inspection, and upon further probing of the shipment, CBP officers discovered the smuggled alleged drug packages by using the non-intrusive imaging system and canines.
This isn’t the only drug bust the week has to offer. December 2nd brought in an alleged cocaine bust; the combined total value of both attempts is $1,357,854. Both cases have since been sent to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HIS) for special agents to further investigate.
A big thanks goes to CBP as it takes a bite out of crime so we can bite into our beloved guacamole.