McALLEN, TX – Getting fresh produce cooled and shipped to customers is key for importers at the U.S.-Mexico border, and the recent joint-venture between Allen Lund Company and Santos International, TransKool Solutions, is helping its customers get the freshest food possible in the timeliest fashion.
I had an opportunity to catch up with Carlos Santos at PMA Fresh Summit last month to find out more about the partnership, the supply-chain services TransKool Solutions provides, and the way in which the venture is uniquely-positioned to meet its customers’ needs.
“In 2016, Santos International and Allen Lund Company opened up a joint venture—TransKool Solutions—offering cold storage in McAllen, Texas,” Carlos explained. “By working with Allen Lund Company on the transportation and Santos International in the customers brokerage, we believe that we’re able to offer…information quickly and accurately.”
Specializing in storage and cooling from 33 to 34 degrees, TransKool Solutions boasts impressive customer satisfaction and retention rates with the joint-venture’s complete end-to-end supply chain services, and because of the venture’s prodigious first-year success, TransKool Solutions is already expanding to an impressive new facility.
“We’re now moving into a new facility, which is 40,000 square feet, located in McAllen, Texas,” Carlos added. “We’ll have plenty of room to work on the floor and to move product in and out quickly.”
Watch our complete interview above for more.
ROSEMONT, IL - Today, US Foods Holding Corp announced an offering of 39,955,545 shares of its common stock by investment funds associated with Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, LLC and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P, according to a press release. In addition, US Foods intends to repurchase 10,000,000 of the 39,955,545 shares of common stock from the underwriter at a price per share equal to the underwriter’s price of purchase.
Acting as the underwriter for the offering, Morgan Stanley proposes to offer the shares that are not subject to the share repurchase from time to time for sale in one or more transactions on the New York Stock Exchange, in the over-the-counter market, through negotiated transactions, or otherwise at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices, subject to receipt, and acceptance by it and subject to its right to reject any order in whole or in part.
US Foods is not selling any stock in this transaction and will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the shares of common stock by the selling stockholders. The closing of the share repurchase is conditioned on, and expected to occur simultaneously with, the closing of the offering, subject to the satisfaction of other customary conditions. The offering is not conditioned upon the completion of the share repurchase.
US Foods has filed a shelf registration statement on Form S-3, including a prospectus, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, effective now. The offering will be made only by means of a preliminary prospectus supplement related to the offering being filed today by US Foods with the SEC. Copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, and the final prospectus supplement, when available, may be obtained from Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC or by visiting the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov under US Foods’ name.
For more industry news like this, AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
KINGSVILLE, ON – This week, SUNSET® is kicking football season into a healthy high gear by introducing the Flavor Bowl™, an innovative football-shaped container filled with one pound of flavorful, premium snacking tomatoes.
“Snacking and watching football go hand in hand,” said SUNSET® CEO Paul Mastronardi, in a press release. “We wanted to offer tailgaters and TV-viewers a fun way to bring healthy snacks to the party in a package that fits right into game day entertaining.”
According to the company’s press release, each Flavor Bowl™ comes equipped with a specially-designed lid that both acts as a base and locks the football into place so consumers have an exciting, convenient bowl to serve their snacking tomatoes to friends, family, and themselves. The innovative design makes SUNSET®'s latest offering the ideal game day centerpiece.
SUNSET® is also supporting the Flavor Bowl™ launch with an on-pack and digital contest at www.sunsetgrown.com/gameday; consumers are invited to enter to win the ultimate game day prize—a 75” Samsung 4K Ultra HD Smart TV—or one of three tailgating prize packs—including a Yeti Cooler®, a Yeti Tumbler®, and a Sunset® Stadium Blanket.
“We are very thrilled about bringing this limited edition Flavor Bowl™ football to our retail partners as it generates excitement in store and encourages impulse purchases in the produce aisle,” Mastronardi added. “This innovative new concept is part of our commitment to provide retailers with limited edition products that will surprise and delight consumers while driving incremental growth to the category.”
For information on product innovations, exciting consumer promotions, and more, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.
KEASBEY, NJ – The newly rebranded Price Rite Marketplace is welcoming a new executive to its team. The 65 store-strong and nine state-expansive chain is saying hello to Jim Dorey, its new President. This is exciting news for both Price Rite Marketplace and Wakefern Food Corp., one of the nation’s largest supermarket cooperatives and the company under which it is a registered trademark.
“Jim has consistently demonstrated the leadership traits and vision to position Price Rite Marketplace for success even in the face of major market changes, competitive challenges and a changing business landscape,” said Joe Sheridan, President and COO of Wakefern, in a recent press release. “It’s an exciting time for Price Rite as we refresh our stores with new décor and private label products, and Jim will help lead the company in this next step forward.”
News of Dorey’s admission into the Price Rite Marketplace executive family trails Neil Duffy’s retirement from the chain in October. Dorey’s responsibilities will include the company’s comprehensive rebrand by introducing new store décor, signage, and private label products to the stores over the course of the coming year. On top of these aesthetic shifts, Dorey will be heading business efforts, including sales, merchandising, retail operations, human resources, and corporate administration.
Dorey’s academic background includes a bachelor’s degree from Montclair State University, as well as Harvard Business School’s Advancement Management Program. When it comes to his career endeavors, he is well-established in Wakefern Food Corp.’s culture and development. After starting his career in 2004 as manager of real estate, he progressed in the organization to hold several other management positions in procurement. There, he reinforced frozen foods and the dairy divisions. He moved over to Price Rite in 2009, where he most recently held the title of Executive Vice President. In this role, he worked steadfastly alongside Duffy, which helped to ease his transition into his role as President.
With recent plans for a more visually appealing, fresh, modern take on the company’s stores, Dorey’s hand in the upcoming rebrand is one way that it is seeking to become more appetizing for consumers, all the while staying true to its promise of low prices, high quality goods, and friendly service to make shopping simpler and streamlined.
Congratulations to Jim Dorey, from all of us over at AndNowUKnow! We wish you every success your new role at Price Rite Marketplace offers you.
ORLANDO, FL – Once regarded as a fun summer superfruit now transforming into a fall and winter necessity, the National Mango Board (NMB) reports that mangos are enjoying a noteworthy increase in popularity among U.S. consumers with a volume increase of 50 percent over the last three years.
“The days where mangos are confined to tropical displays in stores are gone and for good reasons,” said Valda Coryat, Director of Marketing, in a recent press release. “Research shows us that mangos are an impulse purchase, therefore we encourage all retailers to place mangos in their mainstream displays to benefit from shopper’s desire for recipe inspiration.”
Noted as an important milestone, mango volume is expected to remain higher than normal through the holiday season and into the new year, with consistently high availability. In response, the NMB recommends retailers warm up the winter months by planning mango promotions and using point-of-sale (POS) materials to teach shoppers about mangos rightful place in shoppers’ carts during the colder months. Retailers can also spark shoppers’ holiday mango spirit with the Mangos Merry and Bright header card.
The NMB even suggests encouraging shoppers to try its Mango Cranberry Sauce recipe, its Mango Yams with Almonds dish, or its Tropical Eggnog beverage.
To build the perfect mango display the NMB suggests:
- Maintaining high-traffic shelf space year-round where your customers can always find mangos since mangos make up nearly 40% of tropical fruit category sales
- Building secondary mango displays in the produce department or front of store, especially when mango volumes are highest and when mangos are on promotion
- Carrying multiple varieties and sizes which can build sales
- Educating customers about selection, ripening, and cutting by using POS materials from the NMB
- Grouping mangos by variety, size, and ripeness level
- Keeping displays well stocked, but to avoid bruising, do not stack too high
- Never stacking heavier fruit such as pineapple, papaya, or coconuts above mangos
The NMB offers orderable POS materials free of charge, in addition to suggesting more merchandising best practices at Mango.org/Retail. For more information about mango crop forecasts, check out Mango.org/Crop.
For more produce industry news on the retail side, keep checking back with AndNowUKnow.
WENATCHEE, WA – The wait is over for those longing for their KIKU® apples! CMI Orchards announced that the brand apples have shown up in numbers, with a strong harvest completed and ready for retail. Growers of the variety stationed in Washington, Michigan, and Pennsylvania are expecting a bountiful year ahead. When CMI looked at this year’s solid harvest, it projected a 49 percent climb in volume this coming year for the coveted apple variety.
“We’re ready to grow retail sales of KIKU®,” said George Harter, Vice President of Marketing for CMI Orchards, in a recent press release. “We’re excited about a big increase because we know KIKU is one of a small handful of branded apples that have a strong following with consumers. When you look at the popularity of KIKU, it’s clear this apple has made a mark with consumers.”
According to Harter, Nielsen scan data shows that KIKU shines as the 6th bestselling branded apples in the category. While this is a drop from last year’s number 5 slot, Harter reckons that was due to last year’s shorter crop.
“The short crop last year slowed us down just as we were starting to leverage growing KIKU demand by consumers. Well, KIKU is back, and we’re ready to get retail promotions going with our customers.”
The promotions aren’t the only thing sweet around here. According to CMI's press release, field tests prove the soluble solids, or sugars, in KIKU make it one of the sweetest varieties of apples, with KIKU’s typical 17 percent Brix, or even higher, to cater to consumers seeking its distinctive taste. To create a comparison, the company explains that Honeycrisp has a 13 percent Brix, and Fuji comes in at 15 percent Brix. For those looking for the sweeter varieties when moseying through the produce aisle, KIKU is a great option.
CMI isn't the only company reaping the rewards KIKU has to offer. Pennsylvania-based Rice Fruit Company has a KIKU brand apples license and is expecting a solid crop.
“We’re up from last year on KIKU®,” says Brenda Briggs, Vice President of Marketing at Rice Fruit Company. “The good news we’re hearing from our horticultural team is that our KIKU again have exceptionally sweet flavor. For weeks we have been getting emails from consumers eager to get their first of the season KIKU, so we’re excited to get started. The enthusiasm we hear back from retailers really makes selling KIKU fun.”
Another U.S. company, midwest-stationed Applewood Orchards, Inc., also has good KIKU news to share, as Scott Swindeman, Vice President of Applewood Orchards, reports its KIKU’s excellent crop to be one of the best the orchards has produced.
“We really have a nice KIKU crop this year,” said Swindeman. The flavor and color are outstanding with a good range of sizes, so we’re prepared to meet the needs of all of our retail partners.”
The successful trifecta of KIKU-producing orchards stationed throughout the country is the reason for its rapid growth and popularity, Harter stated. On top of the tireless efforts made at these orchards to procure KIKU’s success, there is a large import program from New Zealand to establish the variety during summer months.
“KIKU® has essentially become a year-round branded apple performer for a number of retailers. Last year more than 12,500 supermarkets sold KIKU with great success. With a bigger crop we’re excited about the opportunity to get this fantastic apple in the hands of a lot more consumers.”
With so much pointed energy spent on the production, promotion, and sales of the sought-after apple variety, how will this year’s abundant harvest pan out for CMI Orchards? AndNowUKnow will continue to keep you informed with the latest!
MONTREAL, CANADA – It’s the era of easy and convenient, and while in the past this meant sugary and fatty foods at our beck and call, this father-son duo is looking to make fresh and healthy synonymous with on-the-go. Founders of Montreal-based Portions, Ryan Hutman and his father, Aaron Hutman, are selling jars of fresh salad in specially built vending machines with the hopes of regularizing fresh and sustainable in places with little access to either.
“We wanted to really provide an accessible solution for people on the go who want to just grab something healthy and tasty,” said Ryan Hutman, according to the Montreal Gazette. “I thought that it was just a great way to distribute food. It’s a much lower overhead than having a retail store—if something goes wrong or if the location’s not great, we take it out, and we put it somewhere else.”
Portions kicked-off on the McGill University campus this past October after the company placed its first machine in a library basement. In the upcoming year, Portions plans to add five to ten new machines, expanding to hospitals, office towers, and other locations where healthy food is difficult to find.
With salads encased in plastic jars that come from a recycling plant in Quebec and available in vending kiosks made from refurbished machines, Portions emphasizes sustainability and the environment and plans to start purchasing its greens from a hydroponic greenhouse in Laval.
And, while the salads can stay fresh for four to five days in the vending machines, Portions re-stocks them more frequently than that in order to ensure top quality.
“Every morning you’re getting salad that was made that morning; that’s really our value proposition,” Ryan Hutman said. “It’s fresh; it’s not been sitting there for a week and a half. We had a nutritionist go over everything. Our dressings are all made in-house—very little salt, very little sugar. We don’t add any sugar, actually, to anything—just keeping it all natural but playing around with a variety of spices to really bring out the flavor.”
For more information on this fresh, innovative business, check out Portions' social media.
Could vending machines offering healthy, fresh salads be the future of easy and convenient on-the-go options? AndNowUKnow will continue to report on the latest in the realm of fresh produce.
SALINAS, CA - California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and Organic Produce Network (OPN) have selected grower Vernon Peterson of Peterson Family Farm and Abundant Harvest Organics as its first ever recipient of the of Organic Grower Summit’s Grower of the Year. Selected based on his commitment and dedication to excellence in organic production and organic industry leadership and innovation, Peterson will receive the award during the inaugural Organic Grower Summit in Monterey, CA, next month.
“We are honored to present the inaugural Grower of the Year award to Vernon Peterson. Vernon exemplifies what a hardworking, passionate organic farmer is all about,” said Greg Milstead, Director of Sales, Southwest Region for AGCO, the company sponsoring the award.
Since beginning his growing career in 1978 by taking over the family tree fruit farm in Kingsburg, CA, following his father’s passing, Peterson has had a long career in produce. In the aftermath of volatile market conditions in 1985, the family’s farm went under, and Peterson went to work at an outside company to provide for the family. In 1989, the Peterson Family Farm was reborn, according to a press release, becoming a service provider and packing fruit for neighbors, raising chickens, and also growing some stonefruit.
Peterson was part of a group that started Kingsburg Community Assistance Program during that time, taking on the task of helping people in impoverished rural communities in the region. The program, now nearly 30 years old, supports thrift stores and funds services that include counseling, English classes, a food pantry, and energy bill assistance. Peterson, who has served on the Board since its inception, has shown a life-long dedication to helping others.
For the next major step in his career, in 2002, Peterson and his son Erik began the three-year transition to organic certification of their farm. According to the release, what started as a business decision to grow organic fruits has since proven to be the foundation of Peterson’s commitment to organic fresh fruit production. The transition period was a challenge, creating additional expenses of organic farming while still selling conventionally-grown produce, but Peterson and his son understood they needed to approach production in a different manner to keep the farm economically viable. Since making the decision, Vernon has became a passionate organic advocate and dedicated pillar of the community.
“I wouldn’t have given you even money that we’d have made it. Back when we decided to go organic, we didn’t do it to save the planet. We did it to save the family farm,” Peterson said. “Our mission is to make the world better in lots of ways. We’ve been commissioned to do this by our customers and our creator. But if there’s no margin, there’s no mission.”
And Peterson’s outspoken dedication to organics and his service to the community has not gone unnoticed by leaders in the organic industry.
“Vernon Peterson never hesitates to tell it like it is,” CCOF Executive Director/CEO Cathy Calfo said. “He is all about organic and what organic means to the success of his family farm and to California agriculture. Farming—and organic—are better because we have Vern on our side.”
Peterson also started Abundant Harvest Organics a community supported agriculture (CSA) program more than ten years ago. Today, the CSA has 4,000 subscribers in 140 communities from Fresno to San Diego. In building the program, Peterson brought together an alliance of organic farmers, who were in charge of bringing produce to his packing house, sorting the product into boxes, and delivering to pick-up locations across the state. Already with an eye on the growing direct-to-consumer movement, Abundant Harvest Organics has also begun putting together ready-made meals.
“We’ve been able to help so many little guys get going and keep going,” Peterson added. “That’s really gratifying. And our CSA customers love us to death. The real challenge is how do we connect to the consumer and help them understand the value of what we do and the food we grow when most of what we sell is not going directly to the consumer.”
“We need to talk about how the interconnectedness of what we eat affects everything,” he said, touting that educating consumers remains one of the industry’s biggest challenges—and opportunities. “It’s not just about the nutritional value of the organic potato. It’s also about the way the people who work on the farm were compensated, how they were treated, and the way the land where the potato was grown was singing with a lively ecosystem. There’s immense power in that organic potato for your health and the health of the land.”
AndNowUKnow would like to share congratulations for Peterson as the inaugural OGS Grower of the Year. We’ll see you in December!
SANTA MARIA, CA - Honing in on the foodservice industry, Fresh Avenue announced the launch of new leek sticks from Green Light. Traditionally distributed with the roots and leafy stalk intact, this new, innovative product removes the unusable portions of the leek at the processing facility.
“We are proud to be the first to bring leek sticks to the foodservice arena,” said Mark Vaughan, Managing Partner, in a press release. “There is a significant savings of effort, shipping, and storage space along with the increased food safety that comes with a value-added item. Commercial kitchens that are purchasing traditionally prepared leeks should consider the benefits a leek stick can bring.”
With Green Light leek sticks, commercial kitchens could gain a significant reduction of processing time, waste, and space in storing the leek.
“Leeks have been around for centuries, but they are not the star of the show in produce like avocados, tomatoes, apples, etc. With the renaissance of food that is going on, leeks provide an incredible versatility to specialty meals that restaurants want on their menus or what foodies cook in their homes,” explained Marketing Director Amber Parrow.
You can connect with the Fresh Avenue team for more information by calling (855) 630-6002 or emailing [email protected].
With more excitement brewing from this growing company, keep an eye out for more news on this and other exciting produce products.
WENATCHEE, WA – Holiday season is upon us and, with it, the time to promote specialty items in the produce department—including Stemilt Growers’ Lil Snappers® Artisan Organics™. And Stemilt is encouraging retailers to kick off this festive period with happy and healthy promotions by taking advantage of the organic pear program during one of the most popular food holidays of the year.
“The holiday season is a great time to promote organic pears as it is a time of celebration,” said Brianna Shales, Communications Manager, in a press release. “People are looking for healthy, specialty items for their holiday parties, and quick, healthy snacks for their kids, and pears are definitely part of that category.”
Since beginning in 2011, Stemilt’s Lil Snappers program has changed the way consumers buy pears. The program—with products originally designed for parents and their kids—has become popular across the board—known for its organic certification and smaller fruit sizes.
“The Lil Snappers® program does exceptionally well with consumers who are looking for smaller portion sizes,” said Shales. “In-store dietitians use this program to engage with diabetic shoppers who do not need large portion sizes, and the convenient grab-and-go style bag is perfect for any of today’s time-strapped shoppers.”
The organic category has grown rapidly in recent years—particularly with younger parents. The 2017 U.S. Families’ Organic Attitudes and Behaviors Study has found that millennial parents are now the biggest group of organic buyers in America and believe that buying organic for their kids makes them a better parent.
Another organic pear variety that Stemilt encourages retailers to get on board with is Artisan Organics™ Concorde. A cross between the Conference and Comice varieties, the Concorde is valued for its elongated neck, green coloring, and sweet, vanilla-like flavor profile. According to Stemilt’s press release, it’s an exceptional holiday pear that will work well on charcuterie boards or in baked dessert. The variety is grown in the Wenatchee River Valley, a location well known for its pear growing abilities. Alpine mountains and pristine rivers surround the orchards and provide cool temperatures making it an ideal place for produce high quality, world famous organic pears.
“The Wenatchee River Valley is truly a remarkable place, that grows amazing Artisan Organics™ Concorde pears,” noted Shales. “And using this story to communicate with consumers about where their food is grown will sit well with them, making them come back for more.”
The Concorde variety is promotable in all sizes, including Lil Snappers® pouch bags. Stemilt ships Lil Snappers in display ready cartons (DRCs) and can also provide retailers with lane table displays to promote the fruit in high-traffic areas like checkout.
“Retailers could have fun merchandising the trio of colors of these organic pears,” said Shales. “The coloring of Red Pears mixed with the beautiful coloring of the green Concorde can make some really visually stimulating displays. Plus, Lil Snappers® pouch bags are built with the ability to stand up on their own. With that in mind, retailers can build displays using the variety of colors to create some visual separation to highlight each variety.”
Stemilt also noted in its press release that it encourages retailers to use all the resources at their disposal—including liners, in-store specials and social media—to build demand for organic pears, and offers retailers support to build organic pear demand.
“We want to support retailers with their promotions and we can help by providing both digital and print resources,” added Shales. “Anything from geo-targeting on social media to store-specific advertisements is possible, and Stemilt is happy to help.”
For more on promotional opportunities in the produce aisle, check in with us at AndNowUKnow.