ROSEMONT, IL – 2018 is already brimming with fresh starts and new board members after US Food Holding Corp. announced the appointment of Ann E. Ziegler, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of CDW Corporation, to the Board of Directors effective January 1, 2018.
“Ann is a highly accomplished senior executive with nearly 30 years of leadership experience across multiple industries, including technology, consumer packaged goods, and the food industry,” said Pietro Satriano, President and Chief Executive Officer of US Foods, in a recent press release. “Her background as a public company chief financial officer and her ten years of experience as a senior leader at a well-respected business-to-business value-added distribution company will be an asset to our board.”
Prior to her current position at CDW, Ziegler held a number of executive positions with Sara Lee Corporation including finance, strategy, and general management roles in both U.S. and international businesses. After joining the provider of technology solutions to business, government, education, and healthcare CDW in 2008, Ziegler plans to retire at the end of 2017.
“We look forward to welcoming Ann as a new independent director,” said Robert Dutkowsky, Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. “Her impressive background of strategic business leadership and financial expertise will bring valuable perspective to the board and audit committee.”
Ziegler also serves on the Board of Directors of HanesBrands and Groupon, the supervisory board of Wolters Kluwer N.V., and the board of governors of the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago.
ANUK wishes Ziegler luck with her new board and will continue to bring you the latest produce industry news.
SALINAS, CA – Industry marketing veteran Kyla Oberman has joined Tanimura & Antle’s team of employee owners, taking on the role of Director of Marketing. In her new role, she will oversee and manage the company’s brand identity, marketing initiatives, and communications program.
“Kyla’s wealth of strategic marketing experience paired with a deep understanding of our unique industry makes her an incredible asset to our team,” said Chief Marketing Officer Jeffry Jackson, who will be working closely with Kyla in her new role.
Kyla began her marketing career in the produce industry as an Account Executive at McDill Associates in 2004. In 2010, she took on a new role at Naturipe Farms as a Marketing Coordinator, later being promoted to Marketing Manager and then to Director of Marketing. There, she was responsible for the strategic planning, development, and implementation of various integrated corporate marketing and communications programs, overseeing the direction and execution of brand management. This included brand standards, product marketing, digital media strategies, trade shows, sales materials, video and photography, and more.
“We are ecstatic to welcome Kyla to our Tanimura & Antle family of employee owners. We were immediately impressed with her proven track recored of reliability, team-centric character, and her commitment to developing, implementing, and delivering process,” said Ashley Pipkin, Senior Manager of Marketing, in a recent press release.
With a continued commitment to growth and innovation, Tanimura & Antle was impressed not only with Kyla’s industry finesse, but with her leadership achievements as well. In addition to being selected as a winner of the Produce Business 40 Under 40 and graduating from the PMA Emerging Leaders Program, Kyla has served on a number of industry committees such as the PMA Foodservice Committee and is a career ambassador for the Center for Growing Talent by PMA.
“Tanimura & Antle is bringing on a real marketing professional. Kyla has an industry reputation for both retail and consumer marketing expertise as well as strong strategic marketing insights,” said Mark Munger, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at 4Earth Farms. “Kyla’s creative marketing and communication expertise will be a great marriage with Tanimura & Antle’s innovative and consumer oriented product line.”
We here at ANUK wish Kyla luck in her new role. For more produce industry updates, keep following AndNowUKnow.
TEMPLE, PA - An instrumental member of establishing Giorgio Fresh in the mushroom business has announced his nearing retirement this week. Brian Threlfall, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the company, has revealed he will be leaving the company at the end of 2017, and in his stead current Vice President of Sales and Marketing Greg Sagan will be succeeding into the role starting January 1.
When Threlfall joined Giorgio in 1987, the company had no involvement in the fresh mushroom market and had been mostly known for its canned and jarred products, according to a press release. The company now credits Threlfall with being an indispensable leader in establishing Giorgio as a major player in the fresh mushroom industry.
"Brian has had a tremendous impact on Giorgio Fresh and Giorgio Foods," said company President Joe Caldwell. "His leadership, dedication, and expertise have been key factors in the company’s success and legacy of growth."
Now named Threlfall’s successor, Greg Sagan brings with him forty years of food and mushroom industry experience to his new role. Sagan touts an appointment by the USDA to two terms on the board of the Mushroom Council, better known as the industry’s promotion, research, and consumer outreach organization for the category.
"Greg is highly experienced and forward-thinking, and we are fortunate to have him leading our sales and marketing efforts in the future," added Caldwell.
As the produce industry bids farewell to one mushroom pioneer and advances the career of another, we at AndNowUKnow wish the best of luck to all parties involved!
SEATTLE, WA – After entering the realm of grocery delivery as a fierce competitor, Recode reported Amazon emailed customers in nine states to inform them that the AmazonFresh grocery delivery service was closing in certain neighborhoods after November 30.
“We have made changes to our service area and discontinued delivery to select zip codes. AmazonFresh continues to serve customers across the U.S. (Seattle, New York, Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and more) and internationally (London, Tokyo, and Berlin)” said an Amazon spokeswoman, reported the Albany Business Review.
After launching over a decade ago in Seattle and waiting five years before beginning expansion to other cities, AmazonFresh has alerted today New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and California, and now New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Virginia of closures, Recode reports.
Recode also reported Amazon’s CFO revealing in a recent conference call with Wall Street analysts that there would be more cooperation over time between Whole Foods, AmazonFresh, and the Amazon Prime Now one-hour delivery service. This news also comes days after Amazon unveiled plans to slash fees for indepedent grocery sellers operating on its main website, and increase its packaged grocery selection.
Despite its wary and slow rollout, Reuters reported Amazon has yet to make a major dent in the $700 billion U.S. grocery market, even after acquiring Whole Foods for $13.7 billion. A company spokeswoman said that the AmazonFresh closures were unrelated to the Whole Foods deals.
AmazonFresh customers currently pay $14.95 a month in addition to the $99 Prime membership program, which gives customers access to a selection of fresh and frozen foods that can be delivered same day or next day.
With competitor HelloFresh finding public success, will AmazonFresh rally for the rising demand of online grocery delivery or focus even further on growing its recent ventures into brick and mortar? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
CALIFORNIA – Back-to-back storms are barreling down on the Golden State this weekend, bringing rain and snow and threatening flooding in some abnormally-dry regions.
“A significant early season storm is forecast to bring snow and wind to the mountains of interior Northern California today through Saturday evening,” noted the National Weather Service in a Winter Storm Warning. “A couple of feet of snow are possible above 6000 feet by Saturday night. Motorists planning travel into the mountains during this time frame should be prepared for winter driving conditions. Lighter snowfall is expected on Sunday.”
The advisory warns of difficult travel conditions and possible power outages across much of state. And AccuWeather warns that local flash flooding, heavy rainfall, and mudslides are probable throughout the state—particularly in Northern California regions affected by recent fires. CBS Sacramento reports that crews in Sonoma County are sandbagging to prevent flooding in the fire-damaged area.
"While less rain will fall along the east-facing slopes, enough rain may still fall to cause flash flooding and mudslides, especially in recent burn scar areas," noted AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Mike Doll.
Max gust winds are expected to fell branches and further complicate travel.
Wet weather is expected to persist throughout the weekend and into Monday morning. AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
YAKIMA, WA – Beautiful colors and brisk mornings in central Washington State signal the harvest of Autumn Glory® apples and their delivery to consumers worldwide. In this episode of the Orchard Update, Domex Superfresh Growers' Dave Gleason and Parker Sherrell take a few moments from their busy fall schedules to share their thoughts on the Autumn Glory harvest in this new video update.
“The challenging part of this Autumn Glory harvest is recalibrating our orchard team. For the last four or five weeks, they’ve been picking bi-colored apples, and are focused on the red foreground color development of the apple,” explains Pre-Production Manager Parker Sherrell. “For Autumn Glory, however, the yellow background color is the key indication that the caramel and cinnamon flavors have developed, and the apple is ready for harvest. So, we’re helping pickers identify which apples are ready so we can deliver a product that our consumers expect."
“Autumn Glory apple flavor improves with each harvest,” says Mike Preacher, Director of Marketing at Superfresh Growers. “We’ve already received feedback from repeat customers this year that Autumn Glory flavor is even better than last year. The cinnamon and caramel notes are more prominent than ever.”
Autumn Glory is a unique variety of apple grown and marketed in North America exclusively by Domex Superfresh Growers. Autumn Glory apples have a sweet, firm flesh with hints of cinnamon and subtle notes of caramel. The apple will be available this season from November through April, but as volumes increase, the apple will be available year-round.
Domex Superfresh Growers is a fifth-generation company dedicated to delivering flavorful, high-quality apples, pears, cherries, and apricots to families around the world.
For more harvest updates, keep checking back with AndNowUKnow.
SANDPOINT, ID - Welcome aboard Litehouse Foods, Robert (Rob) Tyrrell! The executive will fill the role of Vice President, Manufacturing. In his new role at the company, Tyrrell will be overseeing operations for five food manufacturing facilities that are based in multiple states.
"Rob is a key strategic addition to our executive management team and will bring years of invaluable operational experience to Litehouse,” said Jim Frank, President and CEO, in a recent press release. “We continue to invest in our manufacturing capabilities. Rob’s vision and expertise will help ensure Litehouse capitalizes on our investments and opportunities.”
Tyrrell’s position will support the fast-paced growth of the 100 percent employee-owned company’s dressings, dips, sauces, cheese, and herb categories. The organization has almost doubled in manufacturing operations size because of Litehouse’s investment of over $30 million on facilities, equipment, and innovations. The company’s investment makes sure its consumers’ demands are met. With Tyrrell steering the manufacturing department’s progress, there will continue to be smooth expansion and operational efficiencies for the production of the company’s renowned products.
“Litehouse is a growing, dynamic company and a category-leading brand, and I’m excited to join my fellow employee-owners as the company continues to expand and innovate,” added Tyrrell in the same press release.
With a Microbiology degree from University of Texas Arlington and 25 years of industry experience, Tyrrell will join Litehouse with expansive expertise that spans the likes of manufacturing, food safety, supply chain management, co-packing, and packaging innovation. At a previous position at The Hain Celestial Group, Tyrrell gained invaluable experience holding key manufacturing and operation position.
As Tyrrell’s engines continue to rev up the manufacturing operations at Litehouse, his whole family is reported to be excited for their relocation to Idaho from Texas, and it plans to become active members of their new community.
Keep checking back with us at AndNowUKnow for the latest in the industry!
BERLIN, GERMANY – After eyeing the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and planning for an initial public offering (IPO) earlier last month, German meal-kit delivery service HelloFresh has officially gone public, and rivals be warned, the venture wasn’t a flop despite pulling the plug on this same plan back in 2015. On its first day of public trading, Fortune reported HelloFresh gained as much as 4%, valuing it at more than double U.S.-based rival Blue Apron.
Initially trading at a 10.25 euro price on Wednesday, trading increased by 3% on Thursday as numbers rose to 10.56 euros, according to a report by Business Insider. After selling 31 million new shares in an IPO, HelloFresh is now valued at 1.7 billion euros at current prices – more than double the 763-million-euro market capitalization of Blue Apron.
Despite its European origins, HelloFresh has enjoyed skyrocketing growth in the U.S., which is its largest market by a wide margin and accounts for 60% of its revenue. HelloFresh’s IPO prospectus showed U.S. sales doubling to 263.4 million euros during the first six months of this year while non-U.S. sales only rose 8% to 172 million euros.
Since founded in Berlin six years ago, HelloFresh has spent one-quarter of its expenses on marketing costs according to financial filings. Selling the concept of delivering pre-packaged ingredients to make home cooking more accessible, the meal kit company has in recent years narrowed its losses and pledged to break even on operating profit level within 15 months.
With HelloFresh thriving, Fortune reports comparable shares in Blue Apron suffering a 50% drop since its own IPO in late June, overall struggling financially this year if its 6% cut of jobs in a company-wide realignment is anything to go by.
With behemoth rivals like Amazon, who acquired Whole Foods, Albertsons, who recently acquired delivery meal-kit service Plated, and Walmart who announced joining the meal kit craze starting December, will HelloFresh continue to be a strong competitor? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
FISHERS, NY - Partnering up for the 20th year, the New York Apple Association (NYAA) and the TCS New York City Marathon will be providing New York-grown apples to participants in the annual event. The crunchy snack will be given away at the marathon’s finish line, at several related events, and to race volunteers by the dream team. NYAA is set to bring a whopping 81,840 locally grown apples for the marathon and sponsor 15 runners, some of which are members of the Rochester, NY, area police and fire departments.
“Apples are an iconic New York fruit, and the marathon is an iconic New York event. This is a match made in heaven–we are thrilled to have the opportunity to be a continued sponsor of this event,” said NYAA President Cynthia Haskins, in a recent press release.
As it is the premier event for the New York Road Runners, over 50,000 runners from all over the world will be hitting the streets to participate in the marathon this Sunday, November 5th. NYAA is showcasing the state’s apples, which are more than just sentimental; the well-established partnership offers apples that are from a local source and logical choice for carbohydrates and fiber for added energy, as well as fluid for hydration. NYAA’s apples are a way to help the runners’ exercise throughout the race.
“New York state really is the Big Apple,” added Haskins. “Our state grows more apples than any other state east of the Mississippi River. New York state also has the perfect climate and geography for growing apples, and that shows in the flavor and quality of the fruit. Race participants will enjoy the best-tasting apples in the country, hand-picked right in their backyard!”
Runners will be biting into NYAA's apples and marketing. The slogan “Health to the Core” is being promoted on NYAA advertisements in the marathon’s official program, Runner Recovery Bag presented by the Hospital for Special Surgery that is received by all runners, wayfinding towers in the marathon’s start village, and 2017’s TCS New York City Marathon Official Results Magazine. On top of the advertisements, which will be seen throughout the event, NYAA will be providing 5-second public announcements at the marathon expo, which is presented by New Balance.
NYAA is on its mark, its set, and its going to ensure that the sponsorship will reach as many audiences as possible. It will be using a marketing technique to target both traditional and new media outreach options. Included in the Association’s sponsorship are local TV advertisements that will be run leading up to and during the major sporting event. With more than 30,000 followers on Facebook, NYAA will be capitalizing on new media platforms about its sponsorship role.
Good luck to all of the runners who have made training for this marathon the apple of their eye!
For more news on the New York Apple Association and the fresh produce industry, stay tuned into AndNowUKnow!
LOS ALAMITOS, CA – Frieda’s Specialty Produce is offering vibrant ideas to bring some flair to the holiday table and help retailers drive produce sales this fall with the company’s Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes.
“Our retail partners say the best time of year to promote Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes is the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving,” said Alex Jackson Berkley, Senior Account Manager at Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “With sweet potatoes remaining a trendy and staple produce item, and shoppers looking to add color to the Thanksgiving table, Stokes Purple sweet potatoes will sell out for the holiday.”
The specialty produce provider noted, in a press release, that these Instagram-famous spuds can add some spice to a produce display or a Thanksgiving feast, and other purple produce offerings like purple cauliflower, purple asparagus, baby purple potatoes, and radicchio can perk up the holiday’s traditional brown-to-orange turkey-scape.
“Conventional Stokes Purple sweet potatoes can be merchandised with other sweet potatoes, and the organic ones can be in the organic section,” said Berkley. “Purple deserves a place at the holiday table.”
Frieda’s also offers a variety of other popular holiday items, including fingerling and baby potatoes, Frieda’s Star Spangled Spuds, ginger, shallots, blood oranges, Fuyu persimmons, and Green Dragon apples.
For more on ways to differentiate and drive sales this holiday season, look to AndNowUKnow.