MILPITAS, CA - Thirty-year produce industry veteran, Jeff Sacchini, has joined the rapidly evolving wholesale distributor of fresh produce and specialty food, Daylight Foods, as the company’s new President. Jeff brings a proven track record to Daylight, from his own time in wholesale produce distribution, as well as retail and restaurant ownership and service.
“I am very excited to have Jeff join Daylight Foods as our new President. He operates with the utmost integrity and will add much in terms of experience and knowledge to our team,” Chris Vlahopouliotis, CEO of the company shares with me. “Jeff will be taking over the management of day-to-day operations, allowing me to focus on the future growth of our company and the strategic plans that we have. As our CEO I am looking forward to working closely with Jeff and continuing our rapid growth.”
From farm to kitchen, Daylight distributes a range of food items including conventional and organic fresh produce, pastas, dairy items, poultry, as well as imported and gourmet goods. With the diverse demands of today’s consumer, Jeff will help execute the Daylight vision.
“I’m delighted to join the Daylight Foods team. Daylight has built an extraordinary reputation, as evidenced by its growth and diverse customer mix, and I hope to expand on that and pursue strategic opportunities as they arise,” Jeff tells me, reflecting on the company’s progressive vision and strong forward momentum.
Daylight Foods has grown in leaps and bounds in recent years, with an energetic, sales and relationship-driven culture that strives to expand and inspire change at the forefront of technology and innovation.
From Piranha Produce and Freshpoint, to Co-Founder of Kauai, Hawaii-based Living Foods and The Lanai restaurant, Jeff Sacchini has traversed the produce landscape, building a repertoire of experience that will help enrich and drive Daylight’s go-to-market strategy.
“We are delighted to welcome an industry stalwart in Jeff to usher in a new chapter in the evolution of Daylight Foods,” Vice President Paul Jennings says. “We find ourselves in exciting times in the world of food distribution and to have a leader of Jeff’s caliber and diverse background will allow Daylight to maintain its position as the premier distributor in the Nor-Cal region.”
With an operation encompassing a large warehouse with state-of-the-art coolers, repack areas, and a loading dock - the company is primed for growth. Add in Daylight’s own in-house produce processing plant to create custom products, internal quality control measures and standards, as well as consistent pricing, and reduced labor costs, and the advantages and benefits become endless.
As local programs ramp up, the company has brought Daylight 150 into the fold, which offers a strategy focused on sourcing food within a 150 mile radius of Daylight Foods. With the highest freshness and premium quality top of mind, Daylight 150 concentrates only on organic and seasonal produce, and on farms using sustainable growing and harvesting methods.
And to think that Daylight Foods started as a small San Jose, California, farmers market in 1976. More than 40 years later, Daylight is not only helping to raise the bar in the wholesale distribution industry, the company is helping to redefine it.
Congratulations, Jeff, on your new position, and to the team at Daylight on a company positioned for incredible growth!
LOS ALAMITOS, CA - As we turn the corner towards the cooler seasons and the best time of year, it's also the prime time to shine for one of my favorite hearty vegetables: the Stokes Purple® sweet potato.
I live for carbs and sweet flavors, and this starchy spud exists at the intersection of everything that I love. In order to determine what the season holds in store for this unique tuber, I connected with Alex Jackson Berkley, Senior Account Manager of Frieda's Specialty Produce. Frieda’s is the exclusive sales and marketing agent for the Stokes variety worldwide.
“We have a great volume of both conventional and organic to supply the demand this year. Purple fruits and vegetables are trending, so retailers who are planning their fall sets can incorporate this item into their sweet potato display or their organic display, depending on which variety they are interested in,” Alex shares. “And, capture extra attention by setting up a ‘Power of Purple’ display with all of your purple produce grouped together, featuring Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes.”
As we’ve previously reported, purple food is the hot item this year, with nods in NBC’s TODAY, Fortune, Forbes, Food & Wine, Parade, and Consumer Reports. Whole Foods even announced purple produce, including the beloved Stokes, as one of 2017's food trends, according to the company.
As the industry enters the sprint through Fall, the holidays will be here in no time. For buyers looking to plan their promotions in the later months, Alex stresses the importance of planning ahead for November and Christmas sales, as that is when the Stokes Purple® sees the most lift. “Use Stokes Purple® to add color break among all the orange and brown of fall potatoes,” said Alex.
The best place to start planning for these seasons?
“Getting in touch with the Frieda’s sales team,” Alex tells me. “We offer POS support and sales incentives for those retailers who are interested. We strive to provide our clients help on all fronts, even down to the glue on our stickers. Most retailers struggle with keeping a PLU sticker on sweet potatoes, however, Frieda’s label has combated this issue with our strong adhesive.”
With tantalizing visions of Stokes Purple® possibilities dancing in my head, I ask Alex which trends she’s noticing take hold as the push for sweet potatoes ramps up.
“Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes are not just for side dishes anymore,” Alex offers. “They’re spiralized into noodles, baked into ‘toasts,’ frozen into cubes for smoothies, blended into batter for baked goods, or even stuffed with chocolate and peanut butter for dessert. They are super popular with fitness enthusiasts and elite athletes as well.”
Despite its nutty, sweet, dessert-like flavor, consumers can count on Stokes Purple® for great nutrition without any guilt. The health benefit of sweet potatoes is only becoming more well known— and this variety offers another option for those looking to incorporate the powerful antioxidant properties, another selling point which Alex tells me helps capture consumer dollars in the basket.
With my curiosity satiated, now all I can do is anxiously wait for the day Stokes Purple® returns to my local produce department!
LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY - Bayer has innovation on the brain, with the recent announcements of two major partnerships to forge the path in agriculture. Bayer will join forces with Ginkgo Bioworks to create a new company and push sustainable ag forward. In addition, the company is working with Bosch to develop new, digital Smart Spraying solutions.
In Bayer’s joint venture with Gingko Bioworks, Dr. Mike Miille will be named interim CEO of the yet-to-be-named company. The entity will focus on beneficial microbes for plants to provide growers with next generation solutions to their biggest challenges.
"The plant microbiome is one of the next frontiers in sustainable agriculture," said Axel Bouchon, Head of the Bayer Life Science Center. "And it may enable us to take a major leap in plant physiology: producing nitrogen fertilizer directly in the plant. We are excited to combine state-of-the-art plant science and leading microbial technology to help tackle this challenge. With Ginkgo we have found the best-in-class partner to achieve this fundamental breakthrough."
The deal provides a Series A investment of USD 100 million by Bayer, Ginkgo, and Viking Global Investors LP. In addition, Gingko will provide exclusive access to existing labs and offices, and build a new company-specific facility, while Bayer will contribute exclusive access to proprietary microbial strains. Closing of the transaction is subject to customary conditions and expected to occur in the fall of 2017. Hiring for the new company is currently underway.
"Accessing the microbiome is part of Bayer’s innovation strategy. We are launching this enterprise to develop transformative agricultural products based on the latest synthetic biology technology," said Kemal Malik, member of the Board of Management of Bayer AG and responsible for Innovation. "We have exclusively partnered with Ginkgo to build a leading player in this field."
In its second new partnership, Bayer and Bosch have signed a three-year research collaboration agreement with the objective of developing Smart Spraying technology to make the application of crop protection products more efficient.
"We want to venture together with Bosch into new territory, combining different technologies to ensure that herbicides are only applied in areas where they are really necessary," says Tobias Menne, Head of Digital Farming at Bayer.
According to a press release, this is how the new spraying technology will work: before the farmer sets off for a field, a digital "Field Manager" helps them assess the situation on the field and recommends the optimum timing for treating the weeds. Accurate identification of the weeds and application of the crop protection agent are performed in a single work step while driving over the respective area.
To this end, several cameras distributed over the entire working width of the field sprayer continually take pictures of the surface. The different weeds are identified and the optimum method for treating them is determined. The final step involves spraying the necessary quantity and mix of herbicide on the appropriate weeds using the right application parameters, while weed-free areas are left untouched. The process is incredibly fast, taking just fractions of a second.
"Smart Spraying constitutes a quantum leap in weed control,” according to Björn Kiepe, Head of Agronomy in Digital Farming at Bayer. “We are combining state-of-the-art weed detection technology with the means of applying different agents on a case-by-case basis and extremely accurately on an area of less than one meter. This will make it even easier for farmers to practice sustainable crop protection."
As Bayer continues to light up the industry with new innovations and partnerships, AndNowUKnow will be there to report.
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has imposed sanctions on two California produce businesses for failure to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA).
According to a USDA press release, the following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:
Fontana Wholesale
Operating out of Fontana, California; restricted for failing to pay a $10,762 award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Rafael Flores was listed as the officer, director and major stockholder of the business.
Mpgwest LLC
Operating out of La Quinta, California; restricted for failing to pay a $293,949 award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, William L. Penny was listed as a member of the business.
USDA is required to suspend the license or impose sanctions on an unlicensed business that fails to pay PACA reparations awarded against it as well as impose restrictions against those principals determined to be responsibly connected to the business when the order is issued. Those individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors or major stockholders may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without USDA-approval.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,500 PACA claims involving more than $58 million. Its experts also assisted more than 8,000 callers with issues valued at approximately $140 million.
WASHINGTON, DC - United Fresh is at the ready as it approaches the annual Washington Conference come Monday.
It's no secret this is an active time in the industry on Capitol Hill. But, as recognized by Senior VP of Public Policy Robert Guenther, next week will be one of the first times produce will get a chance to meet with the new Administration en masse since President Trump's election.
To emphasize why it is important that all sides of produce attend, Robert took the time to answer a few questions on what to anticipate during the September 18 to 20 conference in Washington, DC.
It's been a busy time with so many initiatives that the produce industry is watching, what are a couple you'd like to spotlight leading up to the big event?
You are correct that the produce industry has so many important issues we are grappling with at this time. With the diversity of commodities, regions, and business structures United Fresh is always engaged in a wide variety of issues that impact the fresh produce industry in Washington, DC. However, I think that two that will really carry on throughout the Fall and most likely into next year are immigration reform and international trade.
Can you tell me a bit about the discussions with immigration?
On the immigration front, as you know the U.S. fruit and vegetable industry is in crisis due to an ever-worsening shortage of labor. There is a critical need to reform our broken immigration system and help build a legal and reliable workforce. While Congress has come close several times to addressing this issue, fear and politics have always intervened.
Long-term, we must have a twofold labor solution–a pathway to legal status for our valued undocumented workers already engaged in agriculture, and a new guest-worker program adequate to bring in skilled agriculture workers in our labor-intensive industry.
What are some solutions that might be found this year?
While many bills dealing with parts of the problem have been introduced in both the House and Senate, Congress has not taken action on meaningful immigration policy changes in nearly four years. However, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte has indicated he will move legislation to develop a new guest-worker program through his committee this month.
Despite the rhetoric we often hear, there may actually be movement on the immigration front this Fall. We will hear from Chairman Goodlatte and about this bill at our Tuesday Lunch session.
Can you tell us more about what is going on with trade?
On trade, the U.S. fruit and vegetable industry is highly dependent upon international trade, both exports from the U.S. and imports into the country. However, specific patterns of trade vary greatly between different commodities. For example, exports are a major part of U.S. apple production, while the vast majority of avocados consumed in the U.S. come from Mexico, Chile, and Peru.
With this diversity, United Fresh has always supported free and fair trade globally, seeking to open markets to U.S. products while committing to reciprocal access for products to the United States.
For the produce industry, we are facing a very challenging time related to NAFTA. We all recognize that U.S. producers of certain commodities in certain regions face more competitive markets than others from Mexican or Canadian production. Yet we also respect produce commodities that count on our NAFTA partners as a significant export opportunity.
The goal is to find the right trade policy that ensures negatively impacted sectors do not face unfair, state-supported competition. This type of trade policy also cannot erect protectionist barriers which would only be mimicked by other countries to protect their own industries from U.S. exports. This attempt at a balanced trade policy approach has led us to some challenging debates in the produce industry that we have not seen in years.
For this year’s conference, we have several individuals speaking at our education session from the Administration and Congress that are directly involved in these NAFTA negotiations and can share some light into progress being made.
With your experience in the industry and having seen so much leading United Fresh, what would you say sets this conference apart?
The Washington Conference is that unique opportunity where the fresh produce industry comes together from all over the country and is able to tell their story to elected officials and the Administration of why decisions that they are making on legislation and regulations impact our businesses in a particular way.
United Fresh is headquartered in Washington, DC for one reason: to represent the fresh produce industry before Congress and the Administration and to advocate for an policy and regulatory environment that enhances business opportunities, innovation, and growth for our members. Our staff spends every workday pushing and pulling for issues important to our industry.
The industry coming to Washington, DC next week only reinforces our efforts and provides a reality check to Washington, DC about their impact on our industry.
Why is it more important than ever that industry members attend this year's Washington Conference?
I would say that we are facing interesting times in Washington. Certainly this will be the first opportunity to interact with the Trump Administration since President Trump was sworn in in January. But also, when you look at the really important issues that confront our industry and the window of opportunity for these issues to be addressed, it is critical that our industry come together with one voice and passion next week to show what the Power of Fresh really means.
This year's Washington Conference kicks off Monday, Sept. 18th and continues through the 20th. As all eyes turn to DC, keep checking in with AndNowUKnow as we eagerly await the latest.
STELLARTON, NS – Sobeys parent company Empire Company Limited has announced financial results for its first quarter 2018. The company announced improved earnings and same-store sales, signifying, it seems, a rebound for the supermarket chain.
“We are encouraged by our first quarter results. Stabilizing margins, good cost control, and an increase in same-store sales combined with our important transformational work of Project Sunrise gives us a level of optimism not seen in the business for some time,” said Michael Medline, President and CEO, in a company release. “Having said that, we must continue the heavy lifting of Project Sunrise, while beginning to make important strides in our brand and customer experience. We still have a lot of work ahead of us to thrill our customers and improve our bottom line.”
Last year, amidst disappointing fourth quarter performance, Empire introduced Project Sunrise, a three-year cost-cutting initiative intended to streamline organizational structure and improve financial performance. The company noted that the project is on track. And the transformation brought on by Project Sunrise is expected to result in approximately $500 million in annualized cost savings by fiscal 2020, and these savings will allow the company to grow its earnings and re-invest in the business, growing both its sales and earnings.
Highlights from Empire’s financial report include:
- Same-store sales excluding fuel increased 0.5%
- Earnings per share of $0.20
- Adjusted earnings per share of $0.32 compared to $0.27 last year
Sales improved by more than $86 million and costs associated with operating income and finance declined slightly despite significant one-time costs associated with the implementation of Project Sunrise.
The company also noted that these one-time costs—associated with severance, relocation, consulting, and minor system developments, most of which are expected to be incurred in the first half of fiscal 2018—had adverse impacts on EBITDA and gross profit. Despite this, EBITDA and gross profit increased slightly and adjusted EBITDA, excluding the effects of these costs, increased by 14.6% to $278.8 million.
News of the company's improved results set stocks soaring to an 18-month high.
The complete results of the company’s Fiscal 2018 Q1 can be viewed here.
AndNowUKnow will continue to report with the latest retail news.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – C.H. Robinson has introduced a new innovation with the launch of Navisphere® Vision, a supply chain technology that provides real-time global visibility across all modes and regions in one platform.
“The industry has seen supply chain visibility tools before, but Navisphere represents the next generation,” said Jordan Kass, President of TMC. “Not only is it global, but Navisphere Vision goes far beyond visibility and helps our customers predict supply chain disruptions before they even occur.”
In addition to providing real-time visibility, Navisphere Vision delivers:
- Insights and impacts of potential disruptions from weather, traffic, or current events
- Predictive analytics to help shippers make better, faster decisions
- A single view of all global inventory to support working capital needs and cash-to-cash cycle management
The company said in a press release that access to real-time global visibility, combined with new supply chain insights, empowers shippers with new agility, accuracy, and real-time decision-making to stay a step ahead of the competition.
“Navisphere Vision utilizes API technology to aggregate all other supply chain and information sources into one single location, giving our customers the most streamlined, real-time solution available. And it brings a new level of machine-learning and data science the supply chain industry hasn’t seen to date,” said Chad Lindbloom, Chief Information Officer at C.H. Robinson.
Microsoft, a customer of C.H. Robinson’s TMC, has been using Navisphere Vision since its alpha release in 2016.
“Navisphere Vision helps us make decisions on a more precise, real-time level so we can address any challenges so we can address any challenges that might occur, react in a less randomized fashion, create predictability throughout our supply chain, and increase collaboration so we can deliver our products to consumers on time,” said Alaina Hawkins, Senior Manager of Global Logistics at Microsoft. “It’s tremendously powerful.”
For more information on Navisphere Vision, look here.
IRWINDALE, CA - Ready Pac Foods, Inc. is changing up its operations leadership, appointing Chief Supply Chain Officer Peter Laport to the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO). The move, the company said, is part of its plan to further strengthen and focus itself for continued rapid growth.
Laport joined Ready Pac Foods in 2014 as Chief Supply Chain Officer, responsible for company-wide, end-to-end operations leadership of the company’s 24 hour/seven days a week supply chain, according to a press release. In that role, Laport had 85 percent of the Ready Pac Foods employee population under his purview, successfully managing all operations functions from harvest to customer delivery.
“As Ready Pac Foods continues to grow, it is critical for us to stay laser-focused on making certain core activities are as efficient and effective as possible,” said CEO Tony Sarsam. “In this role, Pete will be able to accelerate his focus on ensuring our people, facilities, and operations processes are ready for the next generation of operational excellence at Ready Pac Foods.”
Laport brings a versatile background in leadership to this newest position, having served Dunkin Brands as its Vice President of Global Supply Chain and Manufacturing and supporting 18,000 store locations in 60 countries. During that time, he focused on innovation, commercialization, efficient manufacturing, and supply chain optimization.
Prior to Dunkin Brands, he held a 15-year tenure at Nestlé USA, where he held various supply chain leadership roles throughout the United States, and has led Quality Systems for PepsiCo.
As Ready Pac Foods’ new COO, Laport will focus on oversight of all operating units:
- Plants
- Warehousing
- Quality and Food Safety
- Environmental Health & Safety
- Engineering
- Maintenance
The company cited the above functions as driving Ready Pac Foods’ business, and are increasingly important with increased demand and future operations.
Congratulations to Ready Pac Foods and its new COO on this latest chapter in growth.
DELANO, CA - California table grapes are in demand once again this season, and Sunview Vineyards is answering the call for flavor, quality, and differentiation with its coveted Stella Bella™ variety. As a three generation family farm, the team at Sunview is dedicated to cultivating this proprietary green seedless grape with the care and consistency that retailers have come to expect from the company.
As we move towards fall, Brian Mullhofer, salesperson for the company, joins me to talk about the program this year, and why this variety is all the rage in the produce department.
“The Stella Bella grape is prized around the world for its large berry size, crisp texture, elongated shape, superb sweetness, and long shelf-life,” Brian tells me. “California’s San Joaquin valley provides the ideal amount of sunshine as well as the best growing conditions to bring a quality grape to market. This season, the organic and conventional grape crop is looking brilliant and we are expecting increased supplies to meet our already satisfied customer base.”
The consumer buzz around this grape is bringing feedback far and wide to the team at Sunview. Brian shares what some of these consumers have had to say.
- “Stella Bella grapes are my obsession. I am totally addicted! I cannot get enough. There’s nothing else like them. I was so sad at the end of the season last year. Seriously, I almost cried. I told my grocer recently that I almost got up on the counter and started dancing when I saw they were back in this year. They actually said to let them know when that is going to happen so they can break out the video camera. Please work on a way to keep the season open from July through June. The size, the texture, the taste! You are genius. Thank you, thank you, thank you!” - S. Rayl
- “My 4 year old daughter asked me to write you this: The grapes are very good. I found a tiny grape and it was very sweet. My mommy gave it to me because she thought I wanted it. And they're all yummy so far. Thank you for growing delicious grapes.” – C. Krischer Mandel
- “Good beautiful morning to whoever is the receiver of emails such as these! I have just purchased a small bag of your White Seedless Certified Organic California Table Grapes from Whole Foods and I am in heaven! These are the most delicious, crunchy, perfect grapes I have ever had in my entire life! Thank you so, so, so, much for creating such a treat! I hope that you and every person involved in the growing of these magnificent morsels live blessed and fruitful lives! Hooray for grapes!”- A. Barth
And that is just a sample of the feedback that Sunview has received. Sunview’s Stella Bella will be available this year from July until October in high-graphic pouch bags, clamshells, and 19 lb boxes. As the season moves through September, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for more updates from California’s table grape companies.
WESTERN U.S. - Is it really time for winter weather already? Well, not quite, but according to the forecasters at OpenSnow, we’re in for some snow as soon as the end of the week. Predicting more than eight inches in some corners of the West, OpenSnow says these wet conditions will help tame the massive amount of wildfires that have been permeating throughout the region.
“Just seeing early-season flakes is reason enough to get excited, and a side benefit of the upcoming storms will be a reduction in the spread of ongoing wildfires,” said OpenSnow Meteorologist Joel Gratz. “Thankfully, the upcoming storms will mostly target the same areas that have been hardest hit by the fires.”
While most of snow and rain will remain in the more northern regions of the U.S. away from growing regions in Washington and California, the wet weather does bode well for both the widespread wildfire situation throughout the west and the snowpack that provides water to agricultural areas during the dry season.
“In the higher elevations (primarily above 6,000 feet), such as Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Park, temperatures will be cold enough for 6-12 inches of snow,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Ken Clark about the storm likely to appear late this week and into the weekend.
Gratz predicts we will see cooler-than-average temperatures over the northwest and the northern Rockies through almost the end of the month, as well as additional storms. He says to expect a major storm in the West coming between about September 19-23.
Until then, Washington and Oregon will start cooling down, with even cooler weather to follow for early next week. OpenSnow clocks in cities such as Portland and Seattle will hover around the 50 degree mark.
With the kick off of the snowy season in the West just over the horizon, keep following AndNowUKnow for the most up-to-date news.