LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE CA - Congratulations go out to Allen Lund Company’s Ryan Franks, who the company announced has been moved up to Operations Manager of ALC Winchester, Virginia.
"Congratulations to Ryan as he assumes a well deserved leadership role in our Winchester office,” said VP of Sales & Branch Operations David Lund. “All of our customers will benefit from Ryan's work ethic, communication, and leadership skills. Ryan will continue to be a key part in the growth and success of our Winchester office."
The new Operations Manager joined the ALC team in 2014, according to a press release. He graduated from West Virginia University with a Bachelor's Degree in Business, and previous to his promotion he served the company as a Transportation Broker.
"I'm honored to receive this promotion. I'd like to thank our Manager, Chad Youngman, for giving me this opportunity,” Ryan said about the news. “Since I started here at Allen Lund Company, I have seen our office grow exponentially, and I am looking forward to helping continue that growth in years to come."
Chad, likewise, expressed confidence in Ryan’s capabilities, saying, "Ryan has been a tremendous asset since joining our team. I've been impressed with his consistent work ethic that he brings daily. I'm confident that our office will continue to grow with Ryan as our Operations Manager."
As the Allen Lund team continues to cultivate and grow its membership and reach, keep checking in with AndNowUKnow for all the latest.
NEW YORK, NY - On Monday, a 13-F regulatory filing showed that the same activist investor who pushed Whole Foods towards its sale to Amazon, Jana Partners, had a 2 percent stake valued at about $5.6 million in Blue Apron meal kit company at the end of June. According to CNBC, since the information has become public, Blue Apron shares have gained as much as 5 percent.
Blue Apron initially set its sights high for its IPO in June, offering a target of $586.5 million. What followed was a disappointing start out the gates at $4 less than anticipated per share in the wake of the Amazon-Whole Foods deal which rattled investors in the online grocery realm, with shares continuing to tumble amid mounting losses as recently as last week.
According to CNBC, it is unclear whether Jana still holds 600,000 shares of Blue Apron, and the firm has not responded to requests for comment. However, the report estimates that if Jana did hold all of the shares it purchased in the second quarter they would be worth about $3.2 million, at a 43 percent decline from the end of June.
Jana bought a stake in Whole Foods in April, which ignited high-profile conflict with Whole Foods CEO John Mackey. The grocers subsequent sale to Amazon was announced in June, and Jana soon sold its stake. The timing of the Amazon-Whole Foods announcement coincided with Blue Apron's IPO, and within weeks Amazon filed for a new meal kit trademark.
Blue Apron has scrambled to regain its footing since the IPO, even facing a potential lawsuit. In attempts to refocus its growth strategy, the company has since announced changes to its executive leadership and plans to close a New Jersey facility.
What will this mean for the future of meal kits and grocery? Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to report.
HOUSTON, TX – Sysco is bringing its fiscal 2017 year to a close with a boost to its profits. The company reported in its recently released fourth-quarter report that its profits jumped 41.5 percent, compared to results from the same quarter last year.
“Our fourth quarter financial results were strong and reflect the increasingly consistent execution of our customer-centric strategy,” said Bill DeLaney, CEO. “I am very pleased with our overall performance in fiscal 2017 and, with the support of our 65,000 dedicated associates, we are well positioned to deliver disciplined, profitable, and sustainable growth as we move forward into 2018 and beyond.”
Sysco stated that its Q4 profits this year jumped to $305.2 million, up from last year’s $215.7 million. According to a press release, this jump was due in part to increased sales over the quarter, which rose 5.7 percent from $13.6 billion to $14.4 billion.
Sysco’s Q4 also beat Wall Street expectations, both in earnings expected and sales forecasts. According to The Longview News-Journal, six analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research estimated the company to report earnings-per-share of 71 cents and $14.23 billion in sales. Sysco’s Q4 reported adjusted earnings-per-share rose 8 cents to 72 cents, with sales of $14.4 billion.
Other notable aspects to 2017’s Q4, compared to last year’s results, were as follows:
- Gross profit increased 10.3 percent to 2.8 billion
- Operating income increased 2.0 percent to $558 million, with adjusted operating income increasing 6.1 percent to $667 million
- U.S. Foodservice operations sales decreased 3.8 percent
- International Foodservice operations sales increased to $2.7 billion from $1.5 billion
The company noted that this quarter included results from its acquisition of Brakes Group. The company purchased the European-based distributor early last year for $3 billion, in order to expand its footprint in the UK, Ireland, and Europe.
For fiscal 2017, the company also noted a boost to its international sales and operating income, attributable to the Brakes acquisition. The company’s also reported that its 2017 profits jumped 20.3 percent to $1.1 billion
For more on the company’s financial report, including its numbers excluding the Brakes Group acquisition, click here.
ORANGE COUNTY, CA – As part of the partnership between the kiwifruit provider and Produce for Kids®, Zespri’s SunGold Kiwifruit is now being featured in the Power Your Lunchbox Pledge—a national campaign that encourages families to pack a healthy lunchbox with wholesome fruit and veggies from participating companies.
“We are excited to partner with Produce for Kids,” explained Sarah Deaton, Zespri’s Marketing Manager for North America, in a company press release. “The SunGold Kiwifruit has a sweet tropical flavor and is delicious, nutritious, and easy-to-eat. It’s ideal for a kid’s lunchbox. Besides the amazing taste, a serving of kiwifruit has three times the vitamin C of an orange and a range of other health benefits. The Produce for Kids program is the perfect partnership to help families on their healthy eating journey understand the benefits of kiwifruit.”
Since 2015, Produce for Kids partnership with Feeding America has provided four million meals to families in need—all while encouraging families to eat healthier with simple recipes and fresh ideas. Produce for Kids and its partners have raised more than $6 million children’s charities across the country while helping promote the produce industry and the consumption of fruits and vegetables. For every pledge, Power Your Lunchbox partners donate a collective $1 donation to Feeding America® to provide meals to families in need, and each dollar helps provide 11 meals secured by Feeding America® on behalf of local member food banks.
“Families are looking for ways to start the year off on the right foot and the Power Your Lunchbox Pledge offers everything they need in one spot,” said Trish James, Vice President, Produce for Kids. “Families want to know their kids are receiving the right brain food to get them through the day. Our registered dietitian-approved meal inspiration, tips, and ideas provide the foundation families need for success.”
Zespri’s SunGold Kiwifruit will be featured on the Power Your Lunchbox microsite and promoted through the Produce for Kids social channels, which include content from bloggers and social media influencers. Additionally, Produce for Kids will host a Twitter party on August 17 at 4 p.m. EST to generate excitement. Prior to the Twitter party, Zespri is sending SunGold Kiwifruit to bloggers and promoting the event to draw awareness to SunGold and Produce for Kids. And special co-branded recipes featuring Zespri’s SunGold will be promoted throughout the campaign, as well.
In a press release, Zespri and Produce for Kids noted that participating retailers promote the Produce for Kids program because it helps augment their shoppers’ experience by providing additional tools to prepare healthy meals for their families. Throughout the year, shoppers can look for the Produce for Kids logo next to produce brands at participating retailers to support local charities, and consumers can also use Produce for Kids’ recipes and online content as a valuable resource.
Look to AndNowUKnow for up-to-date news on all things produce.
SACRAMENTO, CA – In the 10 years since the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA) was formed, the organization has garnered a lot to be thankful for. But last week as the California leafy greens community met in Salinas, all eyes were on one particular person in need of thanks. Karen Ross, Secretary for the California Department of Agriculture was this year’s recipient of LGMA’s Golden Checkmark Award—created to honor those who support mandatory government oversight of food safety in the produce industry.
“I’m so proud to be here today, and I want to recognize all of the great people who came before me and who are still at the department of food and agriculture who helped create the LGMA,” said Secretary Ross as she accepted the award. “I can only imagine the hours that were spent to come up with this food safety program that is real, robust, and represents change.”
Church Brothers Farms’ Steve Church, who serves as the current Chairman of the LGMA, presented Secretary Ross with the Golden Checkmark award on August 10, 2017, during a meeting of Salinas-area members. According to a press release, the event was the first in a series of grower meetings being held across the state to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the LGMA food safety program being created, as well as to recognize the commitment to protecting public health embodied in the LGMA system. Past recipients include Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and former CDFA Secretary A.G. Kawamura.
“It’s not often that a group of farmers comes to government asking to be regulated,” said Church as he presented Secretary Ross with the award, “but in the aftermath of the 2006 E. coli outbreak associated with spinach, that is exactly what was needed to help California leafy greens producers regain consumer confidence. Without the support of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement wouldn’t exist. In honor of that support which existed in 2006 and continues today, we are presenting CDFA Secretary Karen Ross with the LGMA’s Golden Checkmark Award.”
Since its creation just a decade ago, the LGMA says it has included a system of mandatory government audits to verify that leafy greens are being grown using science-based food safety practices. These audits are performed by CDFA-employed government inspectors, trained and licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture.
“The LGMA is a true public-private partnership where government and industry work together to ensure safe food,” added Church. “Both are committed to this important job and the California leafy greens community is proud to be one of the first commodity groups to be regulated under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) that will soon become federal law.”
Under FSMA, CDFA will be responsible for overseeing implementation of the Produce Safety Rule for an estimated 20,000 California produce farms under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. And as Ross said, her department plans to work closely with existing industry groups like the LGMA to ensure compliance with the new law. Already, the LGMA has been working over the past several months to ensure its food safety practices are aligned with those required under the new rule.
“I am always in awe when I see what the leafy greens community has done with this program,” Secretary Ross continued. “You have transformed an industry to establish a culture where everyone is thinking about how to make sure the food we’re delivering is safe. What you have accomplished in a remarkably short period should be held up as an example.”
Scott Horsfall, CEO of the LGMA, added, “The LGMA values immensely our relationship with CDFA. Since its beginnings, the leafy greens community has willingly invited government regulators onto their farms. Over the last ten years CDFA has performed more than 5,000 farm audits and the system has truly created a culture of food safety that is now ingrained in the farming of California leafy greens.”
The LGMA will be holding a series of membership meetings throughout the state to commemorate the 10-year milestone. Future meetings will be held August 16 in Ventura, August 17 in Pismo Beach, and September 14 in El Centro.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Target is bringing a renewed focus to its grocery operations, with some retail veterans to lead the way. Adding experience from established brands like Walmart and General Mills, Target has brought over Mark Kenny and Liz Nordlie to serve as Vice Presidents for two of its food divisions.
"We have been making positive progress with our assortment, presentation and operations in food and beverage this year," said Mark Tritton, Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer, Target, in a statement according to Fortune.
Mark Kenny is joining the Target team as its new Vice President of Meat and Fresh Prepared Food, according to Reuters. Previously, Kenny served as Senior Director Private Brand, Deli and Bakery for Walmart. According to his LinkedIn, Kenny broke into his buy-side career in 2007, working for Sam’s Club and moving up through the ranks to land as Senior Merchandise Director Frozen Food before moving to Walmart.
Liz Nordlie will now serve as Target’s Vice President of Product Design and Development for Food and Beverage. Nordlie formerly served as the President of Baking Division at General Mills, holding a variety of leadership positions with the company since 1995.
The two new hires will help the company "go even further, faster, delivering both an experience and assortment that’s uniquely Target," Tritton added. Fortune noted that these two new hires will help Target improve its prepared foods, as well as its brands.
Target recently made headlines after boosting its second-quarter earnings forecast, signifying that the chain may be on the upswing. The store cited improved traffic and sales amongst its stores, but analysts put an emphasis on the chain’s need to invest in its grocery business; an investment that Target looks to be delivering on.
In this same vein, Target brought on Jeff Burt earlier this year as Senior Vice President of Grocery, Fresh Food & Beverage. Burt came to the retailer with 30 years of experience from Kroger, including time spent as President of its Fred Meyer division.
Is this the start of a consistent trend for Target and its new focus on uplifting fresh? AndNowUKnow will report.
MODESTO, CA – For more than 65 years, the Almond Board of California has been promoting almond consumption, providing resources for growers and handlers, and ensuring that these beloved drupes are the safest, highest-quality product possible.
I recently had an opportunity to talk to Bob Curtis, Director of Agricultural Affairs for the Almond Board of California, to find out just how the board accomplishes its goals in general and, in particular, on one aspect of the organization that may be overlooked—its work protecting the U.S. bee population.
“We use about two-thirds of the commercial supply of honey bees in the United States to help pollinate our crop,” Bob tells me. “It’s obvious that we do take a really broad, U.S.-wide look at this subject, because almonds are so dependent on bees.”
The board works in a number of ways to ensure the safe and successful work of beekeepers and bees. From funding research on pesticide use, bee nutrition, increasing genetic diversity in domesticated bees, to publishing a Honey Bee Best Management Practices for California Almonds and more, the board is a champion of apiarists, committed to keeping both bees and the almond industry they service healthy.
“We fund research on honey bee health in some key areas,” Bob explains. “We actually conduct work on the pesticides—primarily fungicides—that are used during bloom to find out if there is any potential impact on bee populations. We can not avoid spraying fungicides at bloom, but what we can do is mitigate the exposure of the bees to the fungicides and determine, as well, if they have any impact on the bees.”
Through the board’s research, a set of best practices have been developed with strictures on what types of pesticides can safely be applied and when and where these pesticides can be used to ensure both the success of the almond industry and the preservation of the ecosystem in which the industry operates.
And, Bob tells me, this is only one aspect of the Almond Board of California’s mission. From aggregating statistics on almonds and almond production, encouraging consumption through marketing efforts, and more, the board works tirelessly to promote and educate the industry and the public on the merits of this much-loved crop and continue the success and sustainability of the almond industry.
“The Almond Board is a service organization for the whole industry,” Bob adds. “Marketing and promotion is our largest budgeted effort. And this is just one piece of the Board’s mission—the research that we fund and the outreach that we do in terms of best management practices. It’s more than just pollination. We also have a sustainability program that involves best practices and sustainability assessments. We fund research on almond nutrition. We have a food safety program that is considered a role model across the food industry.”
AndNowUKnow will continue to report with more on organizations working to ensure the future of fresh food.
RIO RICO, AZ - Never one to sit still for long, MAS Melons & Grapes is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a revamped corporate brand identity and message.
On August 14, 1997, Miky Suarez along with quality-driven Sonora-based grower partners, Alberto Vanegas, Carlos Terminel, Alfonso Ruysanchez and Rodrigo Acuña, made the decision to become partners and established a vertically-integrated agribusiness, aimed not only at exporting and marketing melons, watermelons, grapes, and squash in the U.S., but also abroad. Now, 20 years later, the company has evolved as one of the leading exporter of melons, grapes, squash, asparagus, cucumbers, avocados, and broccoli to the North American, European, Oceanian, and Asian markets.
“In Spanish MAS means more and this is exactly what we have focused on over the last 20 years,” said Miky, President and Majority Owner. “Our company has invested in having an expanded product portfolio sourced from strategically located growing areas across Mexico, in state-of-the-art packing facilities and equipment, in global outreach and improved customer service through additional sales staff and offices, and in achieving internationally recognized food safety and quality certifications.”
As a way to communicate the evolution undertaken by the company, MAS Melons & Grapes has hired a marketing consulting firm to refresh its corporate brand identity while strengthening its visibility to better reflect its position as a leading grower and marketer in North America.
“Our reputation as an integrated growing, shipping, and exporting operation, along with our new brand identity, will help redefine our global presence to closely align us with our diversified fresh produce production throughout Mexico and other countries,” added Miky. “To enhance our new corporate brand identity communication, we have come out with a new customer-oriented tagline: Expect More?.. Expect MAS! to help convey the essence of our company to the global produce supply chain.”
The global company has allied growers in more than ten growing locations in Mexico, including Hermosillo, Guaymas, Ciudad Obregon, and Navojoa in the state of Sonora; Culiacan in the state of Sinaloa; Santiago Ixcuintla in the state of Nayarit; Tecoman and Armeria in the state of Colima; Tacambaro in the state of Michoacan; and Leon and San Luis de la Paz in the state of Guanajuato. Third generation MAS Melons & Grapes grower partners use technologically advanced farming and post-harvest methods to provide customers with safe and premium-quality produce, and the sweetest flavor on every bite.
PHARR, TX - A routine stop at the Pharr International Bridge turned into an all out drug bust after officers uncovered over a ton of illegal drugs hidden amongst a seemingly innocent shipment of watermelons. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Pharr reported they found marijuana weighing in at 2,304 pounds with an estimated value of $460,761.
"Our officers continue to do an outstanding job in keeping our borders secure, they remain vigilant and committed to halting attempts to smuggle narcotics into the U.S.," said Severiano Solis, Director of the Hidalgo, Pharr, and Anzalduas ports of entry, according to My San Antonio.
The sneakily implanted cargo was found when Customs and Border Protection officers referred a white Freightliner tractor-trailer for secondary inspection as it was stopped crossing the Pharr International Bridge. As reported by the source, the 65 smuggled marijuana packages were then found using a non-intrusive imaging system and canine units.
As of now, Homeland Security Investigations agents are investigating the incident. But alas, no word was given on the whereabout of these woebegone watermelons, though AndNowUKnow will keep a watchful eye.
SOLEDAD, CA - There is a new addition to Braga Fresh’s line of Josie’s Organics as the label expands its portfolio. The company announced that Organic Belgian Style Leeks are now available to major retailers and wholesale distributors under the blue polka dot packaging.
“We are always thinking of ways to add more value and quality to our products. When we took a closer look at the amount of shelf space that bunched leeks required, we wanted to come up with an alternative,” said Peter Cling, Sr. Vice President of Operations. “Josie’s Belgian Style Leeks are trimmed in an eye-appealing package, and take up less shelf space at the store and in the consumers’ refrigerator. Our packaged leeks are simple, flavorful, and stunning. Their gourmet appearance is sure to please organic consumers. We are excited to continue to expand our line of Josie’s products and feel we have a unique item that our customers will love.”
Long and slender, the company said in a press release that these leeks are not only comparable to shallots in flavor–though milder and somewhat sweeter–but offer versatility as a special ingredient in recipes or a complimentary side dish.
With an eye on the value-added and organic trends fueling consumer purchasing, these leeks:
- Have more edible flesh than most bunched leeks
- Save time when it comes to cleaning and preparing
- Limit the amount of product wasted
Grown in the U.S. and available year-round, these flavorful Josie’s Organics packaged Belgian Style Leeks are currently available throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Braga Fresh noted that it is continuing to develop a comprehensive product line of organic fresh vegetables, organic chopped salads, organic baby leaf blends, and organic fresh-cut vegetables as the demands for organics and convenience continue to drive growth in the produce department.
For more information, or to place an order, customers can call 831-678-3835 or visit bragafresh.com.