NEWARK, DE – As autumn fast approaches, PMA 2017 Fresh Summit Convention & Expo is just around the corner. This year Fresh Summit 2017 will feature new days, networking opportunities designed to build business connections, plus educational programming and a trade show focused on delivering innovation.
- When: October 19-21, 2017
- Where: New Orleans, Louisiana, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
“This year, we’ve made a change to the schedule. We will be convening Thursday through Saturday, rather than Friday through Sunday as we have in the past. Be sure to attend to these details as you book your travel and accommodations,” said PMA Fresh Summit Committee Co-Chair Nick Armano of Robinson Fresh, according to a press release. “Then you can focus on your plans for getting the most ROI out of your time at this year’s Fresh Summit.”
“This year’s theme is ‘Let’s Grow Together’ for very good reason. We have great value planned, from trends and other education to help your business chart a strong future course, to our supply chain’s best networking to bring sellers and buyers together, to the trade show where absolutely the global industry’s best and newest will be on display,” said committee Co-Chair Kori Tuggle of Church Brothers Farms.
Day changes detailed
Beginning this year, Fresh Summit will convene Thursday through Saturday Oct. 19-21, with education and insights Thursday, Oct. 19, and the expo on Friday and Saturday Oct. 20-21. In recent years, Fresh Summit has been Friday through Sunday, with the expo on Saturday and Sunday.
“We are responding to members’ requests,” said the PMA board’s representative to the Fresh Summit Committee, Jim DiMenna of Red Sun Farms. “The day shift ensures that attendees, particularly our exhibitors, can wrap up their activities in time to get home for some family time and be back at their desks on Monday. We are minimizing intrusions on our attendees’ weekend time.”
What’s new or notable
“Fresh Summit is a once-a-year event that highlights the best of what PMA has to offer year-round in terms of connections, innovations and insights,” said PMA CEO Cathy Burns. “We couldn’t make this happen without the hard work and dedication of our amazing volunteer leaders. The staff and I are incredibly grateful for the leadership and guidance from Nick, Kori, Jim, and our other Fresh Summit Committee volunteers. Their collaboration shows that we are truly stronger together.”
Here’s what will be new or notable in New Orleans:
- This year’s expo will feature 1,000+ exhibiting companies – including 70+ first-time exhibitors–displaying their best and most innovative products and services.
- The first-ever Bryan E. Silbermann Collaboration award will be presented.
- Keynote speakers: General session speakers include the retail industry’s Content Guy Kevin Coupe, futurist Brian David Johnson, and PMA CEO Cathy Burns’ annual State of the Industry address.
- Trends and other training: This year’s Fresh Summit will feature 15 workshops on topics ranging from consumer trends to talent management.
- Personalize your trade show visit using the MyExpo planning tool and the Fresh Summit mobile app for Apple or Android.
- Floral Buyer Roundtables: Floral suppliers can sign up for speed dating-like meetings with retailers; separate registration required, spots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Awards of Excellence nominations due Aug. 11
At Fresh Summit in October, PMA will announce winners of its three Awards of Excellence for individuals: the Floral Marketer of the Year Award, the Robert L. Carey Leadership Award, and the new Bryan E. Silbermann Collaboration Award.
PMA members can nominate potential awardees; you can nominate yourself, an individual from your company, or someone from another business. Nominations are due August 11. For more information, visit www.pma.com/Members/Awards-of-Excellence.
New Orleans’ famous hospitality
Fresh Summit is returning to New Orleans for the first time since 2013. The city that is famous for its food, music, and hospitality is ready for the PMA community, the city’s tourism bureau spokesperson says.
“Bring a big stack of business cards, and a big appetite–Fresh Summit and great food, music, art, and sightseeing, the Crescent City has it all,” said PMA’s Burns. For local information, visit the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau website at www.neworleanscvb.com/visit/.
Register early and save
Fresh Summit registration and housing reservations are now open. Attendees can register early by September 15 to save on registration. Fresh produce and floral buyers receive significant discounts on registration.
Fresh Summit’s All Access Pass includes access to all general sessions and workshops, the Welcoming Reception and Fresh Ideas in Action Reception, and all days of the expo. Passes for the trade show only are also available.
For more information and to register for the 2017 Fresh Summit Convention & Expo, visit www.freshsummit.com.
MONTEREY, CA – It’s that time of year again—when produce professionals from the foodservice industry, buyers and suppliers alike, descend on the idyllic climes of California’s central coast for the Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) Foodservice Conference & Expo. With its “Innovate the Plate” theme highlighting the new and groundbreaking, conference goers gathered for educational opportunities, activities, and opportunities to network, give back, and grow the future of fresh produce.
“The feedback we’ve heard throughout the weekend has been fantastic. From our educational sessions, to networking activities, and on the expo floor, participants were highly engaged and appreciative of being back in downtown Monterey,” said Cathy Burns, PMA CEO. “Exhibitors once again did an excellent job showcasing their ability to innovate the plate through value-added products. A diverse group of over 500 buyers attended, and a recurring, overwhelming theme from comments shared is that people were making the right connections here. I want to personally thank everyone who made our 2017 Foodservice Conference & Expo a success.”
The burgeoning event, now in its fourth year, boasted 1,821 attendees—including more than 500 buyers bringing purchasing power to bear from across the supply chain. Buyer types included meal kit delivery companies, cruise line operators, airline caterers, online grocery delivery services, distributors and foodservice distributors, retailers, and more than 150 operators. Also, 176 exhibitors were on hand to showcase the latest and greatest products and services at the Foodservice Produce Expo—including seven new additions to this rarified group of companies.
The event kicked off Wednesday afternoon with a CTGbyPMA Bocce for Talent Tournament—with the Coveted Trophy being taken home by Steinbeck County Produce. And on Thursday, preliminary activities continued with the CGTbyPMA Joe Nucci Memorial Golf Tournament. First place winners included Ernie Baltierra of Green Herbs International, Gus Anderson of Hello Fresh, and Joe Chan of Morgan Stanley. Other standouts include Mann Packing’s Gina Nucci who won the Fruit Salad Putt competition, Pete Rebiskie of Robinson Fresh and Brian Cook of Hollandia Produce, who were the Chip and Putt Contest Winners, and other deserving winners.
Friday’s itinerary featured Hands-On Fruit & Vegetable Training focusing on menu trends, usage tips, and ways in which fresh produce can help restaurants “innovate the plate” and meet shifting consumer demand.
Participants included:
- Duda Farm Fresh Foods – Showcasing radishes & celery
- Fresh Origins – Giving the skinny of micro greens
- National Watermelon Board – Making manifest the merits of mini watermelon
- Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers – Showing cucumber and tomatoes
- Oregon Fruit Products, LLC – Exhibiting Marion blackberries.
A series of educational sessions and panel discussions from innovators in our industry and beyond Saturday closed out the week-proper. Sessions included a “Let’s Talk About Trends, Baby” panel discussion featuring researchers on emerging food trends and a two-part presentation by The Nour Group CEO David Nour on the importance of collaboration with supply chain partners in addressing rapidly-changing consumer demand. Chef Talks followed as did an “Innovate the Plate? Why Stop There?” discussion, and the CGTbyPMA Women’s Fresh Perspectives Reception.
Saturday also brought the Innovate the Plate competition, where this year's winner, Executive Chef & Owner of Catelli's Restaurant Domenica Catelli took home the gold for her mouthwateringly creative dish, Pulled Pork Sliders with SunGold Slaw.
Sunday, the final day of the show, began with a unique feature: the Buyer Roundtable.
“We really think that the strength of the association is bringing people together to do business in the produce industry, and...we’re excited to provide that opportunity,” noted George Szczepanski, PMA’s Director of Business Development, in his introduction to the associations’ Buyer Rountables—a “speed dating”-style opportunity for supplier to connect face-to-face with operators and distributors, including Blue Apron, Pro*Act, Denny’s, Wendy’s, Sysco, Fresh Direct, and more.
But the final day was largely dedicated to the Foodservice Produce Expo, and the show floor was hopping, with more than 500 members of the buying community crowding to see the latest and greatest products from more than 170 exhibitors.
“It was an amazing long weekend connecting with key customers old and new!” said Gina Nucci, Director of Corporate Marketing for Mann Packing.
Award winners from the Expo included:
- Best Product Promo : Babé Farms
- Best of Show, 2nd place: Owyhee Produce
- Best of Show, 1st place: Driscoll’s
The show may be over, but our coverage won’t stop anytime soon as we continue to process the innovations and excellent offerings we witnessed at the show. Stay tuned as we continue to showcase highlights from this year’s PMA Foodservice Conference & Expo 2017.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - Target vendors take note, last weekend marked a new change in how the Minneapolis-based retailer makes payments to its vendors. According to a report from CBS Local WCCO, Sunday, July 30 was the first day Target went by its new payment policy—paying vendors for items later and at a discount.
As explained by the source, some vendors will now be paid for their items 30 days later, a time period WCCO notes is at least twice as long as before. Target will also reportedly take a 2-percent discount across the board. The retailer said it will be updating and standardizing its terms to simplify the payment process and to help both itself and vendors operate more efficiently.
“In May, we notified a number of our vendors that Target would be updating and standardizing our payment terms, effective July 30,” said Joshua Thomas, Senior Director of Communications for Target, in a statement to WCCO. “These updates simplify the payment process and are aimed at helping us and our vendors operate more efficiently. A standardized approach like we are implementing is consistent with retailers of Target’s size and scale across the industry. We don’t anticipate these updates will have any impact on guests who shop at Target.”
As we reported back in May, Reuters published an article which claimed that Target would be “cracking down on its relationships with suppliers,” tightening deadlines for its deliveries and increasing fines for those who miss the deadline. When we inquired about June's rumblings that the company will be putting additional costs on suppliers, Target’s Vice President of Communications Katie Boylan had this to say:
”Target values our partnerships with our vendors, and we’re committed to fostering productive working relationships with them in service to our guests. As part of our everyday business practices, we work together with our vendors to build ongoing promotional plans that drive traffic and sales. These promotional plans are fluid and flexible, designed to deliver the best offers for our guests and the strongest results for Target and our vendors. To be clear, we have not implemented any new policies. This is how we have always done business and is a common industry practice."
According to the source, this is a similar plan to one that Walmart and Amazon have already put into practice.
Will this method of vendor payments become the industry norm as more and more large-sized operations adopt the plan? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
WOLCOTT, NY - The Board of Directors at Crunch Time Apple Growers is undergoing a shake up, as long-term member Jeffrey Crist has announced his retirement, while the next generation, his son Joel Crist, takes a seat on the board.
“On behalf of the entire board, I would like to thank Jeff for his outstanding service and leadership,” said John Teeple, Board Chairman, according to a press release. “I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Jeff for over 25 years. Jeff is an innovative leader in the industry. He was instrumental in forming the relationship with Cornell and in the start-up of (NYAG) Crunch Time Apple Growers. Under his leadership and guidance, a team of active growers developed the philosophy and structure of this new business. Although Jeff has completed his term on the board, the leadership of Crunch Time Apple Growers will continue to call upon him for his guidance.”
Jeffrey Crist, a fourth generation farmer, is the Owner and Operator of Crist Bros Orchards in Walden, NY. Jeffrey has served on the Board of Directors at Crunch Time since 2010, acting as Vice Chairman and Marketing Committee Chairman from 2010-2015. He was one of the founding members of New York Apple Growers. Jeffrey has also served at least 20 years each on the U.S. Apple Association, New York Apple Association, and Town of Montgomery Planning board, taking leadership and chairman roles throughout his career. His retirement was announced June 27, 2017.
In addition to the announcement of Jeffrey’s retirement, the Board of Directors has also announced the addition of Joel Crist, 29, the youngest apple grower to date to join Crunch Time’s board. Joel's appointment to the board was announced July 20, 2017. Joel is a fifth generation farmer at Crist Bros Orchards, where his role involves packing, shipping, and sales, while learning the growing side of the business.
Before joining the family business, Joel worked as a Business Manager for the food marketing company, Daymon Worldwide, and graduated from Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, where he specialized in agribusiness and strategy. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Apple Association’s Young Apple Leaders program.
“My goal as a board member will be to become an additional asset to the excellent work the board is doing, and to assist in helping to set Crunch Time up for long-term success—both organizationally and through the marketing of the growingly popular SnapDragon® and RubyFrost® brands,” said Joel.
Crist Bros Orchards, Inc grows apples for the wholesale market on 550 acres of orchard, including 50 acres of SnapDragon® and RubyFrost® apples. In addition to growing traditional varieties, the farm has undergone aggressive replanting of its orchards including Honeycrisp, Koru, Gala, and Fuji varieties.
INDIA – Produce in Indore, India, is getting the royal treatment, including armed guards, escorts, and a watchful eye. But rather than being protected just for their treasured status, as our industry would uphold, tomatoes have been getting specialty attention in the country due to a recent theft and market prices.
According to The Indian Express, some dedicated thieves pilfered 30 crates of tomatoes from a vegetable market in Dahisar, Mumbai. The stolen goods equated to over 661 pounds of tomatoes, or 300 kilograms. Authorities estimate the cost of the stolen goods to be worth around 70,000 rupees (or over $1,000 USD). The vendor stated that this was the first time his produce had been stolen, leading some to worry this could be a new trend.
Global News reported that the guards were deployed as tomato prices continue to rise in India. Authorities were concerned that the tight market would inspire more thefts as the popular tomatoes move through the supply chain.
As police were unable to catch the original tomato fiends, forces were deployed to stand guard over other cartons of tomatoes in case they should strike again. Armed guards stood watch as the tomatoes in Indore were brought out of cartons and sold to customers.
Tomato prices recently reached 100 rupees per kilogram (or roughly $0.70 per lb, USD) due to supply issues, causing some to state that this is the highest tomato prices have been, according to The Hindu news source.
Will tomato thieves strike again? As the country looks to keep a lock on its produce during supply changes, AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
BATANGAS, PHILIPPINES – One of the hottest categories emerging in refrigerated food in recent years is coconut water—with increasingly health-conscious consumers turning toward the refreshing beverage as a go-to and retailers stocking the stuff front and center in grab-and-go destinations in produce aisles.
With that in mind, I reached out to Eau de Coco Inc.’s Bonnie Shah, North & South American Representative for the Philippines-based coconut water provider. Producing over 20 million liters of product each year from over 45 million fresh coconuts, Eau de Coco is a premium coconut water provider with a unique approach to producing an exceptionally-naturally sweet take on the beverage, by playing close attention to its source. With consumer trends turning increasingly toward fruit and veggie consumption across a variety of categories, the company’s healthy and convenient beverage market is only going to grow.
“At Eau de Coco we understand that a good tasting coconut product starts at the source, which is why we focus our attention on the quality and integrity of our raw materials. Our company processes the most naturally-sweet coconut water found in the Philippines,” says Bonnie. “With the incredible growth of coconut water, we looked at our local suppliers and saw that the industry had not adjusted to the new growing demand for coconut water from the young nut. Young coconut water is naturally sweeter and fresh tasting when compared to mature coconut water.”
Bonnie tells me that unlike some of the company’s competitors, Eau de Coco uses young coconuts to ensure optimal sweetness and higher levels of nutrients. Where many manufacturers use mature coconuts best-suited to producing coconut oil, milk, and desiccated coconut meat; Eau de Coco’s unique approach is focused on producing the freshest possible product.
“We decided build a facility that would process and extract from young coconuts aged 6-9 months,” Bonnie notes. “We are the first producer in our country to work only with the highest quality of young coconut to produce refreshing and delicious young coconut water, coconut water powder, as well as young coconut meat.”
In addition to the integrity of its ingredients, the company has invested in high-quality processing technology to ensure the highest degree of quality control and food safety.
For more on this and other on-trend offerings in the produce industry, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.
BENTONVILLE, AR – Walmart is continuing efforts to streamline operations at its corporate headquarters. According to news source Talk Business & Politics, the retailer is taking on a series of job cuts in an attempt to “right-size” and acclimate to the shifting retail landscape.
“As we said in January, we’re continuing to look at how the company is structured, which includes investing in and adding jobs in some areas and eliminating some in a few others,” Walmart told the news source, in a response to the outlet’s inquiries. “This is all about aligning and creating efficiencies as we change how we work to seamlessly serve our customer through our stores and e-commerce.”
Walmart would not confirm the number nor the focus of jobs being eliminated, but Talk Business & Politics’ sources estimated the number to be “a few dozen.” News of an impending round of layoffs first broke on social media Wednesday morning, when employees began receiving notices to report to a “support event” held by Walmart’s human resource department the following day.
These job cuts would be the latest in a series of streamlining efforts. This January, the company announced a series of prospective job cuts to take place over the year, including roughly 200 Information Systems jobs. In April, the company announced additional cuts to its tech division, totaling nearly 300 jobs.
AndNowUKnow will continue to report with updates as the situation develops.
MORRO BAY, CA - JAZZ™ New Zealand apples are taking a tour across California this week on the backs of two Oppy riders. With JAZZ season now in full swing, Organics Category Manager Chris Ford and Marketing Communications Manager Karin Gardner clad themselves in a cycling kit featuring the company’s new brand platform and hit the pavement for this year’s Tour de Fresh.
Pedaling more than 200 miles apiece alongside industry friends to boost the brand and climbing over 14,000 feet of hilly terrain along California’s Central Coast, Ford joked, “We’re taking the idea of elevating brand awareness literally.”
While always focused on the purpose of Tour de Fresh—creating access to more fresh fruits and vegetables by raising funds for school salad bars—Ford and Gardner, along with representatives from JAZZ brand-owner T&G Global, will also bring attention to the refreshed JAZZ apple look through branded gear, local media coverage, and social media outreach. And as a premier sponsor of Tour de Fresh, JAZZ apples will be refreshing riders throughout the three-day course, including at welcome nutrition stops each day.
Tour de Fresh riders are encouraged to capture their memorable moments at the event by entering the JAZZ Summer Vacation Sensation Instagram contest. Though the contest, they will be eligible to win a $3,000 grand prize.
According to a press release, the new JAZZ brand conveys the always refreshing eating experience delivered by the tangy-sweet, intensely crunchy apple. “The JAZZ Sensation” comes complete with new logo and a full suite of nimble visual components. The refreshed brand, which made its North American debut in May, stands out with contemporary colors, eye-catching graphics, and a compelling brand message.
“Our customers like the refreshed brand,” said David Nelley, Vice President, Categories. “The fresh-crop New Zealand fruit offers exceptional pressures in the summer, flavor is excellent, and the bright new graphics are creating attention and interest at the store level.”
This isn’t the first foray into cycling JAZZ apples have made. First launched in the U.S., JAZZ started its decade-long history with cycling when it sponsored a semi-pro women’s cycling squad made up of promising young New Zealand and North American athletes, who then sampled the fruit at key retail outlets.
Over the years, Oppy has donated several salad bars to schools. If you would like to help Ford and Gardner to do the same, donate on their fundraising pages here and here. And for more on how you can win a limited edition JAZZ-branded cycling jersey, follow JAZZ apples on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
DENVER, CO – The honorable intentions of one of the industry’s favorite vegetables has landed a convict in prison, after he attempted to besmirch the reputation of broccoli, with further antics ensuing. The drug dealers in question sold fresh broccoli to his customers instead of marijuana, causing confrontation and then a 16-year prison sentence for one of the men.
“This may be the first time that broccoli has been bad for someone’s health,” District Attorney George Brauchler said in a statement, according to the Huffington Post.
This tale revolves around 26-year-old dealer Sababu Colbert-Evans, and his somewhat ironically nicknamed partner, Tercell “22 Jump Street” Davis. Earlier last year, the dealers met some buyers in an eastern Denver suburb of Aurora to sell them a load of marijuana. However, what the buyers actually purchased for $10,000 was a much less pricey bundle of broccoli that Davis had just purchased from a nearby supermarket.
The buyers, yet unnamed, remained duped until later in the day when they realized the true nature of their green goods. Hoping to recover their funds or trade the vegetables for their intended purchase, the buyers contacted Davis again under another name.
Davis and Colbert-Evans approached the new meeting at the Aurora Town Center mall with the same plan in mind, another load of broccoli instead of marijuana for the illegal transaction. As the argument between the two men escalated, Davis and Colbert-Evans attacked their confronters and potentially endangered mall goers, thus landing them jail time. Colbert-Evans received a 16-year sentence under serious charges, with Davis due to be sentenced in early August.
No word on the state of liberation for the ill-disguised broccoli, or the actual street value of the falsely sold veg.
So, what have we learned? That broccoli will prevail time and again, undaunted by the criminal underworld.
AUSTIN, TX – Reporting solid sales and strong returns for shareholders in the wake of its announced acquisition by Amazon, Whole Foods Market announced financial results for its third fiscal quarter ending July 2, 2017. Meanwhile, seeing stock prices surge, some analysts have suggested that the acquiring company, Amazon, could become the first trillion-dollar company as a result of the proposed merger.
“For the quarter, we delivered record sales and free cash flow, and returned $44 million in dividends to our shareholders,” said John Mackey, Co-Founder and CEO of Whole Foods, in a company press release. “Our comparable store sales improved sequentially on a one- and two-year basis in the third quarter, and that momentum has accelerated 220 basis points in the fourth quarter, resulting in positive overall comps for the first three weeks.”
Highlights of the report included:
- Total sales increased 0.6% to a record $3.7 billion, while comparable store sales decreased 1.9%
- Net income was $106 million or 2.8% of sales, with diluted earnings per share of $0.33
- EBITDA was $293 million, or 7.9% of sales
The company also noted operating cash flow of $277 million, free cash flow of $145 million, and returned $44 million in dividends to shareholders, ending the quarter with $1.5 billion of total available capital compared to $1.0 billion in total debt.
And while same store sales declined, financial news source Bloomberg reported that declines were less severe than anticipated, prompting many to speculate that the previously embattled retailer was on the rebound.
Whole Foods noted that the definitive merger agreement with Amazon—in which the tech-giant will acquire the grocer for $13.7 billion cash at $42 per share—will prevent the company from adjusting their outlook for fiscal 2017.
At the same time, analysts from CNBC have speculated that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the completed merger between Amazon and Whole Foods could result in the former company’s stock doubling in value in a short time. Equity analyst James Cakmak, of Monness, Crespi, Hardt, & Co., told the news source that the company could reach a truly impressive record value.
"Honestly, this could be the first trillion-dollar company,” Cakmak speculated on the financial news program “Squawk Box.” He added, “I mean there is very low risk for the FTC to not approve this deal. But if they do rubber-stamp it as a yes, I think there's very little to stop this from becoming a $2,000 stock."
What will the implications of this unprecedented growth be for fresh produce? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.