IRVINE, CA – Summertime’s hottest palatable hits are putting avocados square in focus this year, as consumers continue demand the popular green fruit. As summer continues to be a key time for avocado availability, the California Avocado Commission (CAC) is continue its strategy of back-to-back programs to up consumption throughout the season.
Building off its springtime and early summer programs, CAC will be supporting a push for Fourth of July. The avocado industry, according to a CAC release, forecasts that consumption for the holiday will be on par with last year’s numbers, at around 100.8 million pounds.
“After five years of promoting California avocados for Fourth of July, the holiday has become one of the biggest avocado consumption events of the year,” said Jan DeLyser, Vice President of Marketing. “This year the Commission is continuing to market California avocados and California avocado recipes for the American Summer Holidays, from barbecue to salads to baking.”
Continuing its United Plates of American promotion, which launched prior to Memorial Day, CAC has partnered with Chef Ryan “Peaches” Lamon to continue its combination of California avocados with American regional specialties. Chef Lamon is the executive chef and co-owner of Peaches’ Smokehouse and Southern Kitchen, which was also featured on the Cooking Channel’s Food Truck Race Off in 2014. Highlighting how easily California avocados can elevate Southern barbecue, Chef Lamon created and promoted new recipes for the Fourth of July.
CAC’s social media will also feature a Route 66 theme, as the United Plates of America program continues. This theme will include a blog post, carousel on Facebook, and supporting Twitter polls about select Route 66 stops. The company will also continue print advertising in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and Sacramento, in addition to in-store radio and Pandora audio spots.
CAC noted that digital advertising has played a big role in marketing California avocados this year. CAC’s American Summer Holidays creative will run on Food52, Tasting Table, Nativo, and PureWow. Nativo will also feature two customer articles: Four Ways to Celebrate Fourth of July with California Avocado, and 5 All-American Ways to Celebrate with California Avocado.
In further support of the United Plates of America program, CAC will provide customized retail support including demos, POS materials, and display bins. Retailers are also using CAC’s United Plates of America recipe booklet that showcases 18 recipes and tips that pair California avocados with “plates” from throughout the U.S., particularly in California and the West.
CAC first kicked off the season’s programming in April, followed by its American Summer Holidays program in May. The company celebrated June as “California Avocado Month” by sponsoring the Grand Central Market in Los Angeles. As we previously reported, for the entire month, market vendors featured California avocado dishes at their restaurants. CAC held a media preview at the venue in late May, as bloggers and other media outlets shared information. This included outreach by LAist, DineLA, and FoodBeast.
“Magic can happen when you get bloggers and the media to try the California avocado dishes created by talented chefs,” said DeLyser. “We have been blown away by the media coverage of CAC’s Grand Central Market sponsorship, which has exceeded 82 million impressions so far.”
CAC’s California Avocado Month used print, Pandora, in-store radio to target where California avocados are in distribution. Retail support supported a full program with one chain that featured store-wide programs involving multiple departments, a display and sales contest, a featured recipe in its service deli and Father’s Day activities. Another retailer created a BBQ theme event supporting California avocados that included an online social media recipe contest, and a team member wellness challenge.
As the industry prepares for the next produce-pushing holidays, AndNowUKnow will have all the latest in sale-boosting promotions and campaigns.
WENATCHEE, WA - Just because Fourth of July has passed doesn’t mean your sales need to dwindle. One tip Stemilt Growers has to keep your cherry sales strong throughout the summer is to provide your consumers with big, sweet, Kyle’s Pick™ premium cherries. Beginning the second week of July, Stemilt brands its highest quality cherries with the best flavors, largest sizes, and immense firmness under the Kyle’s Pick label.
“July will be a big month with promotable cherry volumes, and can be made even bigger with Kyle’s Pick cherries,” said Marketing Director Roger Pepperl. “Kyle’s Pick is a premium cherry program where we reserve the best varieties, largest sized fruit, and dessert flavors for specially marked packs to leverage impulse sales during this important promotion time.”
Sometimes referred to as the cherry king by the Stemilt team, Kyle Mathison is a fourth generation grower who is constantly on the search for the best varieties from around the world. The Kyle’s Pick program offers Skeena, a Canadian variety with big sizes, extreme firmness, and an explosive flavor, as well as Sweetheart and Bing varieties.
“Cherries are primarily an impulse buy,” continued Pepperl. “Retailers need to supply big and beautiful looking cherries that capture the attention of the consumer.” Pepperl recommended that retailers promote Kyle’s Pick cherries through large displays in areas of heavy traffic that will increase impulse purchases. Pop-up display bins can be used to build large displays, or even as a secondary display location.
Another key way to connect with shoppers is to share the story and flavor behind Kyle’s passion, according to a press release. As explained in a recent survey cited by Stemilt, nearly 60% of consumers said that they did not know enough about their food and that it is difficult to find out information about how food is grown, processed, transported and sold. For Stemilt, transparency is a hallmark of its program.
“We want retailers to share as much information about our products as possible and Kyle’s Pick is a great program to start with. Kyle has embarked upon this incredible journey to produce high-quality, flavorful, and big-sized cherries. Each cherry that enters into a Kyle’s Pick bag has the quality standards approved by Kyle himself, truly making these cherries, Kyle’s Pick,” Pepperl added.
Along with flavor and commitment, Kyle also brings to the company a high-quality, natural compost from regenerating green waste from Stemilt orchards and packing facilities. “Kyle’s works hard to deliver the best quality cherries possible. His ‘prescription food’ aka his compost is all-natural and a great source of nourishment that allow his trees to flourish, especially when combined with the volcanic soils,” states Pepperl. “Clearly, his tactics are working, because his cherries are the biggest and best.”
Stemilt will be harvesting and packing Kyle’s Pick cherries in both pouch bags and clamshells through mid-August, when the company transitions to its high-elevation locales and A Half Mile Closer to the Moon cherry program. This cherry season comes with more selling weeks that last due to a lack of compression among varieties and growing districts, so Stemilt noted the importance of getting retailers on board to plan promotions for cherries all July and well into August.
“Retailers who build momentum with Kyle’s Pick in July and then follow up with Moon cherry promotions in August will see great cherry category results, which is vital given that these seasonal fruits contribute 3.5 percent of total produce dollars all year,” finished Pepperl.
Want to learn more about the Kyle’s Pick cherry program? Visit Stemilt’s dedicated landing page here, and stay tuned from more updates from your friends at AndNowUKnow.
ORLANDO, FL - Could the idea that millennials hate eating at chain restaurants be a myth after all? If you take a look at restaurant company Darden Restaurant’s newly released fourth quarter earnings report, it may make you reconsider the notion. Darden’s shares had rocketed up nearly 6% on the news its Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse chains had risen their same-restaurant sales by 4.4% and 3.5%, respectively.
"Our strong fourth quarter results wrapped up a solid year of performance," said CEO Gene Lee upon the announcement of the strong quarter. "We continue to improve execution in our restaurants by relentlessly focusing on food, service, and atmosphere. Our strategy is helping to build guest loyalty, drive improved financial results, and grow shareholder value."
According to Business Insider, Lee believes this boost is largely due to the restaurant’s ability to cater to millennial tastes, offering menu items that the demographic is interested in at a correct price point that fits their budget. And the method seems to be paying off: six out of seven of Darden's restaurant brands grew same-stores sales in the fourth quarter, including Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, and Eddie V’s.
"Millennials still want to come to restaurants," Lee said in a call with investors on Tuesday, according to the source. "I know you all don't think millennials go to casual dining restaurants, but 30% of all our guests are millennials."
As of 11:30 a.m. EST on June 27, the company's shares had reached an all-time high of $95.22, sending the company to a market cap of 11 billion. Today, Darden's stock has evened slightly, hitting just over $91.
Other highlights from Darden’s fourth quarter include:
- Total sales from continuing operations increased 8.1% to $1.93 billion
- Reported diluted net earnings per share from continuing operations decreased 10.0% to $0.99 and were negatively impacted by $0.19 due to:
- A non-cash accounting charge of approximately $0.10 related to the early settlement of a portion of our pension plan commitments
- Approximately $0.09 of transaction and integration expenses related to the April 24, 2017 acquisition of Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen
- Adjusted diluted net earnings per share from continuing operations increased 7.3% to $1.18*
- The company repurchased approximately $15 million of its outstanding common stock
- Same-restaurant sales increased 3.3% for the quarter, excluding Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen
Will the force of Darden’s ability to get millennials on board keep the chain restaurant industry afloat as many doubt its staying power? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
SAN ANTONIO, TX – It’s not just consumers’ love that marks the success of a lasting buy-side brand, prosperity also comes from the strength of a company’s operations. H-E-B is the latest retailer to be recognized for this brand of excellence, as CEO Charles C. Butt topped Glassdoor’s annual Employees’ Choice Awards in the top 20, out of 100 companies.
No stranger to the 100 Highest Rated CEOs list, Charles has moved up from last year’s ranking at #19 to a solid placement of #16. Charles’ placement on the list makes H-E-B the highest ranked retailer on the list, as well.
Employees ranked H-E-B with 4.1 out of a possible 5 stars with 97 percent of those surveyed approving of Charles as CEO. 85 percent stated that they would recommend H-E-B as a place to work.
“CEOs tell us the Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Award is one of the highest honors they can receive, because it truly reflects employee opinion about the job they do every day. I congratulate all of the winners on this significant honor,” said Robert Hohman, Glassdoor Co-Founder and CEO. “We know that CEO approval ratings correlate to overall employee satisfaction and trust in senior leadership, which contributes to long-term employee engagement, ultimately helping an employer’s recruiting and retention efforts.”
From the thousands of reviews left by employees on Glassdoor, H-E-B is lauded amongst its team members for its flexibility, benefits, company culture, and career advancement, to name a few qualities.
Glassdoor stated that its annual list is compiled based on anonymous employee reviews of their respected companies, using a proprietary algorithm. Employees rate the sentiment around their CEO’s leadership and workplace attributes like senior management. Employees are also specifically asked to report whether they approve, disapprove, or are neutral about the job their CEO is doing.
According to Glassdoor’s research, highly-rated CEOs are directly linked to companies with great cultures. The company noted that there is also a strong link between CEO approval rating and financial performance.
To view the whole list, click here.
Keep up the good work, H-E-B! For all the latest in buy-side accomplishments, stick with AndNowUKnow.
BAKERSFIELD, CA - Even more big moves are underway at California grape provider Anthony Vineyards. On the heels of the company’s announcement that it would be providing expanded offerings through its new marketing agreement with International Fruit Genetics (IFG), Anthony Vineyards is also gearing up to finish a 127,500-square-foot expansion to its Bakersfield, CA facility. Once completed, Sales Manager John Harley tells me that the expansion will increase the company’s in-house packing capabilities, as well as allowing for an increase in covered receiving and shipping areas.
“We found that there was a shortage of cooling capacity in the South Valley,” John shares with me when I ask him what the goal of this new move is. “With the grape industry's new acreage in the South Valley totaling upwards of 10,000 acres, we realize that the choke point is often the cooling. So, we looked at our needs and the needs of our neighbors, and decided adding on to our facility was the right move.”
In total, about 120,000-square-feet of the growth will be dedicated to pre-cooling, while an additional 7,500-square-feet will go towards a new packing area. These state-of-the-art additions will not only allow for the company to enhance its position in food safety, but also allow for increased efficiency when caring for both its products and those of its associates. John tells me Anthony Vineyards has set the end of July as its goal for the project to be complete, with phase’s that will come on line all through next month.
Anthony Vineyards is currently wrapping up its Coachella grape deal and beginning its transition to the San Joaquin Valley, John tells me. “We should start transitioning next week,” he says. “The season so far has been very good. The quality has been good and the deal in general has been good over all. We are looking for that to continue once we start in the San Joaquin Valley deal.”
So, what does the future look like for Anthony Vineyard? In addition to the premium high flavor varieties developed by IFG nurseries, including Sweet Sapphire®, the Jack Salute®, Sweet Globe®, and Sweet Jubilee®, John says the company is looking towards organics and other new varieties.
“We want to continue the development of our organic grape program, as well as introduction of all of the new varieties that we have been working with for the last few years,” he adds. “These include reds such as Timco, Magenta, Allison, Krissy, Gemma Rose, and the new green seedless varieties, Ivory, Timpson, and Arra 15.”
As Anthony Vineyards looks to the launch of its expanded facility at the end of next month, AndNowUKnow is keeping our eyes on the growth and innovations to come.
WASHINGTON, DC - In honor of those continuing the fight of pushing the organic industry forward, the Organic Trade Association (OTA) has announced three recipients for 2017’s Organic Trade Association Leadership Awards. Selecting choices for the Growing the Organic Industry Leadership Award, the Organic Farmer of the Year Award, and the Rising Star Award, the association will be celebrating the three winners on Wednesday, September 13, at the American Visionary Arts Museum in Baltimore, MD.
"These are three incredible change-makers who have helped shape the current environment for organic agriculture and trade, and I couldn't be more excited to see their trade association—a place where they have each been actively engaged—recognize them for their vision and commitment to organic," said Laura Batcha, CEO.
Growing the Organic Industry Leadership Award
This year’s recipient of the Growing the Organic Industry Leadership Award will be Robert (Bob) Anderson of Sustainable Strategies LLC—Advisors in Food and Agriculture, who currently serves as Senior Trade Advisor for the OTA.
Bob’s long-standing career in organics first started through his 30-year operation of Walnut Acres Organic Farms, one of America's first organic value-added food processors. Bob was also the first chair of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Organic Standards Board.
"We want him in the room, and organic growers—even those who have never met him—are fortunate to have him on their side," shared Karen Ross, California Department of Food and Agriculture, upon Bob’s nomination. "Bob helps his colleagues through Customs on yet another trade mission; he delves into the differences between the rules for exporting to Japan and Germany; he injects a timely bit of common sense into a discussion of certification paperwork—and a thousand other things, day-in and day-out. But most importantly, no matter the outcome, those who have the privilege of working with Bob end the day wanting to work with him again."
Also chiming in on Bob’s long tenure and expertise in organics was Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding.
"Bob has served Pennsylvania agriculture so well, as a charter member of the original Organic Trade and Marketing Board, as a founding member of the PA Association for Sustainable Agriculture, and as an advisor and lecturer in Penn State University's sustainable agriculture research and teaching curriculum. I am truly pleased to see him get this well-deserved recognition,” Russell said.
Organic Farmer of the Year Award
This year’s OTA Organic Farmer of the Year is Phil LaRocca of LaRocca Vineyards, an organic advocate and farmer for over 40 years. Phil became one of the first certified organic apple growers in 1975, then created one of the first certified non-sulfite wines back before it was a commonly done practice. According to a press release, LaRocca Vineyards has sold over a million bottles of non-sulfite organic wine, and created an industry space for others to follow. Phill was an early member of CCOF, as well as being active in creating the California Food and Production Act, and a national organic rule on organic wine.
Now chair of the CCOF Board of Directors, Phil has been appointed to the California Organic Products Advisory Committee. He currently serves on OTA's Farmers Advisory Council.
Rising Star Award
Peggy Sutton, Founder and President of To Your Health Sprouted Flour, is this year’s recipient of the Rising Star Organic Leadership Award. From family-focused home cook, to an expert in the field of sprouting organic flours and grains, Peggy’s business now employs 30 people and helps push forward this ancient flour technique. To Your Health Sprouted Flour is a long-standing member of the Organic Trade Association, and participates in export activities in Europe and Asia.
"Peggy has been instrumental in educating thousands of people (including us at Kashi) about the benefits of organic sprouted grains for both people and the planet," said David Uzzell of Kashi. "She is not only a leader in spreading the word of organic sprouted grains, but also in her local community. Peggy is very intentional on sharing the growth of the organic industry with her community by keeping her operations local and supporting the constituents of Bullock County."
Tickets for the Organic Trade Association's 2017 Leadership Awards Celebration will go on sale soon. Those interested in sponsorship opportunities can contact Amy Bovaird at [email protected]. Us at AndNowUKnow thanks Bob, Phil, and Peggy for all of their important contributions to organics.
CORAL GABLES, FL and SINGAPORE & MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Looking to expand its offerings and reach even further Fresh Del Monte Produce has announced a new series of joint ventures with Del Monte Pacific Limited. This move will result in expanded refrigerated offerings, and a new retail food and beverage concept.
“This partnership offers tremendous opportunities for both companies to innovate on a much broader and deeper scale than either company can accomplish individually,” said Mohammad Abu-Ghazaleh, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Fresh Del Monte Produce. “Each company brings a high level of knowledge, experience, and commitment that comes from developing and building the iconic, trusted Del Monte® brand. We also share similar visions for creating products and experiences that will meet the evolving needs of today’s consumer.”
According to a press release, the expansion of the refrigerated offerings will span all distribution and sales channels. The new retail concept will be modeled after the already successful Fresh Del Monte Produce business in the Middle East. The ventures will be facilitated between Del Monte Pacific Limited and its subsidiary Del Monte Foods Inc., along with Fresh Del Monte Produce.
While initially focusing on the U.S. market, these joint ventures will also house potential for expansion into other territories where the companies’ businesses complement each other. These ventures will also greatly increase the scale of the Del Monte® brand by expanding into more high-quality, healthy, and convenient product options for consumers.
“We are pleased that we have resolved our differences and put to rest the financial uncertainty that can arise from prolonged litigation,” said Rolando C. Gapud, Chairman of the Board of Del Monte Pacific Limited. “We look forward to combining the resources of Del Monte Pacific, our U.S. subsidiary Del Monte Foods, and Fresh Del Monte Produce, and focusing our joint efforts on exciting new business opportunities that will provide consumers with more premium quality, healthy products.”
One major joint initiative is the introduction of Del Monte® branded retail outlets. These outlets will feature an assortment of nutritious foods and beverages designed to meet the increasing demands of consumers for healthier food options.
The companies are also collaborating on several product innovations, including a line of chilled juices, new varieties of prepared refrigerated fruit snacks, and guacamole and avocado products. This collaboration allows each partner to share expertise and optimize economies of scale in product development, operations, sourcing, supply chain, marketing, and distribution.
Fresh Del Monte Produce and Del Monte Pacific Limited have also agreed to a long-term mutual supply agreement in order to accelerate the expansion of Del Monte® product sales in various markets around the world.
As more companies within the industry formulate prosperous partnerships, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for the latest.
CINCINNATI, OH - Continuing to hold strong following the news of Amazon acquiring Whole Foods, Kroger has announced plans to open another multimillion dollar distribution center in the Midwest. Estimated at approximately $25 million dollars, the location of this new facility has been set for Chesterfield Township, Michigan, northeast of Detroit.
According to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Kroger was awarded a $2,078,000 performance-based grant from the Michigan Strategic Fund board. In total, the project is expected to create around 377 new, permanent jobs.
Crain’s Detroit Business reported that Zachary Riggs, a Senior Project Manager for Kroger, shared that the company expects the new facility to speed up distribution and get empty shelves restocked faster, thus improving customers' shopping experience. Riggs referred to the project as, “a high-volume facility.”
The state of Michigan will likely offer Kroger use of its Chesterfield Township offices for a job fair, the source reported, and most of the new jobs will be related to product selection and forklift operation. About 10 percent of the new positions will be salaried management roles, Riggs said.
For more on the new facility as information is revealed, AndNowUKnow will have you covered.
SALINAS, CA – Following suit with its forward-thinking mentality, Mann Packing has officially launched a redesigned website complete with a product locator, new recipes, and updated content. One visit shows visitors the company’s dedication to easy, user-friendly products.
“We use the website for engaging both consumers and customers, so creating a destination that is intuitive and mobile-friendly that showcases our fabulous library of recipes was important to us,” said Gina Nucci, Director of Corporate Marketing.
As visitors surf through the site, the look and feel of the new website evokes the quality and consumer solutions that Mann’s products have become known for. The light wood and marble palette is on-trend and approachable, and the new styling and typeface lends a modern, clean look that demonstrates the company’s focus on innovation and its commitment to providing fresh vegetables made easy.
“Online searches for recipes are a big driver to a website like ours,” Nucci added. “Our hope is that moms and chefs alike will use the new site as a resource for all their fresh vegetable needs.”
One of the new highlights is the product locator, which allows users to search for Mann’s products by city, state, or zip code. The locator can be accessed on mobile and provides users with specific product availability in their area. If a product is not specified, the locator will list all retail locations that carry Mann’s products within a specified region.
A dedicated Canadian site is accessible from the main site’s homepage and at veggiedmadeeasy.ca with country-specific content, products, and recipes.
The company will update the website on a regular basis with new recipes, media releases, Girlfriends Guides, videos, and product information.
WASHINGTON, DC – Making good on its previously signed executive order, the Trump administration is moving to revoke the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) ruling. The Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Army, and Army Corps of Engineers are proposing a rule to rescind the Clean Water Rule, and re-codify regulatory text that existed prior to the current WOTUS ruling from 2015.
"We are taking significant action to return power to the states and provide regulatory certainty to our nation's farmers and businesses," said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. "This is the first step in the two-step process to redefine 'waters of the U.S.' and we are committed to moving through this re-evaluation to quickly provide regulatory certainty, in a way that is thoughtful, transparent, and collaborative with other agencies and the public."
This move will make for a substantive re-evaluation of WOTUS’ definition. According to a press release, the agencies previously mentioned will follow an expeditious, two-step process to ensure its objectives that U.S. waters will be kept free from pollution while also promoting economic growth, minimizing regulatory uncertainty, and showing due regard for the roles of Congress and the States under the Constitution.
The Washington Post reported that revoking the current WOTUS ruling will end the EPA’s broad authority over the regulation of pollution in wetlands and tributaries that run into the nation’s largest rivers. Instead, the agencies will revert back to standards that were adopted in 2008. Pruitt testified before Congress stating that the regulation “usurps” state authority and imposes “numerous and costly obligations” on landowners.
Under the current regulations, the Washington Post stated, federal jurisdiction is extended to 60 percent of water bodies in the United States. The agencies stated that they will recodify the identical regulatory text that was in place prior to the 2015 Clean Water Rule, that is in place as a result of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit’s stay of the 2015 rule. The agencies stated that when final, the action will not change current practice as to how the definition applies.
The Washington Post also stated that after taking comment on the rule’s repeal and reaching a final definition, the EPA will have to craft its own proposed rule for defining which waters deserve federal protection under the 1972 Clean Water Act, which will then be subject to public comment.
"The Army, together with the Corps of Engineers, is committed to working closely with and supporting the EPA on these rulemakings. As we go through the rulemaking process, we will continue to make the implementation of the Clean Water Act Section 404 regulatory program as transparent as possible for the regulated public," said Mr. Douglas Lamont, Senior Official performing the duties of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works.
The agencies involved have begun deliberations and outreach on the second step rulemaking involved in this re-evaluation and revision of the definition of WOTUS, in line with President Trump’s executive order from February.
As the situation unfolds further, count on AndNowUKnow for the latest.