HONG KONG, CHINA – Ian McLeod is taking another step in his retail career, amidst a competitive market not only in the U.S., but worldwide. The former President and CEO of Southeastern Grocers will soon serve as the CEO for pan-Asian retailer Dairy Farm International Holdings Limited.
McLeod will serve in his current position as CEO of Southeastern Grocers until the end of this month. Then, he will succeed Graham Allan, who is stepping down after five years as CEO of Dairy Farm, as of August 31, according to Kamcity.
“Ian brings with him extensive strategic and operational retail experience with a strong track record of driving profitable growth. We would like to welcome Ian to Dairy Farm, and to wish him every success in taking the Group forward on its next stage of development,” said Ben Keswick, Chairman of Dairy Farm.
Earlier this week, McLeod made headlines when he announced that he would be leaving Southeastern Grocers after serving as its CEO since 2015. McLeod has held a wide and decorated career in the retail sector. Kamcity reported that McLeod spent his early career with Asda, then moving to Halfords as CEO in 2003, before serving as Managing Director of Coles in Australia in 2008.
Dairy Farm is a major retail company that has a hand in the processing and wholesaling of food, in addition to other products. Jacksonville.com stated that the company has food stores and restaurants, in addition to beauty and home furnishing stores, and serves more than 6,500 outlets throughout Asia and the Pacific.
The Jax Daily Record noted that Dairy Farm has its legal base in Bermuda, with its headquarters in Hong Kong. The company spans 11 countries and territories, and is listed on the London Stock Exchange, in addition to those in Singapore and Bermuda.
How will this leadership appointment affect the buy-side sector? AndNowUKnow will keep a watch out.
CALIFORNIA – This winter and spring’s wet weather set records in California, pulled the thirsty state out of a years-long drought, and built a massive snowpack. And now amidst a major heatwave, that massive snowpack is melting fast, filling lakes and reservoirs beyond brimming, and channeling an exceptional amount of water into the states rivers, streams, and estuaries.
"The snow is inevitably going to melt and come down the mountain, but when you have a big snowpack like this, you expect higher than average runoff rates probably into August," Dave Rizzardo, Chief of the state’s Department of Water Resources (DWR) Snow Surveys Section and Water Supply Forecasting told news source SF Gate. "What the heat wave has done is accelerate this. It has compacted a lot of this runoff into this week."
According to the news source’s report, runoff rates (a way in which the DWR measure melting snowpack) in the Sierra Nevada are unusually high—as much as 200 to 250 percent of average in some areas. June runoff rates for the American River, which flows through Sacramento, for example, have averaged nearly 8,600 cubic feet per second (cfs)—more than twice the season’s average rate of 4,000 cfs and nearly four times the rate from June of last year when the state was still experiencing a drought.
While localized flooding has occurred in areas of the state, including Fresno where the Sheriff’s Office was forced to issue evacuation notices to a community along the Kings River, the sporting community has embraced the rare concurrence of summer heat and still-ample—though rapidly melting—snowpack. The Los Angeles Times reports that skiers in Northern California are flocking to the mountains, where some ski slopes could be open as late as August thanks to the sheer volume of snow.
AndNowUKnow will continue to report with weather updates in this key region.
SACRAMENTO, CA - How well did you fare in our quiz on the green fruit that has taken the consumer market by storm?
Ultimate accuracy and speed went to Calavo’s Sandy Eason, who claimed the avocado crown with the fastest time and a perfect score for $100 cash.
As someone truly California grown, and therefore an avid avocado fan, I’d like to give a bow to many who showcased green thinking by making top contender like Monterey Mushroom’s Mike O’Brien, Sobeys’ Jim Bower, Blue Apron’s Darren St. Thomas, To-Jo Mushrooms’ Pete Wilder, and Renaissance Food Group’s Rachelle Schulken.
Sandy joins the ranks of several savvy produce quizzers, including:
- LGS Specialty Sales Category Manager, Rebekah McMurrain
- Save Mart Buyer, Melissa Morrell
- NatureFresh™ Farms Sales Office Manager, Paul Schockman
- Fusion Marketing Senior Category Analyst and Marketing Specialist, Matt Schraut
- Oppy Social Media Coordinator, Kelsey Van Lissum
It was a tight race to the finish, however, and you can see who you might know on the leaderboard below.
If you missed your shot and want to see if you could have given Sandy a run for that $100 cash prize, try your hand by giving the quiz a go.
To give you a boost, here was the question that was declared most challenging.
Most Missed Question
What percentage of U.S. consumers purchased avocados on a monthly basis in 2016, according to the Hass Avocado Board?
Answer
73%
And to compete in Quiz Quix events to come, just sign in either via email or one of several social media accounts, and you’ll be all ready to jump into the competition for $100 cash!
Terms to play limit one entry per person, per subscriber email address, per Quiz. More than one entry from any person or e-mail address will void all entries from that person or email address. Participants must have a valid email address registered in their individual name in order to play.
Quiz Quix is our way of encouraging some healthy, fun, informative competition within the industry. Signing in will give us a token to verify you and allows us to put your name in the ranking. It doesn't give us access to more than your name and email address.
Looking forward to the next round as we continue to challenge the fun, competitive nature of the produce industry.
SALINAS, CA – Church Brothers Farms is looking towards another generation of leadership, as the company announced a new succession plan this morning. Brian Church will serve as the new Chief Executive Officer for the company, succeeding most recent CEO Steve Church.
“As I step into this new role, I am energized and excited about the future,” Brian said. “My family has a legacy of service and innovation in the produce industry and we will live up to that standard for our employees and customers.”
Brian has been with Church Brothers Farms since its founding in 1999. In his new position as incoming CEO, Brian will first focus on the company’s continued growth, regional processing, and innovation. One of his priorities is harvest automation.
“We have to change the way we farm in the future to adjust to the labor shortage,” Brian continued.
According to a press release, his passion has always been on the farming side of the business. As a result, Brian went on to form Church Brothers Farms’ ag operations. Over the years, he founded and developed CB Harvesting that, combined with the company’s farming efforts, consists of more than 1,000 employees. Most recently, Brian led the expansion of the company’s ag operations into Central and Northern Mexico.
“We are confident Brian is ready to lead the company; he is an innovator with the vision we need to stay ahead in this ever changing, fast-paced business,” Steve said, Co-Chairman of the Board.
Brian is the son of Co-Chairman Tom Church, and brother of Jeff Church, Vice President of Sales. Brian is one of eight Church family members that retain positions throughout both Church Brothers companies; six of these individuals are second generation.
Brian attended Fresno State University and is bilingual. The company noted that he spent time with Comgro before joining the family business.
Congratulations, Brian, on this exciting announcement, from all your friends at AndNowUKnow!
THE DALLES, OR - Oppy and Orchard View are looking to make cherries a part of key moments and memories for consumers as “Pick Your Moments” launches for its second year.
“We launched the Pick Your Moments brand positioning last year, and were excited how well it resonated with our staff, customers, and consumers, too,” said Brenda Thomas, Orchard View President. “As with any season, many great ‘moments’ have taken place in the orchard over the recent months as the cherries matured and our harvest time arrived. Now, the cherries we’ve grown can be part of special moments in our consumers’ lives, on their picnics and patios, hikes, road trips, and so much more. Summer is filled with great moments, and our cherries are grown to be part of them.”
The company’s exclusive marketer, Oppy, is urging consumers to join in on those moments throughout the summer.
“There are many variables involved in growing and selling cherries,” said David Nelley, Oppy’s VP, Categories. “Perhaps unique in the industry, Orchard View either owns or directly manages the cherries they pick, pack, and ship, giving them a particular advantage when it comes to quality.”
It seems everyone can ‘pick their moments’ on all sides of the industry. Thomas noted in a press release that retailers can ‘pick their moments’ with memorable promotional campaigns orchestrated with the help of Oppy’s business development team.
“We believe that we’ve grown the sweetest, best-tasting cherries available at any moment of the season, and our customers can promote them knowing they’ll consistently deliver the enjoyment summer cherries are all about,” she said.
Both Orchard View and the Northwest cherry industry as a whole are anticipating an uptick in volume, and both Orchard View and Oppy anticipate strong cherry supplies for July thanks to harvest starting about two weeks later than last year.
Growing in microclimates east of Hood River, where conditions are dry and temperatures moderated by the Columbia River, Orchard View said that it provides carefully selected varieties, including:
- Kordia
- Skeena
- Regina
- Santina
To help bolster its resources, Orchard View installed a Unitec optical sorting line in 2016 that can separate cherries by color and size while culling out quality concerns.
“The sorter’s 48-lane capacity efficiently delivers great consistency within the pack,” Nelley said. “Everything that’s picked is packed the next day. There’s no storing bins of picked cherries and this is a real difference. Orchard View already enjoys a reputation for sweet, juicy, strong cherries. Now they can handle capacity, and the optical grading makes the fruit even more eye-catching at retail.”
To encourage shoppers to pick and enjoy Orchard View cherries as they create key memories, the company touts high-graphic packaging and signage featuring the Pick Your Moments message.
Oppy also has staff located in The Dalles for the Orchard View season, having just wrapped up its inaugural campaign with the internationally sought-after Brookside California cherry label. The marketer added that it plans to continue bringing only the best-quality cherries to market, with Orchard View fruit available now through mid-to-late August.
BATAVIA, IL - Aldi is not through yet in its mission to disrupt the U.S. grocery industry. The company has revealed it will be investing upwards of $36 million into the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania market. In addition to targeting the area as part of its plan of spending $1.6 billion on remodeling existing stores, the German-based retailer has also committed to opening new locations before the year is up.
Just this Wednesday, Aldi held a reopening for its newly remodeled store in Robinson, a township to the west of Pittsburgh. According to a report by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, upgrades implemented during the remodel included a larger produce department, as well as wider aisles and increased meat, dairy, and bakery offerings. A focus of energy efficiency also informed new lighting and refrigeration upgrades. The store at Robinson is one of 36 stores in the region due to get a facelift by 2020, the source explained.
As of now, a new store in Frazer is the only one on the books, but Aldi predicts it to be opened before the year is up. In total, the retailer has more than 1,600 stores in 35 states, but by 2018, Aldi plans to increase that number by nearly 900 as U.S. consumers look towards more discount-focused grocery options.
“The U.S. is still under-penetrated by hard discounters, prompting accelerated growth by Aldi, Save-A-Lot, and now Lidl,” Jennifer Bartashus, a Bloomberg analyst, in a report. “Offering prices 15-30 percent below grocery stores, and up to 10 percent less than discount stores, they present a competitive threat to the likes of Kroger, Ahold Dehlaize, and Walmart.”
Where will Aldi target next in its mission to rise to the top of the U.S. retail landscape? AndNowUKnow has our ear to the ground.
CORONA, CA - More and more companies are looking to gain a competitive edge by offering cleverly-packaged and branded produce, and Veg-Fresh Farms is no exception. With its new Handy Candy Blueberries, though, the company is taking the value-added category to new heights—with a unique, eye-catching, and convenient proprietary resealable package.
“One of the partners in our company, Randy Cancellieri, saw there was a demand for an on-the-go, resealable product—but we didn’t know who would be able to help us execute it,” Carrie Robertson, Marketing, tells me. Thankfully the Veg-Fresh team was up to the challenge. “We worked with a packaging consultant who ultimately found the right engineering partners to create the technology needed to create the resealable lid. Our Handy Candy Blueberries are a completely unique product in terms of packaging. The most interesting part of the package is the proprietary resealable technology—we are the only company on the U.S. market right now that has this.”
Carrie tells me the Handy Candy’s convenient on-the-go packaging lends itself ideally to cross-merchandising opportunities. Retailers creating destinations around themes like back-to-school season, healthy snacking, and summer camping will find Handy Candy a welcome addition, and consumers will love the convenience the easily rinsed, resealable packaging provides. Quick serve concepts will also find value in this product; it’s perfect for consumers who are interested in healthier alternatives to their breakfast and lunch meals instead of chips, cookies, or pastries.
Like the company’s Crystal Cove Berry Farm label products, Handy Candy Blueberries are available year-round in both conventional and organic varieties. This program will be launched through grower partnerships that Veg-Fresh Farms has throughout the California coast, Pacific Northwest, and Peru. Carrie tells me the company has plans to extend its Handy Candy packaging innovations to other categories in the near future.
“We also have Handy Candy Grape Tomatoes (in 4 oz cups, both organic and conventional),” Carrie says. “We have had this item for a few years now through a licensing partnership with Flavor-Pic based in Alabama, and we are updating the tomato packaging to the resealable lid tech as well. This new packaging will be available at the same time as the Blueberries!”
For more on packaging innovations and new product offerings in the produce department, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.
CHICAGO, IL - When I think Chicago, I think FOOD. Amidst some of the country’s best bars and restaurants, it was these produce innovations that stayed in my mind even after the trip was over.
Taylor Farms Stir Fry Meal Kits
There’s nothing quite as easy to whip up as a stir fry, and now it’s even easier! Taylor Farms has introduced a line of vegetable Stir Fry Meal Kits, that come in four diverse varieties: Teriyaki, Ginger Garlic, Sesame Chili, and Mandarin Orange. Every kit comes with an authentic stir fry sauce and “on-trend” veggie combinations including a few of my personal favorites: Brussels sprouts, kale, bok choy, and peas.
Reichel Foods, Inc. Pro²Snax to the Max
I am absolutely crazy for any snack pack I can get my hands on right now. Give me veggies, give me cheese, add some protein to go with it, and I am in snacking heaven. With carrots, turkey sausage bites, mild cheddar cheese, and almonds in convenient 6.5 oz on-the-go packages, I think Reichel Foods has hit a slam dunk.
Kitchen22 Chef Inspired Soup
I could tell you all about the delicious and unique flavors, the bright, eye-catching packaging, the nutrient-packed ingredients, but at the end of the day, my feelings about this product are simple—it’s soup you can drink like juice! How I ever lived without this in my life before is truly a mystery.
Renaissance Food Group Garden Highway Veggie Noodles
The Snack has been a big proponent of veggie noodles for a while now, but not every day do you see a company hit the nail on the head like this. Simply and elegantly packaged, you can see exactly how lovely your meal will look on your plate without having to open the container. Not to mention RFG has come up with a particularly mouth-watering combination of flavors—a Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato noodle hybrid!
Gotham Greens Ugly Greens
You may be familiar with Gotham Greens from the company’s partnership with Whole Foods. Together, they operate one of the nation’s first commercial scale greenhouse farms integrated within a retail grocery space. But now, the company is on a mission to take over the retail bagged greens space for a good cause. For Ugly Greens, Gotham takes the product that gets blemished during harvesting and packaging, and divert food waste by selling it locally to retailers at a discount. With a story and taste that is winning over hearts, it’s hard not to get on board.
Did you get a chance to check out Melissa's Picks from the show? Click here to what other innovations caught our team's eyes.
Taylor Farms Reichel Foods Kitchen 22 Renaissance Food Group Gotham Greens
SACRAMENTO, CA - Did you have your June issue of The Snack Magazine ready? Several did, and despite neck-in-neck entry times, one winner came in to snag the crown.
Golden Sun Marketing’s Jennifer Velasquez, whose knowing eyebrows pointed out our apple logo before anyone else in the industry, claimed the $100 cash prize amongst her peers in produce.
“I love reading AndNowUKnow and The Snack as they help me keep up with the latest industry news,” she shared as our latest winner. “I’m so happy to win–these contests make my day a little more fun!”
And the competitors continue to make things more fun as well! We had too many great submissions not to share, so take a look at some of the faces of our industry as they showed off their sleuthing skills:
Best hat in this round definitely goes to Teri Gibson at Peri & Sons, who we hope sets a trend for further fashion-stamped entries.
Return competitor Lori Hickey of HBF came back with another fast entry, narrowly missing the title but definitely qualifying in the top three!
Grimmway Farms Justine Schoneveld snagged help to take a great photo of her pointing out the logo and still meeting the “let us see your face” requirements!
As did Randy Giumarra of Giumarra Vineyards.
And Danny Ortiz of Sysco ensured he didn’t waste any time by going to our virtual copy of The Snack to submit his entry!
To see more, be sure to look at the gallery above and spot your friends who competed in our Snack challenge.
Thank you to all who participated, and a special congratulations to Jennifer on joining our Hall of Snack Winners, including:
- Daniela Ferro of SUNSET®/Mastronardi
- Kate Reeb of Veg-Fresh Farms
- Mimmo Franzone of Longo’s
- Scott Hakes of Ciruli Brothers
Our next Snack Magazine hits the desk next month, so keep the competition fresh by searching for the next hidden logo!
Not subscribed? Join the fun and keep informed when you subscribe here (valued at $129 a year) to ensure you get the latest Snack Magazine.
NEWARK, DE - Fresh produce professionals across the industry are abuzz with anticipation for one of the biggest foodservice focused events of the year: 2017 PMA Foodservice Conference and Expo. The event has more than 170 exhibiting companies, along with networking, information and insights, sessions on trends and innovation in foodservice, and an early bird registration deadline coming up on June 23.
“The networking opportunities with suppliers and customers alone provides significant ROI,” said Jeff DeBoer, Regional Vice President, Added Value, FreshPoint, following last year’s conference. “When you add in all the other events that you can attend from education, expo, tours, hands-on experience, it’s simply the best value imaginable. PMA Foodservice is the top premier event where learning and networking is optimal, and there is truly a return on investment.”
PMA’s 2017 Foodservice event will be held July 28-30 at the Monterey Marriott and Portola Plaza Hotel. The conference and expo, now in its 36th year, continues to draw strong participation because of business networking opportunities, proximity to Salinas Valley, access to influencers, and a fun, informative approach to helping foodservice industry professionals gain inspiration and keep the pulse on customer demands and product trends.
To save 10 percent, register by June 23–save even more by registering two or more people from your company at the same time. Foodservice operators, menu developers, retailers, and chefs can participate in the three-day event at a 75 percent discount.
Highlights of the event include:
- Hands-on produce training
- Chef demos
- Menu tastings
- Insights on new culinary trends and flavors
- A dynamic expo
- Opportunities to network with customers and potential partners
- Fundraising events to support Center for Growing Talent by PMA (CGTbyPMA) initiatives
For a detailed list of all the events, click here.
More than 170 exhibitors will present the latest in products and solutions at PMA’s Foodservice Expo. In addition, 24 companies will participate in PMA’s Fresh Ideas Showcase this year, where attendees will get a sneak peek at products that could be the next trend-setting flavor, variety, or convenience product in foodservice meal preparation.
Fresh Ideas Showcase products include: cone cabbage, veggie hash, citrus “caviar,” ginger herb crystals, chef-ready bell peppers, quick-cook brussels sprout halves, beet powder, radish coins, lettuce blends, lettuce that delays pinking, specialty peppers and herbs, and finely diced ready-to-blend mushrooms. Visit PMA’s Foodservice page for a complete list of Fresh Ideas Showcase products.
“I believe the insights regarding market trends and innovative ingredients is very useful information, and [the Foodservice Conference & Expo is] a great experience for our marketing and culinary teams,” said Maggie Miller, Quality Assurance Product Manager, DineEquity, after the 2016 event.
For complete coverage on this and all other industry events, make sure to stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.