ORONDO, WA - It has always been about the fruit. For decades, Auvil Fruit has had a strong focus and commitment to flavor, quality, and orchard innovation; all in an effort to bring the most delicious and well-cultivated fruit to retailers and consumers alike.
With the company’s current growth and eye on the future, Auvil Fruit is bringing its story to market once again, and this time with a new rebranding initiative.
Chief Operating Officer Lee Arthur joins me to share the many elements of this new endeavor, and how the Gee Whiz story brings Auvil Fruit’s vision to life.
“The focus of the rebranding has been two fold. In preparations for a push for growth, we felt that we must first re-invigorate the ‘brand trust’ within our own team and culture,” Lee shares with me. “Our team knew that if we expected more out of the employees and expected to recruit more talent, it was imperative that we build loyalty and trust amongst those who represent Auvil Fruit.”
The second element of this rebranding has been a re-birth of the Gee Whiz brand and what it means to vendor partners and consumers. By furthering consumer brand engagement and awareness of Auvil Fruit and the Gee Whiz brand, the company seeks to drives sales at retail and provide a vital step in reaching the growth goals of the company and its customers.
Looking ahead, Auvil will be rolling out a 12-month awareness campaign that includes social media, blog, news articles, e-newsletters as well as a summer and fall sweepstakes.
“The core message of this rebrand will be delivered through a series of beautifully produced cinematic style videos on our YouTube Channel and blog,” Lee says, noting that these videos weave together the entire Auvil storyline on just how different Auvil really is. “The first of these videos tells the story of how growing world class fruit is deep in our roots.
This full-fledged rebranding campaign has many layers to its execution. From an inner office transition to wearables, a brand new website, packaging and even apple labels. It’s all been updated and overhauled.
When I ask Lee about the message the team is hoping to communicate with the rebrand, he says that it comes down value and commitment.
“Considerable time was spent on the written brand promise,” he comments, adding that the message of value that Auvil brings to the table was even more intensely focused upon than all the visual messaging. “Our new brand promise or tagline, ‘Where Passion Meets Flavor’ embodies the rich history of our brand while at the same time inviting consumers to dream along with us both... what goes into producing Gee Whiz Fruit, as well as what it’s like to eat Gee Whiz Fruit.”
And this new messaging goes back to the very roots of the company’s vision: the passion.
“Our family is passionate about delivering this promise to yours by maintaining our position as a premium grower and producer of Washington apples, cherries, and cider under our highly regarded Gee Whiz brand,” Lee shares.
Currently, Auvil is in a growth phase–ramping up cider production, buying more land, and planting more trees to name a few of these its recent investments.
With the spring hitting its stride, the company saw this as the ideal time to increase awareness and create more demand for Auvil’s premium products.
With the brand refresh underway, Auvil Fruit is looking to ‘spring’ into this next chapter, one apple and cherry at a time.
FOWLER, CA - A new online store is aiming to bring beloved Raisels® Sourlicious Golden Raisins to consumers’ doorsteps, thanks to this latest launch by the National Raisin Company. The independent packer of dried fruit has long been distributing its product to schools throughout, beginning its efforts in 2012.
“We are so excited to finally launch our online store,” shared LindaKay Abdulian, CEO. “We receive requests from families across the country every day who eat Raisels at school and want to purchase them. It’s a healthy alternative to gummy fruit snacks and other candies.”
According to a press release, Raisels are sour, fruit-flavored golden raisins, which are then sprinkled with a touch of sugar to awaken their flavor. The flavors currently include Watermelon Shock, Fruit Splash, Orange Burst, and Lemon Blast—each of which are all-natural.
The National Raisin Company touts many health benefits for Raisels, including:
- Real fruit as its number one ingredient
- 100% RDI for Vitamin C
- Fat-Free
- Cholesterol-Free
- No Artificial Sweeteners
- Kosher Certified
- Gluten-Free
Established in 1969 by Ernest, Kenneth, and Krikor Bedrosian, National Raisin Company is one of the world’s largest independent dried fruit packers. Today, the company is spearheaded by CEO and President LindaKay Abdulian, daughter of original Founder Krikor Bedrosian.
To learn more about Raisels and to see the new website for yourself, visit raisels.com.
LOS ALAMITOS, CA - Frieda’s is growing its team with new additions to focus on development, accounts, and more.
Dustin Hahn joined up earlier this month, and the company welcomed industry vet Jeremy Baasch in January.
“I’ve been working with specialty produce for the past 10 years, and helping my customers build a successful specialty program is what I’m passionate about,” said Baasch, now the specialty foods company’s Account Manager. “I love sharing new food experiences with people and truly believe that variety is the spice of life.”
Baasch brings nearly two decades in the industry, having worked in several positions within the specialty division of Ready Pac for the last 10 years, and as a Produce Manager with Vons for 9 years before that.
Hahn, who is Frieda’s new Business Development Representative, was most recently focusing on servicing the foodservice, wholesale, and retail segments for West Pak Avocado. Prior to that, he held retail store positions with Whole Foods, according to a press release.
“There’s a quote on Frieda’s office wall that says, ‘Do it with passion or not at all,’ and that resonates with me,” said Hahn, who will be working with Frieda’s customers on the East Coast. “I love working with my customers and finding business solutions for them, and I get to embrace that passion by working with the business development team.”
These are the latest in a string of new faces for the company. Allen DeMo, who has more than 25 years of experience in the produce industry, joined on as new Director of Procurement and Sourcing earlier this year. The team also welcomed new Director of Business Development Kevin Leap, who joined on last July.
Congratulations to all the newest additions to the Frieda’s team from AndNowUKnow!
MUNCIE, IN – Marsh Supermarkets continues to contract—with two recent closures in the Indianapolis area and two more set to follow.
According to local ABC news affiliate RTV-6, the company will shutter stores on the south side of the state capital and at the Nora Corners Shopping Center on March 25 and April 8 respectively. Additional stores in Richmond and Peru, Indiana, are expected to close this month, too. The Fort Wayne News-Sentinel reported this February that Marsh has dropped plans to build two new supermarkets in northern Indiana.
The Indiana Business Journal (IBJ) reported last week that the company has stopped paying rent on as many as six locations throughout Indianapolis, and at least two ownership groups have sued Marsh over nonpayment of rent.
The Indiana-based business supermarket chain was founded by the Marsh family in 1931, and was acquired by Florida-based Sun Capital Partners in 2006. The company had 120 locations as of the time of the acquisition—but has shrunk steadily to 67 stores.
“The fact that it’s a multiple number of cases would indicate that there’s probably some cash-flow problems,” Grocery Analyst David Livingston, who runs DJL Research in Waukesha, Wisconsin, told the IBJ. “I just don’t know of any viable company that arbitrarily starts to withhold rent.”
The IBJ also reports that Sun Capital Partners—a company managing more than $9 billion in capital—almost certainly has the capacity to rescue Marsh stores that may be foundering, but the company is unlikely to do so unless they are confident in a return on their investment. The private equity firm is most likely planning to continue liquidating the supermarkets assets.
For more on the situation as it develops, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.
INTERNATIONAL WATERS - A little bit of international intrigue has entered the produce industry arena. Reports have surfaced that famed Irish drug lord Christy Kinahan has selected fresh produce as the perfect vehicle to smuggle his illegal narcotics all around the world.
Kinahan, referred to as "the Irish Godfather” or “the Dapper Don” by The Daily Mail, is using a massive container ship to transport both narcotics and weapons. Amongst the illegal contraband, aiming to conceal it from prying eyes, are legitimate items like vehicles, and—you guessed it—fresh fruit.
According to The Daily Mail, the Irish Godfather has registered the ship in Liberia in order to evade law enforcement’s attempts to further investigate the claims against him. Kinahan, who now allegedly lives in Dubai, is now worth an estimated one billion euros.
“Christy Kinahan doesn’t have to smuggle drugs across borders anymore because he spent millions buying his own container ship,” a source shared with the Irish Mirror. “The ship can go all over the world stuffed with drugs and guns, but also carries legitimate cargo products too.”
Kinahan's cartel is thought by experts to be one of the biggest wholesale operations in both Ireland and the U.K., the Mail reports, and has been accused of crimes stemming from drug offenses, all the way to murder over the past decade.
Kinahan clearly has no intention of hanging up his crime mob hat anytime soon, but will he continue to corroborate fresh produce into his devious activities? AndNowUKnow has our eyes on international waters for the latest updates.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Looking to fortify its distribution prowess even further throughout buy-side realms, SpartanNash has just announced a strategic appointment to its leadership at Caito Foods. SpartanNash has promoted Mike Pahud to Chief Operating Officer of Caito Foods.
Pahud has been serving the company as its Chief Financial Officer, according to a press release. Under his new role, he will assume responsibility for sales, procurement, and operations in addition to his already managed coverage of Finance and Information Technology for Caito Foods.
“Mike’s performance and commitment has been a tremendous asset in supporting Caito’s growth and performance improvement over the past several years,” said Bob Kirch, EVP of SpartanNash, and President and CEO of Caito Foods. “He also plays a key role as a member of the SpartanNash-Caito-BRT Integration Management Office (IMO). We look forward to the contributions Mike will make in his new role.”
During his time with the Caito Foods executive team, the company noted that Pahud has led multiple initiatives that were necessary to build sustainable platforms and systems to handle the company’s future growth. Pahud first came to Caito Foods in February 2013 from R. W. Armstrong and Associates.
SpartanNash joined forces with Caito Foods and the logistics business of Blue Ribbon Transport in January of this year. Under the terms of the $217 million acquisition with Caito Foods, SpartanNash gained its produce distribution business, including its fresh cut fruits and vegetables business and the company’s new 118,000-square-foot Fresh Kitchen facility. This USDA-certified plant was specifically designed to process and package fresh-prepared foods.
What fresh produce-minded moves will SpartanNash make next? AndNowUKnow will report as we find out.
CASTROVILLE, CA – Ocean Mist® Farms announced the passing of Albert Pieri today. Pieri was one of the company’s founders and a dedicated employee of nearly 50 years.
“Our most heartfelt condolences go out to Albert’s children, Renee, Glen, Dorian, and Diane, along with his sister Norma Pieri-Reasons, brother-in-law Don Reasons, and companion Marlene McMillan,” said CEO Joe Pezzini, in a company announcement. “Al’s contributions to our organization, the agricultural industry, and his community will be remembered and appreciated by all for many years to come.”
Pieri was a pioneering member of the California Artichoke and Vegetable Growers—renamed Ocean Mist Farms in 1995—and a recipient of the UnitedAg Lifetime Achievement Award for his service to the industry.
Known affectionately as “Big Al” for his stature and outsize personality, Pieri began his career working for his father at California Artichoke & Vegetable (Cal Choke)—harvesting crops and making crates after school and during the summertime.
After completing high school, Pieri joined the navy, completed an overseas tour of duty, and returned to the company—packing broccoli, loading and icing railroad cars, driving trucks, and learning the business from the ground up.
In 1954, Pieri moved to a bookkeeping position, but soon found himself fielding sales calls and establishing a rapport with buyers. By 1964, he had become the company’s Sales Manager. During this time, Cal Choke added cauliflower, cardone, and sweet fennel to its categories, and the company’s popularity—along with Big Al’s—took off. In 1974 over 600 friends and associates came together to celebrate the company’s 50th Anniversary in Castroville.
Pieri continued to support innovation and expansion throughout his career. By 1981, the company had added romaine lettuce from Boutonnet Farms, along with butter, red, green, and leaf lettuces. His tenure saw the company ad state-of-the-art packing machinery, hydro and vacuum coolers, forced-air storage and handling rooms, ice injection chambers, computers, and controllers—some of the first of their kind in agriculture.
A memorial service is planned for 11am on May 6, 2017 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery in Woodland, California. In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation to the Ocean Mist Farms Academic Scholarship Program.
RIDGE SPRING, SC - It's been a cold week or two in South Carolina, and because of it, the state’s thriving peach crop has taken a hit. Mid-March’s record low temperatures have resulted in what the state’s Department of Agriculture is saying could result in damage for of all but 15 to 20 percent of South Carolina’s usual crop.
This year’s peach season was already in bloom around two to three weeks early due to an abnormally warm winter, Chalmers Carr, Owner and President of Titan Farms shared with me. Titan’s typical harvest for peaches is May 12 through September 12, but based on this year’s weather, it could have meant the company would have packed peaches in April for the first time ever.
Nature, as it usually does, had other plans.
“I can’t speak for the rest of the industry, but at our farm we have suffered a devastating loss of over 80 percent of our peach volume,” Carr explained. “As the second largest peach grower in the country and the largest on the East Coast, a freeze of this nature should have an effect on market supplies, and will mostly likely mean higher prices for consumers.”
So, what should retailers who still want to sell consumer-demanded southeast peaches do?
“We encourage retailers to work with their individual growers to promote and highlight the few peaches remaining in the windows they will have them,” Carr said, “possibly offering orchard direct (tree-ripened peaches with fuzz on them) in July and August.”
South Carolina’s Commissioner of Agriculture, Hugh Weathers, had optimistic words for the state’s peach growers, who support over 1,500 jobs statewide. “As South Carolina farmers have shown time and again, they are resilient, and with the help of allied-industry partners, they will survive this devastating blow,” he said in an issued press release.
In 1999, Titan Farms adopted the H2-A program, which Carr told me helps employers to bring in legal foreign workers on a temporary basis when there are not enough willing and able U.S. workers to perform the jobs advertised. Titan Farms' thoughts are now with those workers.
“Our farm has grown to its capacity because of our dedicated and hard-working employees, and they are hit with a loss now as well due to this unexpected freeze,” Carr shared. “Our primary concern right now is to our extended family—the loyal, hard-working H2-A workers, who leave their families to come to work at Titan Farms each year. We have met with these workers to explain the status of the crop and to attempt to place them with other H2-A farming operations. We are truly a 'Titan family' and work hard to take care of everyone.”
AndNowUKnow’s hearts and minds are also with the state’s agriculture industry, and we will continue watching and reporting on this story as it develops.
SEATTLE, WA - As the cyber sector of grocery continues to heat up, AmazonFresh looks to be upping the ante with one of the most familiar faces in home cooking: Martha Stewart.
The retail giant’s grocery arm is now delivering Martha & Marley Spoon–a partnership between Stewart and Marley Spoon, Inc. for pre-prepped meal kits–with seasonal ingredient options and other grocery items offered on its site, according to a MarketWatch report.
The news source noted that the U.S. grocery market is estimated at $1.3 trillion in 2017, according to Cowen & Company, and analysts have observed that this latest move into meal kits is Amazon’s latest foray into the growing market.
The new service offers same-day delivery in several key eating areas, including:
- New York, NY
- San Francisco, CA
- Dallas, TX
- Boston, MA
- Washington DC
- Philadelphia, PA
Despite it being a seemingly-difficult nut to crack, Cowen & Company projects the online aspect of grocery to continue to grow to an estimated $70.6 billion in sales this year and as much as $177 billion in sales by 2022.
With retailers like Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, and more also pushing ever-further into the mix, AndNowUKnow will continue to report on the latest strategies to bring fresh produce further into the e-commerce fold.
MISSION, TX - U.S. trade policy, namely the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), has been a source of some confusion for the produce industry in recent months, but a newly announced session at the Viva Fresh Produce Expo seeks to banish some of that uncertainty. Viva Fresh’s newly announced session will feature experts discussing the impacts, both positive and negative, of NAFTA on the region’s produce industry.
“In an interactive discussion with the audience, the panelists will focus on the big picture of NAFTA and the role of produce in trade and how potential changes to NAFTA could impact the industry as a whole, as well as potential changes to production costs, consumer pricing, and supply,” explained Melinda Goodman, Chair for the Viva Fresh Produce Expo Educational Committee.
As we all are privy to, foreign trade pacts, including NAFTA, were one of our industry’s most-talked about issues during the 2016 presidential election cycle, and now-President Donald Trump looks to be renegotiating existing international trade deals. As explained in a press release, this stance has provoked uncertainty among members of Viva host Texas International Produce Association (TIPA), as well as throughout the entire produce industry.
"The likelihood of some renegotiation of existing trade deals appears to be imminent,” shared Bret Erickson, President & CEO of the Texas International Produce Association. “It’s important that we understand the broad context of the challenges and opportunities of NAFTA and prepare a list of requirements which best serves the needs of the entire produce industry, as well as US consumers. We must remain focused on the continued economic success of our growers, shippers, packers, importers, and others who strive to provide U.S. consumers with the safest, most abundant, and affordable supply of fresh fruits and vegetables in the world.”
This session will be held at the Hilton Austin Hotel at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, April 21, and will feature the following panelists:
Robert Guenther, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at the United Fresh Produce Association
Guenther will moderate the discussion and facilitate audience questions. For the last 17 years, Guenther has represented the fresh fruit and vegetable industry before Congress, the Administration, and regulatory agencies.
Luis Ribera, Ph.D; Associate Professor and Extension Economist at Texas A&M University
Dr. Ribera will be providing insight into the complexities of NAFTA for multiple industries and agriculture, including how the produce industry has evolved since 1993 when NAFTA was signed into law, as well as possible scenarios related to a new trade policy. Dr. Ribera is the Director of the Center for North American Studies and also serves as Program Director for International Projects with the Agricultural and Food Policy Center. He has been an invited speaker in over 250 conferences worldwide, and has brought over $22 million in research and extension funding for his programs.
Ron Lemaire, President of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA)
Lemaire will provide attendees with a Canadian perspective on NAFTA. For over 16 years, Lemaire has worked closely with government and regulatory officials to represent the needs and interests of the over 830 international and Canadian members of the CPMA.
Raul Urteaga, General Coordinator of International Affairs–SAGARPA
Urteaga experience resides in bilateral trade, including service as a commercial advisor in the NAFTA office in Washington D.C., where he helped facilitate the implementation of NAFTA before existing roles including work with SENASICA, and PROMEXICO. Urteaga will speak to the view of NAFTA from Mexico, and how changes in free trade create new challenges and opportunities for business across the border.
For more information on this session and the show at large, visit www.vivafreshexpo.com.