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WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has imposed sanctions on three produce businesses for failure to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA).
According to a USDA press release, the following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:
- Alv Farms LLC, operating out of Rio Rico, AZ, for failing to pay a $15,463 award in favor of an Arizona seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Alv Farms De Mexico Spr. Del Rl was listed as a member of the business. Another principal of the business at the time of the order was Sergio Ruiz De Chavez. He has challenged his responsibly connected status.
- Fresh Seasons LLC, operating out of Doral, FL, for failing to pay a $22,045 award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Mario Baez, Fredy Martinez, and Jaime Penaranda were listed as members of the business.
- Trinity Frozen Foods LLC, operating out of Pembroke, NC, for failing to pay a $132,652 award in favor of an Arkansas seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, David H. Ross was listed as a member of the business.
The PACA Division, which is part of USDA’S Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses that are operating subject to PACA includes buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,500 PACA claims involving more than $58 million. Its experts also assisted more than 8,000 callers with issues valued at approximately $140 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.
LEAMINGTON, ON - One of the trademarks of a growing company can be found in the evolution of its team. This year, greenhouse innovator Pure Flavor continues to be on that upward trajectory, and is introducing a few new faces to the squad as it carries out its vision and growth objectives.
“Every year we have been adding new talents, and leaders from across the industry. Whether that is accounting, marketing support, packaging and R&D, or adding daily operational roles, we have a dynamic company to build and the right people to do it,” Jamie Moracci, President, tells me. “We look for individuals who have a great attitude and an enthusiasm that helps Pure Flavor bring in new innovative items and continue to improve and refine our current product offerings.”
One of the new faces to the team this year is Richard Yousseff, who has joined Pure Flavor as the company’s Commodities Manager. Richard has worked in the produce and food industries most of his life. He joined Pure Hothouse after more than 10 years within the produce industry.
“Richard’s experience is diverse and extensive,” Jamie, says. “He has held a variety of positions in a number of departments including logistics, warehousing, and shipping/commodities.”
Watching a company evolve is in Richard’s wheelhouse. In his last role as a Commodities Manager, Richard developed and grew the department from the grass roots level.
Also new to Pure Flavor and looking to increase efficiencies and drive the company forward is Duff McDonald, who has been hired as Logistics Manager.
“Duff brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the company. He has practiced in the fields of Logistics for more than 30 years,” Jamie shares, noting that each segment of the operation must run smoothly and that Duff will help in executing that goal.
With a growing team, there is definitely one department that will always remain in demand: Human Resources. Coming to the company as Pure Flavor hits its stride and looks to the spring growing season is Mira Skaljac, who has assumed the role of Director of Human Resources.
“Mira joins our team with over twenty years of Human Resource experience and professional training education that will be able to help Pure Flavor get to the next level. Her focus will be on all employee related functions, performance and training development, talent retention, and strategic planning for all areas and locations of the company,” he tells me.
When I ask Jamie how the team defines the company culture and vision, he tells me that Pure Flavor strives to create a great working environment and continues to find new ways to inspire the team and broaden their experiences beyond their current potential.
“We pride ourselves on having strong leadership pioneers to lead the team who will listen to a range of insights,” Jamie, says. “Our commitment to building strong relationships with the entire team, from top to bottom will help each to align with the company’s goals and strategies on a regular basis.”
Pure Flavor is only beginning to tell its 2017 tale, so stay tuned as the company continues strengthening its team, values, and goals.
TAMPA, FL - Since its inception, Harvest CROO Robotics has consistently been pushing the boundaries of agricultural technology—developing state-of-the-art automated harvesting technologies.
I recently had the opportunity to ask Gary Wishnatzki, Co-Founder of Harvest CROO and Owner of Wish Farms, about the company’s latest prototype—a strawberry picking robot designed to operate completely autonomous of human operators, with greater efficiency and speed than would otherwise be possible.
“The latest prototype is picking approximately twice as fast as the one we had in the field last year,” Gary explains to me. “We have an improved leaf pushing design that is able to move foliage more efficiently…The picker is lighter with a new design that allows it to move much faster around the plant. The processing time of the images was an initial limitation in earlier prototypes, but now with image processing under 50 milliseconds and headed to 10 milliseconds, that is no longer holding us back. We will soon only be limited by how fast we can move the bot around the plant without causing damage to the plant.”
Gary tells me that the company’s current working prototype has its picking head affixed to a rail. The robot runs down the furrows of a strawberry field on the rail, simulating the movement of the vehicle to which the head will eventually be affixed. By June, Harvest CROO plans to have the new picking apparatus attached to an autonomous vehicle capable of roaming the field without the assistance of a human operator.
The latest harvester model offers a variety of advantages over traditional methods of harvesting strawberries. Benefits include:
- Lower harvest costs
- Automated harvesters can work on weekends and for extended hours
- Robots can improve the quality of strawberries by picking in the evening and morning—during cooler parts of the day than a traditional labor force allows for
- Saving energy—the prototype can deliver lower-temperature fruit to commercial pre-coolers and increase throughput of coolers, because they will not be limited to daylight hours for arrival of fruit
- The scouting of fields and use of precision ag can reduce pesticide use
- The prototype can increase yields by at least 10 percent, by harvesting the entirety of a crop and precisely weighing packages
“The fact that we have 20 percent of the U.S. strawberry industry represented as investors, speaks volumes,” Gary says, noting that the limited availability and rising cost of traditional farm labor have primed the industry to embrace robotic harvesting. “Most growers will embrace automation. With the pace that robotics is advancing, it is my belief that in 20 years, kids will learn about migrant labor in history books.”
And Gary tells me the company is not done innovating, working to introduce new technologies and make the harvesting process even more efficient and bringing the ideal product to market.
“We recently commissioned a study by the University of Florida to determine if hydrocooling in the field could increase shelf-life of the fruit,” Gary adds. “Preliminary results indicate that hydrocooling the fruit down to 50 degrees, followed by traditional forced air cooling can make a difference in shelf-life. We are looking at ways to do this in the field with a sanitized wash that would make the fruit ready to eat.”
For more on this and other innovative companies in the produce industry, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.
GLENMONT, NY – New York Apples Sales (NYAS) has announced two important hires this week; Jim Allen and Matt Wells have joined the company as Vice President of Marketing and Director of Field Services, respectively.
“Jim Allen’s extensive experience in all aspects of the produce industry will be a great plus for us,” said Kaari Stannard, President and Owner. “Along with his tenure at the Apple Association, he was in produce sales for 16 years, so he knows this business inside and out. Matt Wells brings the ideal background to our business. He grew up in a family fruit business, worked at Cornell, has been out in the field, and understands the procurement and sales processes completely.”
According to a NYAS press release, Allen recently retired from his role as President and CEO of the New York Apple Association after 17 years in that position. He was the recipient of several awards during his tenure at the association—including United Fresh Produce Advocate of the Year and US Apple Association Apple Champion. In his new role, Allen will focus on retail promotion, public relations, managed varieties, government relations, and other marketing efforts.
“This is a company focused on quality, innovation, and growth,” Allen noted. “Think of the way NYAS has teamed with suppliers in New Zealand and Nova Scotia to bring fresh and new apple varieties to the States as just one example. I’m thrilled to be able to help take this company even further.”
Wells, meanwhile, previously served as Procurement Manager for Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Team Leader of Cornell’s Lake Ontario fruit team, and Orchard Supervisor for Maple Ridge Fruit Farm. Along with his ample experience as an Orchard Supervisor and Procurement Manager, Wells brings a wealth of experience from his time spent as Business Management Specialist for the Cornell Cooperative Extension—working to educate fruit growers on production economics. In his new role, Wells will focus on food safety and quality assurance.
“I’m excited to work for a company that is a leader in the industry and is growing,” said Wells. “I love to work ‘in the field’ and look forward to working with our grower partners.”
For more on important appointments in the produce industry, check in with us at AndNowUKnow.
GOODLETTSVILLE, TN - The speculation is true: more fresh produce is in Dollar General’s future. In a recent call with the company’s investors, Dollar General Chief Executive Officer Todd Vasos confirmed that the retailer will be remodeling hundreds of its stores with a specific focus on fresh produce and other perishables.
“Based on the lessons learned from the conversions of our recently acquired Walmart Express locations to our Dollar General Plus format that include fresh meat and produce, we're remodeling about 300 traditional stores to include 34 cooler doors, an increase of about 160% from the existing cooler footprint in these locations,” Vasos told the call’s listeners. “This allows for a much greater perishable assortment, which helps drive trips and basket size.”
In the same call, Vasos shared that one-third of these locations will go through testing for an assortment of fresh produce. Focusing on stores that have fewer than 10 cooler doors, Vasos said Dollar general anticipates that its store base will have an average of 17 cooler doors, up from 10 in 2012.
This announcement coincided with a few other revelations for the company, namely Dollar General’s fourth quarter financial report, and the news that Chief Merchandising Officer James W. Thorpe will be retiring. Dollar General stated that it has started a search for a successor and will consider both internal and external candidates for the job.
Thorpe joined Dollar General in 2006, according to a press release, and served as its Senior Vice President and General Merchandise Manager until July 2012. Later in August 2015, Thorpe returned to Dollar General as Executive Vice President.
"Jim's strong understanding of our core customer and passion for our business have been instrumental in driving innovation in our merchandising initiatives," said Vasos. "When Jim rejoined the company in 2015, we agreed upon a clear set of objectives for his tenure as CMO. As I knew he would, Jim has delivered on the merchandising strategies we identified as our highest priorities. I'm grateful for his contributions and wish Jim and his family the best in the future."
As the company announced its 4th quarter financial results, the following points were highlights of the full report:
- Fourth quarter net sales increased 13.7%
- Fourth quarter same-store sales increased 1.0%
- Fourth quarter diluted EPS increased 15% to $1.49
- Fiscal year net sales increased 7.9% to $22.0 billion
- Fiscal year same-store sales increased 0.9%
- Share repurchases for fiscal 2017 are expected to be approximately $450 million
- Plans to open approximately 1,000 new stores and relocate or remodel 900 stores in fiscal 2017
- Capital expenditures for fiscal 2017 are expected to be in the range of $650 to $700 million
As Dollar General embarks on its new fiscal year with a fresh produce expansion in its crosshairs, AndNowUKnow will keep a sharp eye on its progress.
UNITED STATES – No passing fad, avocado toast is going down in the books as a lasting flavor profile for U.S. consumers, and I am thrilled. An avid lover of both toast and avocados, one of my favorite conglomerations is now available at Starbucks nationwide for easy access and avo-loving.
Officially a part of the Starbucks menu at participating locations, the Organic Avocado Spread boasts a value-added guacamole option for patrons looking for another taste to round out their bagels or baked goods.
Starbucks stated in a press release that the spread consists of fresh, organic Hass avocados, along with sea salt, onion, garlic, jalapeño peppers, and lime juice to further uplift the creamy tastes of avocados.
The noted coffee hub is making the addictive taste of avos available to everyday consumers for an accessible price that is circulating around one dollar. The selection was launched as part of the chain's new spring-focused menu additions.
Eager to pair the pre-packaged avos for yourself with an iced coffee? Visit a participating location now for your own taste.
Is avocado toast destined to grace the menus of other popular foodservice providers? AndNowUKnow will report as soon as we find out.
MCALLEN, TX - Third generation operated GR Fresh is coming into the U.S. with big moves.
The 60-year-old company has been one of Mexico's best-kept secrets, and after redefining and refreshing itself it's ready for the American Market to know its name and label.
In reflecting on recent growth, the company announced a slew of exciting happenings, including a full pipeline from the minds of third generation grower and Executive VP Antonio Villalobos Gonzalez, VP of Operations Luis Webb Gonzalez, and VP of Sales and Marketing Tony Incaviglia.
“We believe our success is because we have focused for generations on our people and will continue to grow by continuing to care for our work environment being environmentally conscious, socially minded and economically sound,” Antonio said in a recent press release. “As an integrated agri-food company we are dedicated to providing fresh produce that meet the needs of our clients, wholesale, and retail partners while improving the welfare of our co-workers and maintaining our family legacy.”
He also noted that the company's retail partners challenged it to improve its value-added offerings. As a result, GR Fresh is in the process of developing new and exciting packaging.
Currently growing in demand are the company’s following bagged products:
- Organic Roma
- Conventional Roma
- Sweet Mini Pepper
- Jalapeño peppers
- Poblano peppers
- Anaheim peppers
- Serrano peppers
- Habanero hot peppers
Other value-added offerings include grape tomatoes, color bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, sweet mini-peppers, round, and roma tomatoes both conventional and organic.
A program set to reach almost one hundred million pounds from January through May, GR Fresh’s tomato program is amongst one of several veggies offered, including cucumbers, eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini, yellow and grey squash. In addition to the other areas it is growing, GR Fresh will grow to almost double in volume to better serve customers across North America.
Part of that growth includes opening a new distribution center in Irwindale, California, to help meet demand and better serve all its west-based customers.
As GR Fresh continues to redefine itself and evolve further to match the everyday challenges of our changing industry, keep checking in with AndNowUKnow.
WENTATCHEE, WA - As company staple Steve Lutz bids farewell to his role as Vice President of Marketing for CMI Orchards, another industry veteran is stepping in. The company is welcoming 20-year Kroger executive George Harter to fill this head marketing role.
“It is so exciting to join the amazing team at CMI Orchards. I look forward to making great contributions to such an outstanding company,” said Harter, who made clear his appreciation for his experience at retail. “Kroger was very good to me in so many ways, providing numerous opportunities to learn, grow and lead for over 20 years. I look forward to applying the successful principles I learned at Kroger to leading the marketing team at CMI.”
Harter worker for Kroger for over two decades in various retail produce operations and management positions. Most recently, Harter used his experience as the Produce and Floral Merchandiser of Kroger’s Atlanta division, which contains 186 stores, according to a release. Prior to his time in Atlanta, Harter held the same position at Kroger’s QFC stores in Seattle.
“Understanding how to succeed in the retail environment is absolutely critical to our success,” shared President Bob Mast upon Harter’s appointment. “Apples have become one of the most complex categories in the produce department. With so many new brands, packages, and varieties, we really need to bring successful strategies to our retail partners with proven programs that drive sales. That’s exactly what George was able to do during his career at Kroger and we’re very excited that he’s now bringing his experience, energy, leadership, and strategic thinking to CMI and our customers. He will be a terrific resource working closely with our retail customers to identify new growth opportunities.”
Familiar with those changes that the apple category has experienced, Harter added that this dramatic shift is part of what makes the category so exciting for retailers. “The evolution of products and packaging in apples is really quite amazing,” he said. “I’ve seen it from a store level perspective. I’ve come to appreciate how critical it is to find the intersection between continuing the success of established apple varieties, and creating growth by building consumer awareness for spectacular new apples like Ambrosia™, Envy®, KIKU®, and Kanzi®. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to bring my retail experience to CMI’s strong customer base, helping them realize new opportunities to drive sales in the apple category.”
Harter’s joining the company was the culmination of a process that started over six months ago, Mast explained, adding, “We take a lot of pride at CMI in being able to develop innovative programs with our retail partners that bring long-term growth in the apple, pear and cherry categories. Whether it’s new retail solutions, category analysis, product assortment, or unique display tools for our newer branded programs like Daisy Girl Organics™, we want to be in a position to be a valued and trusted advisor for our customers. Based on the long term success George had at Kroger we’re convinced that he is the perfect leader for our team and will be a wonderful advisor for our customers.”
Harter has been familiar with CMI Orchards over his career, he said. “As a retailer, I’ve seen everything under the sun in the produce department,” he explained. “Over the years I became a big fan of CMI. They not only have the strongest product lineup but I observed that CMI has outstanding ownership, management, and marketing. I’m honored to have had the opportunity to work at Kroger and to now join the team at CMI.”
The company shared that Harter will be relocating from Atlanta to the CMI Orchards headquarters in Wenatchee, Washington, beginning his new role on April 3. He holds a Masters in Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan and a Bachelor in Business Administration degree from the University of Cincinnati. He is passionate about spending time with family, reading, and leading an active lifestyle, and is looking forward to enjoying the many outdoor activities that the Northwest will offer.
Congratulations to George Harter on this next step in his career, and here’s to many more years of innovation at CMI Orchards!
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – With its sights set on success, Target is looking to rise to the top of the buy-side sector swinging with two recently unveiled strategies. The company has announced a new store prototype to influence its other locations, in addition to appointing a former Kroger veteran to head its grocery operations.
Though it does not yet have a name, Target plans to open a new concept in Houston, TX, to answer the rising consumer demand for convenience. The prototype was unveiled by Target CEO Brian Cornell during the digital commerce conference Shoptalk.
“Expect lots of flexibility, open sight lines, and discovery moments throughout the store,” Cornell said, according to StarTribune. “We’re going to take what we learn in Houston to help guide us as we customize and remodel hundreds and hundreds of stores over the next three years.”
Slated to open this fall in a suburb outside of the Houston area, one main facet of the concept will be to place all food–fresh groceries included–and beverages by the front doors in order to better facilite consumer convenience. Other aspects include the following:
- Online order pickup
- Two separate entrances, similar to current stores
- Merchandise displays to showcase apparel and home goods
- Outdoor space for sitting
Target will also shift its aesthetic appeal to include more rounded features, stenciled concrete floors, unique lighting treatments, and wood-paneled walls and beams. The company indicated that around 40 stores due to be remodeled this fall will gain some of these features right away.
Cornell emphasized that the feedback and insights gleaned from this new concept will be implemented in other stores that are being remodeled as part of the chain’s $7 billion investment strategy. The CEO also stated that the chain also plans to lower prices and launch more exclusive brands in order to create an increase in sales, in addition to marrying digital strategies with ones for its physical stores.
Furthermore, Target has appointed buy-side vet Jeff Burt as Senior Vice President of Grocery, Fresh Food & Beverage. Burt comes to the company with 30 years of experience with Kroger, most recently as the President of its Fred Meyer division.
“I’ve always admired the love that shoppers have for Target,” said Burt, according to a press release. “There is an opportunity to harness the power of the Target brand to more clearly cater to what consumers want when they’re shopping for food and beverage. I am eager to join the team to help fuel the work that’s underway and propel the business forward.”
Burt will officially join the company on April 10, and will help execute Target’s grocery strategy: to provide a differentiated guest experience through the assortment, quality, and competitive prices of its products.
“After an extensive search to find a new leader to join our team, I’m confident that Jeff is the right person for the charge. His vast industry expertise will accelerate our plans to bring a unique food and beverage experience to Target guests,” said Executive Vice President and CMO Mark Tritton, to whom Burt will report. “He’s an enthusiastic and passionate leader with the deep knowledge in food and beverage that Target needs to build on recent progress and drive future growth.”
Will these new strategies move Target up the grocery chain as it hopes? AndNowUKnow will report.