PLANT CITY, FL - There’s more than love in the air for Floridians this Valentine’s Day, as Wish Farms can attest to. The berry grower has seen to it that more than four thousand pounds of strawberries have flooded Feeding Tampa Bay just in time for the holiday.
“We are always happy when we can arrange a donation to Feeding Tampa Bay,” said Gary Wishnatzki, Owner of Wish Farms, upon the company's investment into the community. “Everyone deserves access to fresh food, and we are excited to supply families with strawberries right in time for Valentine’s Day.”
Thanks to the move, fresh strawberries will be part of over four thousand meals to families in and around the Tampa Bay area, according to a press release.
“We are grateful to be in partnership with Wish Farms,” said Thomas Mantz, Executive Director of Feeding Tampa Bay. “This generous donation of fresh, locally-grown strawberries along with ongoing collaboration with the farm allows us to provide healthy futures for thousands of individuals and families we serve.”
How are you, your office, and your loved ones incorporating fresh produce into your Valentine’s Day celebrations? Tag @andnowuknow in your Instagram photos to share with us.
Kudos to Wish Farms on this momentous move, and from our team to yours Happy Valentine’s Day!
WESTBOROUGH, MA – With just over a year under his belt as BJ Wholesale Club CEO, Chris Baldwin has given the buy-side sector a little glimpse into what sets the exec apart and gives the chain an edge in the competitive retail landscape.
At the top of Baldwin’s focus is a need to impart on consumers the top priority of the company—an emphasis on fresh, he told the Post and Courier.
“What we would really like the public to know is how important our fresh food business is to our company. What makes us different than other club store operators is how much fresh food is at the center of our plan,” Baldwin stated in the interview. “We try and give shoppers the opportunity to fill up their weekly basket.”
In order to continually deliver on this fresh food strategy, Baldwin stated that the company offers more variety than its competitors. Additionally, BJ’s Wholesale Club aims to keep its prices 25 percent lower than other buy-side names on everything, fresh fruit and vegetables included, in order to keep a strong portfolio.
So, what’s in the future for BJ’s Wholesale Club? Baldwin named expanion, online sales, and more fresh offerings to adapt to the shifting retail landscape.
“We will continue to invest in growth. We've added 14 stores over the last three or four years. We opened in New Jersey in August, and will open in Summerville [South Carolina] this year. We have plans to do three to five a year over the next several years,” stated Baldwin.
The South Carolina store will earn the company its 16th state of operation, and complete its span across the East Coast. Baldwin called this next stage of expansion an important one to the company.
Baldwin also indicated that BJ’s Wholesale Club will continue to utilize its membership model in future plans, as the company sees the American consumer expanding their use of memberships in every day life. The company will also continue to explore e-commerce options, he added.
“I think retailers that are able to deliver a combination of freshness and value will be very successful for a long time to come,” continued Baldwin. “There's no question that the consumer in the U.S. has a great deal of options today, including traditional brick-and-mortar and online retailers. As has been the case in all of history, retailers will always be challenged to be more effective and more efficient in what they do. I think retailers that have a very strong fresh and valued proposition have a very, very bright future."
When asked if the company intended to use its successes and expansion as opportunity to go public and pursue an IPO, Baldwin stated that for now, the wholesale chain is happy with its current private status.
With its newest 87,000-square-foot store store, BJ's Wholesale Club will boast 215 stores and employ over 25,000 people.
As retailers continue to expand throughout U.S. markets and beyond, AndNowUKnow will keep our finger to the pulse of the latest buy-side trends and strategies.
HART, MI - As we continue to inch closer to Michigan’s asparagus season, Todd Greiner Farms Packing has revealed a big expansion is in the works. The asparagus grower/packer/shipper will be adding a fifth packing line to its Hart, Michigan facility, which the company expects will be primed to operate ahead the start of the asparagus season in May.
“Our expansion needs are about the need for improved efficiency to meet the growing demand of our customers,” shared President and CEO Todd Greiner. “We know our customers are eager to bring in high-quality, local asparagus that meets their needs for a superior pack. This expanded packing line allows us to facilitate those needs and deliver product on a timely basis during our seasonal market window.”
Todd Greiner Farms has put a large focus on investing in its packing capabilities over the past three years, the company said, responding to the growing demand for Michigan-grown asparagus. In addition to the new packing line, these investments have included a second packing house, as well as two additional packing lines. According to a press release, the demand for Michigan asparagus now exceeds 1.5 pounds per consumer, per year.
On average, Todd Greiner Farms’ asparagus season runs from early May to late June, with promotable volumes expected to be flowing in the week of May 14th. In addition to what the company refers to as it’s locally-grown, domestic pedigree, Michigan asparagus is “hand snapped” rather than ground cut. The result? An all green, all edible asparagus spear with an enhanced shelf appearance and more total yield per spear.
AndNowUKnow will continue covering the latest as we head into one of Michigan’s most productive seasons, so stay tuned!
LAHORE, PAKISTAN – Pakistan’s Airports Security Force (ASF) and Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) soured one man’s plans to transport 2.5 kilograms of heroin into the Middle East, hidden inside of oranges.
The drugs were seized at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport in route to Qatar, where officers prevented Saragodha native Naeem Masih from boarding his flight Saturday, February 11.
After a thorough inspection, the oranges Masih were carrying were revealed to be, in fact, capsules of heroin wrapped in orange peels, according to news source Pakistan Today. The seedy mock-citrus was seized and Masih was taken into custody to be interrogated.
According to Pakistan’s Daily Times, the recovered drugs were valued at Rs25 million, nearly $24,000.
Masih’s flight, Qatar Airways flight QR-621, was scheduled to arrive at Jeddah via Doha in Qatar, but Dunya News reports that the drugs may have been headed for Saudi Arabia.
No news has been forthcoming regarding whether the attempted smuggling was an isolated incident or part of a broader criminal conspiracy.
Where will nefarious types next use fresh produce to pirate their wares? AndNowUKnow will keep you in the loop.
BERLIN, GERMANY – With our industry friends having closed out Fruit Logistica across the pond, reports are already rolling into those of us that were state-side of the connections made, and opportunities experienced.
One of the noted events held within the larger exposition was United Fresh’s Global Reception. As Jeff Oberman, Vice President of Trade Relations for United Fresh, took the time to share with me, the gathering was ripe with global good cheer and ideal networking instances.
“In the midst of this international gathering, attendees of the United Fresh Global Reception enjoyed catching up with old friends and business associates,” Jeff tells me. “Throughout the show, our staff team enjoyed fostering new partnerships and solutions between our member companies in attendance.”
Over 150 United Fresh members gathered for the annual reception, providing a relaxing break at the end of the day for members from around global supply chain to mingle and meet.
“The United Fresh booth, member hotel block, and reception provide value to our members in North America a ‘home away from home,’ when attending Fruit Logistica,” Jeff added.
John Toner, Vice President, Convention and Industry Collaboration shared that he received tremendous feedback in Berlin from attendees who were “looking ahead to United Fresh 2017 in Chicago this summer from June 13-15 for its own exciting offerings. Attendees and exhibitors can look forward to the new FreshMKT, FreshTEC, Global Cold Chain, and International Floriculture Expositions,” John said.
Learn more about the United Fresh Expo here.
Want more on the latest industry events and happenings? Keep up with AndNowUKnow.
ROCHESTER, NY – Owing to their exceptional standing, the 2017 Harris Poll Reputation Quotient® (RQ) study has ranked Amazon, Wegmans Food Markets, and Publix Super Markets as the top names in corporate reputation among the county's 100 most visible companies.
From the 100 most prominent companies selected, over 20,000 participants were asked to rate companies’ reputations on 20 attributes and six key dimensions: social responsibility, emotional appeal, products and services, vision and leadership, financial performance, and workplace environment.
Wegmans, the family-owned supermarket chain, was ranked by reputation alongside 99 other companies. The company landed squarely between Amazon at number one, and edged out Publix in third. Other grocers like Costco, Kroger, and Whole Foods cracked the top 35.
“This only happens because our 47,000 employees are committed to helping our customers and giving their best every day,” said President Colleen Wegman, according to a press release. “We are so proud and grateful to our people for earning our customers’ trust.”
Companies received a range of scores from excellent to critical. Amazon, Wegmans, Publix, and 14 other companies received excellent scores; conversely, 12 companies received critical to poor scores.
The study was conducted from November 29 to December 16, 2016, preceded by a preliminary nominating process in which participants were asked, unaided, to name companies that stand out in terms of visibility and corporate reputation.
“The way we treat one another matters,” noted Wegman. “There are five values that guide us: caring, high standards, make a difference, respect, empowerment.”
For more on exceptional grocery retailers, check back in with AndNowUKnow.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - With 2017 having arrived in full force, many retailers are using the new year to take a closer look at their bottom lines. One way the buying community may be able to cut costs, Jeff Helseth, Twist-Ease’s Head of Field Operations tells me, is surprisingly to invest in twist ties. So, how can the oft forgotten about twist ties you may be used to seeing around the produce department actually help increase ring at the register?
“What retailers may be surprised to learn, is that the Twist-Ease program is actually more cost-effective compared to offering no twist ties at all,” Jeff explains to me. “Just a few of the benefits our customers have seen have been preventing product from spilling out of carts, discouraging customer sampling while walking the store, eliminating cross contamination by sealing the bag, as well as helping to prevent scale inaccuracies at checkout.”
Jeff notes that Twist-Ease’s unique designs, in which customers pluck ties from a pack suspended in a dispenser rather than out of a cup, requires less refilling, prevents twist ties from being scattered onto the produce, and discourages customers from depositing gum or trash into twist tie cups. The company’s line of dispensers are also universally adaptable, and can be mounted to any bag stand or store fixture. The system is completely customizable—allowing retailers to choose specific tie colors and logos for dispensers, and even allowing for repeated messages to be printed onto ties.
And with its newest product line, Click-N-Go, set to debut in 2017, installing or replacing damaged, dirty, or outdated dispensers more convenient than ever.
“Our new ‘Click-N-Go’ system is a solution to our dispensers getting dirty or broken while they are in the store,” Jeff tells me. “Stores will have a metal mounting apparatus affixed at the store and will receive the twist-ties already glued into a plastic disposable dispenser. The store can then simply 'Click' the plastic dispensers onto the metal mounting bracket, and when the ties are used up, they can remove the empty dispenser and replace it with a new one.”
Twist-Ease’s Click-N-Go system will stock twice as many ties as the company’s current offerings—2,400 ties per pack. In a typical cup system, the ties only measure up to around 300-400.
Easily replaceable, the plastic dispensers will allow users more customizability. Retailers will be able to print seasonal promotions, anniversaries, initiatives, and other time-sensitive materials onto dispensers without the risk of becoming outdated.
Jeff shares that the flag tie portion of its business will be another priority for 2017. Available in four and six inch sizes, Twist-Ease flag ties have a large flag on one end, allowing customers to note product numbers on each tie.
To learn even more about all of Twist-Ease's products and services, check out www.twistease.com.
OROVILLE, CA – As parched California celebrates it wettest winter in years, the state’s reservoir structures are now being put to the test with the sudden onslaught of extra precipitation. Authorities are releasing mass amounts of water from the Oroville Dam in order to relieve pressure from an overflowing and damaged emergency spillway, preventing further damage to the structure, and a potential overflow that could threaten the areas below Lake Oroville.
The Oroville Dam protects the state’s second-largest reservoir, and is also the country’s tallest dam. Due to heavy amounts of rain and snow in the region, coupled with water accumulated from the Sierra Nevada mountain range, has seen the lake fuller than it has been in years and in need of its spillways. However, both spillways are currently damaged.
Authorities issued evacuation orders for up to 188,000 people in three counties, after realizing the damage to the emergency spillway that was in use. As the spillway overflowed with water on Sunday, authorities released around 100,000-cubic-feet per second from the main spillway in order to reduce the water flowing down the emergency. Authorities noted that normal flows down that spillway are generally around 55,000-cubic-feet per second.
"We want to drop that water level before the next storm hits Wednesday," the DWR's Carlson told CNN. "It's supposed to be a colder storm, which is good. Last week the rain storm was warmer. So we had both the rain runoff and the warmer rain melting the snow and that snow melt also flowed into the lake."
The Oroville Dam has two spillways to assist in flood control for the region, allowing authorities to release water out of the lake to prevent overflow. The main spillway currently hosts a large and deep hole in part of its channel. The emergency, once brought into use, also began to erode under the pressure of the water.
CNN reported that annual rainfall in Oroville is around 31 inches, but as of this weekend, Lake Oroville has already seen 25 inches of rain with another week’s worth of wet weather predicted to begin on Wednesday.
"So the lake rose 50 feet in just a few days," said Dan Brekke of radio station KQED, according to NPR, "and got up to this emergency spillway which had never been used since the dam went into service in 1968. And on Saturday morning, it began pouring over there."
As of last evening, officials reported that the amount of water coming down the emergency spillway had significantly lessened after releasing pressure down the main. Authorities are using this brief respite in California rain to attempt to drop the Lake’s water level, and attempt to increase the integrity of the spillways’ structures.
What will the next few days bring for the Oroville Dam and its spillways, and will more massive amounts of needed water need to be released from the strucuture? AndNowUKnow will report as the new unfolds.
BERLIN, GERMANY - As attendees have descend upon the final day of the Fruit Logistica exhibition, Bayer is continuing its three day focus of showcasing fresh produce innovations, including hydroponic lettuce, colored carrots, and a new snack vegetable label. Beyond its produce-specific introductions, Bayer is highlighting its wide array of Food Chain Partnership activities and new collaborations.
Each year, Bayer’s Vegetable Seeds team of Bayer uses Fruit Logistica to launch some of its most exiting fresh produce innovations. For instance, Bayer has extended its focus on the massively growing trend of hydroponic lettuce for 2017, spotlighting a few of the growing methods benefits:
- Producing in a greenhouse means that growers are not dependent on the weather—growers get results sooner and can harvest more often
- Hydroponic lettuce is easier to handle because they do not have to wash the crop intensively
- Consumers can buy a sustainably produced product that requires fewer crop protection products during the growing stage
According to a press release, Bayer is also presenting a new colored snack carrot design based on different Nunhems™ Imperator varieties that contains four different colors. Each variety is equipped with its own taste and health components, as well as a unique disease resistance. Bayer reported that, compared to traditional carrots, they are crispier, sweeter, and have a more attractive color.
Finally, the company is continuing to showcase its recently launched Minigustos™ snacking veggie label, which we announced earlier this month.
Beyond its direct produce innovations, Bayer is also focusing on its Food Chain Partnership initiative—based on delivering tailored integrated solutions that address the individual local challenges of growers and the supply chain.
"We don’t have ready-made solutions," explained Ronald Guendel, Global Head of Food Chain Relations at the Crop Science division of Bayer. "In all our projects, we check out the situation on site, talk to our partners to find out which needs they really have. With this understanding we then develop individual action plans and provide growers with the tools to meet those needs."
The company said the initiative has experienced rapid growth over the past decade, and currently consists of about 70 Food Chain Managers from Bayer, who are active in 30 countries around the world, and focus on more than 50 different crops.
The Food Chain Relations team is highlighting five interesting new collaborations at its Fruit Logistica booth, including:
- A partnership with the Dutch trading organization Cefetra that is seeking to raise soybean production standards and encourage sustainable growing practices
- A Brazilian project that features responsible production and certification of potatoes
- A new collaboration from the Ivory Coast looks at the implementation of integrated pest management, training for growers and certification in cocoa production
- A vegetable project in the Dominican Republic focused on significantly reducing the application of chemical crop protection products
- A Guatemalan vegetable partnership, Bayer supports to build up an organic production program
And this is not even all that Bayer has in store for attendees of Fruit Logista, so stay tuned for further updates on everything the company has in the works for 2017.
LOS ANGELES, CA - As we settle into 2017, forgetting only occasionally what year to sign as the date, produce-fueled Juiceology has announced a focus on a stronger brand with the announcement of new packaging.
“We noticed that no one offers a juice with fiber so we decided to take on the challenge–why not get your daily intake of fiber in a healthy, tasty, and convenient way?” said CEO Felipe d’Avila of the company’s products, commenting in a press release that although the previous packaging was appealing, it is time for the company to set itself apart.
Juiceology’s “live on the bright side” slogan will be clearly displayed on the front of the new labels, showing information about what exactly is inside each bottle.
Founded in 2010 in Southern California, the dynamic beverage company is family-owned and funded and has since spread from the West Coast to span across the U.S. Now, its six products are being sold in major stores such as Costco, Walmart, Kroger, and Safeway.
Juiceology’s newest juice is called Red Elements, combining beets, carrots, red berries, and apples, with a hint of ginger and turmeric.
The other five juice flavors include:
- Purple Potential, which includes plum, grape, blackberry, and coconut water
- Berry Benefits, with blueberry and acai
- PomBerry Bliss, with pomegranate, blueberry, and cranberry
- Radient Boost, made with peach and mango
- Green Elements
Juiceology said that it prides itself on offering a juice with micro-nutrient extracts that boost the nutritional value without boosting calories or affecting the fruit’s flavor. The fiber, made from oats and barley, delivers 30 percent of the recommended daily intake of grains. In addition, Juiceology juices are packed with prebiotics that aid in digestion.
Check out all the products in action here.