IRWINDALE, CA – In a move to lend a helping hand to those affected by the recent flooding in Louisiana, Ready Pac Foods has graciously donated 30,000 of its freshly-made Bistro® Salad Bowls to the relief effort. The complete meal salads with protein will be distributed by the American Red Cross Disaster Relief teams in the region over the next two weeks.
“We saw the suffering and knew we had to do something to lend a hand,” explained Tony Sarsam, Ready Pac Foods’ Chief Executive Officer, about the reason behind the large charitable donation.
Ready Pac Foods, who has recently penned a new business partnership with Domino’s to provide fresh salads, donated more than 7,000 of those branded salads within the region through the American Red Cross as well.
“We hope that this care package will provide a little comfort during this difficult time, and we continue to send our thoughts and prayers to those affected by the devastating floods,” Sarsam added.
In its company press release, Ready Pac Foods urged both customers and associates who wish to help to text “LAFLOODS” to 90999, thereby donating $10 to American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Those interested in helping can also visit the American Red Cross website at www.redcross.org to learn more.
SUNBURY, PA - The Weis Markets banner is about to multiply significantly, growing its store count by 25% as it begins the conversion of its recently acquired 38 Food Lion stores.
"Once the conversions are completed over the next two months, we will have nearly doubled our Maryland store count and expanded into Virginia and Delaware," Kurt Schertle, Chief Operating Officer of Weis Markets, stated, according to news source Virginia Business.
As we previously reported, Weis made its biggest purchase of the year when it acquired the nearly 40 Food Lion locations in three separate states back in July.
The Food Lion stores were up for sale as Ahold and The Delhaize Group look to appease the FTC and obtain the go-ahead for a $28 billion merger.
Now, the 4 Delaware, 21 Maryland, and 13 Virginia stores are expected to be wearing the Weis name by the end of October.
Additionally, the retail chain plans to hire more than 2,000 current Food Lion employees to staff the converted stores, according to the report.
This is the most recent in moves made by the company for strategic growth, which also finished converting five Maryland Mars Super Markets last month.
Upon completion of those 38 locations, Weis will be an operation spanning seven states with 204 stores in total.
AndNowUKnow will continue to report on major strides the retailer makes in its reach, as well as others in the market, throughout the rest of the year and beyond.
BAY AREA, CA - California’s Bay Area is continuing to be a testing ground for retailers expanding their reach. Safeway has announced that it will be opening three new stores tomorrow in the increasingly competitive market.
"We are excited to open three new stores to meet the needs of customers and create new jobs in the Bay Area," said Tom Schwilke, President of Safeway Northern California, in a statement. "These new stores will give customers new local, fresh and organic options."
The three new stores will be opening in the following locations:
- Fairmont Shopping Center at 709 Hickey Blvd. in Pacifica
- Ridge Shopping Center at 5100 Broadway in Oakland
- The Orchards at 2800 Ygnacio Valley Blvd. in Walnut Creek
While details on the size of the other two stores have not been released, the Walnut Creek location will be 55,000-square-feet.
With competition ramping up from healthy and locally-focused chains like Nugget Markets and Whole Foods, Safeway has decided it will highlight its locally-grown products with designated tags throughout the store, according to the East Bay Times. The source reports that Safeway is partnering with Cal-Organic Farms, and will also carry popular local brands like Clover Stornetta Dairy Farms, Three Twins Ice Cream, and Rocky Chicken.
The stores will also offer a grocery delivery program to rival e-commerce services like those form Walmart, Amazon, and Instacart.
"We continuously evaluate and invest in areas where there's an opportunity to improve or expand our operations," Safeway’s Senior Communications and Government Relations Manager, Wendy Gutshall, told the San Francisco Business Times.
Will Safeway be able to take a healthy chunk out of the Bay Area’s retail money machine? AndNowUKnow will keep our eyes on the scene for updates.
ORLANDO, FL - The USDA’s Agriculture Secretary, Tom J. Vilsack, appointed six members to the National Mango Board beginning January 1, 2017.
“We would like to thank the NMB members that will be completing their term this year for serving on the board and for representing the mango industry,” Manuel Michel, Executive Director of the NMB, said in a press release. “The knowledge and expertise they bring to the NMB truly makes a difference and drives the success and growth of our industry.”
Members who have completed their terms on the board for their service to the mango industry included Jorge Perez of Sinaloa, Mexico; Reynaldo Hilbck of Piura, Peru; Altamir Martins of Fortaleza, Brazil; and Sergio Palala of San Carlos, CA.
“The NMB also extends a welcome to those members who have just been appointed to serve on the board during the 2017-2019 term,” Michel said.
The appointees include four new members and two returning members. Both importers and foreign producers were appointed, including:
- Chris Ciruli of Tubac, AZ (Importer)
- Jiovani Guevara of C.H. Robinson, Phoenix, AZ (Importer)
- Marsela Mcgrane-Vogel of San Pedro, CA
- Norberto Galvan of Tapachula, Mexico (Foreign Producer)
- Joaquin Balarezo of Piura, Peru (Foreign Producer)
- Eddy Martinez of Guatemala City, Guatemala (Foreign Producer)
The NMB noted that both Mr. Ciruli, COO of Ciruli Brothers, and Mr. Guevara, Global Grower Development Manager at C.H. Robinson, are returning to the board to serve a second consecutive term.
In regards to the new members appointed to serve, Michel continued, “We look forward to working with them to develop new strategies and projects that will continue to support the industry and increase mango awareness and consumption.”
Having each been appointed to a three-year-long term with the NMB, the new members’ terms will close on December 31, 2019.
WENATCHEE, WA - “The way we grow apples is not just about those one or two new varieties you hear about in the trade,” Roger Pepperl, Director of Marketing for Stemilt Growers, tells me as we discuss the company’s new program Inspiration OrchardTM. “It is about those anchors to your program that actually change the category. This program is about being consumer driven and adapting a new perspective on apple growing and marketing.”
Roger has a strong knack for marketing and perceiving the nuances in the produce game. Between his time at Stemilt and his years spent as a buyer for Meijer, he brings a unique perspective that allows him to listen, and respond, to the changing consumer landscape.
So, what is Inspiration OrchardTM and what is the vision behind the program? Roger breaks it down for me.
“The concept behind Inspiration OrchardTM is not to brand a product, but to brand a program,” Roger says. “And not only at retail, but also in the orchard, in the field, in our facilities, and in the conversations that our ownership has about the program.”
Through internal, trade, and consumer branding, Stemilt is seeking to bring apple-lovers, and buyers, into the Inspiration OrchardTM fold. With the Inspiration OrchardTM tagline, “Where Flavors Grow,” Stemilt President and fifth generation grower West Mathison is rallying the company and fueling the quest to grow apples that are not only crisp and juicy, but full of flavors that deliver a unique and unforgettable eating experience.
While Inspiration OrchardTM is not a physical orchard, the concept itself creates its own geography as a vision. This is a place “Where Flavors Grow,” because of an integration of the ground, locations, horticulturalists, varieties, and root stock.
“We say that our journey is an endless journey to a consumer driven place,” Roger adds. “We have combined the signature apples within our program along with exclusive, and new varieties, to raise the bar on how we define flavor within the apple category - and to change it.”
The line-up for Inspiration OrchardTM features an amazing selection of Stemilt’s portfolio. Take the Piñata®. A cross of three heirloom apples – Golden Delicious, Cox’s Orange Pippin and Duchess of Oldenburg- the apple presents full red to striped-red coloring, over a yellow-orange background and a crisp and juicy, eating experience with a tropical flavor twist.
With fall spices and vibrant acidity, the SweeTango® brand Minneiska cultivar apple is the successor to the popular Honeycrisp apple variety. Part Honeycrisp, part Zestar, the SweeTango has larger cells than many apples, so it shatters when bitten, making for a unique sweet crunch and a way for Stemilt to differentiate its program.
Stemilt has also folded the Pink Lady apple underneath Inspiration OrchardTM as the variety excels as one of the fastest growing apples in the category. Stemilt was one of the founding members of the Pink Lady program in the U.S. and now competes as one of the largest growers of the variety. Stemilt farms some of the most strategic locations and horticultural-superior orchards of Pink Lady apples to be found anywhere. Stemilt’s farming history with Pink Lady has created a superior product in both flavor, texture, and appearance. A cross between a Golden Delicious and Lady Williams variety, Pink Lady apples are very firm and dense, with a tart flavor and effervescent finish.
On the horizon is a new trademarked Honeycrisp program called Honeyhill™ which is focused on delivering to the consumer, a great eating experience every time.
“There is a need and a demand to bring better quality Honeycrisp apples from later winter into the summer. The problem is that with traditional Honeycrisp varieties, acids and pack-outs are diminished as they hold later into the season,” Roger tells me. “We found the Royal Red variety that offered a solution to the diminished quality in late season Honeycrisp apples. This new apple colors incredibly well while maintaining good starch reserves for targeted storage room openings which allows you to offer a better tasting Honeycrisp experience throughout the late season. With our new plantings, we can take the traditional standard strain of Honeycrisp apples and sell those in the fall and winter when they are excellent, and then round out the program with the Royal Red variety in the spring and summer months.”
On top of all of these advances, West Mathison and his Stemilt team have also spent endless hours developing a controlled atmosphere storage program together with horticultural techniques in the orchard to create a season long program that will always delight taste buds. That is what the new program called Honeyhill™ stands for.
In addition to the latest in Honeycrisp cultivars, is the introduction the Aztec variety, a new strain of Fuji apples that Stemilt has pioneered to offer premium-quality Fuji apples year-round. This fruit can be harvested at full color and yet can choose the starch reserves that Stemilt needs to deliver a year-round consistent profile.
And these are just a handful of the coveted and the new apple varieties powering the vision behind Inspiration OrchardTM.
Stemilt has long been known for its progress through brand innovation with a family of products to address the demands of changing consumer demographics, and the evolution does not stop here.
“Consumers want consistent flavor, and while that is a pillar of the program, what we really want to is to create a new standard for the apple eating experience,” Roger tells me.
With the goal of delivering the best apples in the industry, we are intently waiting to watch how this new program takes off and to experience Inspiration OrchardTM “Where Flavors Grow.”
FLORIDA – Fresh off the blustery heels of wet weather and transportation delays caused by Hurricane Hermine, it looks as though Florida may not be through storm systems just yet. A new tropical system will cause downpours and heavy thunderstorms across the state in the next day or so.
"A system will move across Florida into Wednesday and increase the threat for heavy downpours and thunderstorms," stated AccuWeather Meteorologist Faith Eherts. "The system already has a history of producing heavy rain across the Bahamas over the last couple of days."
AccuWeather reported that although late summer thunderstorms and heavy rain systems are a common occurrence, the weather from the system will be a significant increase in what the state can usually expect.
Heavy downpours will pass through Florida beginning today, and even reach as far as the Southeastern coast of Georgia. As the storm moves north, heavy rainfall and rapidly changing weather conditions are to be expected from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day.
"The enhanced downpours will be capable of producing 2-3 inches of rain in a short amount of time," said Eherts.
The heavy rain, possible flooding, and gusting winds are expected to delay transportation in the air as well as on the road. Visibility will be near to zero at times during the storm system, with increased threats of hydroplaning and flash flooding.
Weather officials stated that the storm will diminish later into Wednesday, and is currently not marked as an organized tropical system. Further thunderstorms and rain may continue in Florida throughout the weekend, but at a lessened rate.
As late summer weather continues to influence transportation in the industry, stick with AndNowUKnow for the latest updates.
LOS ALAMITOS, CA - Haunted Buddha's hand in the fresh produce aisle.
With Halloween around the corner, Frieda’s Specialty Produce is proposing stranger things in the fresh department to meet shoppers’ spooky demands.
“Alien-looking tropical fruits always turn up in science fiction movies and television shows because of their unique look. Halloween is the perfect time to show them off,” said Karen Caplan, President and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce, in a press release. “Let your produce teams use their creativity and build fun displays for Halloween with all the ‘weird stuff’ usually hidden in the back of the department.
Spooky Halloween classic foods include:
- Kiwano®
- Buddha's hand citron
- Dragon fruit
- Rambutan
- Blood oranges
- Chayote squash
As for newer, trending options that could add a kick to those trick-or-treat displays, selections include jackfruit, ghost peppers, organic finger limes, and turmeric.
“This is the time to let the freak flag fly in the produce department, so-to-speak,” Karen concluded.
In the words of the Frieda’s team: Summon Frieda’s account managers today to connect you with spooky foods fit for your horde of shoppers!
IRVINE, CA – Amidst the controversy that has surrounded the bill since its initial conception, yesterday, Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 1066 into law.
Western Growers CEO Tom Nassif has responded to the signing with disappointment over the bill's enactment.
“The Governor has set in motion a chain of events that will cause workers in our fields to lose wages. It is one thing to dismiss the rationale for a seasonal industry to have a 10-hour overtime threshold rather than an eight-hour threshold. It something entirely worse to dismiss economic reality,” stated Nassif, in a press release.
The bill calls for the removal of the state’s current exemption for agricultural employees “regarding hours, meal breaks, and other working conditions, including specified wage requirements, and would create a schedule that would phase in overtime requirements for agricultural workers, as defined, over the course of four years, from 2019 to 2022, inclusive,” according to the legislation.
“Our farmers compete with farmers in other states and countries with no overtime costs, far lower minimum wages, reliable water supplies, and far less regulatory burden. California farmers will have no choice but to avoid even higher costs of production and they will utilize a number of strategies, including reducing work shifts and production of crops that require large numbers of employees. The box stores, grocery chains, and restaurant companies that buy fresh produce can and will purchase from growers in other states and countries to keep prices down. They don’t care about the high costs of operating in California. Neither, apparently, do a majority of the California Legislature or the Governor,” continued Nassif.
AB 1066 was signed by Governor Jerry Brown along with 24 other bills passed by state lawmakers during the 2016 legislative season, according to The Fresno Business Journal, and did not comment on the bill or its signing.
The bill and its measures will be enacted at the start of 2019.
AndNowUKnow will continue to report on this story as it continues to develop.
TAMPA BAY, FL - After pioneering one of the first pooled reusable plastic container (RPC) businesses 20 years ago, IFCO is launching a global brand campaign to realign the company’s image with its mission. The new Let’s eat campaign will focus on IFCO’s goal to help customers deliver fresh, high-quality food to consumers around the world, and will launch globally on September 13th.
“The Let’s eat campaign is all about the important human connection that we at IFCO, our grower and retail customers, and the entire fresh food supply chain represent. We are all about, at our best, helping the world eat and live better. When we work together, great things are possible,” said Hillary Femal, VP of Global Marketing at IFCO.
After seeing a successful 2016 fiscal year, in which annual revenues reached $992 million USD, a 16% growth over prior year, the company aims to reinforce its growth strategy through the campaign. By adopting the tagline, “A better supply chain serves us all. Let’s eat,” the company is inviting everyone to join at the table in bringing fresher, high quality food to tables around the world. The tagline will be paired with imagery focusing on scenes of people eating with friends and family. IFCO will also begin using “A Brambles Company” to communicate the relationship with its parent company.
“Our customers worldwide are focused on delivering the freshest food to consumers in the most efficient way possible, and we are committed to helping them achieve this,” said IFCO CEO Wolfgang Orgeldinger, according to a statement. “Our business is growing because IFCO RPCs reduce costs and environmental impact, and improve product quality and efficiency throughout the supply chain.”
The roll-out will begin with the company website and blog, and expand to any channels used to communicate with customers. Additionally, IFCO plans on bringing an updated booth display to the PMA Fresh Summit in October.
According to IFCO, the process started in speaking with the company’s closest retail and grower customers to understand what IFCO means for their businesses, it then extended the question to internal stakeholders. The consistent finding was that there was a subtle but important shared link in the supply chain which focuses on the goal of bringing higher quality food to the end user.
Femal added, “The common goal around the consumer felt like a natural place to go, as everyone in this industry works toward this, in one way or another. Saying ‘Let’s eat’ allows us to speak simply about something which we all care about and partake in both at work and at home with friends and family.”
Since the beginning, IFCO has known its focus is on the ways in which RPCs are able to efficiently and effectively move product from the grower to the retail, and that high standard is something the company intends to maintain. However, Femal concluded, that is not the full extent of what the company represents, and this campaign will help refocus on what is important.
COLIMA, MX - SiCar Farms is expanding its product line and production. In its latest move, the company has taken steps to extend into a variety of key produce items, following a 100-acre shadehouse Roma tomato expansion earlier this year.
“With over 25 years of growing and marketing limes, we are able to apply our same expertise as a grower and vertically integrated supplier to many other products our customers are seeking,” Luis Gudino, CEO of SiCar, explained in a press release.
Over the past three years, SiCar Farms has added mangos, papayas, coconuts, and organics to its repertoire, all sourced from Colima, Veracruz, Jalisco, and Michoacán on company-operated farms. Jackfruit, a huge round fruit producing many different flavors, is the latest to the lineup. Consumers tasting it for the first time report flavors similar to banana, pineapple, mango, guava, orange, and strawberry. SiCar’s expanded product line will be marketed under the SiCar Farms brand alongside its primary lime LimexSicar brand.
Additionally, the company's production expansion is in the first of three stages to be completed by 2018, giving SiCar approximately 275 acres of shade house for Roma, round, and grape tomatoes as well as a high-tech packinghouse. The company also has expanded acreage of fresh pineapple by adding 400 new acres and plans to add to this to supplement production for year round supply.
“Customers become comfortable with a label and with service level,” Gudino continued, according to the release. “It’s time consuming and costly to have to switch suppliers. Our efforts in expanding our line concentrate on providing more variety and more convenience to our customers – giving them the ability to source more products from the SiCar system they already know and trust.”
The goal of the expansion is to enable SiCar to offer even more to customers including consistent, reliable sourcing through a wider array of products.
Check back with AndNowUKnow for the latest in fresh produce industry expansions.