WENATCHEE, WA – For the first time in 27 years of business, Columbia Marketing International (CMI) has announced a full company rebranding. This milestone comes complete with a new and brighter logo, and a new name; CMI Orchards.
"Over the past two decades, CMI's market presence has grown exponentially," said CMI Orchards’ President, Bob Mast. "Our owners have expanded and replanted their orchards, made significant upgrades in packing facilities, created new product offerings, planted the strongest branded apples available, and created wonderful, consumer-friendly packaging. It’s a completely new era for our customers."
According to a press release, the company decided to change the name from CMI to CMI Orchards to create a focal point for customers and consumers. A national research study was performed to ensure that the new look and logo would resonate with shoppers.
"We know from the success we’ve had with our Daisy Girl and Ambrosia packaging that consumers actively respond to colors and key words," stated Steve Lutz, Vice President of Marketing. "A big part of incorporating ‘orchards’ in our new name is to transport consumers directly into the core of our operation."
In addition to the name change and rebranding, the company will also make changes to all packaging, including new domestic and export apple cartons.
Mast said, "We’re very excited that our retail customers will begin seeing CMI’s new cartons in the marketplace almost immediately. New name, new look, same great company."
To even further boost excitement over this first-ever change, a video announcing the company’s fresh new look can be seen below.
Lutz also stated that the rebranding was specifically cultivated with leveraging the legacy of the company in mind, while also focusing on the strong success the organization has achieved in past few years.
"In 2015, CMI hit a major milestone, becoming America's number one selling apple brand in the United States," said Lutz. "We hold top status on most of our new apple brands, we have the #1 selling pouch bag and even our Sweet Gourmet Pear packaging is changing the way pears are sold."
The company’s full and official rebrand launched officially on September 1, revealing the new and fully encompassing new face of the company to its consumers and retailers alike.
“Orchards are the core of our operation. CMI’s owners and growers have made huge financial investments and are committed to delivering the finest fruit in the world to our customers,” finished Mast.
What else does CMI have in-store for the company and its growth-minded moves? Stay with AndNowUKnow for the latest.
CORONA, CA - Veg-Fresh Farms has always made a promise to its consumers to provide "nothing less than fresh." In order to keep that promise, the company decided to install a mega generator for a comprehensive plan to address emergency planning and business stability in the event of a disaster.
"Our first and foremost concern is for the safety of our people in and around our building," explained Mark Widder, Partner at Veg-Fresh Farms. "We have a thorough emergency plan for the office and warehouse, in which we practice on a regular basis, we want to be well-trained in the event of an emergency, and have safety roles and procedures defined."
Over the past six months, Veg-Fresh Farms took a detailed look at its operations to ensure the company and its business was well prepared in the event of disaster. The installment of the generator will not only aid in emergency safety, but uninterrupted freshness as well.
"We needed stronger measures to protect the integrity of our cold chain and preserve our business continuity. Therefore, we installed on-site a Caterpillar 3512C diesel generator," said Widder. "The generator will ensure all areas of our facility will not lose temperature, and we will continue to protect the inventory with the proper storage requirements. The 3512 C generator will give us uninterrupted freshness and allow us to continue to serve our customers with no downtime to our operations.”
The 1800 rpm/480 volt generator will supply full power within 30 seconds of an unexpected electrical disruption to not only supply refrigeration to the warehouse, but also to the IT network to support communications, finance, procurement, shipping, and order entry.
The company’s investment into housing a mega generator on its premises will allow for Veg-Fresh Farms to maintain continuity in all facets of its operations for a consistent and reliable source of produce for its customers.
As Veg-Fresh Farms continues to add on its 27-year-old promise and tagline to remain "Nothing Less Than Fresh," stay with AndNowUKnow while the company continues to explore new opportunities to expand and maintain its commitments.
WATSONVILLE, CA – As the seasons continue to shift, the raspberry segment remains on the rise. As Cindy Jewell, Vice President of Marketing at California Giant, recently told me, the company is matching consumer demand and a strong season with quality products and plans for the future.
“We have had a very mild and cool summer which has helped all berry types in timing, providing for a nice and long, even season,” Cindy tells me of the company’s crop coming out of Watsonville, CA. “There have not been a lot of drastic peaks and valleys in how the plants are producing fruit.”
Cindy says that California Giant is seeing excellent quality and size of raspberries, with delicious and large-sized fruit keeping the segment in high demand. California Giant expects to be packing raspberries for the next couple of months.
“We are not seeing a dip in demand or pricing since our volume is lower than some other companies that may be producing a higher volume of berries,” Cindy continues of the current market’s state.
Demand for raspberries will remain strong both domestically and internationally as consumers continue to demand and purchase berries. Cindy says that the company plans to match the rising demand by focusing on the future.
“Our volume is consistent this year, but we are expanding for the 2017 season due to this year’s positive results on quality and flavor,” continues Cindy.
California Giant further maximizes consumer interest by having longer availability of quality products to keep berries in the cart beyond just the summer months. Cindy says the company will continue to offer consumers fun and new ways to use raspberries as long as its taste selections remain excellent.
As raspberries and berries continue to garner consumer demand, stay with AndNowUKnow for continued coverage on the market.
SAN JOSE, CA - California Water Service (Cal Water), has formally filed a settlement agreement among Cal Water, the California Public Utilities Commission's (CPUC's) Office of Ratepayer Advocates (ORA), for its 2015 General Rate Case (GRC), in a move that would both increase its rates, while increasing revenue by 7.5%.
"I am pleased that we were able to reach agreement with ORA and the other settling parties on nearly all issues in the rate case,” explained President and Chief Executive Officer Martin A. Kropelnicki. “A general rate case in California is a complicated matter with hundreds of potential points of disagreement. The parties negotiated professionally and diligently to come to consensus on the vast majority of these issues.”
According to a press release, Cal Water would be authorized to increase gross revenue by approximately $45.0 million in 2016, $17.2 million in 2017, $17.2 million in 2018, and up to $30.0 million upon completion and approval of the company's advice letter projects under the terms of the settlement. The company says the 2016 increase equates to an approximate 7.5% revenue increase overall, with specific rate increases varying by service area.
"I am confident that our customers will benefit from the agreed-upon capital programs and will be pleased with our efforts to enhance affordability in higher-cost and low-income communities, while we continue to provide high-quality water service,” Kropelnicki added.
The CPUC still has the right to deny the settlement, but if approved, Cal Water would also be authorized to invest $658.8 million in districts throughout California over a three-year period. This includes $197.3 million of water system infrastructure improvements, with the parties agreeing to an improved ratemaking treatment and a change to the use of industry-standard methodologies for project financing costs.
According to the schedule adopted by the CPUC, the final decision on the case is expected in late 2016. California Water Service Group is the third largest publicly traded water utility in the United States, with more than 509,000 customer connections, more than $400 million in annual revenue, and more than $1.5 billion in gross utility plant assets.
PULLOCH, GERMANY - IFCO delivered annual revenues of $992 million (USD) for the 2016 fiscal year, which marks a 16% spike in year over year growth.
“Fiscal year 2016 was an incredible year for our company,” said Wolfgang Orgeldinger, CEO of IFCO, according to a press release. “This high rate of growth is a testament to the value our customers receive from their use of our products. We are very grateful to all of our customers, suppliers, and employees worldwide for their support.”
One of the major factors the company credited was increased use of IFCO RPCs by its current retailer customers, which the company said are continuing to realize greater efficiencies and product quality benefits through increased supply chain standardization.
Other key highlights attributed to the growth IFCO saw over the last year include:
- Major new retailer contracts, particularly in Europe
- Expansion into new markets via acquisitions of market leading RPC providers in Japan, Chile, and Colombia
- Expansion of solutions for fresh products beyond fruit and vegetables, like adoption of IFCO RPCs for meat and eggs, and the launch of new solutions for bread and seafood
IFCO also invested in new innovations to enhance its service offerings to customers, including the launch of the proprietary SmartGuardian™ RPC wash process control technology, a variety of innovative merchandising solutions, its new wood grain RPC for use in an expanded partnership with Walmart US, and peer-reviewed Life Cycle Analysis study comparing IFCO’s RPCs to single-use cardboard boxes.
“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 Orgeldinger. “Our business is growing because IFCO RPCs reduce costs and environmental impact and improve product quality and efficiency throughout the supply chain.”
While all regions of its more than 50 countries contributed to the growth of the company, Europe remains IFCO’s largest market. The company said that it will continue its strong growth strategy in all markets, as well as introduce a new brand campaign to better align the company’s image with its mission and rapidly-growing, diverse business.
Stay tuned for more information about the global launch of this exciting new step, slated for September 13th.
AUSTIN, TX – Looking to use deep industry experience to boost its retail, consumer goods, and brand identity on a global level, Whole Foods Market has announced three new vice presidents to its team.
Sonya Gafsi Oblisk joins Whole Foods as Global Vice President of Marketing, Martin Tracey as its Global Vice President of Team Member Services, and Brooke Buchanan to serve as Global Vice President of Communications.
“We are thrilled to welcome Sonya, Martin, and Brooke to our senior leadership team,” said Walter Robb, Co-CEO of Whole Foods Market. “They are accomplished leaders who bring deep retail and consumer experience, valuable perspective on both internal and external communications strategy and will play an integral role in supporting the company’s culture of innovation and team member empowerment as we continue to grow and evolve.”
Bringing over 15 years of experience to the Whole Foods team, Sonya Gafsi Oblisk will focus on leading marketing, advertising, and brand development efforts in her duties as Global Vice President of Marketing. These efforts will include the following:
- Digital
- Brand marketing
- Consumer relationship strategies
Oblisk’s experience spans consumer products and affinity marketing in retail, including eight years spent with Walmart. Most recently, Oblisk served as Vice President of Marketing for Sam’s Club.
Stepping into her new role as Global Vice President of Communications, Brooke Buchanan comes to Whole Foods with several executive positions to flush her professional experience. Buchanan will use this experience to spearhead the following endeavors for Whole Foods Market:
- Public relations
- Internal communications
- Government affairs efforts
Buchanan previously served as Vice President of Communications for Theranos, Vice President of Public Relations at Williams-Sonoma, in addition to holding multiple leadership and senior positions at Walmart. Buchanan also spent over eight years in political and government communications.
Martin Tracey comes to Whole Foods Market as Global Vice President of Team Member Services (HR) to cultivate strategic responsibilities for the entire company team member experience, according to a recent press release. This includes focusing on the following for more than 87,000 team members:
- Recruitment
- Compensation and benefits
- Talent analytics
- Learning and development operations
- Payroll operations
In his most recent roll as Chief Talent Officer and Vice President of People Development at Starbucks, Tracey was responsible for leadership development, talent analytics, and organizational development.
As retailers continue to appoint new executives to leading positions within their companies, AndNowUKnow will have the latest in leadership positions and their impact on the industry.
WATSONVILLE, CA - As the organic segment continues to trend, Sambrailo Packaging announced that it has partnered with CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) to promote "certified organic" produce.
In an effort to help small organic farms promote certified organic right from their fields, Sambrailo is now offering a new stock print row crop box with a clearly defined label on the sides declaring “Certified Organic Fruits and Vegetables."
"Just like at retail, I felt that it was important for growers to promote organic at all levels in the supply chain," said Sambrailo's Marketing Manager, Jennifer Evans.
Evans explained that the idea came when she toured coolers of large organic wholesale distributors and quickly realized a lack of distribution of boxes with organic produce. "If our efforts help small organic growers promote 'certified organic produce' and grow their businesses because of it, then there is a huge benefit to everyone in the organic growing community."
Fitting a 5-down pallet, the 23x15x12 inch box can be used to pack romaine, green or red leaf lettuce, butter lettuce, kale, chard, carrots, or beets, and has up to a 35 lb. weight capacity.
Due to its popularity among CCOF-certified growers, additional sizes are currently in production. To find out more about ordering this new offering, contact Jennifer at [email protected].
SOLEDAD, CA - The organic sector is taking off, and with it, new innovations in the flavor-forward, value-added category. Taking these trends by the horns is Braga Fresh, debuting its new Organic Chopped Salads under the Josie’s Organics brand. Recently I spoke with President of Braga Fresh Foods and salad industry innovator, Nicholas DaCosta, as well as Todd Linsky, who shared the latest on the company’s evolving portfolio and the new Josie’s Organics Sweet Kale Chopped Salad and Asian Chopped Salad.
“The two main sales drivers of the retail salad category over the last couple years have been organics and conventional chopped salads,” Nicholas tells me. “The retail conventional chopped salad business is now a $400,000,000 business and there is a need for an organic offering that appeals to both convenience and the changing consumer palate. This is our point of entry–where organics and chopped salads converge.”
Braga Fresh’s goal was four fold: Make them organic, make them “cravable,” make them flavorful, and create value.
To address this vision, the company’s Organic Sweet Kale Chopped Salad (10 oz.) comes complete with dried cranberries, roasted pumpkin seeds, and poppy seed dressing, combined with kale, broccoli, green cabbage, and radicchio to truly round out the highly-demanded flavor profile.
In addition, the Organic Asian Chopped Salad (12 oz.) brings together wonton strips, sliced almonds, and sesame dressing along with green onions, cilantro, celery, carrots, and green cabbage.
Available in the Josie’s Organics signature blue polka dot, high-graphic bags, this bright color palate and friendly packaging have garnered excited feedback from retailers, consumers and the media. The packaging is also award-winning and a consumer favorite that stands out on shelf.
“We are hitting the ground running,” Todd Linsky, with Braga Fresh, tells me. “Value-added options are really fueling the growth in the produce department and we believe the launch this month addresses the consumer’s desire for convenience, healthy meal preparations, flavor, and value.”
So, what went into the decision-making process when it came down to choosing the product combinations? Braga Fresh looked at what was happening in the marketplace in terms of flavor, and these ingredient combinations were a hit across taste panels and consumer test groups for the company.
The new Organic Chopped Salad line is packed in the company’s new state-of-the-art facility in Salinas, California, assuring that the quality and value Braga Fresh is known for, can be traced from farm to fork.
“Braga Fresh is committed to value and innovation from field-to-fork, and this new facility is no exception,” Nicholas says. “With a pioneering eye for food safety design, our vision was to build a facility with the latest equipment, most innovative technologies, and the right employees at the helm in order to assure that our customers and consumers receive the quality they have come to expect from us since 1928.”
Looking to the future, Braga Fresh will continue to develop additional Organic Chopped Salad blends under the Josie’s Organics brand while creating custom blends for retail partners. The company will also be launching seven new additional Josie’s products separate from the Organic Chopped Salad line, so stay tuned!
With the same passion and commitment that has helped elevate the Josie’s Organic brand to what it is today, Braga Fresh is bringing retailers a one-stop-shop for all-things organic and all things “cravable.”
VANCOUVER, CANADA - After more than a decade at Oppy, Craig Winford is being elevated to a Greenhouse Category Manager and Business Development Representative for the company. The move will strengthen Oppy’s marketing partnership with SunSelect Produce.
Winford brings 13 years of greenhouse expertise—much of that with Oppy—into the role. His most recent position was Greenhouse Specialist, managing Oppy’s BC and California pepper crops while working closely with SunSelect.
“Craig has emerged as a leader in our greenhouse category, with proven skills at balancing our grower offerings with the needs of our customers,” said Aaron Quon, Executive Category Director for Greenhouse at Oppy, according to a statement. “He’s a team player, clear communicator, and an effective strategist, key strengths that will enable him to build our greenhouse business even further as we grow with SunSelect.”
Winford will continue to manage Oppy’s BC and California pepper portfolio. Additionally he will work with the company’s sales and marketing team to identify and execute new opportunities for all SunSelect items, which also includes tomatoes-on-the-vine as well as the signature Outrageously Fresh snacking tomato jar bag line. SunSelect produces in high tech greenhouses in BC’s lower mainland as well as in Tehachapi, CA.
Winford will also oversee special projects, like new product and packaging development, along with program business opportunities, collaborating closely with Oppy’s business development team to create retail promotions and increase distribution.
SunSelect’s Outrageously Fresh branded sweet bell peppers, tomatoes-on-the-vine, and grape, cherry and gourmet medley tomatoes are available from Oppy now.
We wish Craig the best of luck in his new role!
SALINAS, CA - With a mild market and an abundance of quality product, cauliflower currently has promotional volumes as we approach the autumn season on the West coast.
“As we know, cauliflower is one of the most volatile commodities with quick growth changes and pricing, sometimes literally overnight,” Tami Gutierrez, Vice President of Sales at Ippolito International, tells me, meaning that a flat market can quickly change into a fluctuating one.
As for local crop in California, volume has been plentiful this year which Tami explains has held demand for West Coast product at a low throughout the summer. Overall there were occasional spikes in market price before turning quickly back to below normal pricing.
“We are hopeful the local growing regions will finish earlier than later this year, especially after their unseasonably high temperatures over the past few months,” Tami adds. “Budgeted acres are on target for our upcoming plantings and yields look solid right now.”
And come October, we should see a boost in cauliflower demand as Canada looks to supplement their programs for the Thanksgiving pull. “Our season has passed the midpoint but we are budgeted through the week of November 14th before we make our move to Yuma, AZ, for the winter.”
We will continue to follow this and other dynamic categories in the fresh produce industry throughout 2016 and beyond, so keep checking in with AndNowUKnow.