SALINAS, CA - Church Brothers Farms has a full itinerary of participation for PMA Foodservice, kicking off with Jeff Church, Vice President of Sales, Chuck Church, Media Manager, and Drew McDonald, Vice President of Food Safety, rejoining the Tour de Fresh tomorrow morning.
Not only are all three men returning riders, with Jeff having ridden in all three events and both Drew and Chuck the last two, but Team Church will be welcoming all Tour de Fresh participants to the Church Brothers’ family ranch in celebration after the ride.
“The family ranch party tradition is part of the Church Brothers’ legacy in the Salinas Valley,” said Kori Tuggle, Vice President of Marketing, according to a press release. “Our customers and trade partners look forward to it all year; we use the opportunity to showcase our products and say thank you for your support.”
After the Tour de Fresh, Church Brothers Farms has a full sequence of PMA Foodservice events slated, including:
- Hosting more than 36 field and plant tours during the week
- Hosting the annual Church Brothers Farms’ Ranch Party on Sunday, July 31
- Broadcasting the Wendy’s commercial featuring company founders Tom and Steve Church
Since the Wendy’s commercial was launched earlier this month, it has been viewed more than 3,500 times.
On the show floor, Church Brothers Farms will be showcasing its new organic Tender-leaf product, Kale Color Crunch, and Baby Kale Medley blends, as well as its full line of foodservice-focused commodities and value-added packs.
To see all this and more, be sure to stop by booth 214 this weekend. And to follow the more than 50 industry members riding in the third Tour de Fresh, keep checking in with AndNowUKnow.
ZAANDAM, NETHERLANDS – Completing its expected merger over the weekend, Dutch supermarket chain Ahold and Belgium’s Delhaize have finally combined to form one bolstered retail chain; Ahold Delhaize.
“Our strong e-commerce businesses and 22 great, local brands each share a passion for delivering great food, value, and innovation for customers, and for making a difference in their local communities,” stated Dick Boer, CEO of Ahold Delhaize. “I want to thank associates for their dedication and focus and for the great work that has positioned Ahold Delhaize to move ahead with significant momentum."
According to Yahoo Finance UK, the newest retail entity, merged on July 24, is a leader in both the supermarket realm and e-commerce with 6,500 stores in 11 countries.
Launching its new brand, Ahold Delhaize has debuted a new logo, which combines the Ahold crown with the Delhaize lion. The company's new website is also live and features an announcement of the completed of the merger with an online video, viewable below.
"Today is the start of an important new chapter and a unique opportunity to deliver even more for customers and communities, associates and shareholders,” finished Boer. “Building on common values, complementary operations and proud legacies of success, we move forward with leading positions particularly on the United States East Coast, and in Europe."
Dutch News reported that Ahold Delhaize already debuted on the Amsterdam and Brussels stock exchanges under the ticker symbol AD, rising 1% to €21.93 in early trading on Euronext Amsterdam. The company's estimated sales after the merger are projected to be €50 billion a year (or roughly $54 billion) two thirds of which comes from the U.S. market.
Dick Boer, Ahold’s Chief Executive, will serve as CEO of the new company, with the former Delhaize CEO, Franz Muller, appointed as Deputy Chairman and Chief Integration Officer.
The first combined financial reportings of the combined supermarket chain will be presented on November 17 for 2016’s Q3. The companies’ Q2 and first half of 2016 results will be reported individually for each merged company as the deal was completed after the end of the reporting periods.
As more news is released on this formidable merger, and its financial ripples make its way to U.S. markets, AndNowUKnow will continue to have the latest.
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 USDA press release, the following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:
- PNL Produce LLC, operating out of Miami, FL, for failing to pay a $7,013 award in favor of a Florida seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Paul N. Lazecki was listed as a member of the business.
- FMP Farms & Distributor Inc., operating out of Nogales, AZ, for failing to pay a $16,906 award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Jose Vasquez was listed as the officer, director, and major stockholder of the business.
- United Commodities USA Inc., operating out of Bakersfield, CA, for failing to pay a $262,863 award in favor of a North Carolina seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Kent D. Lancaster and Bruce A. Oettel were listed as the officers, directors, and major stockholders of the business.
PACA provides an administrative forum to handle disputes involving produce transactions; this may result in a reparation order being issued that requires damages to be paid by those not meeting their contractual obligations in buying and selling fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables.
The USDA is required to suspend the license or impose sanctions on an unlicensed business that fails to pay PACA reparations awarded against it as well as impose restrictions against those principals determined to be responsibly connected to the business when the order is issued. Those individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors, or major stockholders may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without USDA-approval.
In the past three years, the USDA resolved approximately 3,700 PACA claims involving more than $66 million. Its experts also assisted more than 7,100 callers with issues valued at approximately $100 million. These are just two examples of how the USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.
TORONTO, ONTARIO – As the company continues to strive towards its goal of making the fresh produce department a consumer destination within independent grocers, Gambles Produce has announced a new merchandising bin for its Go Fresh line of products.
“The goal of this new bin design is to catch the consumer’s attention and provide a single merchandising source that will display various products in one easy to access location on the retail floor,” stated John Rigitano, Key Accounts Manager for Gambles. “Not only will this free-standing display help our products stand out in the produce section, but it also helps to reduce merchandising labour in the store.”
The new and uniquely designed bin will feature high-graphic images of the company's line of packaged products, including tomatoes, peppers, and carrots. Gambles stated in a press release that the large, colorful images of the produce on the innovative bins were developed with retailers in mind.
“This new bin will allow any retailer the ability to use it for any variety of Go Fresh products, and will be ideal for high volume promotions of our various retail consumer packs,” finished Rigitano.
Gambles’ Go Fresh bins will be able to display up to four items at a time, with special promotions for the company’s Go Fresh 1 lb tomatoes on the vine, 4-pack mini bell peppers, grape tomatoes, and 6 count mini cucumbers.
The bins will launch for retailers starting in August of this year.
AndNowUKnow will continue to have the latest in merchandising innovations and opportunities for the buy-side industry.
RALEIGH, NC - L&M companies has announced the completion of a 20,000-square-foot-facility just in time to kick off its Midwest summer season.
The Hamilton, Michigan-based warehouse just cut the ribbon on new state-of-the-art cooling, multiple temperature zones, and new offices.
“It’s great to have a new facility to work out of,” said Jake Parker, an L&M Product Manager that has spent the last five seasons in the state, according to a release. “We are off to a really nice start–beginning with the harvest of beautiful, dark green cucumbers last week and moving into bell pepper and hard squash harvest in about two weeks.”
L&M will be shipping a number of vegetables from this newest location, including:
- Pepper
- Cucumbers
- Chiles
- Yellow
- Zucchini squash
- Eggplant
- Cabbage
- Hard squash
- Pumpkins
- Ornamentals
Parker handles the sales side of the business, according to L&M, working closely with Daryl Coffey, who manages the farming side, on a joint venture to plan for L&M’s future for the past three years.
“I have been working with growers and product in Michigan for five years and Daryl is the best,” Parker said of the partnership. “He is an expert farmer and exemplifies customer service. He’s a pleasure to work with every day and we are proud to welcome him into the L&M Family.”
Of that future, and the company’s plans for growth in the Midwest, General Manager of Vegetables for L&M Greg Cardamone expressed enthusiasm.
“The diversity and quality of products from Michigan are truly impressive and we are excited to be growing our business here,” Cardamone said. “This is an important link for our company. It completes L&M Farm’s goal of growing vegetables year round for our customers – providing the control of the product that allows us to meet our customer’s need and deliver the freshest vegetables from one of the finest growing regions in the country.”
The season is currently anticipated to go from early July through early October, according to the company, who added that it is bringing an experienced team from its southern farms up to Michigan.
As we continue to keep our pulse on industry growth throughout this summer and beyond, keep checking in with AndNowUKnow.
CHILE, NEW ZEALAND, & WASHINGTON – As the industry shifts regions in apple harvesting for the upcoming domestic season, companies across the board are gearing up for a volume-filled year, aided by prime growing conditions in the Northwestern part of the U.S.
Stemilt is gearing up for a high-demand year, matched by exceptional quality and volume for the company following prime growing conditions. As Communications Manager Brianna Shales recently told me, Stemilt is anticipating a crop of larger-sized apples and is especially excited about the qualities of its signature variety, Pinata®, premium Honeycrisp apples, and industry-leading Pink Lady® and Fuji programs.
Stemilt’s Artisan Organics™ apples are up in volume as the company has completed the transition of new acreage to organic. “We are now 30% organic on all apples, which is helping us meet the high consumer demand for organics,” Brianna says.
Stemilt starts harvest in mid-August with the Gala variety, and picks until late October with Pink Lady®. The company focuses on picking at maturities that are optimal for storage and the consumer eating experience. Aztec is a new strain of Fuji that Stemilt has pioneered to offer premium-quality Fuji apples year-round.
Also new for Stemilt is a consumer-focused website called “There’s an Apple for That.”
“It’s a digital tool that helps introduce new flavors of apple varieties through their best usages or pairings. It’s a great piece for retailers to promote bulk apples around in-store, while also integrating with their digital teams to promote produce on social media,” finishes Brianna.
As Chelan Fresh prepares to harvest out of North Central Washington, Director of Marketing Mac Riggan says that the company is preparing for good-sized apple crop, with an estimate of 12 million boxes for the season.
“We’ve had very good weather this spring, with virtually no frost and warm weather which promotes good cell division,” Mac says. “We had a beautiful bloom period. We’re already seeing a lot of high-colored apples this far from harvest yet. We’re optimistic for this season.”
Chelan Fresh expects to see good export and domestic sales this season, due to the size, shape, and color coming from its crop. Mac says that Chelan Fresh is pairing its promotable volume with a wide array of POS materials, specifically “to engage and influence the tastes of the young, kids 13 and younger, to become lifelong apple consumers,” he says.
Chelan Fresh will supply Honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala, Canadian Ambrosia, Granny Smith, and the exclusive Rockit Apple this season, in addition to other varieties.
As David Nelley, Executive Category Director for Apples and Pears at Oppy, tells me, the company is gearing up for a high-demand year, with quality selections of JAZZ, Envy, and Pacific Rose varieties.
“Our three varieties are really finding their footing. Large retailers are eager to stock all three, and even award them private label status,” David says of buy-side demand. JAZZ, Envy, and Pacific Rose are growing in both acreage and market demand, with higher interest in Asian markets as well.
Oppy is currently in prime selling season for its JAZZ and Envy apples from Chile and New Zealand as part of its year-round supply, and ramping up for Washington-grown JAZZ apples starting the second week in September. Envy and Pacific Rose will follow shortly after.
“July has given us outstanding apple-growing weather in Washington,” David says. “We are happy to report that in these early days, JAZZ apples are sizing up over last year’s profile.”
Oppy is offering promotional activities both locally and nationally through retailers, tailored to store formats and specific shopper styles for the category.
CMI is around two to three weeks from its normal season in Washington. As Steve Lutz, Vice President of Marketing, recently told me, the company is currently packing Early Golds this week before starting limited supplies of its Gala variety in the second week of August.
“We are very excited about the quality and sizing we have coming in this crop. We expect a spectacular crop of Ambrosia, and increased quantities of our #1 selling Daisy Girl organics,” Steve says. CMI has been selling out of Ambrosia, due to its wide domestic demand.
Steve divulges that the company has seen better apple growing weather this year over last, with cooler weather with sunny days. CMI is expecting its Washington crop to 20% larger than last year, with increases to its branded apples like Ambrosia and Kanzi.
Starting this fall, CMI will also be selling its own crop of Jazz, Envy, and Pacific Rose apples to consumers, supported by a range of sales support tools. Retailers can take advantage of POS materials, two and five box shippers, and custom display materials.
Giumarra Wenatchee is in peak season for its apple program out of New Zealand and Chile, as Jason Bushong, Division Manager, recently told me.
“We have good fresh arrivals to finish out the summer. We have a full plate of Royal Gala, Braeburn, Granny Smith, Cripps Pink, Fuji, as well as new proprietary varieties, Diva and Lemonade,” Jason says of the company’s prospective lineup this year.
So far into the season, the company has experienced weather patterns which have produced nice volumes and quality of fruit, Jason continues. “Quality this year has been very good,” he says.
“This year, we’re offering a full array of POS material, packaging styles, and demo support- particularly on our new IP apple varieties, which we are introducing,” finishes Jason.
As companies ramp up their Northwest apple production, stick with AndNowUKnow as we keep a close eye on the market.
OAKBROOK, IL - In an effort to expand its use of locally-grown produce, McDonald’s is now adding its Gilroy Garlic Fries to nearly 240 of its Bay Area locations. After a successful test at four restaurants earlier this year, participating McDonald’s restaurants will have a gradual rollout of the new product, which will be available by July 27.
“McDonald’s Gilroy Garlic Fries is a unique, regional offering that is tailored to Bay Area tastes,” explained Nick Vergis, Co-op President of the company in the San Francisco Bay Area. “The innovation of this new menu item is due in large part to our local franchisees and their commitment to providing food our customers want.”
The garlic used by McDonald’s is grown in the Santa Clara Valley, approximately 80 miles south of San Francisco in Gilroy, California. Garlic lovers and Bay Area residents may already know the city is commonly referred to as, “The Garlic Capital of the World.” Made-to-order in each kitchen, the product is made by tossing French fries with a purée mix of garlic from Gilroy, California’s Christopher Ranch. Other ingredients in the Gilroy Garlic Fries include olive oil, parmesan cheese, parsley, and a pinch of salt.
According to a press release, the fries themselves are made with North American-grown potatoes that include Russet Burbank, Ranger Russet, Blazer Russet, Ivory Russet, Umatilla Russet, and Shepody.
As we previously reported, McDonald’s entirely sold out of its Gilroy Garlic Fries the first week it was made available. Will this larger launch see similar success? And will it prompt McDonald’s to venture into other locally-grown produce options? Only time will tell, but AndNowUKnow will be sure to update you.
KEENE, NH - C&S Wholesale Grocers will be closing two facilities, both in Indiana, come September.
The two warehouses are located in Indianapolis and Yorktown, respectively, and will result in about 187 layoffs combined.
Indianapolis Haulage LLC and Indianapolis Logistics LLC filed mass layoff notices last Friday, July 15, according to the Indianapolis Business Journal, 116 employees in Indianapolis and 71 in Yorktown. The dates listed for layoffs are between Sept. 16 and Sept. 29.
Employees are both union and non-union, and nothing was reported about the process beyond the filing for the layoffs.
According to the report, the closures could be linked to SuperValu Inc.’s announcement earlier this month of its having entered into a long-term supply agreement with Marsh Supermarkets as its primary grocery supplier. Its current contract with C&S Wholesale expires on Sept. 24.
C&S Wholesale has also been in the midst of an entire reorganization plan, announced last October, the latest of which involved the reopening of its shuttered Maryland distribution facility.
AndNowUKnow will keep you posted of this and other moves in the retail market as news becomes available.
NOGALES, AZ & VOORST, THE NETHERLANDS - In a new collaboration, Wholesum Harvest has partnered with Vitalis Organic Seeds to launch 'Vitalis Born, Wholesum Raised,' which will see tomatoes marketed by Wholesum and grown with Vitalis organic seed getting a new label. The new label was designed to celebrate the organic integrity of the product, from seed to store.
"We arrived at this decision through rigorous trialing of genetic material under multiple organic production systems and locations, combined with a varietal selection process prioritizing flavor and quality," explained Jessie Gunn, Marketing Manager at Wholesum Harvest. "Through this quality mark, we are demonstrating our commitment that organic agriculture should start with organic seed."
Wholesum’s partner in this launch, Vitalis Organic Seeds, is a breeder and producer of certified organic vegetable varieties for the professional market. Together, the companies worked to identify the best varieties for Wholesum’s production systems and markets.
"We are able to communicate with our vegetable breeders traits that have been identified as uniquely required by organic growers," said Erica Renaud, Business Development Manager of Vitalis Organic Seeds. "Ultimately, Vitalis can develop and choose varieties that Wholesum will brand and take to the organic marketplace."
All Vitalis seed production, handling and breeding techniques are USDA NOP certified and compliant with COR (Canada) and SAGARPA (Mexico) standards. According to a press release, Vitalis only uses traditional breeding techniques and is committed to non-GMO breeding. The large Vitalis portfolio is the result of empirical field observations and selection with organic growers in open field, tunnel, and heated greenhouse production systems.
For all the latest launches in the organic produce department, keep checking in with AndNowUKnow.
YUMA, AZ - JV Smith Companies is dedicated to enriching the lives of not only its employees, but its employees' families. Vic Smith, CEO of JV Smith Companies and Founder of the Smith Family Foundation, believes strongly in education and helping those who work so hard for the company. Over the past five years, JV Smith has donated over $344,000 in educational scholarships to employees and their family members, which includes a record high $93,500 in 2016.
"We are blessed with the opportunity to help our employees and their families with their education. Our companies' foundation is our people. We recognize their dedication and loyalty to our mission. We don't think twice about giving back to them in any way we can. When people work so hard for your dream, it is crucial to invest in their dreams as well," Vic Smith, CEO of JV Smith Companies and Founder of the Smith Family Foundation, said, according to a press release.
JV Smith, a group of agriculture companies based in Arizona, California, Colorado, and Mexico, strives daily to take care of each valued member of its staff. One of the biggest ways the company accomplishes this is through the Smith Family Foundation, which was established to fund programs that benefit employees and the communities in which they operate. Offering the educational scholarships to team members and their family is just one additional way the company likes to give back.
At JV Smith, the future is looking bright.