- Read more about Monday Morning, April 18th 2016
- Log in to post comments
United States - As domestic blueberry production slowly gets started and the demand for the category is on the rise, growers are noting a strong market across the board, including Giumarra Companies.
With both domestic and international programs in place, the company is looking to meet the ever-growing demand but expects the market to stay active through April. Marco Nuques, West Coast Sales Manager for the company’s Berry Division, spoke with me about the latest with Nature’s Partner blueberries and his perspective on the season so far.
“We just finished our import season and have seen the last of our fruit from Chile and Peru,” he tells me. “Now is a great time of year to address the blueberry category as the warmer weather begins to roll in and demand for fresh, light, fruit continues to grow.
Currently, the company is transitioning into domestic production, which is about a week or two away, factoring in both coasts. Giumarra has partnerships and production in Florida, Georgia, California, Oregon, the Carolinas, New Jersey, Michigan, and BC. During the transition Giumarra is importing Mexican product as well.
“As we’re in a transition period, volumes are light industry-wide and anticipated to be so for the next few weeks,” Marco tells me. “This is the case with most transitional periods. However, we anticipate strong volumes as we approach late April.”
It is not just domestic demand that grows either, as Marco notes, “What can I say, people want blues year around. But, absolutely, there is always a push for local, or as local as possible. Asia is our primary export market including Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and others.”
Regarding demand, Marco tells me that demand and consumption are growing both in developed markets like North America as well as new markets like Korea and China.
“Virtually every market in the world has increasing demand,” he adds.
Marco also shares that most growing areas continue to expand and although there are occasional periods like now, in which Florida is late and there is limited supply from Mexico causing an extremely high spot market, he thinks these spikes will be fewer and fewer in the future.
With spring taking off and more domestic fruit programs around the corner, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for continued market and crop updates.
SOUTHERN CA - Aldi has announced that the company plans to add 10 stores to the Southern California region of its pledged 45 store expansion.
“The Southern California store openings play a significant role in the company’s strategic plan to expand to nearly 2000 stores from coast-to-coast by end the of 2018,” the company said in a press release.
Aldi’s store plans for the Southern California region will span across several counties, including the company’s first foray into Los Angeles County in six of the locations. In Orange County, three stores are planned open, with the remaining one store to debut in San Bernardino County.
This 10 store expansion, as we reported earlier, is part of a 45 store and 1,100 employee regional expansion that will be completed by the end of 2016. Of the expansion, Moreno Valley division Vice President, Gordon Nesbit, said that the response to Aldi’s arrival has been overwhelming.
“There is a strong appetite among Southern Californians for an alternative place to shop, and we are eager to show them the significant benefits that can come from shopping at Aldi, both for their wallets and lifestyles,” stated Nesbit.
Last year, Aldi operated approximately 1,500 stores with sales estimated at $11 billion across the U.S.
We’ll keep you up-to-date on the latest industry expansions, and Aldi’s forays into the Southern California market, at AndNowUKnow.
CALIFORNIA – California land is a treasured asset, and if you are in the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California then you are expanding your reach with the purchase of $175 million worth of real estate in one of the hearts of California’s water delivery network- Northern California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
According to the Sacramento Bee, Metropolitan shared Monday that it has inked a 103-page contract to purchase five agricultural Delta islands from Delta Wetlands Properties.
Metropolitan’s Board of Directors has already approved the purchase. According to the publication this will be a vital asset in the ongoing battle over California’s water.
As expected this purchase isn’t going over well with some Delta landowners and Northern California officials, with water as such a precious commodity.
For those unfamiliar with The Delta, this resource is an estuary through which the State Water Project and the federal government’s Central Valley Project pump billions of gallons of water annually to the farmlands of the San Joaquin Valley and urban residents in Southern California by way of the Sacramento Valley.
Those with Delta's interests in mind worry that the agency could use the new investment as a “water grab,” and lawyer for Delta landowners, George Hartmann, communicated that he is prepared to sue if Metropolitan doesn’t honor a slew of land-use restrictions approved by Zurich in 2013, the article goes on to say.
Hartmann said, “It may not be comfortable to have your opponent owning the land next door, but that’s what it is.”
Steve Arakawa, Director of Bay Delta initiatives for the agency shared that plans for the islands still have not been finalized. It is suggested though that at least one of the islands could be utilized for dirt stoage and construction equipment for California WaterFix which is Gov. Jerry Brown’s $15.5 billion plan to re-engineer the Delta’s plumbing system by building a pair of underground tunnels. Metropolitan is a leading proponent of the tunnels, which are designed to improve the flow of water to the southern part of the state. On the other hand, the Southern California agency is formulating a model to restore some of the wildlife habitat on the land.
As the dialogue around this land purchase continues, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for continued updates.
TORONTO, ON - Loblaw announced on Tuesday, plans for the company to funnel C$1.3 billion into a massive revamp and expansion project for its grocery outlets and pharmacies throughout Canada. Loblaw said that it is set to open 50 new locations and renovate an additional 150 existing stores under the investment.
“We continue to invest in our business in ways that matter for the Canadian economy and the millions of Canadians who shop with us each week,” said Galen G. Weston, Loblaw’s President and Executive Chairman, in a press release.
Catherine Thomas, Loblaw’s Director of External Communications, said in an email that the expansion would add about 5,000 new store employees, while creating roughly 15,000 construction jobs. Loblaw has yet to release information on where the new stores will be located.
The company said that investments are crucial for adaptation in an industry that has seen significant change, and is planning to execute these expansions with the help of Choice Properties REIT, a real estate investment trust.
Thomas continued by explaining that the company's recent success in IT and supply chain investments have given Loblaw an improved focus on its store locations. Apart from the new and renovated stores, the company said that this investment would also go towards increasing Loblaw’s e-commerce, IT infrastructure, and supply chain projects.
In other expansion moves, the company previously reported plans to accelerate its current Click & Collect program rollout beyond its current 39 stores.
For the latest developments on Loblaw’s investments and earnings, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.com
RIVERSIDE, CA – Index Fresh, the grower-owned avocado packing, marketing, and shipping company is proud to announce the addition of Bobby Fingerlin, Evangelina Kaudze, and Mark Buhl to its staff. The new hires, responsible for sales, safety and compliance, and business development respectively, have been brought in to spearhead the company’s growth in the avocado industry.
Bobby Fingerlin, a California native with a strong sales background, is the latest addition to the sales team. Coming to Index Fresh after years of working in sales, Bobby said that he was excited align himself with a commodity that is taking the world by storm.
Building relationships comes naturally to Fingerlin, cited the company. For him, the most challenging, interpersonal aspects of sales can also be the most rewarding. “Starting a new relationship can be tough. And building that relationship takes a lot of work and a lot of time,” said Fingerlin in a written statement. “But for me, it’s exciting and rewarding.”
“At Index Fresh, we believe in providing value to our clients,” said John Dmytriw, Director of Sales and Marketing. “And we believe Bobby’s value lies in his ability to be transparent with our clients. I have no doubt that Bobby will be one of our industry’s finest leaders in years to come.”
Evangelina Kaudze is now a part of the team as Food Safety and Compliance Manager. In her new role, Kaudze is responsible for developing and updating policies and procedures for food safety, and guaranteeing Index Fresh’s social responsibility standards in their business partnerships.
Director of Production, Luis Avila is excited to have Kaudze on board. “Her 10 years of food safety experience will be a huge asset to Index Fresh, our growers and packers,” said Avila. “She has helped growers achieve food safety certifications as well as improve the food safety standards in the packing houses she has worked in.”
Kaudze is equally excited to join the team. “The commitment to food safety that Index Fresh has demonstrated is astounding,” she said. Seeing Index Fresh’s already-high standards as an excellent foundation, Kaudze looks forward to raising the company’s profile as a leader in food safety. “I want Index Fresh to be as well known for doing as much for food safety in the industry as we are known for what we do for growers.”
Joseph “Mark” Buhl enters the fold as the new Director of Sales and International Business Development. Buhl began his career with an international trading company whose main focus was exports to Europe and the UK. After several years, Buhl established an export and consulting company. There, he focused on consulting for international food chains, packaging companies, logistic organizations, and global retailers to find and implement efficiencies in their supply chains.
After crossing paths with Index Fresh President & CEO, Dana Thomas, and VP of Sales & Marketing Todd Elder, professionally several years ago on a project for Sam’s Club, Buhl grew increasingly interested in the company. “I was always very impressed by the Index Fresh team, and the direction they were going,” said Buhl. “When I stumbled across an opening for director of export, I contacted them immediately.”
In his new role at Index Fresh, Buhl faces some unique challenges, including raising awareness globally about avocados. “There are lots of people all over the world who know nothing about avocados, their health benefits, or even that they exist,” said Buhl, citing a recent interest in selling avocados to China.
Buhl relishes the challenge, viewing every market around the world that is currently unfamiliar with avocados as just a new sales opportunity. The way Buhl sees it, the world is chock full of potential new avocado lovers.
From AndNowUKnow, congratulations to all the newest members of Index Fresh on their positions, and keep clicking back for more hiring announcements and industry shakeups.
HOLLYWOOD, FL – Taking a brief step from the Southern Exposure floor, Kristin Yerecic, Marketing Manager for Yerecic Label took a few minutes to elaborate on the company’s newest product.
The Backflip!™ Label was designed to work with plenty of versatile options for clam shell packaging, "to really help inspire consumers to make that dish,” as Kristin says.
Kristin holds up a brightly colored bruschetta recipe on a flipped open tomato package, and demonstrates how the inside of the clam shell can be used as another innovative opportunity to engage with the consumer. “To make them really think of what they can do with it,” she says.
Each Backflip!™ label has the following features:
- Front and back label spaces
- 4-color processing
- Ideal for plate shots or recipe ideas
For more information on the Backflip!™ label, and to see just how the design works watch the above video.
Southern U.S.- In another round of severe weather events moving across the South this week, Texas was hit with massive hailstones, which fell on parts of the state Monday night. A significant focus of the storm was concentrated in North Texas which The Weather Channel reported as being subject to hail as large as softballs in some areas. That storm system which swept through parts of Texas on Monday, may now be sweeping through the Gulf states today.
Shippers located in Texas tell me that this storm built just off the Cap rock in West Texas. Pea-size hail swept from Dickens, Texas, some 250 miles before exploding over Northeast Dallas. This area was pounded several weeks ago. Hail seemed to be North of produce production luckily, one shipper notes. The peaches and East Texas production were south of this storm. And it is possible that blueberries in the state may have been missed by most of this storm as well.
Weather has produced some powerful storms and everyone is nervous as the region enters tornado season later in April going and going into May. The weather patterns seem to be producing some violent storms. As watermelons and tomatoes start being planted in Oklahoma, North Texas and Arkansas, these patterns will become more of a concern.
CNBC noted that the scattered thunderstorms that have be predicted from Texas to South Carolina today could actually result in a somewhat calmer picture, according Dale Eck, director of The Weather Channel's Global Forecast Center.
"There will be some thunderstorms in the South East but the threat of severe weather is down a lot from yesterday," Eck was noted as saying.
As the Mother Nature continues to send us all that she’s got, please stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for continued climate and weather updates.
CINNCINATI, OH – In another move to address the company's continued growth, Kroger recently held a job fair to hire 740 new employees for all of its Cincinnati and Dayton area stores, according to a report from cinncinati.com. The hiring fair is just the latest event in The Kroger Co.’s plan for rapid growth and development for 2016.
The 740 new part-time jobs are for evening and weekend shifts across multiple departments, including produce, floral, apparel, drug, general merchandise, nutrition as well as online shopping, cashiers, meat and seafood, deli and bakery, line cooks and Starbucks.
The hiring spree in Ohio complements Kroger’s growth in nearby Michigan, where Kroger recently invested $180 million to open 3 new stores and created 1000 new jobs. Earlier this month, Kroger also announced a partnership with Lucky’s Market. The partnership, described by the company as a strategic financial move, brings 17 stores in 13 states to the Kroger lineup.
The new executive staff at Kroger’s is leading the rapid growth of the brand. Mary Ellen Adcock, previously the Columbus Operations VP, was named the new Group Vice President of Retail Operations last month. And on April 30, Kenny Kimball will assume his new role as President for the Smith’s division. Smith’s, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, operates 138 stores across 7 states.
Keep posted on the latest business news with AndNowUKnow.
SANTA PAULA, CA – Limoneira Company has announced the formation of Limoneira South Africa (Limoneira SA) as the company drives its growth initiatives forward. In addition, the company has revealed its new partnership with South African-based Re:inc dubbed Real Citrus which will both represent and manage the packing and sales opportunities for the program. Together they aim to meet global demand for citrus year-round.
"Africa is one of the largest citrus exporting continents in the world - exports are almost 4 times larger than California's and Arizona's combined. This represents another promising opportunity for supplying our global customers year-round. Limoneira S.A. will also pursue investments in joint venture farming and packing operations in South Africa," said Alex Teague, Limoneira's Chief Operating Officer, in a press release.
Limoneira SA will be based in Paarl, South Africa, and Limoneira's U.S. organization together with Re:inc will manage grower, packing and sales functions. Citrus will be sourced from South African growers and will be packed locally for marketing and global sales.
"We're delighted to partner with Re:inc,” said Limoneira Senior Director, Mark Palamountain. “They have extensive experience in getting world class fruit to market, and they mirror Limoneira's commitment to sustainability, stewardship and innovation. This continues our mission of perfecting the 52 week citrus supply chain."
Riaan van Wyk, Re:inc. CEO, also shared his thoughts on the partnership, saying "Working with Limoneira made perfect sense. Their 124 year history of growing high quality citrus for export is admirable as is their responsibility for sustainability. It will be exciting to harness our combined talents to benefit our customers."
With a year-round citrus program that continues to grow, we'll be sure to keep you updated on Limoneira's domestic and international ventures.