LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE, CA - Allen Lund Company (ALC) is doing a huge part this season to make the holidays happier for families in need by participating in a number of charitable organizations.
Along with continuing its partnership with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles through working with Holidays From the Heart to help provide underfunded families of patients, ALC is providing the trucking for a sea container destined for Hands Together in Haiti- effectively aiding those who need help most both here and abroad.
"We're proud to work with CHLA, which is one of the crown jewels of Los Angeles for organizations that serve L.A. County and beyond," Kenny Lund, VP of Support Operations for ALC, said in a press release. To help the cause, the company shopped to provide toys, clothing, and shoes for a family of eight who could otherwise not afford it.
"CHLA has served the L.A. population and the Allen Lund Company well. We are proud to give back in a small way," Kenny added.
As for the Haiti-bound container, Mission Haiti Coordinator Karl Holtsnider expressed heart-warming gratitude for ALC’s part. “Your generous and unsung gift of trucking is helping many, many desperately poor people in a forgotten corner of the world. We cannot thank you enough!"
The container took with it:
- Life sustaining Liquid I.V. crystals
- An electric organ
- Three pianos
- More than 50 musical instruments
- Equipment to set up a woodworking shop
- New cabinets for tool storage
- Shoes and shirts
Chris Clelland, Flatbed Division Manager for ALC, said how great it is to work for a company that supports such causes.
"I am very proud that we are able to help this cause in our small way,” he added.
Teaming up with so many organizations, both locally and internationally, Allen Lund Company is surely giving Santa a run for his money in spreading cheer this holiday season!
BENTONVILLE, AR – Walmart is making good on its promise to increase wages for its employees next year as part of its $2.7 billion investment announced last February.
Starting in February 2016, the retailer will boost entry-level pay for workers nationwide to $10.00 an hour, $2.75 an hour above the federal minimum wage. Employees hired on or after January 1, 2016 will start at $9 and will move to at least $10 after successfully completing Walmart’s new Pathways training program.
Earlier this year, we reported that Walmart would increase wages to $9.00 an hour in 2015 to kick-off its two-year plan.
The move will affect approximately 500,000 of the more than 1.4 million workers that are currently employed at the retailer’s 5,000 stores and clubs. Walmart says on its website that the average, full-time hourly wage for workers in the U.S. is currently $12.96.
The results from the wage hikes this year have been promising, but it’s still unclear how this investment will pan out in the long run. In its most recent Q3 2016 earnings report, the company said that customer experience scores continued to strengthen and comparative-store sales were positive for the fifth consecutive quarter. As we previously reported, however, Walmart announced that it would be cutting back its forecast along with a prediction that its profit would decline in fiscal 2016.
For more on how this multi-billion dollar investment will affect Walmart’s financial performance in 2016, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.
SACRAMENTO, CA - A 32-foot mobile agriculture classroom known as the Seed Survivor Mobile is back on the roads, bringing a produce-centered field trip to the front door of schools around the nation.
The last time the Seed Survivor Mobile took on the U.S. was in 2011-2012, when the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom (CFAITC) ensured that one trailer visited 84 schools and four community events, reaching more than 22,000 students.
Now, in partnership with Crop Production Services and Agrium, CFAITC is hosting two trucks and trailer units to push agriculture and produce knowledge in the school system for the next generation.
“We are excited to educate elementary-aged students about plants, what they need to grow, and how they contribute to a nutritious lifestyle,” Judy Culbertson, Executive Director of CFAITC, tells me. “This experience will help connect students to their food source and is as important as anything else they are learning in the classroom.”
According to CFAITC, this year’s Seed Survivor Mobile is on track to exceed those numbers, with the following itinerary slated for the tour:
- Northern California schools: November 16, 2015 - January 15, 2016
- Central California schools: January 18 - February 29, 2016 (registration opens Dec. 1)
- Southern California schools: March 1 - 31, 2016 (registration opens Jan. 18)
With interactive learning experience tied into an ag-focused curriculum, this program targets students K-6 to encourage knowledge about the benefits of agriculture while teaching them more about where their food comes from. After learning more about the process, student are given a sunflower seed to plant on site before taking home to watch grow for themselves.
To register a school, go to SeedSurvivor.com.
WATSONVILLE, CA - While the holiday season may be bringing us some cooler temperatures, winter is definitely heating up for Well•Pict Strawberries. It’s hard to ignore a healthy, delicious product that has no downside for the consumer, and as Christmas approaches, the company is looking to help retailers increase their ring at the register.
“Thanks to years of refining growing techniques, not to mention some good old fashioned ingenuity and hard work, the days of only seeing berries in stores during summer is over,” says Dan Crowley, VP of Sales and Marketing. “Today, you can find our premium, proprietary berries in produce aisles all over the world, all year long, to the delight of consumers everywhere.”
He also notes that strawberry consumption around the nation continues to grow, and as demand rises, Well•Pict is ramping up productivity to match. “We have expanded our Florida berry production over the last several years, which allows customers to purchase Well•Pict berries during the holidays and into the New Year.”
Well•Pict prides itself on keeping its retail partners’ stores well supplied throughout the year by rotating farming along both the West and East Coasts. While a majority of the year is covered by California’s lengthy growing season in Watsonville and Oxnard, they have expanded production in Baja California, as well as supplementing supply with its Florida farms. Crowley went on to say that at present, the quality of the crop is good and volume is steady. Well•Pict will ship from Florida for as long as weather and market conditions will allow, with the Florida Coast season typically covering through to April.
The good news for the market is that the versatility of strawberries gives produce retailers new ways to add eye-catching color to their produce aisles in the “off” season. “The ‘new normal’ in berries being available 12 months out of the year dovetails nicely with younger consumer expectations, too,” Dan notes. “According to a research study from the Boston Consulting Group, Millennials will spend the greatest amount of money in the coming year on fresh fruits, organic food and natural products — over soft drinks, restaurants and even luxury goods.”
Overall consumer interest in buying healthy, natural foods is a trend that crosses all generations. “This trend is here to stay, as we’ve seen berry sales continue to increase dramatically year over year,” Dan says. He also adds that berries are so appealing, studies have shown that merely adding berry displays to a store’s produce section actually boosts all other produce sales by 6% or more.
When asked about the challenges of this season, Dan admits that, “Weather instability is always a challenge. Warm temperatures at the time of planting can affect the development of the berries, and water is still a topic of concern. But we’re a forward thinking company, and one way Well•Pict addresses water conservation is with the use of drip irrigation, which we adopted early, well before the current California drought.”
Premium berries, like those packaged by Well•Pict, are a great way to address today’s consumers that feast with their eyes, as well as their mouths. And as 2016 gets underway, expect more tasty updates on this growing category.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA - Did you ask Santa for rain and snow this year? It looks like he may have got your letters, because the next week and half are about to be a whole lot wetter.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has released new predictions that suggest Northern California may see several waves of rain or snow from now through Christmas Day. Northern Californians can expect the rain to start pouring in starting tomorrow, with at the very least a chance of precipitation lasting until next Wednesday, the NWS reports. Rain estimates from the NWS from now through early Tuesday are one to two and a half inches in the valley and two to four inches in the foothills.
Snow lovers in the Sierra might be welcomed by some powder on Monday, the official first day of winter. The NWS expects snowfall amounts to range anywhere from four inches to a foot in the mountain range through early Tuesday. Snow levels today and on Friday will be from 5,500 to 6,500 ft above sea level, but will lower to 3,500 to 4,500 ft over the weekend.
Today, Sacramento’s NWS released a special weather statement regarding the expected weather patterns in Northern California. Counties from Shasta, Sacramento, Clear Lake, Chico, Redding and beyond have been warned that the weather will impact holiday travel.
“Extended wet pattern will impact Norcal starting today and could last into Christmas Day,” Sacramento’s NWS announced in the statement. “Impacts to mountain travel will be exacerbated by a high volume of holiday travelers. This extended wet period will enhance potential for localized flooding for small streams and urban areas.”
However helpful this will be to both reservoir and snow pack levels for California, there is no likelihood that it will be enough to make a substantial dent into the state’s overall drought. For more on how California’s drought conditions are faring and the state’s winter weather, continue to check in with AndNowUKnow.
CASTROVILLE, CA - Widespread frosts in California have provided an unanticipated treasure to Ocean Mist Farms this season: Frost Kissed™ artichokes. Available for a limited time, Frost Kissed™ artichokes only develop when temperatures drop below 32 degrees, making them a rare treat to produce departments.
According to Ocean Mist's VP of Sales & Marketing Joe Feldman, the impact of frost on artichokes is similar to how human skin reacts to sunburn. Frost can turn the outside layer of the artichoke dark brown, but it then starts to flake and peel. When cooked, this outer layer fades, leaving the familiar soft green artichoke that shoppers will recognize.
“Frosting is strictly a cosmetic condition,” Feldman added in a press release. “While the brownish color may not look pretty, Frost Kissed™ artichokes actually taste wonderful. The cold weather concentrates the natural artichoke flavors into a more intense, nutty flavor.”
In order to combat any confusion that might arise from the difference in outer color, Ocean Mist Farms has implemented an education program to teach consumers about Frost Kissed™ artichokes. This program includes:
- A website filled with information
- Pictures and recipes sent to all members of the Artichoke club
- Display cards sent to retail customers who will be stocking Frost Kissed™ artichokes
“A Frost Kissed™ artichoke is a very unique item that we don’t have every season,” Feldman finished. “Because they are so seasonal, we have to teach shoppers to look for them and be sure to buy them during the short time they are in the stores.”
Following a freeze, artichoke plants take two to three weeks to start producing frost free artichokes again. Keep an eye out for these rare artichokes, and for more information, check out www.oceanmist.com/artichokes/frost-kissed/.
CALIFORNIA - A cold snap has certainly hit California, but California Citrus Mutual announced that this is a good thing for citrus fruits, helping growers keep grove temperatures in a manageable range.
“While temperatures were predicted to be below freezing throughout the Valley [on December 15th], a decent cloud cover created a strong inversion layer in most citrus producing areas,” the association stated in a press release.
Growers report that, despite a major drop earlier this week, protection from the wind machines helped temperatures hover in the upper 20s to low 30s - ideal for fruit quality at this point in the season.
“Low temperatures help to bring out the bright orange color in the rind of the fruit,” Keith Watkins, Farm and Field Representative for Bee Sweet Citrus, tells me. “In addition, it helps to balance the sugar and acid content, which can give us that great citrus flavor.”
Growers will typically use micro-sprinklers to moisten and warm the ground to prepare for cold nights, as well as, in some cases, using wind machines early in the morning to keep fruit dry, preventing delays in harvest.
In addition to manageable temperatures, the rain that fell last weekend helped keep grove conditions moist despite the cold, dry weather that occurred a couple of nights ago.
As a result, the industry reports typical conditions during this cold week for California, with sweet yields and no damages expected to the Valley's citrus crop from the weather patterns sweeping from the Pacific and Alaska.
CITY OF COMMERCE, CA – 99 Cents Only Stores’ Chief Executive is hoping that his newly elected senior executive team will be the key in returning the business back to profitable growth after reports of an unsatisfactory quarter surfaced this week.
Geoffrey Covert, President and CEO, said that the team is urgently working to address the challenges the company faces, as well as looking forward to the opportunities that lie ahead. Such measures include improving the customer experience, reducing shrink and scrap, enhancing inventory management practices, and getting the right products to the right stores at the right time.
“With a new senior executive team now in place, we are aggressively identifying the issues that have led to our disappointing results in recent quarters,” Covert said in a press release. “I see great possibilities for 99 Cents Only Stores and look forward to building on the foundational strengths of our business while providing the direction and discipline to return the organization to profitable growth.”
In this year alone, the company appointed a handful of retail veterans to its senior executive team, including Covert himself. Covert, Kroger’s former Senior Vice President, joined 99 Cents Only Stores in September 2015 to succeed interim CEO Andrew Giancamilli. Earlier, in July 2015, Walmart’s Jack Sinclair joined as the new Chief Merchandising Officer. And most recently, in November 2015, Felicia Thornton, the former Co-CEO, President, and Chief Operating Officer of Demoulas, joined as the new CFO and Treasurer.
For the period ended October 30, 99 Cents Only Stores reported that its net sales increased 2.8% to $491.5 million compared to $478.3 million in the prior year. Same-store sales decreased by 3.9%, primarily driven by challenges in produce and consumables sales, cannibalization impact of recent new store openings, as well as ongoing initiatives to clear excess seasonal inventory, the company said.
As of the end of the third quarter of 2016, 99 Cents Only Stores operated 389 stores, an increase of 7.5% in store count compared to the same period last year. No new stores were opened for this period.
Other highlights for the company’s Q3 2016 include:
- Adjusted EBITDA was $5.1 million compared to $27.1 million in prior year
- Net loss was $152.6 million compared to $3.8 million in prior year
- For the first three quarters ended October 30, 2015, net sales were reported at $1.49 billion compared to $1.41 billion during the same period last year, a 5.1% increase
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to report on 99 Cents Only Stores’ financial performance in Q4 2016 and beyond.
PELION, SC - On WP Rawl’s agenda for the holiday season—donating fresh produce to bring joy to families serviced by Harvest Hope Food Bank in Columbia, S.C.
Food banks often have trouble providing its patrons with fresh produce, especially during the holidays, but thankfully, WP Rawl came to the rescue. This past Monday, the company donated five hundred mixed gift boxes of fresh produce to Harvest Hope, including items like yellow and butternut squash, cabbage, sweet potatoes, green onions, beets, leeks, and zucchini.
“Harvest Hope Food Bank is so very thankful for the gift of 500 produce boxes which WP Rawl donated recently,” Harvest Hope Food Bank CEO, Denise Holland, explained. “These boxes, filled with beautiful produce, will be distributed to the many needy clients that we are currently assisting. The fresh produce will not only serve as part of a nutritious holiday meal, but for the nourishment of our clients prior to and after the holiday.”
According to a press release, the donation was made in honor of all of WP Rawl’s customers and employees as a “thank you” for their support.
“We are blessed as a family and as a company, and it is our year-round commitment to our global and local communities to share when we can,” said Ashley Rawl, Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Product Development at WP Rawl. “It is always our goal to give back to those who need a little extra help, and particularly this year with the devastations our state suffered.”
This generous gift is a tremendous blessing to the clients of Harvest Hope, and, notably to those who are experiencing a greater level of need due to the recent flooding, Holland finished.
And this isn't the first charity WP Rawl has helped in its year-long mission to end hunger—the company has worked with organizations like RAMP, (Rockin’ Appalachian Mom Project) and Katie’s Krops, for whom the company sponsors an annual all-expenses paid summer camp.
LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE, CA - With the spirit of the holidays in full swing, Allen Lund Company took to the neighborhoods with Navidad en el Barrio this December 12th, bringing Christmas dinner to those most in need throughout Southern California.
2015 marks the tenth year Allen Lund has provided transportation for Navidad en al Barrio, an organization established over 30 years ago to provide Christmas cheer to 15,000 families without a dinner on the table on the holiday.
Over the past 7 years, ALC has started recruiting its grower customers to help, and boosted the substance and nutrition of Navidad en el Barrio with fresh produce. For 2015, ALC was joined by companies including Taylor Farms, Grimmway Farms, Wonderful Citrus, Dayka & Hackett, Wada Farms, and Rainier Fruit, providing everything from apples, oranges, grapes, carrots, peppers, potatoes, bagged lettuce, and arugula for the Christmas feast.
Blake Belknap, Organic Sales Manger for Rainier Fruit took the time to thank Allen Lund for its part in the event and its leadership in service to others.
"Rainier Fruit is proud to recently join the Allen Lund Company in their decade long service to the impoverished,” shared Blake Belknap. “We are happy to give back from the blessings we've received, whether in Eastern Washington or Southern California.”
ALC provided its team as volunteers for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Los Angeles to assemble the dinners in bags and distribute, and for the 2nd consecutive year, Dayka & Hackett provided several pallets of product to Navidad en el Barrio.
"Working with the Allen Lund Company for transportation, we were able to provide a healthy addition to the Christmas dinner baskets provided to thousands of families in Southern California," explained Mike Weaver of Dayka & Hackett. ”We were happy to participate and so glad our grapes were included in the meal.”
Thanks to these 15,000 bags of dinner and the efforts of all the companies involved, thousands of needy families will have a little something extra to smile about, and a little more fresh produce on their tables during the holiday season.