ATLANTA, GA - It’s been a busy year for Chelan Fresh, from new partnerships and new groves to new marketing channels and packaging.
The company’s Marketing Manager, Kathryn Grandy, took the time to share the excitement of all that has been going on with the Washington grower.
“The Rockit apple is now being grown in Washington State for the first time," she tells me, saying the company saw a great harvest for the small apple that packs a crunch.
Chelan also recently introduced some exciting new packaging for various fruits, including Pink Lady apples and Bartlett pears. “We’re proud to show our brand new variety-specific pouch bags and poly bags,” Kathryn tells me.
In addition to the new bags, some new characters have joined Chelan’s crew with its entering the eat brighter!™ movement. Timeless celebrities like Big Bird can now be seen peeking over the company’s cherries, pears, and apples.
You can also find an expanded Chelan Fresh footprint online with the launch of the Healthy You in One Minute website, containing recipes, tips, and videos.
To see Kathryn talk about all these points of growth, watch the brief 53 second video above.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The USDA has imposed sanctions on three produce businesses for failure to pay reparation awards issued under PACA.
According to a USDA press release, the following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:
- Brooklyn, NY-based New Farm Inc., for failing to pay a $45,614 award in favor of a Texas seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Jong Hwa H. Kim was listed as the Officer, Director, and major stockholder of the business.
- Howell, NJ-based Watermelons Inc., doing business as All Sweet Watermelons, for failing to pay a $143,560 award in favor of a California seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Charles F. Pagano was listed as the Officer, Director, and major stockholder of the business.
- Dallas, TX-based Farmers Fruit And Vegetable Company, for failing to pay a $36,745 award in favor of a Texas seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, Carlos G. Guillen and Edgar A. Rodriguez were listed as the Officers, Directors, and/or major stockholders of the business.
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), PACA Division, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses operating subject to PACA, which includes buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers, and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry. All oversight of actions related to PACA are conducted by AMS, an agency within USDA.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,700 PACA claims involving more than $66 million. USDA experts also assisted more than 7,100 callers with issues valued at approximately $100 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - While detection methods within the produce industry continue to improve, contamination events warranting a recall do occur. To help with this, the United Fresh Association is looking to remind those in fresh produce to be ‘recall ready.’
“When industry recalls happen, it is important to be prepared and ready to take action,” the association stated in a press release, stating that, as unfortunate as it is, recalls happen. “Preparation begins long before the recall event occurs. Your company should have in place an organization-wide strategy for food safety and recall ready preparedness, ensuring that all employees – and business partners – understand the direct impact a recall can have on all aspects of the business and industry as a whole.”
In order to help cover the various aspects to ensure that a company is ready for a recall, the United Fresh has outlined a brief, 3-step overview of how to create a strategy for if a recall occurs: Plan, Prepare, and Be Recall Ready.
PLAN: Build a recall team.
An ideal recall team includes:
- Communications
- Marketing and sales
- Operations
- Senior management
- Food safety or quality assurance personnel
According to United Fresh, there is often a misconception that only food safety and technical staff should be trained to handle a recall. Building your recall team in advance with numerous departments included allows clear roles and responsibilities to be set for everyone involved, providing a quicker call to action. When putting this in place, a company should be sure to assess risks, as well as test and evaluate the plan.
PREPARE: Have a written plan in place.
Having a written plan ahead of a recall is another way to clearly define the team’s roles and responsibilities if a recall occurs, so that every member knows what to do for the plan to deploy. The newly published FSMA final rule, as of September 17, 2015, on Current Good Manufacturing Practice and Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food, also states that companies subject to the rule must have a written recall plan.
BE RECALL READY: Save time, money, and potentially lives.
By being prepared to go into action with a team, a plan, and the right industry support to ensure your company is recall ready, you can help to mitigate much of the damages that comes with a recall. The United Fresh has designed a Recall Ready Program consisting of an exclusive group of professional services, including personalized education and training, plus industry workshops and seminars.
“All Recall Ready services leverage the expertise of food safety, legal, and crisis communication professionals who know what it takes to execute a recall to protect public health, comply with government requirements, and minimize detrimental impact on your business,” the United Fresh stated.
Designed to prepare all of the fresh produce supply chain, including growers, shippers, packers, processors, wholesalers and distributors, retailers, restaurant operators and more, these programs aim to help any in the industry.
For more information on the United Fresh’s Recall Ready Program, visit www.unitedfresh.org/recall-ready-program. And to keep up on all that can aid and influence the produce industry, keep checking in with AndNowUKnow.
WATSONVILLE, CA - Lakeside Organic Gardens has made a couple of changes, not the least of which is the addition of new Marketing Coordinator Katie Bassman.
With experience in media planning, public relations, writing and event planning Bassman brings a range of skills to this newest position.
“Katie has an extensive background in marketing and public relations that goes beyond the basics and we are pleased to have her as part of our team,” Owner Dick Peixoto said in a press release, adding that the company has challenged itself to grow its customer base this year.
According to the company, she is no stranger to Lakeside Organic. She worked briefly in the sales office back in 2010 before moving to the non-profit sector, where she did contract work in Public Relations in order to devote time to starting her family.
Bassman has also worked in positions with the Monterey County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, as well as Santa Cruz County Conference and Visitor’s Council, in Media and Public Relations. Over the last eight years in these fields, she gained valuable knowledge in strategic marketing and the importance of building strong, lasting business relationships.
Another recent change for the company has been moving its administration offices a mile down from its original location in Watsonville, California. While contact and fax numbers will remain the same, this is the company’s first land purchase since 1996.
Current shipping remains unchanged at the Holohan Road location, while temporary offices reside for cooler, shipper, and corporate offices at the company’s new future home.
BOISE, ID - On, then off, now on again—what seems like a never-ending saga of Albertsons IPO plans may be coming to an end as soon as tomorrow, sources are now reporting.
A new filing submitted by Albertsons to the SEC says the company will now be offering 65,306,122 shares at a price of between $23.00 and $26.00 per share. The filing states that underwriters are also considering a purchase of up to an additional 9,795,918 shares—this would raise the company between $1.5 and $2 million if all shares were sold.
The company’s filling reports that an IPO will occur “as soon as practicable,” but Dakota Financial News gives an expected IPO date of December 1, 2015.
As we’ve previously reported, Albertsons had initially planned an IPO for October of 2015, but postponed these plans citing unfavorable market conditions following a disappointing fiscal 2016 outlook from competitor, Wal-Mart. At the time of the delay, a person familiar with the matter told CNBC that if the IPO were to be priced when originally expected, the best underwriters could expect is a share price of $18.
Earnings from the IPO will be used in part to pay down the company’s debt, which was in the range of $12 billion.
As of June 20, 2015, the company operates 2,205 stores across 33 states under 18 banners. Albertsons operates 30 distribution centers and 21 manufacturing facilities.
For a more definitive timeline on when Albertsons' IPO will occur and continued updates as they are released, check back with AndNowUKnow in the coming days.
WATSONVILLE, CA - Welcome to What's In Store.
For this holiday season, its time to taste a new tradition with Driscoll’s raspberries. Instead of the typical heavy desserts of holidays past, Driscoll’s is offering you a way to refresh your traditions with a sweeter, healthier alternative. With the timeless appeal of raspberries, families can create enduring memories for the future, all while putting their unique seal on this holiday and for years to come.
Since raspberries hit their second peak season in the autumn months, now through the holidays, Driscoll’s Taste a New Tradition campaign is providing hosts and hostesses, cooking connoisseurs and baking newbies with tips, recipes and giveaways so they can reinvent the holiday dessert and start new family traditions. Whether it’s a gluten-free raspberry pie, mini raspberry-cranberry crumb pies, or kid-friendly hand pies – there is something for everyone.
Through its dedicated #raspberrydessert campaign, Driscoll’s consumers will have access to tips, recipes, videos and live Q&As to help them make their own unique version of a raspberry pie and inspire creativity in the kitchen. Driscoll’s Taste a New Tradition campaign also features a sweepstakes where three monthly winners will be chosen to receive a Le Creuset Heritage Pie Gift Set and berries for a year.
To learn more, follow Driscoll’s Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for recipes, inspiration, and tips on how to get creative with fresh raspberries this fall. Use #raspberrydessert to follow the conversation around incorporating raspberries into dessert to create your own holiday tradition, or visit www.driscolls.com/raspberry for additional ideas, recipes, and to enter the sweepstakes.
Thank you for watching What's In Store.
DELTA, OH - For the very first time, Ohio will now have locally grown tomatoes available year-round, thanks to NatureFresh Farms’ new 15-acre Delta, OH, greenhouse. With the arrival of NatureFresh™ Farms’ first tomato plants at its high-tech greenhouse, Phase I of the company’s construction is now officially complete.
“This is a great day for NatureFresh™ to see the first tomato plants arrive here at our new greenhouse in Ohio,” shared Peter Quiring, President of NatureFresh Farms, in a press release. “We will be heading in to 2016 with 130 acres in Leamington, ON and 15 acres in Delta, OH for a total of 145 acres under glass.”
Since the greenhouse’s ground-breaking just over six months ago, NatureFresh™ has built a state-of-the-art facility that will produce locally grown greenhouse tomatoes year round. Construction of NatureFresh’s Phase II of 30 acres has already begun, and is expected to be completed by the middle of next summer, according to a press release.
“The demand for locally grown produce is increasing year over year,” added Ray Wowryk, Director of Business Development for the company. “By reducing food miles and growing closer to home, consumers will have the opportunity starting in February to purchase Ohio grown tomatoes in the winter, which is a first.”
NatureFresh™ recently unveiled its OhioRed™ brand for its new Ohio grown product at this years’ PMA Fresh Summit in Atlanta, GA. The company expects its first crop of OhioRed™ Tomatoes to be ready for picking in mid-February 2016.
Wowryk says he expects the increase in the company’s acreage in Ohio will help provide even more product to NatureFresh’s key retail accounts in the mid-west and in Canada.
To learn more about NatureFresh™ Farms programs and whats to come, visit naturefresh.ca.
SIDNEY, OH – Gordon Food Service has bestowed Freshway Foods its greatest honor – the coveted Cornerstone Partner Award.
“We are honored to receive this award, which recognizes the hard work and dedication of our 400+ associates,” said Devon Beer, President and CEO of Freshway Foods. “It is a pleasure to continue to partner with Gordon Food Service to drive business growth and deliver the highest quality products and services.”
The Cornerstone Award recognizes suppliers who excelled in service metrics and exemplified strategic distinction through extraordinary efforts, according to a press release.
The company received the award during Gordon Food Service's 2015 North American Vendor Involvement Process (VIP) Award Dinner.
Freshway Foods is a fresh fruit and vegetable processor, repacker, distributor, and logistics provider. Over the past 27 years, the company has focused on providing customized, value-added product and service solutions to foodservice and retail customers that span the eastern half of the United States.
WEST SACRAMENTO, CA - Grimmway Farms got an important visit from Bayer Cropscience’s Nunhems brand Vegetable Seed Carrot team recently, sharing strategies with the company to provide its key customers with the highest level of added value services.
The Vegetable Seed Carrot team took a personalized visit to Grimmway Farms’ West Sacramento facility, where they learned about the foundational programs and practices within Biologics and integrated breeding, with the foundational principles of solving challenges in vegetable crop improvements, according to a press release.
"This visit was a perfect example of a successful key customer relationship,” says Emily Watson, Carrots Crop Sales Manager. “The ability for our customers to experience and access the knowledge, resources and innovation of this facility made the visit this experience a complete success."
The Vegetable Seed Carrot team’s Biologics division gave Grimmway an extensive overview of microbial-based crop protection products, they said, putting extra focus into the background and leading research utilized in the development of these innovative biological pest management solutions. Grimmway had full access to discuss agronomic concerns, obtain key insights to the strategic direction of the biologics group, and received hands-on tour of the global headquarters for the Bayer Biologics group, the release explains.
During the visit, Grimmway Farms also received an up-close look into integrated breeding programs. The group was able to tour the Molecular and Cell Biology labs to learn about the processes behind crop improvement and experience hands-on modules about applied theory regarding how carrot samples are evaluated for color, flavor, and overall quality in the food lab and test kitchen.
Watson continued by saying that the visit to the West Sacramento facility solidified how much Bayer Cropscience as company is invested in being the leaders of innovation. Watson added that she couldn’t be more impressed with the professionalism and customer focus from her colleagues.
BELLINGHAM, WA - The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Delaware in Wilmington has approved and confirmed Haggen’s sale of 47 stores to a variety of retail chains, including Albertsons, Smart & Final, Sprouts Farmers Market, and Stater Bros.
While the completion of all these transactions remains subject to certain conditions, according to a press release, the final numbers look to be giving a good majority of the stores (30 of those listed) on the auction block back to Albertsons.
As we previously reported, the combined sale from this approval and the recent 55 that were approved earlier this month make for a combined 91 stores sold for a total of $139 million, including eight stores to Gelson’s Markets across California for $36 million and 28 California locations to Smart & Final for $56 million.
A complete breakdown of the most recently approved stores’ new owners and locations can be seen below:
Haggen added that both Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, LLP and Young, Conway, Stargatt & Taylor, LLP serve as legal counsel, with real estate investment advisors of Sagent Advisors, and Alvarez & Marsal as restructuring advisors to Haggen, Inc.
This is the latest move in Haggen’s plan to condense its brand since filing for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy last September.
AndNowUKnow will continue to report on this and other events that influence the retail market.