UNITED STATES - Virtual reality may be one of the most cost-effective presentation tools available.
It’s not just for gamers. Here at AndNowUKnow, we believe this technology needs to be in the hands of every grower and buyer in the industry.
See which produce people are already trying it out...
After being bought by Facebook for $2 billion, Oculus Rift, one of the many virtual reality headsets that are currently in development, will see its commercial launch next year. By 2016, Credit Suisse analysts estimate that up to 5 million units of the device will be sold.
To learn more about Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg's $2 billion bet on virtual reality, read the Vanity Fair article by clicking here.
TIME Magazine also featured Palmer Luckey, Founder of Oculus, in its August 2015 issue.
With the growing popularity of virtual reality headsets, we could be witnessing the advent of the next evolutionary leap in the way you conduct business with a retailer or supplier, or show millennials where their food is coming from. Read on to find out how…
Say you just bought a new piece of equipment or you want to prove to your retail partners you’re making investments back into your crop. Sure, you can fly a buyer to Delano, South Texas, Leamington, etc., but because it’s cost-prohibitive, you try sending them photographs instead. Virtual reality, however, presents a significantly more immersive and cost-effective experience where you can bring a buyer directly to the field in a 360-degree world, bringing more perspective to your investment.
Our CEO, Robert Lambert, has been traveling to some of the most well-known growers in the world to demonstrate virtual reality and make this technology a reality for applications in the produce industry.
If you want to better introduce your retail partners to your program, this is the way to do it. Today, anyone looking to roam the groves of a California citrus company, marvel at the sprawling greenhouses of a Canadian grower, tour the rows of table grapes in Delano, or even spend a day in the office of a client can do using their own VR headset, like the Samsung Gear VR.
Buy Samsung Gear VR (for Galaxy Note 4 Smartphones)
Virtual reality opens up doors that wouldn’t exist today without it. It’s one of the fastest, easiest ways to bring buyers into the field, get them to understand your company, as well as the individuals involved. They can be transported to your world in a matter of seconds, right from the comfort of their own chair.
To get a taste of virtual reality, check out this YouTube video. Click and drag your mouse pointer across the video screen to look around 360-degrees. Note: This may not work on all internet browsers.
The level of immersion you get from virtual reality is awe-inspiring, right down to the sights and sounds. And it can be done cheaply and effectively. All you need is a smartphone and a VR headset of your choice.
Say hello to the future of produce, with virtual reality. Check it out today. This is one trend you don’t want to miss out on.
SALINAS and YUMA - With recent forecasts bringing to light that El Niño may bring heavy rains to the entire Southwestern United States, California suppliers have had their eyes on the perfect schedule to start their transitions into Yuma, Arizona. With both unseasonably warm weather and wetter than average forecasts on the horizon, we can expect this Salinas-Yuma transition to be earlier and supplies to be tighter as we head into November.
“Last Friday, temperatures had reached 25 degrees warmer than normal this time of year, and a few big rainstorms are expected for both Salinas and Yuma in the coming days,” says Mike Antle, EVP and COO for Tanimura & Antle. “This will only further create supply issues as we go into transition season. If we could switch the dates for Memorial Day and Thanksgiving, it sure would help us load up the stores for Holiday promotions.”
The industry has seen decreasing yields the past few weeks for the Salinas deal overall, Mike adds, particularly noting the company expects iceberg, leafy greens, and red onions to be tight.
“Expect markets for iceberg shipments to go up. Currently, yields are decreasing in Salinas, so we’ve started harvesting on the Tres Picos ranch on Thursday. Quality there is very good and the outlook is bright,” Mike continued. “Our leaf deal is being challenged as well, but we are able to maintain adequate quality and supplies.”
Braga Fresh and its Josie Organics line is also wary of the upcoming weather abnormalities, Roger Zardo, Director of Sales tells me, predicting the stormy season to lift demand higher than supply for most crops.
“Anytime we have active storm patterns it will affect the industry. The most direct way we get affected is from excessive rains causing flooded fields, damaged crops, resulting in slower more costly harvests,” says Roger. “In general, demand will exceed supply, and I think we are going to see strong markets through the holidays.”
Products on Roger’s radar that demand may be particularly high for this fall are Josie’s Organics Celery and Cauliflower.
“Right now our transition to Yuma looks to be ahead of schedule, due to the heat we have been experiencing this Fall,” adds Roger. “With the El Niño weather pattern forecasted to hit California, fingers crossed it will be a wet winter. The state of California needs a lot of water.”
When speaking with Russ Widerburg, Sales Manager for the Oxnard-based Boskovich Farms, it's clear that he’s optimistic about both the upcoming wet weather being a help to both California’s drought and commodity markets overall, telling me that he’s ready for Ventura County to finally get the extra rainfall it desperately needs.
“With El Niño type weather, it stays warmer for longer, so chances of freezing temps diminish. Yuma and the San Luis Valley of Mexico sometimes do better in an El Niño year, because they usually don’t get the wet weather and also don’t get the freezing temps,” explains Russ. “With markets being relatively high across the board on so many commodities, it seems to be more commonplace for pricing to stay high unless we come across a huge increase in supplies.”
With strong markets being predicted to stay with us throughout the holiday season, you can bet AndNowUKnow will keep checking back with suppliers for more on what retailers can expect out of the Salinas-Yuma transition. Stay tuned as we bring you the latest.
EL SEGUNDO, CA - New reports have surfaced claiming that Fresh & Easy may be preparing to file its second Chapter 11 bankruptcy in two years.
“People familiar with the situation” have told Bloomberg that the former Tesco-owned chain that an application for the bankruptcy could come as soon as next week, but the company could potentially find a buyer for all or many of its locations instead.
Following its 2013 bankruptcy filing, Fresh & Easy’s assets were bought by an affiliate of billionaire investor Ron Burkle, Yucaipa Cos. According to Bloomberg, the chain filed for bankruptcy after suffering from "poorly located stores and intense competition" in its Southern California home market. The recession was also noted by the company as a cause of the falling profits.
Representatives for Fresh & Easy and Yucaipa didn’t respond to Bloomberg's requests for comment, the publication says, but this filing could potentially mirror those of companies like A&P and Haggen. A&P had reportedly been once owned by Burkle's Yucaipa as well.
Fresh & Easy was originally a part of grocery giant Tesco, who began the chain in 2007. After opening about 200 stores in the Southwestern U.S with the goal of targeting busy urban dwellers, it became clear that competition from stores like Trader Joe’s would cause difficulty for the company.
Tesco invested nearly $1.6 billion in the company before deciding to sell.
DALLAS, TX - With growth in both the supply from Mexico and of West Pak Avocado itself, the company has decided to expand further with a new facility in Dallas, Texas.
“The facility is first and foremost a distribution center, which serves as really the hub of our operations for our Mexico sourcing program,” Doug Meyer, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for West Pak, tells me, explaining that some of the key features include ripening, bagging, and repacking.
Scheduled to open in November, the newest addition to West Pak will cover about 50,000 square feet. As for the benefits that this new resource will bring to consumers, Doug said that this location will place West Pak right into the Dallas/Fort Worth market.
“It gives us wonderful access to the Interstate Highway network, which can put us within a day in several major markets that we can now reach from the Dallas location,” he tells me.
West Pak still continues to focus on managed profitable growth for the company as a whole as one of its main goals, and Doug stated that this new facility not only aligns with that, but also to continue servicing its customers and expanding that customer base.
To hear everything Doug had to say on the new coming facility and how it will continue to further West Pak’s growth, listen to the full interview above.
OXNARD, CA – Mission Produce has successfully completed the 2015 seasons in California and Peru, and to cap it off, also opened new packing facilities in both countries.
Recognized as two of the largest avocado packing facilities in the world, Mission Produce’s newest plants opened in Oxnard, CA and Chao, Peru earlier this spring. These facilities clock in at 230,000 square feet and 280,000 square feet, respectively.
A large part of Mission’s strategic vision is to grow in California and be fully-integrated in Peru, according to a press release.
Brian Miller, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing, said that both California and Peru were positive seasons for the company.
“We were able to seamlessly open both packing houses within a month of one another,” he added. “Both new facilities give us the ability to diversify packs, improve product handling and cold-chain management, and set the stage for future growth.”
Mission Produce moved from its previous 58,000 square foot facility it operated since 1983 into the significantly larger building in Oxnard by July.
Steve Barnard, President and CEO, said that the upgrades were most definitely needed.
“We really needed the additional production and storage capacity,” he said. “It is a huge upgrade in speed and efficiency, and gives us much more cold storage and loading dock capacity.”
Barnard added that the company continues to make off-season changes, including adding hydro-coolers and streamlining their process.
Construction of the Peru plant, on the other hand, began in early 2014, and was later completed in time to begin production in May 2015.
FOWLER, CA – Bee Sweet Citrus has done it again.
The family-owned company has donated yet another $50,000 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) for the second consecutive year, raising a total of $100,000.
Since 2014, Bee Sweet has joined the BCRF in its mission to promote breast cancer awareness via product packaging and social media in addition to the financial contribution.
Currently, only the company’s Sweetheart Mandarin bags carry the BCRF’s logo, but Bee Sweet intends to expand the program to include all of is mandarin varieties. Mandarins are expected to be available to consumers the first week of November.
“It is an honor and a privilege to help BCRF raise funds for breast cancer research,” said Jim Marderosian, Bee Sweet’s President. “We’re eager to see how their continued efforts benefit those affected by this disease.”
Since its foundation in 1993, BCRF-funded investigators have been deeply involved in every major breakthrough in breast cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and metastasis.
“The support Bee Sweet Citrus provides, both through their donation and awareness efforts, is an incredible contribution,” said Myra Biblowit, President and CEO of BCRF. “They amplify our message by bringing it to people all over the country, supporting our mission to end breast cancer.”
Bee Sweet’s Director of Communications, Monique Bienvenue, said that the company aims to act as an educational platform for breast cancer prevention and treatment. Utilizing social media platforms has been a huge part of driving this effort.
Bee Sweet plans on continuing to work with the BCRF in the future.
KANSAS CITY, KS - This has been a week of revamping and restructuring for Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG), promoting and shifting several employees to new, executive positions.
Jeff Pedersen will be promoted to EVP of Division Operations, Steve Arnold will transfer to the Oklahoma City Division to the position of SVP - Division Manager, Dan Funk will be promoted to EVP of Merchandising and Marketing, and Danny Lane will become Senior Vice President of Grocery.
Pedersen, will now be EVP of Division Operations, reporting to President and CEO David Smith, effective October 19, 2015. Pedersen began his grocery career in 1976 with Hinky Dinky and worked at Bag-n-Save and Hy-Vee prior to joining AWG in 1997. Since joining AWG, Pedersen has held a variety of leadership roles, to include Division Manager in Oklahoma City and most recently, SVP Member Services. In his new role, Pedersen will have responsibility for AWG operations and member services.
Former EVP of Merchandising, Steve Arnold, will transfer to the Oklahoma City Division to the position of SVP, Division Manager and will report to Pedersen. Steve joined AWG in 1995 as a Price Chopper Sales Manager. After a series of promotions within the company’s command chain, Steve was promoted to EVP Marketing in 2014. According to a press release, throughout Arnold’s career at AWG, he has played a key role in the successful growth in private label sales which exceeded $1 billion in sales under his leadership.
Along with Arnold’s move, current SVP of Grocery Dan Funk will be promoted to EVP of Merchandising and Marketing. Dan joined AWG from Supervalu in October of 2012 as President of Valu Merchandisers Company where he successfully grew sales. A press release explains that his leadership opened new doors in the area of general merchandise, seasonal, and specialty foods. Dan took over leadership of grocery in 2014, where he has continued to build center store sales and marketing programs to support our members within their markets.
Replacing Dan in the role of SVP of Grocery will be Danny Lane, current SVP, Division Manager of the Oklahoma City Division. Danny began his grocery career in 1982 and has since held senior level positions in the retail and wholesale grocery industry. Danny has led the Oklahoma City Division since 2013, but prior to that he was the Vice President of Merchandising & Marketing for the division.
LOS ANGELES, CA - PMA weekend is about to kick off, and so is Gourmet Trading Company.
The year-round distributor of fresh asparagus and blueberries has announced its 2nd Annual Futbol Challenge in honor of the 2015 PMA Fresh Summit Convention and Expo.
“This is a chance for us to bring our employees and growers together in a friendly competitive atmosphere to encourage team building and invest in new and old relationships alike,” stated Procurement Manager, Luciano Fiszman.
Starting right before the Fresh Summit festivities, Gourmet Trading will invite both company employees and growers of its asparagus and blueberries to go head to head in a good ol’ fashioned futbol face off. The company has gone all out for the event, according to a press release, with afterward plans to provide an authentic Southern catered meal complete with asparagus and blueberries on the menu.
“This is a perfect way to introduce our new employees to the culture and mission at Gourmet,” continued Fiszman. “We are eager to put everyone in good spirits and make the PMA weekend a success for all.”
See you there at PMA, get ready to score some goals!
CHICAGO, IL - As the company celebrates its fourth year of involvement with Ag Against Hunger’s annual New York Express fundraiser, C.H. Robinson recently teamed up again with a variety of grower-shippers to give back to local New York communities.
“We are so proud to work with other industry members and offer our expertise to help out in the local community,” said Luke Gowdy, General Manager at C.H. Robinson. “The proceeds will go to updating Ag Against Hunger’s warehouse cooler which will not only improve the integrity of fresh product, but will allow for more product to be stored, ultimately feeding more people in need and increasing fresh produce consumption across the U.S.”
Every year, produce companies in California’s Salinas Valley gather the region’s locally grown produce sold at Hunts Point Produce Market in New York. All proceeds of these sales go towards local nonprofit Ag Against Hunger, whose mission is to end hunger by channeling fresh and healthy surplus fruits and vegetables from local farms to food banks and schools.
“We have great relationships with various grower-shippers as well as the board members of Ag Against Hunger,” adds Gowdy. “We will continue to utilize our resources and capabilities to move the industry forward and collaborate for a greater cause.”
After over a century of experience in fresh produce transportation, C.H. Robinson has coordinated the transportation and covered the cost of the freight services for the donation over the past four years. According to a press release, C.H. Robinson has built close relationships with various industry members in part because of the Western Grower’s Transportation Program, pioneered in 2007 as a joint effort to provide best in class transportation services to Western Grower’s grower-shipper members.
BANCROFT, WI - With four additions to its core commodity brand, Old Oak Farms®, and two to its Tasteful Selections® line, RPE Inc. has several new potato varieties hitting the market this fall.
“RPE’s constant drive to innovate the potato category has led to these colorful potatoes with extraordinary flavors,” Russell Wysocki, President and CEO of RPE and Co-Owner of Tasteful Selections, said, according to a press release. “Our Old Oak Farms’ Honeysuckle Gold potatoes Vales Sovereign was voted “Variety of the Year” in Britain and we are confident it will be a winner with our consumers too.”
Blushing Violet and Radiant Ruby, the newest additions to RPE’s Tasteful Selections, are thin-skinned, bite-sized potatoes. These two additions are offered in 24-ounce, 28-ounce, 40-ounce, and 2-pound mesh bags.
Old Oaks Farms, on the other hand, will see four debuts this season, including:
- Honeysuckle Gold Vales Sovereign
- Masquerade
- Autumn Trail Gold
- Midnight Moon
According to the company, these varieties are limited edition, specialty potatoes that are capable of being anything from a simple side to a culinary center-stage. All these new offerings from Old Oaks Farms are offered in 3-pound poly bags, mesh bags, and 50-pound cartons.
For more information on how these newest additions to RPE’s potato offerings will add unique appearances and robust flavors to any consumer plate, stop by booth #239 when you’re at the PMA Fresh Summit Convention and Expo on Saturday, Oct. 24 and Sunday, Oct. 25.