SALINAS, CA - Pacific International Marketing’s Sales Manager Henry Dill was elected as the Grower-Shipper Association of the Central Coast’s Chairman of the Board.
Dill was appointed in May at the Grower-Shipper Association Board of the Central Coast's annual meeting.
“I am pleased to be working with the GSA staff to provide assistance and guidance in industry issues,” Dill said in a press release. “The Board and I plan on meeting with state and local agency representatives as well as local politicians to keep them informed and to work with them on the current state of farming in our central coast region.”
Dill is succeeding Andrew & Williams’ Ernie Farley, who served as Chairman of the Board for the 2014 to 2015 year, and who will continue to serve on the Board as the immediate past Chair.
Dill is a produce industry veteran of more than 36 years, bringing both sales experience and a history of volunteer work to the post. He joined the Grower-Shipper Association in 2012, and has volunteered for the California Rodeo Salinas since 2002, where he served most recently as a Rodeo Director.
AndNowUKnow would like to congratulate Henry Dill on the opportunity of this new position.
Pacific International Marketing Grower-Shipper Association
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The USDA has filed an administrative complaint under PACA against Santa Cruz Fresh Produce Inc. for failure to pay from produce.
According to the USDA, the Califonia-based company allegedly failed to make payment to nine separate produce sellers in the amount of $291,679 from May 2012 through July 2013.
Santa Cruz Fresh Produce Inc. will have an opportunity to request a hearing, but if the USDA finds that the company committed repeated and flagrant violations, it would be barred from the produce industry for two years. Furthermore, its Principal could not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee for one year and then only with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond.
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, USDA resolved approximately 4,250 PACA claims involving more than $77 million. USDA experts have also assisted more than 7,000 callers with issues valued at approximately $110 million. Individuals, including sole proprietors, Partners, members, Managers, Officers, Directors, or major stockholders may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without the approval of the USDA. The Agricultural Marketing Service, PACA Division, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses operating subject to PACA.
MONTVALE, NJ - The corporate parent of the A&P, Pathmark, Waldbaum’s, and Food Emporium grocery chains is set to file for Chapter 11 as soon as this week, sources are reporting.
According to the New York Post, A&P’s filing is expected to come in the form of a “prepackaged” bankruptcy, meaning it would divide up and sell the company’s most profitable locations.
Yesterday, an A&P spokesperson repeated statements given to media in recent weeks about a potential bankruptcy at the company, saying, “No decision has been made regarding a particular outcome, and it would be inaccurate and irresponsible to suggest otherwise. The company is committed to continuing to serve its customers and communities as it always has and intends to keep its stores fully staffed.”
A&P has reportedly already taken steps towards a bankruptcy, hiring Evercore Partners, an investment bank that specializes in selling assets, sources told The Post. This bankruptcy would come on the heels of A&P’s 2007 acquisition by Pathmark, a deal that left A&P with a considerable amount of debt.
Sources cited Mid-Atlantic-based ACME Markets, owned by parent company Albertson’s and Safeway, as a potential buyer for nearly 80 of A&P’s 300 or so locations, according to the Post. The same sources also offered Kroger and Ahold as potential buyers.
SALINAS, CA - Ippolito International is welcoming Salinas-native Bobby Nunes to the sales team, as well as promoting company veteran Tami Gutierrez to Vice President of Sales.
Butch Corda, General Manager at Ippolito, noted in a press release that the company is fortunate to have such highly experienced people on the sales team.
“Tami has shown her leadership qualities and ability to build customer relationships to be a great asset to our business,” said Corda.
Since joining Ippolito in 2007, Tami has overseen sales and commodity management and was most recently a Sales Manager at the company. Also a Salinas, CA native, Tami started her career in produce as a buyer in a procurement office and later moved to the sales office of a prominent grower-shipper in 1995, according to a press release. She will continue to handle customer accounts and commodity management in addition to her managerial duties.
Bobby, an industry veteran of 26 years, will play an integral role in sales and commodity management at Ippolito. Prior to joining Ippolito, Bobby also handled sales and commodity management at various grower-shippers, most recently with New Star of Salinas, CA.
“Bobby brings an unmatched energy and passion every day for his work and life in general,” continued Corda.
Corda concluded by saying that Ippolito is excited about the team that the company has built and look forward to the role that these two individuals will play in the future.
MEXICAN COAST - Since strengthening into a hurricane this past Monday, Dolores is now expected to become a major hurricane (Category 3 or higher) within the next few days.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Hurricane Dolores was located approximately 250 miles southwest of Cabo Corrientes, Mexico, and has continued to move Northwesterly since. According to the Weather Advisory Service, Dolores is expected to continue strengthening over the next 24 to 48 hours as it heads towards the Northwest. By this weekend, however, Dolores is forecast to weaken back to Tropical Storm strength as it moves over cooler ocean waters.
While its hard to know exactly what impact Dolores will have as of now, the latest forecast guidance from the Weather Advisory Service shows potential for tropical moisture to push into both Southern California and Western Arizona this weekend. The service is reporting that this Sunday may see record amounts of rainfall impacting the Central Coast. For example, the forecast is now showing Dolores will bring moisture directly into the Santa Barbara coast Monday morning, carrying rainfall amounts of 1.5 to 2 inches.
Dolores is not expected to hit shore at any point as of now, but high surf and tides may be a risk. According to Mexico's National Meteorological Service, waves of 10 to 13 feet are expected along the coast of the states of Jalisco, Colima, and Michoacan. High surf will also develop along the southern Baja peninsula coast Tuesday and continue through the week.
Keep watching AndNowUKnow for continued updates on Hurricane Dolores.
LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE, CA - The Allen Lund Company, Orlando office has announced the promotion of Jenn Peterson to Business Development Specialist.
Peterson was optimistic about her new position, saying, ”With the support of a great operations team, I am excited to help the Orlando office grow our business to new levels. The possibilities are endless.”
Peterson has been with Allen Lund Company since 2006, starting at the Minneapolis office after graduating from the University of MN. Before working for ALC, she had acquired eight years of experience at another brokerage firm.
Shaun Leiker, Manager of the Orlando office said Peterson’s promotion came from her prowess with customers, noting her enthusiasm and dedication.
"Since transferring to Orlando last year, Jenn has shown a knack for generating and growing new customers for the office," Leiker said. "Her enthusiasm and dedication to helping her customers solve problems has earned her this promotion. Jenn's 15+ years of experience in logistics provides her the knowledge to help take her clients, ALC and our office to the next level."
Eddie Lund, Vice President of Sales and Branch Operations also commented on Peterson’s promotion, saying, "Aside from being knowledgeable and experienced, she is very persistent which will serve her well in this new role.”
Peterson is, as Eddie Lund puts it, a natural salesperson.
OXNARD, CA - In case you hadn’t heard, California is tightening up the water belt, making it necessary to find ways to minimize water usage in the state. Not an easy task for the agricultural industry. Deardorff Family Farms, however, is doing its best to conserve, monitor, and manage agricultural water usage with the implementation of Hortau, Inc. technology.
“I have tried other soil monitoring systems in the past, and in my opinion Hortau’s is by far the most accurate and true measurement of soil tension compared to others on the market,” Richard Martinez, Organic Production Manager for Deardorff Family Farms, said, according to a press release. “This is vital when we have different soil types throughout all our ranches, with one single ranch having multiple soil types, each holding moisture differently.”
As we previously reported, Hortau’s soil tension monitoring system allows growers to monitor how hard crop roots are working for their water in real time and adjust accordingly.
According to Deardorff, the system has become an integral part of its production, with eleven systems placed throughout the company’s 2,000 of certified organic and conventional acres in Ventura County, CA.
The company invested in smart devices like iPhones and iPads to equip field personnel with the tools to access Hortau's irrigation management system, with real-time data located on its web-based monitoring systems, from either on the field or in the office. With it, they can see a variety of measurements, from soil tension, soil temperature, and humidity on different fields, allowing the company to adjust water usage precisely. According to the release, this has been especially useful for its celery fields, which require the most water and is Deardorff’s most produced crop.
“This system is a better decision tool for us; we can regulate accordingly to any changes in climate,” Martinez stated, having tried the trial-and-error method of testing soil with his fingers long before first installing the system in 2013. “Whether it’s overcast for a week straight or sunny skies for days, we can more accurately adjust water output. In this industry, especially during the drought, as technologies develop the more efficient we will become and the more we will conserve.”
Deardorff stated that Hortau’s system has become a necessity during California’s 25 percent state-mandated cutbacks on water usage, having “drastically altered” the way the company monitors its water while enabling it to better monitor over/under-watering and apply appropriate amounts where needed.
Hortau was also listed recently in Forbes Magazine, where Martinez reiterated the positive impact the company has had in helping to conserve water.
An imperative practice during this record-shattering dry spell.
RIVERHEAD, NY - Hapco Farms is kicking off its Fresh from the Start branded annual Maine broccoli deal this week with big volumes in store for eastern retailers.
Hapco Farms has shipped broccoli for 22 years with steady increases on volume each year. Due to the growing demand, the company's acreage has increased by 15 percent this season and expects to ship over one million boxes of Asian-Cut crowns and bunched broccoli from Maine. Eighty percent of the volume is Asian-Cut crowns.
Eric Scannelli, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Hapco Farms, said that retailers in the east can look forward to the Maine broccoli deal because “they can receive product that is days fresher than what is sourced from California” and that there is a “significant savings in freight for these customers,” he said in a press release.
“We are invested in this crop from the seed stage through shipping,” said Scannelli. “When customers buy from us, they are dealing directly with the grower, resulting in quality product at the best possible price.”
Hapco Farms’ Fresh from the Start brand touts a Superior rating from AIB International audits, seed-to-delivery traceability with Good Manufacturing Practices and Good Agricultural Practices programs, and on-site inspectors.
For the latest on Hapco Farms' Maine broccoli deal, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.
SALISBURY, N.C. - Food Lion is tapping back into its “low prices and convenient locations” roots, making an investment to lower prices on thousands of items across the board, including fresh produce, frequently purchased groceries, and household items.
"Affordable prices and great deals are a significant part of our heritage at Food Lion and the reason why we have invested further to bring our customers even lower prices," Meg Ham, President of Food Lion, said in a press release.
According to the company, it is making significant investments in lowering prices for a wide range of items in several locations, as well as signs and points of sale to highlight the savings for consumers all over the stores.
"Today's announcement is not only about making grocery shopping more affordable for our customers, but also making it easier, as we have redesigned our in-store signage so customers can easily identify savings throughout the store," Ham said.
The new “Ways to Save” signs include:
- Hot Sale - Food Lion's top weekly MVP specials, and the best prices throughout the store, only available with an MVP card.
- WOW - Lower prices on thousands of items that matter most to our customers, offered for longer periods of time.
- Low Price - Essential items throughout the store, priced affordably every day.
New customer-centric training for the company’s 63,000 associates, as well as research done on items frequently purchased, are what the company says brought about this latest strategy. The change is taking place in all 1,100 of Food Lion's stores throughout the nation, though it did not announce when this is going into effect.
SALINAS, CA - Andy D'Arrigo, the Chairman Emeritus at D'Arrigo Bros., sat down with us to give an exclusive inside look behind the early beginnings of the business, the growth of broccoli rabe, overcoming challenges in the produce industry, and more.
Check out the videos below to see what's made this industry visionary a true produce maven.
How did the D'Arrigo Bros. business first get started?
What went into building broccoli rabe as a flagship product?
What hurdles has the company experienced and overcome during your time in the business?
How did you see your role as the head of a family business?
What accounts for D'Arrigo Bros.' success in the industry so far?
What can you tell us about your time with Western Growers?
Do you have any words of advice to live by?
From AndNowUKnow to Andy and the rest of the D'Arrigo Bros. team, thank you for inviting us to speak with one of the industry's greatest.