FOWLER, CA - Bee Sweet Citrus President Jim Marderosian has announced his plan to give students a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get produce industry experience. Bee Sweet will now be providing students with intern and employment opportunities.
“The job world is very competitive,” Marderosian said. “It’s vital for students to gain industry experience before they graduate; and those opportunities can easily be obtained through networking events.”
Bee Sweet Citrus representatives have been busy reaching out to undergraduate students throughout the Central Valley, and with summer internships and various full-time positions open, the company believes that both junior college and university students have the skills necessary to add to the betterment of their company.
Coordinator of Internships and Professional Experiences, Mary Willis, has been working with students for several years. Willis believes that students miss out on employment opportunities when they fail to network with industry professionals.
“Networking is not only the receiving of information, but the sharing of information,” said Willis. “The ability to effectively network is essential to anyone’s career success and it’s of particular importance to college students who are seeking internship and career opportunities.”
According to a press release, Bee Sweet Citrus has attended three career fairs and plans on attending many more. With positions open in the areas of industrial technology, plant science, business administration, food science and food safety, the need for skilled individuals is at an all-time high.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The much-awaited trial between the FTC and Sysco/US Foods began yesterday, and it appears that a key factor of the outcome might be heavily-weighted on what a marketplace is to U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta.
According to the Wall Street Journal’s legal affairs reporter in the Washington bureau, Brent Kendall, Judge Mehta zeroed in on how he would factor in wholesale cash-and-carry stores with differentiating modes of food supply distribution, calling this “where the rubber meets the road.” To read Brent's entire article, click here.
With both sides arguing strongly about whether or not the merger would corner the foodservice market, it’s anticipated that the hearings could proceed for up to seven days.
Sysco also released its report for its third quarter financials the same day that the judge heard opening arguments. According to the financial report, the company experienced a boost in sales and gross profit, but decreases in operating and adjusted operating income.
"Sales growth, while solid for the quarter at 4 percent, did moderate from our trends in the first half of the fiscal year primarily due to lower levels of inflation and a greater unfavorable impact from foreign exchange translation,” Bill DeLaney, Sysco's President and Chief Executive Officer, said in the release. “Adjusted earnings per share increased 5 percent and was in line with our expectations, as we continued to focus on providing great service to our customers, managed our gross profit growth reasonably well, and benefitted from a favorable tax rate.”
Third quarter fiscal highlights for 2015 included:
- Sales increased 4.2% to $11.7 billion.
- Gross profit increased 3.1% to $2.1 billion; gross margin decreased 17 basis points to 17.52%.
- Adjusted operating income decreased 2.7% to $377 million.
- Operating income decreased 1.6% to $327 million.
- Adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) increased 5.3% to $0.40.
- Diluted EPS decreased 3.2% to $0.30.
DeLaney also added that the company’s expense management performance trends improved modestly from earlier in the year, and will continue to be an area of intense management focus moving forward to the next quarter and planning its process for the fiscal 2016 year.
To read more from Brent Kendall's article on the Sysco trial, click here.
MILWAUKEE, WI - How would you handle 40,000 pounds of potatoes? One way would be to take a page out of RPE’s book and donate them to Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin’s food bank.
“Our company prides itself on a strong commitment to giving back to our community. It’s rewarding to know our potatoes will help those facing hunger across the state,” says RPE’s Marketing Manager, Melissa Sylte.
Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin is the state’s largest food bank and a member of the Feeding America® nationwide network of food banks. Distributing more than 22 million pounds of food each year, its two distribution centers help alleviate food insecurity by providing meals to the eastern half of Wisconsin.
According to a press release, the 40,000 pound donation is based on consumer participation in RPE’s Lock Out Hunger promotion. As part of the exclusive promotion provided by RPE’s Old Oak Farms brand, the company donated 10 pounds of potatoes for every code that was entered online from specially-marked Kwik Lok tags.
“Our Lock Out Hunger promotion was very successful, and we’re already considering additional opportunities through Growing Forward™ to engage our consumers in the fight against hunger,” noted Sylte.
RPE’s donation was made on behalf of the Growing Forward™ with Feeding America® campaign. The Growing Forward™ with Feeding America® campaign was developed specifically for companies in the produce industry that wished to distribute more fresh fruits and vegetables to Feeding America member food banks across the United States. It provides a unique opportunity for brands to highlight local efforts while aligning with the national organization, Feeding America. Through customized or joint promotions, fresh produce companies can use this campaign to reach out to both retailers and consumers, all while helping feed families in need.
“RPE is a family-owned Wisconsin farm that shares our values of providing healthy and nutritious food to families,” said Charles McLimans, President and CEO of Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin. “
McLimans continued that his company is only able to provide locally grown, healthy foods to thousands of people each day through community partnerships like this one with RPE.
REIDSVILLE, GA - How do you speak southern? Ask a girl from California and you will most likely hear crickets. Now, ask Shuman Produce’s Director of Marketing, Adam Brady, and you’ll get a new website and retail program full of promotional opportunities, culture, and if you are up for it, a quiz to test your southern knowledge.
Check it out: www.howtospeaksouthern.com
Participants who take the How to Speak Southern quiz will be graded on their Southern speaking prowess. If you do well, expect some Shuman swag in the mail. It’s a great element to the program when engaging consumers on the retail floor.
“We want to translate the culture behind our product and the unique value that Vidalia onions offer,” Adam Brady, Director of Marketing, tells me.
Shuman Produce recently launched its How to Speak Southern campaign to educate consumers and introduce them to the layers of history and versatility that comprise the Vidalia Onion. Excuse me… Vie - Day – Yuh onion. This playful and unique campaign engages the consumer with a new website featuring recipes and videos that connect the consumer with the Shuman Family and the growers behind the REALSWEET® VIDALIA® ONIONS.
For retailers, Shuman Produce is providing How to Speak Southern signage for produce departments as well as shelf cards and a new REALSWEET® bin to create brand recognition and add to the campaign’s flare and draw. Shuman can also tailor merchandising solutions specifically for the retailer upon request, as the campaign gets underway.
“It’s not enough that consumers may know us by name, we want them to understand everything about this product, from the planting to the steps it takes to bring Vidalia Onions to the produce floor,” Adam notes.
Don’t miss out on the features with Chef and the Fat Man and the recently launched contest that will award lucky winners with a Big Green Egg Grill. Consumers can also participate in the ongoing conversation about Vidalia onions and their versatility and benefits through Shuman Produce’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. Don’t forget to use #vidaliaonions and #howtospeaksouthern.
Cheers to a great outlook for the Vidalia onion season and a little Vidalia onion education – southern style.
DALLAS, TX - AndNowUKnow caught up with Maggie Bezart Hall, Vice President of Trade and Promotions for Avocados From Mexico, at Viva Fresh in Austin, Texas, where she gave us the secret to Cinco De Mayo.
“[Cinco De Mayo] is a time of celebration, and it’s not just for the 5th of May. It’s for the entire month of May, of getting people to have a fiesta for all of May,” she said.
Maggie also discusses her excitement over consumption levels for avocados and how these numbers have increased, as well as how this helps when it comes to talking about volume levels.
To hear everything Maggie has to say about this fiesta month and what Avocados From Mexico is cooking up, view the full 56 second video above.
OVIEDO, FL - Duda Farm Fresh Foods is ready for spring, aiming to hit America in its favorite pass time with the theme "An All American Snack.”
“As a sixth generation family-owned and operated grower of fresh fruits and vegetables, Duda Farm Fresh Foods not only values family, but also finds it extremely important to educate current and future generations about how their food is grown,” Nichole Towell, Director of Marketing, said in a press release. “We're invested in engaging with our local communities nationwide, to showcase the health benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as educating families about where their food comes from.”
The theme that embraces the nation’s game will run from May through October, coinciding with the regular baseball season, with intentions to rally regional support and work with top brands to promote three of the company’s top-selling fresh-cut celery bags in baseball packaging.
According to Duda, the company is offering its retail partners In Northern California San Francisco Giants-theme POS material for the baseball season. Duda is especially excited to do so because it is a sponsor of the Living Garden at AT&T Park for 2015.
“The San Francisco Giants created a garden, the first of its kind, inside its home stadium at AT&T Park,” the company said in the release. “The Garden showcases sustainability, wellness and teaches consumers about where food comes from. Fans can visit the garden for a unique experience engaging with the edible bounty the garden will produce.”
The Garden at AT&T Park, a community outreach used year-round, reportedly offers Giants fans and inner city kids a one-of-a-kind experience to see first-hand how celery, radishes, and citrus are grown.
The company is spreading the word with followers on all its social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest, during the baseball season, as well as sending Bay Area shoppers into the produce aisles with more knowledge about how it is grown.
SHANGHAI, CHINA - Christy Zhu, IFCO China’s Country Manager, spoke about RPCs numerous social, sustainable and economic advantages at a panel discussion entitled, “The Changing Structure of the Fresh Produce Distribution Chain,” PMA’s Fresh Connections: China.
At the gathering of more than 160 fresh produce industry executives and government officials from fifteen countries and regions, Zhu shared that RPCs could potentially alleviate China’s estimated $32 billion dollars of food waste by protecting fresh fruits and vegetables from damage during shipping
“With a rapidly expanding global population that will reach nine billion by 2050, we need innovative and responsible solutions to ensure we are able to grow, process and transport an abundant supply of safe, nutritious and affordable food to every corner of the globe,” said Zhu. “RPCs are becoming the preferred transportation method for fresh food because they are sustainable, cost-effective, and reduce food waste at a time when too much of our food ends up in landfills and not on dinner tables.”
IFCO is a leading global provider of reusable packaging solutions, operating a pool of over 200 million RPCs in 34 countries around the world, according to a press release.
IFCO RPCs allow air to flow around products and allow faster cooling and easier, more consistent temperature control, preserving and protecting fresh food better than one-way packaging.
Zhu also told Fresh Connect: China attendees RPCs are environmentally sustainable because they require less energy to transport and clean over their lifetime versus one-way packaging and concluded that IFCO RPCs could be an ideal fresh food transportation solution for China and other emerging markets around the world.
ST. LOUIS, MO - Schnuck Markets has laid off 52 corporate employees in an effort to restructure the company.
Paul Simon, Senior Communications Specialist for Schnucks, told the St. Louis Business Journal that this move will end up affecting nearly 10 percent of the company’s corporate workforce.
“This move streamlines our organizational structure, increases store support and positions Schnucks for long-term growth,” Simon said.
The only information available about which positions are affected is that Simon said they would be within “several departments and levels within the company’s headquarters.”
The St. Louis Business Journal also reports that eight more previously open positions at the company will be eliminated.
As we’ve previously reported, Schnuck Markets has made a few executive changes as of late, with Scott Schnuck stepping down and appointing Todd Schnuck as the company’s new Chairman and CEO late last year.
The company has recently closed a location in East St. Louis, according to a press release.
AndNowUKnow will have continued updates on the changing structure of this retailer.
OTTAWA, CANADA - CPMA has announced the election of their new Board of Directors at the Annual General Meeting.
Mike Furi of The Grocery People Ltd. is the association's newest Chair, along with Longo's Mimmo Franzone, Costco's Oleen Smethurst, Giumarra's John Corsaro, Loblaw's Eric Biddiscombe, and many more joining the Board of Directors.
Bernadette Hamel, CPMA’s past Chair said, “It’s been an honour to lead the CPMA as they entered into their 90th year serving the produce industry in Canada. The dedication and ongoing support of the board of directors is a true testament to the collaborative nature of our industry. It was exciting to see the launch of the Half Your Plate Campaign during my term and I truly believe that this initiative will inspire Canadians to make healthier choices while increasing industry prosperity.”
Both Hamel and Ron Lemaire, President, provided reports outlining the past activities and future plans of the Association, and members were given the opportunity to engage with CPMA leadership to ask questions and hear about association activities.
“I look forward to leading the CPMA over the next year. During my term as Chair I plan to work with industry to enhance our advocacy efforts to reduce barriers to trade and deliver on programs to improve our industry knowledge and education,” said Mike Furi, CPMA’s new 2015-2016 Chair.
The new members of the board of directors are:
Executive Committee
- Chair Mike Furi of The Grocery People Ltd. Retail
- Past Chair Bernadette Hamel of Metro Richelieu Inc. Retail
- 1st Vice Chair Sam Silvestro of Walmart Canada Corp. Retail
- 2nd Vice Chair Rick Alcocer of Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Inc.
- Executive Committee Member Les Mallard of Chiquita Brands North America
New Board Members
- Murray Driediger of BC Fresh Vegetables Inc. Grower/Packer/Shipper
- George Pitsikoulis of Canadawide Fruit Wholesalers Inc. Wholesaler
- Byron Bellows of Colemans Food Centres Retail
- Jean-Guy of Mazerolle Co-op Atlantic Retail
- Oleen Smethurst of Costco Wholesale Canada Retail
- Guy Milette of Courchesne Larose Ltee Wholesaler
- Stephan Schmekel of Del Monte Fresh Produce Canada, Inc. Grower/Packer/Shipper
- Davis Yung of Fresh Direct Produce Ltd. Wholesaler
- Joel Ippolito of Ippolito Fruit & Produce Ltd. Grower/Packer/Shipper
- David Dubeof Krown Produce Wholesaler
- Eric Biddiscombe of Loblaw Companies Retail
- Mimmo Franzone of Longo Brothers Fruit Markets Inc. Regional Retail
- Mario Masellis of M.L. Catania Co. Ltd. Wholesaler
- Tim York of Markon Cooperative Inc. Food Service
- Joe Sbrocchi of Mastronardi Produce Ltd. Grower/Packer/Shipper
- Andrea Palmer of Nova Agri Inc. Grower/Packer/Shipper
- Kendra Mills of PEI Potato Board Affiliated Services
- Michele McMillan of Sobeys National Procurement Retail
- Colin Chapdelaine of Star Produce Ltd. Grower/Packer/Shipper
- Brian Slagel of Sunkist Growers, Inc. Grower/Packer/Shipper
- John Corsaro of The Giumarra Companies Grower/Packer/Shipper
- Steve Young of The Oppenheimer Group Grower/Packer/Shipper
- Brian Hampton of The Produce People Ltd. Wholesaler
- Scott Fairbairn of Thrifty Foods (Jace Holdings) Retail
- Gerry Van Winden of Veg Pro International Inc. Grower/Packer/Shipper
- Mike Ecker of Vineland Growers' Co-operative Ltd. Grower/Packer/Shipper
“Having alternating directors is very beneficial to CPMA. While we have continuity with our staff, we benefit from the changing perspectives of the different industry professionals on our board,” said Lemaire.
Lemaire added that the board has worked tirelessly on the governance renewal process and he’d like to thank them for their continued dedication to the industry. He looks forward to continuing CPMA’s legacy as it enters into its 91st year.
OAK BROOK, IL - The list of people who are 'Lovin’ It' is growing much shorter in recent days, and McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook has taken notice.
The credit agency Standard & Poor’s downgraded its rating on McDonald’s from ‘A’ to ‘A-’, and McDonald’s shares were down to 1.7% at $96.13 after the fast-food chain unveiled its turnaround strategy. The company cites operational changes in its future but has yet to combat what many are saying is the real problem: People just don't like McDonald’s menu anymore.
“No business or brand has a divine right to succeed, and the reality is our recent performance has been poor,” Easterbrook admits in a company video Monday morning. “The message is clear. We are not on our game.”
According to the Washington Post, most stores have seen plummeting customer attendance for the past two years. The Post reports that in the first three months of the year, sales fell about 3 percent and profit fell 32 percent.
The country’s eating habits are changing towards places where food is perceived as “more fresh,” the Washington Post says, and McDonald’s has been struggling to adapt. “Fast Casual” kings like Chipotle Mexican Grill and Panera Bread are growing more and more popular while traditional fast food chains fade away.
"The immediate priority for our business is restoring growth under a new organizational structure and ownership mix designed to provide greater focus on the customer, improve our operating fundamentals and drive a recommitment to running great restaurants,” Easterbrook said in a press release. “As we turn around our business, we will look to create more excitement around the brand and ensure that we build on our rich heritage of positively impacting the communities we serve."
One way McDonald's is trying to revamp its image is through its new corporate structure that will be led by Mike Andres, who will continue to serve as President; McDonald’s U.S., Doug Goare, currently President McDonald’s Europe, will become President of International Lead Markets; Dave Hoffmann, currently President of McDonald’s Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA) will become President of High-Growth Markets. Ian Borden, Currently Chief Financial Officer of the APMEA region, will become President of Foundational Markets.
Other highlights from McDonald’s press release include:
- Refranchising 3,500 restaurants by the end of 2018
- Accelerating the pace of refranchising from 81% to about 90%
- Deliver approximately $300 million in net annual G&A savings by the end of 2017
- Return $8 to $9 billion to shareholders in 2015 and reach the top end of its 3-year $18 to $20 billion cash return by the end of 2016
- The company will begin testing all-day breakfast in California
- McDonald's claims it will stop buying chicken treated with antibiotics
- Planning to close about 700 of its more than 36,000 worldwide stores this year
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we follow the latest trends in the food and restaurant industry.