Kevin Fiori, Russell Hanlin, Leland Wong, Julie DeWolf, and Joan Wickham from Sunkist were featured in the latest edition of AndNowUKnow’s print publication, The Snack Magazine. These citrus all-stars all sat down to give us an exclusive in-depth look behind the scenes of Sunkist and the company's family values.
Check out The Snack article by clicking here, or read the full article below:
Sunkist: A Rich Family History
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
If you have never heard of this African proverb, you’re not alone. But Kevin Fiori, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Sunkist Growers, will tell you that it’s more than just a simple motto. All of Sunkist’s core values are embodied in this philosophy.
“We were founded because, at our core, we believe we can accomplish much more working together than any one individual can accomplish alone,” he tells me. “When we work together and are open to ideas from all areas of our organization, we create opportunities to innovate and to identify unique solutions to drive the business forward.”
Looking back at the company’s history, I always find myself returning to a common theme: Family. That should be no surprise, considering that Sunkist’s culture is one of collaboration and teamwork. Phrases like “Sunkist’s legacy” and “multigenerational” quickly help me realize how fondly the organization looks upon its history. It’s a stepping stone towards the future. When Fiori says Sunkist is all about putting together a mutual effort to drive the business forward, he means it. It’s this kind of cultural philosophy that not only propels the brand to greater heights, but its employees as well.
“While any single individual can have a significant impact on an organization, rarely is one individual responsible for the success of an organization,” Fiori continued. “We believe it takes a lot of people doing many things well every day for any company to be successful. This is true regardless of the size or structure of the organization. This belief ensures the long-term success of the organization.”
Sunkist has embarked on a number of strategic initiatives that will position the company for long-term success. One of the most significant changes came in 2014 when the company announced plans to move its headquarters from Sherman Oaks to Valencia, California. The impetus behind such an undertaking was motivated by Sunkist’s family of growers, the heart of its business. If you want to know how Sunkist’s relationships with its growers have influenced its history over the years, look no further than its new headquarters.
"The new space is designed to tell the story of Sunkist, communicating the rich history of the cooperative."
“The new space is designed to tell the story of Sunkist, communicating the rich history of the cooperative while also highlighting the current and advancing business,” says Joan Wickham, Advertising & Public Relations Manager. “Rich imagery and multimedia showcase what the Sunkist brand stands for: our rich history of multigenerational family growers, innovation, environmental stewardship and sustainability, commitment to quality, and core values.”
Sunkist’s new home is modern, clean, and fresh. It features wide open spaces with plentiful natural light, bringing brightness into the workspace. Just as the look and feel of the space has been updated, so has the technology. Multimedia screens incorporated throughout the building display the company’s latest digital strategies – from its Sunkist Family Stories video series to a live Twitter stream of its social media content. The meeting areas have also been outfitted with cutting-edge audio-visual technology to allow Sunkist to better exhibit its current marketing and sales tools and stay connected with its customers and partners around the world.
You can tell how proud the company is of its heritage just by looking at the Sunkist Family Stories project. Sunkist Family Stories is a multimedia storytelling project designed to share the powerful tales of the organization’s family farmers with trade customers and consumers. A dedicated consumer microsite, social media campaign, and retail marketing materials help transport customers and their consumers to the sunny groves of California and Arizona to learn more about the traditional growing practices, stewardship of natural resources, and dedication to innovation that is proudly passed through generations of Sunkist member family-owned farms – year after year, crop after crop.
“Our customers and consumers have embraced the project, and we plan to not only continue consumer promotion of the grower content, but also roll out retail marketing materials to help our customers bring Sunkist Family Stories to life in their stores this season,” said Julie DeWolf, Director of Retail Marketing.
Alongside its hugely successful Sunkist Family Stories program, the company has also launched a host of new packaging designs and display bins to further engage with the consumer. As part of PMA and Sesame Workshop’s “eat brighter!” program, Sunkist has unveiled new Sesame Street-themed packaging for its 10-pound Navel orange carton and polybag, as well as a Giro-bag for kid-favorite mandarins, all featuring the lovable Sesame Street characters. In addition, the company has also developed a new display bin to help retailers generate excitement about the largest citrus fruit, the pummelo.
Sunkist’s efforts to educate consumers about the nutritional benefits and versatility of citrus don’t start and end with its new packaging and display options. Initiatives such as “S’alternative” and the “Not Your Mother’s Grapefruit” campaign have increased citrus consumption, especially among millennial shoppers looking for diverse nutritional options.
“Our S’alternative initiative encourages consumers to reduce their sodium intake by using fresh lemons to flavor their food in place of salt,” said Leland Wong, Director of Marketing. “Recently, we released research in conjunction with chefs from Johnson & Wales University that concluded that lemons can be used to reduce salt by as much as 75 percent without sacrificing flavor.”
“Research has indicated that millennial women are increasing grapefruit consumption, and Sunkist is leveraging this trend by introducing modern uses for grapefruit with the ‘Not Your Mother’s Grapefruit’ campaign, aimed at reigniting the fruit’s popularity by educating younger consumers about this delicious, nutrient-rich superfood,” said Wickham.
With Sunkist’s latest retail initiatives already well underway in 2015, we come back to the bigger picture at hand: Family. Over a decade ago, Sunkist celebrated its first billion dollar year. It’s a feat that continues to leave its mark on every employee on the Sunkist team, but it’s not something its executives like to brag about. Instead, they’d rather put the spotlight on its California and Arizona citrus growers, the ones who band together to produce high quality fruit each and every year.
President and CEO Russ Hanlin says it best - “At Sunkist we are truly a family, and as such, we invest in our employees for the long term. We do this to ensure their and the company’s long-term growth, development and success.”
I couldn’t agree more. By putting family first, Sunkist is on the path to an even brighter future.
SALINAS, CA - Western Growers and Silicon Valley Global Partners (SVG Partners) are entering into an exclusive strategic alliance agreement to find, accelerate, advance and invest in innovative solutions intended to solve critical challenges to production agriculture through technology and produce more with less water, labor and inputs. The two companies will collaborate on Innovation Centers in Salinas and the Silicon Valley. In addition, Western Growers will become a strategic partner of Forbes Reinventing America: The AgTech Summit to be held in Salinas on July 8-9, 2015.
“With population growth reaching nine billion in 2050 the only way to feed the world will be through technology,” said Tom Nassif, President and CEO of Western Growers. “We are also in an era of diminishing natural resources especially in California where water is a serious concern because of an ongoing four-year drought. In order to create a sustainable food chain, technologies and innovation must be developed and promoted. The purpose of this partnership is to accomplish just that.
Nassif also announced that Western Growers will be creating an Innovation Center in the Salinas Valley. This venue, in addition to other forms of communication and collaboration, will be provided for entrepreneurs and innovators so they may be mentored by Western Growers’ members who produce approximately half the fresh produce in the country.”
John Hartnett, CEO of SVG Partners added, “We are delighted to partner with Western Growers to invest and accelerate technology in agriculture and we welcome their strategic involvement with Forbes Reinventing America: The AgTech Summit. The intersection of technology and agriculture will pave the way to solve the exploding food production challenge, as well as deliver an incredible investment opportunity in the twenty-first century.”
The new partnership is working on something called, the Thrive Accelerator, a selective mentorship and investment program intended to connect technology-enabled startups with leading agricultural companies. According to a press release, other sponsors of the program include Taylor Farms, JV Smith Companies, Chiquita, Dole, Mann’s and Rocket Farms. Currently, ten start-ups have been selected for incubation. Award winners and results from this initiative will be featured at Forbes Reinventing America: The AgTech Summit.
“Forbes’ AgTech Summit promises to be the definitive gathering for leaders at the intersection of technology and agriculture,” said Mike Federle, Forbes Media Chief Operating Officer. “We welcome Western Growers’ strategic support of this event.”
Nassif continued that he believes that farmers today need to increase the quantity and quality of crops using less water, labor, and inputs. He says that Western Growers is taking the initiative to shape the future of the fresh produce industry by partnering with a respected and experienced Silicon Valley technology innovation firm to advance technology innovation in the fresh produce industry.
EDEN PRAIRIE, MN - When it comes to business, it always helps to have a great partner.
Kraft Foods has given C.H. Robinson its 2014 Partnership Award. Kraft says the company recognizes C.H. Robinson’s ability to find capacity and offer innovative solutions to manage its incremental freight.
“C.H. Robinson delivers outstanding effort, managing not only our commitments but also seeking other opportunities to manage incremental freight,” said Paul Neurauter, Director of Transportation for Kraft. “Their professional attitude and responsiveness embodies the type of partner we want to work with.”
Facing extreme weather conditions and capacity issues complicating the logistics and transportation industry as a whole, C.H. Robinson had a particularly difficult 2014. According to a press release, C.H. Robinson worked closely with the Kraft team to develop logistics and transportation strategies to help gain consistent pricing and reliable service, and to manage both surge capacity and low volume freight efficiently throughout the year.
“Despite a difficult transportation environment last year, our team stayed focused on Kraft’s key business priorities,” said Alisha Greenwald, Strategic Account Manager at C.H. Robinson. “We were on call 24/7, helping Kraft identify opportunities to aggregate low volume shipments so their products remained in stock and available for their consumers.”
In addition, Kraft also recognized C.H. Robinson for being able to analyze and increase the effectiveness of its logistics technology.
CHESHUNT, HERTFORDSHIRE - Tesco, the UK’s biggest supermarket reported its poorest-ever results, with a total loss of over £6.38 billion ($9.58 billion) for the 2014 year.
This loss is somewhat of a shock compared to the company’s 2013 annual profit of £2.26 billion ($3.4 billion).
“It has been a very difficult year for Tesco,” said Tesco CEO Dave Lewis. “The results we have published today reflect a deterioration in the market and, more significantly, an erosion of our competitiveness over recent years. We have faced into this reality, sought to draw a line under the past and begun to rebuild, and already we are beginning to see early encouraging signs from what we’ve done so far.”
As we previously reported, prior to the release of the results, Barclays analysts were projecting that Tesco's deficits would be only about £5 billion ($7.3 billion).
According to The Telegraph, the company’s losses are a result of falling profits, sales, and the closure of more than 40 Tesco locations.
“We are making deep changes to the way we organize and run our business, with a simpler, more agile office team, more colleagues serving customers and a new approach to the way we work with suppliers,” Lewis continued. “I do not underestimate how difficult some of these changes have been for the team and I thank everyone for their professionalism and contribution at this time of great change.”
Other highlights from the report include:
- Total group sales for 2014 were £69.6 billion
- Group trading profits for 2014 were £1.49 billion
- UK like-for-like sales volumes up for first time in over four years
- A loss of £4.7 billion for fixed asset impairments
Lewis continued that he does not expect any let up on challenges in the months ahead. His priority, however, is to deliver sustainable value for Tesco’s shareholders and improve consistently for customers.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for continued financial information on all the industry’s major retailers.
SALINAS, CA - The blues may not usually be a good thing, but Naturipe is making sure it is this spring and summer. Blueberries that is.
From several seasonal peaks to a new leading state in harvest, Director of Marketing Kyla Oberman took the time to share with us what is going on with all things blueberries.
The company is reportedly bursting with berries, which has motivated them to change the standard on how blueberries are sold, Kyla tells me.
The concept is a One Pound Blueberry clamshell.
“Currently one pint (~11 ounces) is the “standard”, and then 18 ounces is the next available size up,” Kyla said. “Our suggestion to the berry industry and retailers is to replace the pint standard a one-pounder. This will increase the amount of blueberries per pack, thus helping to increase overall consumption just by adding a few ounces to the average consumer’s take-home pack.”
This is a change that can help counteract the possibility of too much product without enough demand while the company works, alongside the industry, to increase consumer awareness and, in turn, consumption.
Another reason for Naturipe having such a substantial domestic blueberry season is the company’s experiencing not one, but three peak seasons from the first of May, to June, and then again in July.
“We grow in multiple locations throughout the US and so we experience multiple peaks,” Kyla explained when I asked about how it was possible to have multiple peaks in a season. “Week by week we graduate stages of harvest in various growing areas, allowing us to fulfill sale needs and even during production gaps. If a field is early or late, or if weather problems occur, different areas are potentially able to fill those gaps.”
One of the places in this rotation is Georgia, which Kyla informed me just became the leading state in blueberry production last year, a title that usually goes to Michigan, because of increased acreage.
“There has been a great increase of plantings in the last five years or so. Last year was the first time [the leading state] was Georgia because of more acreage as well as newer farming practices.” For Naturipe, those added fields have also been focused on adding new great tasting proprietary varieties to its fields.
At the moment Naturipe is currently growing blueberries in Florida, Georgia and California; Michigan is due to start around the first of July.
As a licensee of the eat brighter! campaign, Naturipe has added Sesame Street’s Grover to the pint and one pound blueberry packages, in addition to Sesame characters on their strawberry and blackberry packages as well. The company is currently offering point of sales and working with retail customers on how to bring dynamic promotions within their stores. Some of these more interactive options, Kyla tells me, include possibly bringing a Sesame character in for store visits or creating full berry patch displays in stores to create awareness of the peak berry season.
For updates all through the season, as well as all the latest on what is happening within the industry, keep checking in with AndNowUKnow.
VANCOUVER, CANADA - The Oppenheimer Group has announced two new additions to its sales force — Mike “Hatch” Hatcher and James Galindo. Both new employees have expertise in a wide range of fresh produce items, and joined the company on April 6 in the role of Senior Sales Representative.
“We are excited to have a couple of professionals like Hatch and James join us,” said Eric Coty, Oppy’s West Coast Sales Director. “Both have experience that aligns well with our categories. They are well-rounded veterans who have the capacity to contribute at a high level right from the start.”
Hatcher came to Oppy from Farmers Fresh Fruit Company in Reedley, California. He is based in Visalia, where he will draw on his experience with grapes, citrus, cherries, stone fruit, pears, berries and more to market the full Oppy assortment. Hatcher has been a National Account Manager for Seald-Sweet International and held Category Management positions with Fruit Patch LLC; Naturipe Farms LLC; Dole Berry Company and Steveco Inc.
“Much of my career has been spent selling one or two commodity groups to many accounts across the country. Here, with Oppy’s broad assortment of products, I will have the chance to sell many items to a smaller number of customers,” Hatcher said. “I like the challenge of being knowledgeable across numerous categories and varieties, and being able to offer excellent service to a dedicated customer base.”
According to a press release, Hatcher also noted that Oppy’s “full service” approach to marketing that creates excitement and store level pull-through enables the company to deliver satisfactory results from the consumer back across the supply chain to the grower.
At Oppy’s Chino Hills sales office, James Galindo has also become a Senior Sales Representative. Galindo most recently worked as a Sales Representative for Limonik Produce, Inc. of Ontario. He has been in the industry for 15 years, primarily in produce buyer positions at Cardenas Supermarket and Pro and Sons Supermarkets, gaining vital experience that spans virtually all produce categories.
“I got to know the company quite well when I interacted with Oppy people and products as a buyer over the years,” Galindo said. “I could tell it was a company with integrity that values quality and operates as a team. I am happy to have the opportunity to be part of it and help bring such a wide range of items to the market.”
These new additions are expected to help Oppy build its organic and conventional greenhouse vegetables, JAZZ™ and Pacific Rose™ apples, as well as year-round berries, grapes, avocados and more.
ORLANDO, FL - Produce for Kids and Meijer are teaming together to rock kids with healthy eating, literally.
After the duo successfully raised $60,000 during its fall campaign, they are now able to bring the only rock n’ roll produce show, Jump with Jill, to tour 27 schools across the Midwest.
“It is tremendous to see the funds from the Meijer campaign utilized in this way,” John Shuman, President of Produce for Kids, said in a press release. “It was my original vision that Produce for Kids serve as a conduit for the produce industry to give back to local communities, and this is the perfect example of those funds at work.”
According to the release, suppliers that contributed to this campaign include:
- Bolthouse® Farms - Carrots & Juices
- DOLE® Salads
- Highline® Mushrooms – Fresh Mushrooms
- Mariani Packing Company - Mariani® Premium Dried Fruit
- Michigan Apple Committee – Michigan Apples
- Potandon Produce - Green Giant®Fresh Klondike Rose® & Red Potatoes
- Stemilt Growers - Lil Snappers® Gala Apples & Bartlett Pears
- SUNSET® Campari® Brand Cocktail Tomatoes
- T. Marzetti® Company – Marzetti® Caramel Dip
- Westmoreland Sales – TopLine Farms Seedless Cucumbers
- POM Wonderful® - Pomegranate Juice & Juice Blends
The fundswere raised while in Meijer stores from August 31, 2014 to September 27, 2014 will now be redistributed in educating and exciting kids in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky when it comes to produce.
“In partnering with Produce for Kids, we’re able to help educate our customers about the importance of making healthy food choices,” Shari Steinbach, Lead Dietitian and Healthy Living Manager for Meijer, said in the release. “Through the Produce for Kids campaign, we’re extending our reach further to educate students in schools by supporting Jump with Jill and its mission to teach nutrition to kids.”
Created by a Registered Dietitian and professional musician, the commission stated that Jump with Jill is the only show that turns produce education into a live concert for kids.
TEXAS - The rough weather in South Texas may have given the region a beating, but growers are fighting back with a vengeance. Frontera’s President and CEO Will Steele is reporting that the company's onions have continued to show excellent quality and volume is stable, in spite of the storms.
“The El Niño weather pattern has been here for the entire year, but we are prepared for it and we have practices and harvesting techniques in place to ensure we continue moving forward,” said Steele. “We do what needs to be done.”
Though buyers have taken recent weather reports as a direct reflection of the quality and availability of Texas produce, that is simply not the case, as Steele tells us.
“We know what our customer expects from us and we are going to deliver that without fail,” Steele continued. “We have a strong customer base and they are staying with us.”
Availability is consistent on yellow, red, and white onions, and will continue to be for the remainder of the season. Reports from Frontera indicate that the season is still going strong.
This isn’t the first time the industry has overreacted to the rumor mill concerning poor weather early in the season. In 2013, reports of disease and hail negatively impacted the perception of Vidalia onions. Just two months after these reports came out, however, ideal weather and sunny skies brought on a load of Vidalia onions into the market. A little bad news can go a long way. Just because the early part of the season looks bad doesn’t mean it’s going to stay that way. Growers have an opportunity to come back and show buyers that they can continue to deliver.
All things considered, staying loyal does have its benefits.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to track the progress of the Texas onion season.
UNITED STATES - John Deere is calling your tractor a license, not an ownership.
Recently I came across a fascinating article by Wired Magazine's Kyle Wiens, that calls into question the very nature of ownership. The company Wiens puts his focus on is agricultural tech giant, John Deere.
You can click here to read Wiens' entire article.
The company, one Wired Magazine calls the world’s largest agricultural machinery maker, recently informed the U.S. Copyright Office that the farmers who own the company’s tractors, don't REALLY own its tractors. John Deere is claiming ownership of the computer code used in modern tractors, and therefore farmers only receive “an implied license for the life of the vehicle to operate the vehicle.”
“It’s John Deere’s tractor, folks. You’re just driving it,” writes Wired Magazine's Kyle Wiens.
Several other manufacturers recently submitted similar comments to the Copyright Office, inquiring about the “Digital Millennium Copyright Act”. The DMCA is a copyright law from 1998 that in part defines the line between what is software and what is hardware. The Copyright Office is set in July to decide which tech we can legally modify, hack, and repair, and which we are merely “loaning”.
Wired writes that manufacturers have been using the DMCA to argue that consumers do not own the software for the products they buy, whether that be computers, cars, or tractors.
This is an important issue for farmers. Wired Magazine cites farmer Kerry Adams, who hasn’t been able to fix an expensive transplanter because he doesn’t have access to the diagnostic software he needs. And because of this increasing trend, many farmers are opting for older, computer-free equipment.
"What does any of that have to do with copyright?" Wiens asks. Put simply, if you don’t own the copyright, you cannot legally modify it in any way. When manufacturers place these digital locks over software, breaking the lock, making the copy, and changing something could be construed as a violation of copyright law.
John Deere argues that allowing people to alter software would, “make it possible for pirates, third-party developers, and less innovative competitors to free-ride off the creativity, unique expression and ingenuity of vehicle software.” Other corporations, including trade groups representing nearly every major automaker, have made this same case to the Copyright Office multiple times over the years.
Wired Magazine spoke with Brian Talley, Former Chairman of LGMA and Owner of Talley Vineyards on California’s central coast about how the Copyright Office is hurting farmers.
“The bad part, my sense is, these companies are just locking up this technology, and increasing the sort of monopoly pricing structure that just doesn’t work for us,” said Talley. “We are used to operating independently, and that’s one of the great things about being a farmer. And in this particular space, they are really taking that away from us.”
There has been a trend towards fighting back against issues of copyright recently. Earlier this year, consumers sent 40,000 comments urging the Copyright Office to restore ownership rights, Wired reports, and you can too.
If you want to tell the U.S. Copyright Office how you feel about the current copyright laws you can do so: HERE.
So, if you bought it, should you own it? It may be up to you and fellow consumers to decide.
MONTREAL, CANADA - How often can you find yourself within earshot of some of the most insightful minds in the industry, and find them all at the same table? If you are me, it’s a rare and incredible opportunity and does not occur often enough. Pair that with CPMA’s largest trade show to date, and you’ve got yourself an event to be remembered and revered.
The industry gathered in Montreal on Thursday April 16th to listen to the diverse Retail Panel at CPMA-2015, answer questions regarding the future of the industry and growth in the present. The Panelists, moderated by former Kroger Exec, Reggie Griffin, included:
- Teri Miller, Category Manager of Produce, Food Lion
- Oleen Smethurst, GMM - CPMA Produce, Costco Wholesale Canada
- Rich Dachman, VP Produce, Sysco
- Pierre Dandoy, VP Operations, QC Market, Loblaw
- Pat Pessotto, VP Merchandising, Longo’s
- André Gagné, VP Merchandising, Metro Ontario Inc.
Reggie Griffin, Founder of Reggie Griffin Strategies, tells me that, “For supply side companies and demand side companies to continue to build collaborative partnerships, it's critical that both sides better understand the challenges that their partners face so they, in a collaborative environment, address these challenges and work to improve the "speed of fresh" and to reduce the inherent extraneous costs of delivering fresh. Open and honest dialogue in sessions such as these will help foster that collaboration.”
Panelists shared their expertise on a number of topics from trends in produce, the inception of a trend, and the changing produce landscape to the qualifications for a good vs. great supplier as well as food transparency and the millennial generation’s buying behaviors.
In terms of trends, the audience heard a range of responses from trending items like kale and the entire expanding wet greens wall, to juicing and salad bars.
Teri Miller, Category Manager of Produce, Food Lion told the audience, “We really have to watch what is coming out with chefs and on cooking shows. Everything seems to change so quickly. We need to stay connected to what’s in the restaurants and on the chef shows.”
Costco Wholesale Canada’s Oleen Smethurst noted that flavor is everything and with trending items like salad blends, consumers are trying to do their own thing, which in turn is driving Costco to bring in different options for the consumer.
“People are trying to cook and put together simple meals at home and they want flavor and they want quality,” Oleen says.
One of the questions to the panel, was about how the retail and foodservice landscape would be impacted in the coming years.
“By the year 2025, 75% of the workforce will be millennials,” Rich Dachman, VP Produce, Sysco responded. “This group is good for what we are trying to achieve as an industry. They really require integrity in their food… They want transparency in what they eat, they want to know what’s in their food. I think we need to be very careful and market them correctly. You can’t fool this group, they can mine data faster than we can produce it.”
Knowing where produce comes from is more important than ever, and a key part of that is a retailer's produce managers.
Pat Pessotto, Longo's VP of Merchandising shared, “Don’t forget our frontline troops, we need to give our produce managers and give them exposure to the farms and farmers great stories. Not only in Ontario and Canada, but in North America as well.”
Also top of mind was the question of what differentiates a good supplier from a great supplier. Across the board, it seemed that a great supplier is someone who is a great partner; a company who helps the retailer sell all the way to the consumer instead of stopping when the produce gets through the backdoor.
“It’s all about selling one more item,” Teri notes.
Pierre Dandoy, VP Operations, QC Market, Loblaw noted that a great supplier provides consistency in quality, flavor and volume whether it's Easter or Christmas. They must be able to assure their consumers that the desired products will be in stock.
“Suppliers that excel are the ones that are creative, innovative and reinvesting in the business continuously. There is so much new technology out there,” Oleen added.
As produce departments continue to evolve and differentiate the produce landscape, the audience wanted to know if they envisioned larger supermarkets with larger produce departments.
André Gagné, VP Merchandising, Metro Ontario Inc. responded that, speaking for Metro, he didn’t see the retailer growing the fresh produce departments in size necessarily, but did emphasize that the evolution would be in their continued concentration on freshness, and enhancing the produce experience at the store level. These improvements could range from store equipment to supplier relationships, or increasing efficiency when it comes to use of space for items like organic products.
The discussions overall were both plentiful and priceless, revolving around a more connected series of relationships between buyer, distributor, merchandiser, Chef and consumer.
“The participants in this unique panel ranged from both U.S. and Canadian companies; both Retail and Food Service organizations; and both fresh Produce executives and total Store executives. I was fortunate to work with an outstanding and diverse group of experts during this event,” Reggie tells me.
That afternoon was akin to being among royalty, produce royalty, and there wasn’t a bad seat in the house.