RIO RICO, AZ - Brett Burdsal, SunFed’s Director of Marketing, recently spoke with AndNowUKnow about the company’s 20th anniversary and new 60s inspired packaging.
He tells us that SunFed is moving into consumer packaging for 6 count peppers, 2 count eggplant, 1 lb. mini cucumbers and 2 pound cucumbers to celebrate its 20th anniversary this year.
With a focus on what consumers are looking for, the company is introducing bright packaging inspired by 60’s Pop Art and the bright and bold colors of the European 30’s and 40’s style.
For a more detailed look at this new packaging, check out our previous article by clicking here.
Don't miss the video above!
ORLANDO, FL – SEPC’s Southern Exposure wrapped up this past weekend with record attendance and great positive feedback across the board from exhibitors and attendees alike. With the 50’s and 60’s style theme “A Whole Lotta Produce Going On” kicking off the event, the attendees took full advantage of the weekend with fashionable garb, booth themes and creative license in tow.
I spoke with SEPC’s Executive Director David Sherrod about this weekend’s event. He said, “We could not have been any happier with the way Southern Exposure 2015 turned out. We also felt people had a better understanding of the very important role the council plays in our industry with our new branding efforts that were seen throughout the entire weekend.”
David added, “With record attendance across all fronts, we had one of the most productive expos ever. As far as the SEPC is concerned, we felt we created a very unique experience that was very conducive to doing business this year.”
Some of this year’s winners for the best in show were:
Costume Contest Winners (Opening Gala):
1st: Leslie Simmons – Dave’s Specialty Produce
2nd: Michael Jenks - Reed TMS Logistics
3rd: Jennifer Poulson - Frieda's
Booth Decorating Contest Winners:
1st: DiMare Fresh Tampa
2nd: Flavor Pic Tomato
3rd: Dave’s Specialty Produce
In addition, the Lifetime Achievement Award was given to the late Terry Vorhees with a painting given to his sons Scott and Sean, painted by speed painter, Rock DeMarco.
Speaking about Terry’s legacy, David added, “We tried to honor the memory of Terry to pay tribute to all of his hard work and dedication.”
The final attendance count was a record 2,119, an increase from 1,748 in 2014. Retail & Foodservice attendance was 424, up from 361 in 2014.
Hats off to a great weekend and spectacular event!
CHESTNUT, HERTFORDSHIRE - William Linnane, Head of Buying for Impulse Purchases, is the latest executive to leave Tesco as the grocery retailer continues to be investigated by Britiain’s Serious Fraud Office. The company continues to be probed for overstating its profits by more than $400 million in September.
He will be the sixth executive of a group of Tesco senior management members who were suspended after the retailer acknowledged its profits were inflated, according to Business Insider. We have reported on Linnane’s prior suspension in a previous story.
In January, Moody's and Standard & Poor's downgraded Tesco's credit rating to junk. The scandal lowered Tesco's market value by billions, and the stock is at a 12-year low.
Last week, the Head of Tesco's Convenience Division, Sean McCurley, left the company, even though he had returned from suspension only at the beginning of February, according to Sky News.
Earlier this month, Sky News reported that John Scouler, Food Commercial Director, was leaving Tesco to join TalkTalk, while Kevin Grace, Tesco's Group Commercial Director, and Carl Rogberg, the UK Finance Director, will also leave the controversial company.
Last month, Tesco named John Allan, the former chairman of Dixons Retail, as its next chairman. According to Sky News, Allan will have to contend with a criminal investigation into the supplier payments by the Serious Fraud Office, while the Groceries Code Adjudicator and the Financial Reporting Council are undertaking separate inquiries. He will also be in charge of helping Dave Lewis, Tesco’s New Chief Executive, navigate a tough climate for big food retailers.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for the latest updates on this story.
LAKELAND, FL - Publix has posted its Q4 2014 and fiscal year 2014 financial reports. Publix’s sales for the fiscal year 2014 were $30.6 billion, a 5.7% increase from last year. Comparable-store sales for 2014 increased 5.4%.
Publix’s sales for the fourth quarter of 2014, were $7.9 billion, a 6.9% increase from last year. Comparable-store sales for the fourth quarter of 2014 increased 6.4%, according to the report.
“I’m extremely pleased our performance and improvements in the stock market resulted in a significant increase in our stock price,” said Publix CEO Ed Crenshaw. “Our associates — the owners of Publix — continue to deliver exceptional customer service, the key to our success.”
Additional highlights from the report include:
- Net earnings for the fourth quarter of 2014 were $453.3 million, an increase of 7.4%.
- Earnings per share for the fourth quarter increased to $0.58 for 2014.
- Net earnings for 2014 were $1.74 billion, an increase of 4.9%.
- Earnings per share increased to $2.23 for 2014, up from $2.12 per share in 2013.
Following the release of the financial report, Publix’s stock price increased from $33.80 per share to $39.05 per share.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for the latest updates on the evolving retail financial landscape.
PUCON, CHILE – An early morning volcanic eruption has prompted Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to declare an agricultural emergency to help local farmers.
The Villarrica volcano erupted around 3 a.m. local time, according to the National Emergency Office, which issued a red alert and ordered evacuations.
According to the Associated Press, the 9,000-foot volcano in Chile’s central valley sits above the city of Pucon, which has a population of about 22,000 people.
Interior and Security Minister Rodrigo Penailillo told the AP that about 3,500 people have been evacuated so far. He warned that the eruption was causing rivers in the area to rise as snow along the sides of the volcano melted.
President Bachelet arrived in Pucon early today to check on safety preparations. It was there that she declared the agricultural emergency.
She said, “You never know when an eruption will take place, but what we do know is that the activity is lower, that’s visible.”
According to data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), volcanic ash can have serious effects on agriculture. The survival of crops is often severely limited when ash thickness if more than 4-6 inches.
The USGS goes on to say that predicting potential crop losses from ash fall is difficult and usually exaggerated because of the great variety of environmental and plant conditions.
The Villarrica has a crater about 200 meters in diameter and a lake of lava about 150 meters deep. According to the AP, it has periodic eruptions every 10 or 15 years.
Of the 90 active volcanoes in Chile, Villarrica is considered among the most dangerous.
SHERMAN OAKS, CA - Sunkist continues to leverage its rich, 120-year history as a grower-owned cooperative with its Sunkist Family Stories campaign. The cooperative released its latest Family Story featuring Ramiro Villicana, a first-generation Sunkist citrus grower from Central Mexico who began working on a citrus farm and now owns about 100 acres of his own orchards.
“As a cooperative, our growers are truly the heartbeat of the Sunkist brand and we are so glad to be telling the stories of the incredible families that make up our organization. Our latest Sunkist Family Story features Ramiro Villicana – a first generation Sunkist grower who came to California from Central Mexico in the late 1970s and has built a strong business in the Central Valley for himself and his family,” says Joan Wickham, Manager, Advertising and Public Relations.
You can view the Villicana family story in the video below:
This new story, along with Sunkist’s 10 other featured families, are being promoted to consumers through traditional and social media outreach. According to a press release, Sunkist is also offering retail and foodservice customers these powerful, authentic grower stories and supporting content, allowing them to share the rich stories behind Sunkist citrus with their consumers to capitalize on the farm-to-table movement and drive sales.
When asked about what he loves most about being a Sunkist grower, Villicana says, “From the moment I started growing citrus, I fell in love with everything about it. I love Mother Nature, and being outdoors all day. I love grafting and planting the trees and watching them grow. Citrus is such a beautiful tree, the color, the blossoms, the aroma. That’s what got me into it, and that’s what I still love today.”
You can read more about the Villicana family story here.
WATSONVILLE, CA - California Giant Berry Farms distributed its first industry-focused newsletter as part of its progressive plans in technological communications.
Trade Buzz hit the email accounts of the company's buying community this week, providing them with pertinent inside information like crop details, merchandising resources, current promotional offerings and other influencers.
“We know our customer’s time is valuable, so we have developed a piece that is concise, informational and timely,” Anthony Gallino, Vice President of Sales for California Giant, said in a press release. “We will limit frequency so we are not just adding to email clutter, but focus on providing relevant information our customers can use in planning their promotional and sales activity.”
The company has been distributing a similar newsletter with a consumer base, but this is the next step they have been working towards through those years of gaining followers and accurate communication methods. According to the release, "An industry-focused piece is the next step in providing a valuable tool to communicate with trade partners.”
The company is also going under a complete website rebuild, focusing on improved communications and content for anyone visiting by providing detailed analytics on daily activities and other relevant information.
NEW KENSINGTON, PA – Yerecic Label has announced the launch of its Safety Reseal label.
According to the company, this label construction keeps clamshells closed during transit, ensures product safety through tamper evident features and allows customers to reseal packages to maintain freshness while providing room for brand information.
“As a company, we are always watching for market issues that our products can solve,” said VP of Sales and Marketing Rich Thoma. “Some retailers are mandating sealed produce over a certain weight and we’ve also observed rubber bands and masking tape applied at retail around produce clamshells to keep them sealed – we knew we could develop a better solution.”
The company says that the Safety Reseal label allows growers and retailers to increase brand recognition and put product information like serving suggestion, recipes and storage information on the back of the label.
“Consumers are looking for convenience in every aspect of supermarkets especially on the fresh perimeter,” said Yerecic Label President Art Yerecic. “The re-sealable feature on the label allows the valuable product information to stay intact as consumers open the packaging and reseal to maintain freshness.”
Falling in line with the increased focus on food safety, the label also assures consumers that the product has not been altered or touched during transit from the farm.
PORTERVILLE, CA - Homegrown Organic Farms has launched a new sustainability program to showcase the company’s efforts in caring for the land, the environment, and its communities.
The Committed to Caring program was created to share stories from Homegrown growers and team members that illustrate the company’s value for its relationships.
“For us, it’s always been about relationships – relationships with our customers, our team members, our communities, and the land,” says Cherie France, Marketing Manager for Homegrown Organic Farms.
Scott Mabs, CEO of Homegrown Organic Farms says, “While many people have approached this idea through sustainability, we recognize that at the foundation of sustainability is the concept of caring. If you care about the land that you farm, the people that you employ, the business that you run, and the communities that you are a part of, then sustainability just happens.”
The company has compiled the stories of these communities in a booklet that showcases new farming and conservation strategies happening in the Homegrown sphere, but also features ways in which the company’s team members and growers have decided to give back to their own communities, according to a press release.
France continues, “The response on the Committed to Caring program from our customers has been outstanding. People want this type of information. Transparency continues to be a significant purchase influencer as we move forward in the 21st century.”
You can view a digital copy of the booklet here.
LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE, CA - The Allen Lund Company has promoted its own Thomas Hughes to the Operations Manager position, after almost ten years with the company.
"Tom has been a consistent producer in the Charleston office," Eddie Lund, Vice President of Sales and Branch Operations, said in a press release. "His leadership and proven methods will help the Charleston office immensely as they continue their impressive growth."
Hughes graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from the College of Charleston in 2002. Having joined the company in 2005, he began as a Transportation Broker in the Charleston office and has since worked his way up through the company.
"I am very appreciative of the opportunity to become Charleston's Operations Manager,” Hughes said, according to the release. “It's been a privilege to work in such an outstanding office. I'm proud of what we've accomplished to this point, and I look forward to meeting the new challenges that lie ahead as the office's Operations Manager."
According to Charleston Manager Don Roberts, it is a promotion well-earned and the company looks forward to seeing how Hughes will contribute to its future success.