SALINAS, CA - Mann Packing is giving its fresh cut organic vegetable packaging a makeover that's stylish AND functional.
“The revamped graphics, several months in creation, features a premium rich color palette, clean, natural fresh design and a large window and product viewing area,” said Kim St. George, Director of Marketing and Communication.
The line features the company’s steam-in-bag technology and encompasses top-selling products, including the vegetable medley, broccoli florets, broccoli coleslaw, and broccoli carrots.
According to Nielsen sales statistics for the 26 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2014, Mann branded organics are the leading branded items in the fresh-cut organic vegetable category.
“Growth of the organic segment outpaced conventional cut-veg and is driving overall category growth,” St. George continued. “Our organic vegetable tray sales are up three times what they were a year ago.”
According to a press release, the company is shipping the new packaging as of now and will showcase it at the Southeast Produce Council Expo this week in booth 927.
CHESHUNT, ENGLAND – Just weeks after being reinstated to his role, Sean McCurley, a Senior Buying Executive at Tesco, has left the company.
The circumstances of McCurley’s exit are unclear, but earlier this month, an internal memo announced McCurley’s return to his post and praised him for being “professional and co-operative throughout” the internal inquiry.
He was one of the nine top-level executives to be suspended as part of the fallout from Tesco’s recent £250 million overstatement scandal.
First, Tesco suspended five executives, including Commercial Director Kevin Grace and UK Managing Director Chris Bush. Then, the retailer suspended three more, including McCurley. In a final move, the company suspended one more, Finance Director Chris Robinson.
Of the nine suspended executives, at least four have now left Tesco, with the fate of at least two more left unclear, according to Sky News.
As for the ongoing investigation, the process could take years. Britain’s Serious Fraud Office could take months to sift through huge quantities of digital data and other evidence, while looking to identify and trace witnesses, according to Reuters. At the end of the process, the investigation could still find nothing criminally amiss.
Despite all of the challenges surrounding his office, CEO Dave Lewis is confident in Tesco's ability get back on track and regain the enviable position it used to enjoy in the British retail community.
Between closing underperforming stores and the launch of its new One Stop discount format, Lewis is firm in his belief that Tesco is heading in the right direction.
For now, only time will tell if Tesco’s turnaround plan is successful. Keep it tuned to AndNowUKnow for the latest on this embattled retailer.
WASHINGTON - The USDA has lifted PACA reparation sanctions on JD Rodriguez Produce Inc.
The Dallas, Texas-based company has met its obligations and is now free to operate in the produce industry, according to a USDA press release. Johnny D. Rodriguez, Valerie J. Rodriguez, and Esmeralda G. Rodriguez were listed as the officers, directors, and/or major stockholders of the business and may now be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee.
JD Rodriguez Produce Inc. was formerly restricted from operating in the produce industry in December 2014 after having failed to pay a $28,801 award in favor of a Texas seller.
Once a reparation order is fully satisfied and it is confirmed that there are not any outstanding unpaid awards, USDA lifts the employment restrictions of the previously named, responsibly connected individuals. USDA also requires any unlicensed company that fully satisfies all unpaid reparation awards to obtain a license if it continues to operate in the industry.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 4,250 claims filed under PACA involving more than $77 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 (AMS), PACA Division, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses operating subject to PACA.
CALIFORNIA – Cold weather at the beginning of the year, coupled with the recent above average temperatures, has impacted crops in both California and Arizona.
I spoke with Doug Classen, Sales Manager with The Nunes Company, the shipper of “Foxy” brand produce, about the effects that he is currently seeing and how the abnormal weather has impacted this year’s timetable.
“We are scheduled to start the last week of March in Huron for iceberg lettuce. Our crop appears to be tracking 7 to 10 days ahead of schedule due to the warmer than usual winter weather,” he said. “Most of our commodities may finish between 7 to 14 days ahead of schedule in Yuma.”
The company is currently harvesting a full line of conventional and organic western vegetables, which it is shipping from Yuma. It is also shipping celery from Oxnard, asparagus from Gonzales as well as broccoli and cauliflower from Salinas, which Doug says is about 2 weeks early.
Aside from the early transitions, the abnormal weather conditions have also had an impact on crop quality.
“For most of the season, temperatures have been near record high averages. We had some extreme cold weather at the end of December and beginning in January. We also experienced some significant desert rains, that combined with heat, caused mildew and disease in select fields,” he tells me.
The combination of these factors has challenged the available product and caused volatility in the market, which has been depressed for the past couple of weeks.
“With warm weather that has bunched up harvest volume, combined with the adverse weather in the East, demand has not kept up with supply. Being so far ahead of schedule on most crops, we see potential of some supply gaps in the coming weeks as we transition from Yuma back to the Central Coasts,” Doug said.
Those supply gaps could mean more market volatility until the transition is complete. Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for the latest updates.
TEXAS – Aldi has big plans for Texas. The grocer said that it wants as many as 450 stores across the Lone Star State, a 405% increase.
This expansion falls in line with Aldi’s December, 2013 5-year plans to open 650 new stores across the United States, including Southern California. This would bring the company’s total U.S. store count to 2,000 by 2018.
“Opportunities for us in Texas are substantial, and we want to continue to support our growth with more suppliers in Texas and all the neighboring states,” Hector Alejandro, Director of Regional Buying for Aldi Inc., told the Dallas Morning News (DMN).
To support this expansion, Aldi is holding a casting call of sorts for local suppliers. The grocer is holding a supplier engagement event on March 18 at the company’s Denton distribution center.
“We have received a great response for the event,” Alejandro said, adding that potential suppliers are scheduled to come from all major cities in Texas.
Aldi is looking for producers and growers of all sizes, with some companies only being able to supply in one or two states. Alejandro also told the DMN that every prospective supplier will meet with a buyer at the event next month.
Currently, Aldi operated 89 stores in Texas. It operates a large distribution center in Denton and has a second under construction near Houston, a 650,000-square-foot facility that will open early next year.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for the latest on this retailer’s expansion plans.
CASTROVILLE, CA - Last year, Ocean Mist Farms released Kalettes™ as part of its 90th anniversary debut line of products, and now the company is shining the spotlight on this Mighty Mouse of superfoods while attending the Southeast Produce Council Expo this weekend.
Often referred to as bearing the best of both brussel sprouts and Kale, dropping the negatives of both, Ocean Mist is one of just six companies offering Kalettes™ and plans to add them to its award-winning line of Season and Steam vegetables later this year, according to a press release.
Heirloom artichokes and Season and Steam Brussels sprouts will also be available, so stop by booth 300 to sample vegetables that have already been well-recognized, as well as those up-and-coming.
The Southern Exposure event, themed “A Whole Lotta Produce Going On,” is embracing a 50’s and 60’s feel. The fun takes place later this week, February 26 - 28, in Orlando, FL.
DELAWARE – Dole Food Inc. CEO, David Murdock, was on trial yesterday defending his 2013 buyout and privatization of the company.
As we previously reported, Murdock, members of the Board of Directors, and Deutsche Bank AG, which helped to structure the deal, all sought to have the case thrown out but were not successful. Delaware Chancery Judge Travis Laster refused to dismiss the case and set the trial for February 23.
Reuters reports that the attorney for the shareholders, Stuart Grant, questioned Murdock for over five hours in a Delaware court yesterday to try to establish that he dominated the Dole board before he privatized the company and manipulated stock prices.
During the trial, Murdock told the judge that the deal, which featured a $13.50-a-share offer for the 60% of Dole he or his family didn’t already own, was structured in an “honest and honorable” manner, according to Bloomberg.
“We did a fair and honest transaction that is now being made to look like a dirty skunk did this and his name is Murdock,” he told Judge Travis Laster.
Murdock is currently facing investors’ claims over taking the world’s largest fresh fruit and vegetable producer private while buyout deals continue across the industry, like the recent acquisition of Chiquita by Cutrale/Safra for $14.50 a share.
Bloomberg reports that the case involves both class-action claims filed by some investors and a request by shareholders for an appraisal of the value of Dole’s stock before the deal.
For the class action, investors are asking for $11.70 a share more than the $13.50 the company offered, according to court filings.
Murdock could be required to pay hundreds of millions of dollars if it is proven that he manipulated the sales process to buy Dole for a discount.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to follow this trial.
CORONA, CA - Following the 3 millionth package of Good Life™ Organic Produce, Veg-Fresh has hired Anthony Innocenti and Ryan Galindo to further advance the organic segment. Since 2012, the Good Life™ brand has been Veg-Fresh Farms’ answer to the increasing demand for organically grown products.
Anthony Innocenti brings his more than 18 years of experience and a strong emphasis on organics to his new role as Veg-Fresh Farms’ Organic Category Manager. He will be responsible for identifying and expanding opportunities with newly formed grower partnerships in Mexico and California, according to a press release.
“I’m looking forward to bringing my passions for both organics and innovation to the Veg-Fresh team and to contributing to the continued expansion of the Good Life™ brand,” said Innocenti.
Ryan Galindo brings more than 12 years of experience and a strong background in retail to his new role as Veg-Fresh Farms’ Organic Category Specialist.
“I am excited to join a company with such a strong family dynamic and that is committed to fresh produce sustainability,” Galindo said.
"With the U.S. demand for organic foods expected to grow at around 14% annually for the next few years, we are establishing a team, grower relationships and processes that will enable us to continue to be the solution our customers turn to to help meet that demand,” said Veg-Fresh Farms General Partner, Randy Cancellieri.
Cancellieri continued that both new hires are excellent additions to the Veg-Fresh team and will play pivotal roles in both growth and the company’s new ventures.
VANCOUVER, B.C. - New Zealand’s pears are officially in play for the 2015 season. The country’s Honey Belles are in the water and on their way to Oppy, anticipated to arrive by the first week of March.
“It’s going to be a huge pear year for Oppy,” David Nelley, Executive Director of Oppy’s apple, pear and cherry categories, said in a press release. “We plan to sell greater volumes of Comice, Taylor’s Gold and Bosc than previous years, positioning us really well to build excitement around the pear category―a category that is sometimes overlooked.”
As for how the new arrivals fit in, according to Nelley, Honey Belles are a compact, healthy snack that are ideal for current consumer desires.
“Honey Belle is a terrific little pear,” Nelley said. “Green with an appealing red blush, it’s unique because of its crunchy texture and honey sweet flavor. Honey Belle delivers a sweet, juicy eating experience that kicks off our specialty pear season from New Zealand perfectly.”
While the company has been importing Honey Belles for four seasons now, the main market has been in Canada. But by focusing on “ready-to-eat” merchandising, as well as cutting-edge packaging that has been popular with Canadian retailers, Oppy is targeting parent consumers for a healthy, quick, yet sweet option for children.
“Small pears like Honey Belles fit the bill thanks to their small size, sweet flavor, and vitamin content,” Nelley said. “Retailers can promote them as an ideal addition to the lunchbox.”
These petite New Zealand pears will be available from March through May, with other pears from the country becoming available later in March and continuing into Summer. According to the release, Oppy will simultaneously be offering Bartlett, Bosc, D’Anjou, and Packham pears from both Chile and Argentina.
JACKSONVILLE, FL - JAXPORT’s Board of Directors has unanimously approved an expanded, long-term lease with Crowley Liner Services Inc. Under the agreement, Crowley will relocate its Puerto Rican service from its private terminal along Jacksonville’s harbor to JAXPORT’s Talleyrand Marine Terminal. Crowley will also expand its current leasehold in preparation for deployment of the company’s two new LNG-powered Commitment-Class ships.
“This agreement clearly reinforces our commitment to the Puerto Rican trade lane and our valued partners who serve the island — both critical components of our business for more than 50 years,” said JAXPORT CEO Brian Taylor. “In addition, by supporting the vision of a business like Crowley and ensuring they remain successful here in Jacksonville, we are fulfilling our larger mission to create private sector prosperity through the use of our public seaport properties.
The new lease agreement becomes effective on Jan. 1, 2017, for a term of 20 years, plus two 10-year mutual renewal options, and calls for Crowley’s current 12-acre Talleyrand leasehold to be expanded to 50 acres.
“Over the years, Crowley has enjoyed an excellent working relationship with JAXPORT and that continues here today with this exciting development for the authority and for Crowley,” said John Hourihan, Crowley Senior Vice President and General Manager, Puerto Rico services.
Hourihan continued that the transition to Commitment-Class ships will require terminal space to allow Crowley to perform both lift-on/lift-off (Lo/Lo) and roll-on/roll-off (Ro/Ro) cargo operations. He looks forward to the company's new, faster, and larger ships.