PLEASANTON, CA & BOISE, ID - In anticipation of its impending merger with Albertsons, Safeway has named the new members of its NorCal Merchandising and Marketing Leadership Team. Sources tell AndNowUKnow that the team will include Produce Sales Manager Robby Cruz and Bakery Sales Manager Jerry Decker, two familiar faces for produce industry insiders.
A 21 year veteran with Safeway, Cruz began his career with the retailer as a Courtesy Clerk in the Vons Division. He rose through the ranks quickly, spending time as Safeway's Produce Manager, Lifestyle Field Merchandiser, Manager of Division Operations-Floral in Vons, Corporate Floral Regional Manager, Floral Regional Director, and Floral Group Director before taking on his current role as Group Director of Produce.
Although his current position has positioned him in the middle of the bakery world, Jerry Decker is another veteran of the produce industry. During his 38 year career with Safeway, he has served as Produce Manager, Produce Buyer, Senior Buyer, Category Manager, Sales Manager, and Director of Produce Merchandising in the Denver Division. In 2002, he was promoted to Group Director of Produce, a position he would hold until Safeway's Bakery Division called on his leadership and expertise.
The other eight members of Safeway's NorCal Merchandising and Marketing Leadership Team combine for over 180 years of retail experience and include:
- Kristen Zierau, Director Marketing
- Jonathan Worrall, Sales Manager
- Elsie Wolfe, Sales Manager
- Cheryl Whinihan, Sales Manager
- Josiah Knutsen, Sales Manager
- Crystal Hedgpeth, Sales Manager
- Mariko Lee, Sales Manager
- Sean Topping, DSD Receiving Manager
Sources tell AndNowUKnow that going forward, these retail executives will be focused on building their individual teams.
AndNowUKnow would like to congratulate all those promoted on their exciting new positions!
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - It's hard to shock the Wall Street crowd, but Supervalu may just have done it with its Q3 2015 financial report.
Net earnings rose to $79 million, nearly doubling the $31 million figure from Q3 2014. Add in the across-the-board sales increases for all three key business segments managed by the retailer, and the reason for the optimistic outlook shared by President & CEO Sam Duncan in the report becomes clear.
“We passed an important milestone this quarter delivering positive sales increases in all three of our business segments for the first time in many years,” he shared. “I’m very encouraged to see our Independent Business segment post higher sales compared to last year’s third quarter, and I remain pleased with the continued progress we are making in our retail stores. Save-A-Lot had another good quarter from a sales perspective while also delivering a higher operating margin compared to the second quarter. Overall, the third quarter provided many positives for us to build on during the final quarter of our fiscal year.”
Some highlights from Supervalu's financial report include:
- Net sales of $4.20 billion, a 4.8% increase compared to $4.01 billion in the same quarter of last year.
- A 6.9% increase in identical store sales for Supervalu's Save-A-Lot stores and 8.5% for corporate Save-A-Lot stores.
- A 2.3% increase in identical store sales for Supervalu's Retail Food segment.
- A 2.4% increase in identical store sales for Supervalu's Independent Business segment.
- Gross profit of $593 million, 14.1% of net sales, compared to $569 million from the same period last year.
Analysts polled by Thompson Reuters and quoted in the Wall Street Journal had only forcased Supervalu to earn $0.14/share during Q3 2015. Needless to say, the $0.30/share figure which the retailer actually enjoyed came as a happy surprise.
Congratulations on a strong financial report, Supervalu!
SALINAS, CA - Church Brothers is adding fresh faces and fresh ideas to the team with the addition of four new employees.
Joe Albaugh, a former salesman at Del Monte, Tanimura & Antle, and Taylor Farms, has joined Church Brothers as a National Sales Representative focusing on the foodservice segment of the business. He was most recently a partner and Director of Business Development at ProSource Produce in Hailey, Idaho.
“Church Brothers is an industry leader and innovator,” said Albaugh. “This is a terrific move for me and my family, and I can’t wait to get to work.”
Junior Silva joins the company as Procurement Manager. He has more than 15 years experience in packaging, purchasing, and materials management with Dole Fresh Vegetables and Chiquita/Fresh Express. He will report to Pradeep Hadavale, Vice President Supply Chain.
Kate Burr, a graduate of Oregon State University, has been appointed as the new Quality and Food Safety Specialist. She will report to Drew McDonald, Vice President of Quality, Food Safety, and Regulatory Affairs.
Sophie Calhoun, a December graduate of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, is a new Sales Assistant. She will report to Jeff Church, Director of Sales.
“In our business, growth is an imperative; but it’s our employees that help us succeed in achieving sustained, profitable growth,” said CEO Steve Church. “Growth strategy is at the heart of what we’ve done at Church Brothers and True Leaf Farms over the past 15 years.”
Congratulations, Joe, Junior, Kate, and Sophie on your new positions with Church Brothers!
Western Mixers Produce & Nuts Family's Pete Calvano has passed away. The loss of the 62 year old industry leader is a heavy blow for the many who loved him and the industry as a whole.
As shared in his obituary, Pete was a fixture in the industry throughout his life, following in the family tradition set by his father, Gene Calvano. Those who knew him fondly reflected on their memories of him and his "kid in the candy shop" approach to business and the hunt for the “next big thing.”
In addition to his love for the organization he served for so long, his loved ones share that Pete also had a passion for cars.
Pete's memorial service will be held at Etiwanda Gardens (7576 Etiwanda Ave., Etiwanda, California, 91739) on Friday, January 9th at 11:00 am.
In lieu of flowers, the Calvano Family requests that donations to be made to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America in care of Stefani & Dusti Calvano, 16 Pine Drive, Westport, CT, 06880.
ANUK would like to offer our heartfelt sympathies to Pete’s family and friends during this difficult time. He will certainly be missed.
LOS ANGELES, CA – After months of unrest, federal mediation is set to begin for negotiations between West Coast dockworkers and their employers.
As we previously reported, the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) asked for the mediators to help in negotiations after months of contract gridlock.
"We are hopeful that the involvement of a federal mediator is the missing piece needed to get [a contract] signed," Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia said in a joint statement.
This request for help from the workers and employers is representative of a major shift from the increasingly hostile nature of the contract talks, which have now dragged on for eight months.
“This is the first positive news from the West Coast ports in some time,” said Jonathan Gold, Vice President of Supply Chain and Customs Policy at the National Retail Federation, in a statement.
The LA Times is reporting that the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service said it assigned a mediator to the case and that negotiations “will continue as soon as possible.” Spokesmen for both the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and employers declined to comment.
Hopefully this mediation will lead to successful negotiations. Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for the latest updates on this ongoing situation.
RIDGE SPRING, SC – Titan Farms is moving its sales in-house with the hiring of Daryl Johnston as its new Vice President of Sales and Marketing, effective January 5, 2015.
“I look forward to bringing my expertise to the team at Titan Farms,” said Daryl. “They are a well-respected company in the industry and I know that together we will reach the next level of excellence.”
According to a press release, the new sales team will operate under the name ‘Titan Farms Sales.’
“For some time, the management team at Titan Farms has been working toward becoming a fully vertically integrated company that will handle all aspects of our business in-house, from farming to packing to sales,” said Chalmers Carr, President of Titan Farms. “Fulfilling this sales and marketing position will allow us to be closer to our customers.”
In this new role, Daryl will oversee the management of the sales department as well as business development while forming and managing the annual marketing strategy.
“Daryl embodies the qualities we were seeking that are consistent with our premium quality reputation. We are excited to provide a higher level of service to our customers with him on our team,” said Carr.
Daryl will also develop and maintain seasonal retail programs and existing relationships while acquiring new accounts through the year.
Most recently, Daryl served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Southern Specialties in Pompano Beach, Florida. While there, he reorganized and directed its sales team and established new processes and controls for procurement and sales development. Prior to that, he worked with Dole, B&W Quality Growers and Pure Fresh, LLC.
Congratulations on this new position, Daryl!
JACKSONVILLE, FL - A new year and a new CEO. That's the plan at Bi-Lo Holdings at least.
The company has annouced that longtime CEO Randall Onstead will stepping down from his position as of March 1st, 2015. According to company Spokesperson Brian Wright, Onstead's replacement has already been located, although the company has thus far declined to disclose any information about the person's identity. Whoever has been selected will inherit a retail operation of impressive size, with over 800 store locations between the Winn-Dixie, Harveys, and Bi-Lo banners. In fact, the company is the 5th largest conventional supermarket chain in the U.S. and the 2nd largest conventional supermarket in the Southeast.
As the Florida Business Journal notes, Onstead's time as CEO has certainly been action-packed. The 58-year-old retail veteran guided the company through Chapter 11 bankrupcy in 2009 and the $560 million acquisition of Winn-Dixie in 2011.
AndNowUKnow would like to wish Onstead the best with this next exciting phase in his career. Stay tuned as we continue to track this process as it develops.
SAN ANTONIO, TX – As the Big Game approaches, NatureSweet® Tomatoes is making a postseason push.
The company's SunBursts™ MVP promotion is launching in retail locations across the United States, in order to help shoppers plan the perfect game day bash. NatureSweet will be awarding a $200 prize each day and a $1,000 prize each from January 5th to February 1st.
“At NatureSweet, our continued focus is on providing the best tasting tomatoes year-round,” says Michael Joergensen, Vice President of Marketing. “No matter what the occasion or time of year, including NatureSweet tomatoes in the menu will win guests over every time.”
In order to enter, customers will have to text in unique on-pack codes located on packages of SunBursts tomatoes. According to a press release, these codes can be found using the Party Playbook at the NatureSweet MVP display in produce sections of participating retailers. The Playbook also includes delicious recipes, healthy game day snack ideas and money saving coupons.
Great work this season, NatureSweet!
CHARLOTTE, NC – Saying goodbye is never easy, but $15.4 million should help.
With Chiquita’s acquisition by Cutrale/Safra coming to a close, the company has announced a major leadership shakeup.
The Charlotte Observer is reporting that Chiquita’s Chief Executive Officer Ed Lonergan and Chief Financial Officer Rick Frier will be leaving the company, and Brian Kocher has been named the interim CEO.
According to the Charlotte Business Journal, Lonergan stood to receive approximately $15.4 million if he was let go after the acquisition. That number includes a $1.9 million cash payout along with stock and other compensation.
The Charlotte Business Journal also places Frier at about $4.8 million upon his departure.
It remains unclear if the Brazilian companies will keep Chiquita’s headquarters in Charlotte’s NASCAR Plaza office tower or move it to a new location.
Chiquita was promised about $22 million worth of state and local incentives to locate its headquarters in Charlotte in 2011 on the condition that the company would stay there for at least 10 years. If the headquarters are moved, it is unknown if the government will seek repayment for any incentives that have been paid so far.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to track Chiquita and any post-merger developments.
TALLAHASSEE, FL – Edward, Ferdinand S. and Joseph Duda have been inducted into the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame.
This year’s inductees were announced by Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam and the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame Foundation.
“Each of these men left an indelible mark on the history of Florida agriculture,” Commissioner Putnam said. “Not only are they leaders in their respective fields, but they’ve also influenced agriculture industries in other parts of the world. I’m proud to honor these Floridians for their contributions.”
According to a press release, all three men are members of the Duda family’s third generation and have represented their family’s collective ownership in the agriculture and real estate business known as A. Duda & Sons, Inc. by serving as President, CEO and Chairman of the Board.
Under their 33 years of leadership at Duda, the men have witnessed major expansion, diversification and innovation including:
- Development of a world-class celery breeding program, which currently boasts 19 patents
- Partnerships with other Florida growers to ensure steady supply for growing customer base, national supermarket retail and foodservice clients
- Creation of new markets for its value-added innovations
- Utilization of integrated pest management (IPM) to minimize pesticides
- Awarded the Florida Agriculture commissioner’s Ag-Environmental Leadership Award for its pesticide/nutrient management in 1994
Edward, Ferdinand and Joseph also contributed their time, experience and knowledge by taking on leadership roles in the agriculture industry, according to a press release.
Edward served as a Director of the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida for 16 years and as a board member and Chairman of the United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association from 1981-1997.
Ferdinand served as a board member of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association and as Chairman in 1993. He also gave testimony to the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture regarding the proposed North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Joseph was a founding member of the Florida Land Council and served as its first Chairman from 1985-1990. He was also a member of the Nation and Florida Cattlemen’s Associations from 1973-2011.
It is clear that these men have left their mark on the Florida agriculture industry. Congratulations on this honor, Edward, Ferdinand and Joseph!