ANTIGO, WI – The Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) has announced that Tamas Houlihan has been named Executive Director of WPVGA. He has been serving as Interim Executive Director since August of 2014.
“I am honored to accept the responsibility of leading the WPVGA as Executive Director,” Tamas said. “I am proud to serve the agricultural community and look forward to continuing to work on its behalf. I am fortunate to have an outstanding, experienced staff in place to help our industry accomplish its goals.”
Tamas has served as the Managing Editor of The Badger Common’Tater magazine for the last 27 years. In that time, he also held the title of Communications Director. This is also his third time as Interim Executive Director. He previously filled the role in 2000 and in 2008.
“I’m very excited about the future of the WPVGA under the leadership of Tamas Houlihan,” WPVGA President Larry Alsum of Alsum Farms & Produce, Friesland, said. “His knowledge of the industry and communication skills make him an excellent choice to give the Association leadership and direction in the years to come. His experience working with growers and our allied industries make him an asset to the Wisconsin potato and vegetable industry.”
In this position, Tamas will lead a potato and vegetable trade association with more than 500 members and an annual budget of $1.5 million, according to a press release. His responsibilities include developing and maintaining an aggressive grower relations program as well as building consensus in the areas of research, marketing, education and governmental releations.
“The Wisconsin potato and vegetable industry is vibrant and progressive,” Tamas added. “We rank second in the nation in the production of vegetables for processing and third in potato production. The WPVGA has a long-standing research partnership with the University of Wisconsin and an active membership base of grower volunteers and industry supporters.”
He graduated in 1985 from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with a Bachelor’s Degree with a double-major in Communication and German. He received the Chancellor’s Leadership Award and the Albertson Medallion at UWSP.
Congratulations on this exciting new position, Tamas!
LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE, CA – After a successful beginning to the campaign, the Allen Lund Company has announced that it is continuing its book and toy drive that is benefiting Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA).
"The Allen Lund Company is excited to utilize Big Al to deliver books and toys to Children's Hospital Los Angeles," shared Nora Trueblood, Director of MarCom. "We are thrilled to utilize Big Al as a collection point for the local community. We hope to load every inch of the truck with books and toys."
According to a press release, from December 1-12, 9:00 am-3:00 pm, Big Al, the company’s mascot, will be accepting donations of new books and unwrapped toys from the community. The company emphasized that no stuffed animals will be accepted.
Community members can donate at 4529 Angeles Crest Highway, Suite 101. La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011. The gifts will be delivered to CHLA on December 15th.
The sheer amount of choice in a produce aisle is stunning, to say the least. That’s why I’ve dreamed of the day when someone would create an app that would tell me exactly which ingredients I should buy and what I can make with them. Imagine my surprise when Stephen Colbert discussed Pizza Hut’s “mind-reading menu” on The Colbert Report the other night.
If Pizza Hut says it can read minds, why not produce departments? Seriously! You gotta see this. The segment starts at 2:25…
According to The Washington Post, the digital menu offers 20 different toppings to create one of 4,896 combinations. I’ll reserve my judgment for a corn and ketchup combo…
The digital menu is backed by Swedish eye-tracking company Tobii Technology. Months of retina-scanning development and psychological research have gone into the making of this app to create a personalized pizza only your subconscious could whip up. This eye-tracking technology reminds me of a previous story we’ve reported on in the past. Sticky, a media technology company based out of New York, is also using eye-tracking software to gauge how long a consumer looks at something, whether it’s an advertisement, product packaging, retail displays, or even websites. Their purpose is different, but the technology is fundamentally the same.
So, I’m still waiting for the day when I can pull up an app on my smartphone or tablet, snap a picture of a produce aisle, and find out exactly what my subconscious is thinking for dinner that night. This idea is patent pending. ;)
NOGALES, AZ – Wholesum Harvest has been awarded a “Best” rating for each of the company’s three farms through Whole Foods' new Responsibly Grown program. As ANUK previously reported, the program is designed to increase transparency in the produce aisle while rewarding growers who take the most stringent steps towards food safety and environmental stewardship.
“We are honored that Whole Foods Market has recognized our commitment to the environment, our workers, and our customers by awarding our farms with “Best” ratings,” said Ricardo Crisantes, General Manager, Wholesum Harvest. “At Wholesum Harvest, our goal is to leave the Earth better than we found it. We’ve taken steps to conserve and reuse water in our greenhouses; we utilize solar energy as much as possible to supply the energy needs for our facilities; and we use natural methods of pest control rather than dangerous chemical pesticides. Additionally, we are Fair Trade Certified™ because of our work to protect the health, safety, and economic interests of our employees and their families, and also to ensure their access to education and affordable housing. We operate our business this way because we know it to be right, but it is always rewarding and encouraging to be recognized for our hard work.”
“Wholesum Harvest is proud to provide our customers with produce that is organic, delicious, and responsibly grown,” Crisantes continued. “We applaud Whole Foods for its efforts to help consumers make informed choices in the produce aisle, while also encouraging growers to make better, healthier choices in their fields and greenhouses.”
According to a press release, in order to earn a “Best” rating, growers are evaluated on a vareity of criteria including:
- Soil health
- Air
- Energy and climate
- Waste minimization
- Farm worker welfare
- Water conservation and protection
- Ecosystems and biodiversity
- Advanced pest management
- Transparency related to the use of GMOs, and no use of irradiation treatments or biosolids
Congratulations on this impressive acomplishment, Wholesum Harvest!
CHESHUNT, ENGLAND - ResearchFarm has published a report seeking to answer the question: what should a Tesco turnaround look like? According to the firm, a proper turnaround plan would include three essential elements:
- A modern refresh of its loyalty program.
- Responding to the challenges of discount competitors.
- A renewed focus on its non-food business as well as Tesco's online marketplace.
A New Loyalty Program
At one point in time, Tesco's loyalty program “gave the company a clear competitive advantage,” according to ResearchFarm. Similar offerings from Sainsbury's, Asda, and soon Morrison, along with the growth of Amazon in the British retail community has weakened this advantage, however.
“Tesco needs to do three things [to change this trend], make clubcard relevant for the mobile age...widen the scheme to become all encompassing and integrating it with the other business units...and then perhaps an opening up of its profiles and customer data to other businesses,” the report explained.
Discounter Competition
ResearchFarm then turns towards the challenge Tesco has faced in maintaining its market share in the face of fierce competition from hard discount retailers.
In order to respond to this growing competition, ResearchFarm recommends that Tesco strive to choose the best possible store sites while entrenching itself in the local communities in addition to working on reducing operating margins. Solely engaging in a price war would not be the right course of action, it argues.
“As discussed above a price war won’t work. This means that Tesco needs to do its utmost to stop the discounters from expanding – in other words Tesco has to invest in land-banking the best convenience store sites,” the report explains. “We believe that Tesco’s best bet is the focus on convenience especially in high footfall locations and to make its multichannel capabilities count.”
Non Food Issues
Arguing that £0.5 billion in non-food online sales in 2013 through 2014 is not large enough given Tesco's market share and size, ReserachFarm strongly recommends the retailer re-evaluate the way it conducts its non-food related business operations.
“...we believe that in future many non food categories will increasingly move online, so Tesco would be best advised to follow the shopper and build out is online non food proposition.”
Would these measures be sufficient to turn Tesco's fortunes around? It is hard to say for sure, but whatever actions the retailer does choose to take, you can count on ANUK to bring you the latest.
AUSTIN, TX – Viva Fresh Produce Expo is making its debut March 26 – 28, 2015. Attendees are already lining up, and the Texas International Produce Association (TIPA) is rolling out the red carpet. The Association is offering complimentary registration for retail and foodservice attendees and complimentary travel fees for buyers.
Hugh Topper, Group Vice President of Fresh at H-E-B, tells me, “Connecting with suppliers is key to our success and the Viva Fresh Expo brings all of Texas and Mexico to us. It’s the best of both worlds, a regional expo that stretches international boundaries.”
With the amount of large-scale companies already committed, I believe this event is a 2015 must. Held at the Hilton in Austin, Texas, this exciting host city is situated among top produce retailers and offers attendees a slice of the state’s larger than life culture.
Tommy Wilkins, Director of Sales and Business Development for Grow Farms Texas, adds, “I love Texas, and I believe that it’s time to showcase our passion and innovation along with all that we have to offer. With the growing amount of products that pass through and are grown in Texas each year, it really is the gateway to the Americas. Plus, Austin is such a wonderful town. You’ve got to come and experience what makes Texas like no place else.”
This show offers an unparalleled look at the “Gateway to the Americas,” showcasing produce grown in the Southwestern United States and Mexico. Visitors will gain valuable insight through this unique opportunity to learn first-hand about issues like transportation, product availability, and upcoming trade regulations within and between the U.S. and Mexico.
TIPA CEO, Bret Erickson, says, “The goal of Viva Fresh is simple, we want to increase the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables by creating new connections for producers and buyers. We wanted to create an intimate event, where we could pull in buyers from the U.S. and Canada to come in and meet first-hand with Texas, Mexico, and other Southwest U.S. grower/shippers and importers.”
Erickson adds, “This is an event created by grower/shippers for grower/shippers, and it’s designed specifically to facilitate meaningful dialogue between buyers and sellers without the typical trade show distraction.”
If you aren't familiar with Austin, here is a quick look:
- Austin is the 11th largest city in the U.S.
- It is the home of Whole Foods Market
- The University of Texas at Austin has the fifth-largest single-campus enrollment in the country, with over 50,000 students
- Austin is considered the live music capital of the world with over 100 live music venues
- One of the top U.S. cities for barbeque
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to network while taking virtual field tours at farms and facilities in Texas and Mexico, discussing the increasingly important role of supermarket dieticians, and discovering the latest in merchandising trends. Plus, this expo offers a fun, educational look at the health benefits, style, and taste of Southwestern and Mexico-grown produce, with chef-inspired events and receptions with a region-specific foodie flair.
I'm excited about this show. The Viva Fresh Produce Expo is a must-see event. Don’t miss it!
PLEASANTON, CA & BOISE, ID - Safeway and Albertsons have named over 70 executives to begin building their Corporate and Regional teams.
These executives include:
- Jerry Callahan – Group Vice President, Produce and Floral
- Jerry Noland – Vice President, Food Safety and Quality Assurance
- Geoff White – Senior Vice President, Marketing & Merchandising
- Greg Matteri – Senior Vice President, Marketing & Merchandising
This latest news follows the announcement of the new executive leadership team that will be guiding the combined companies in the wake of their proposed merger. This organizational model will keep the focus and financial responsibility at the division level, while still taking full advantage of the expertise, vision, and core capabilities of the Corporate team. The combined company will be made up of three regions and 14 retail divisions, supported by corporate offices in Boise, ID; Pleasanton, CA; and Arizona, AZ.
The merger, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2014 following FTC approval, will create a network of over 2,400 stores, 27 distribution facilities, and 20 manufacturing plants with over 250,000 employees, according to a press release. No banner changes are planned for the combined company.
Just this week, Sam Zell, billionaire investor and Founder and Chairman of Equity Group Investments, has confirmed his interest in the over 100 soon-to-be divested Albertsons locations. Though a deal has not yet been confirmed, Zell calls it “an interesting opportunity and a good deployment of capital.”
For a full list of the executives announced, see below:
Legal – Bob Gordon, Executive Vice President & General Counsel
- Paul Rowan – Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel
- Sue McMillan – Group Vice President, Real Estate Law
- Mike Boylan – Vice President, Litigation & Employment Law
- Dan Day – Vice President, Litigation & Regulatory (Chief Compliance Officer)
- Laura Donald – Vice President, Corporate & Business Law
- Kathleen Smith – Vice President, Corporate Loss Prevention
Marketing & Merchandising – Shane Sampson, Executive Vice President
- Dimitri Haloulos - Senior Vice President, Own Brands
- Karl Schroeder – Senior Vice President, Corporate Merchandising
- John Beretta – Group Vice President, Meat & Seafood
- Jerry Callahan – Group Vice President, Produce and Floral
- Pat Dennis – Group Vice President, GM/HBC
- Bob Heally – Group Vice President, Deli/Prepared Foods
- Jewel Hunt – Group Vice President, Bakery
- Mike Massimino – Group Vice President, Grocery/Total Alcohol Beverage
- Darren Singer – Senior Vice President, Pharmacy, Health & Wellness
- Dan Salemi – Group Vice President, Pharmacy Services
- George Dordevic – Group Vice President, Advertising
- Tamara Pattison – Group Vice President, Loyalty and Analytics
- Creighton Schenkel – Group Vice President, Merchandising Analytics and Marketing Finance
- Deb Fifles – Vice President, Consumer & Shopper Insights
- Amy Kirby - Vice President, In-Store Experience
- Mike McCready – Vice President, E-Commerce
- Karl Meinhardt – Vice President, Digital Marketing & Social Media
- Jerry Noland – Vice President, Food Safety and Quality Assurance
Human Resources, Labor Relations, Communications, Public Affairs & Government Affairs – Andy Scoggin, Executive Vice President
- Jonathan Mayes – Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, Government Relations, Philanthropy & CSR
- Dan Cousins – Vice President, Training & Leadership Development
- Peggy Jones – Vice President, Division Human Resources
- Cathy Lord – Vice President, Corporate Human Resources
- Lisa Montalvo – Vice President, Benefits
- Christine Wilcox – Vice President, Internal Communications
Supply Chain & Manufacturing – Jerry Tidwell, Executive Vice President
- Rick Bunnell – Senior Vice President, Distribution
- Monica McCombs – Senior Vice President, Procurement
- Evan Rainwater – Senior Vice President, Manufacturing
- Len Ayres – Vice President, Engineering
- Brad Egbert – Vice President, Supply Chain Finance and Operation Services
Finance – Bob Dimond, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
- Rob Larson – Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer
- Melissa Plaisance – Group Vice President, Strategic Initiatives
- David Stern – Group Vice President, Financial Planning & Analysis
- Bill Zachry – Group Vice President, Risk Management
- Brian Baer – Vice President, Retail Finance North
- Mike Bessent – Vice President, Treasurer NAI
- Brad Fox – Vice President, Treasurer
- Miles Kendall – Vice President, Retail Finance South
- Carl McLean – Vice President, Retail Finance East
- Bill Spoehr – Vice President, Internal Audit and SOX
Corporate Development and Real Estate – Justin Ewing, Executive Vice President
- Steve Cogan – Senior Vice President, Real Estate
- Scott Graham – Vice President, Market Research & National Programs
- Todd Williams – Vice President, Corporate Development
East Region – Justin Dye, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President
- Ken Rinaldi – Director, Retail Initiatives
North Region – Kelly Griffith, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President
- Tracie Perry – Vice President, Retail Initiatives
South Region – Wayne Denningham, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President
- Jim Wallace – Vice President, Retail Initiatives
Denver – Paul McTavish, President
- Susan Mudd-Powell – Vice President, Marketing & Merchandising
- Kevin Wehrly – Vice President, Operations
Eastern – Steve Burnham, President
- Tom Lofland – Vice President, Marketing & Merchandising
- Dean Willhite –Vice President, Operations
Houston – Sidney Hopper, President
- Jon Dickman – Vice President, Marketing & Merchandising
- Kurt McMillan – Vice President, Operations
Intermountain – Susan Morris, President
- John Colgrove – Vice President, Marketing & Merchandising
- Gineal Davidson – Director of Sales Support
Northern California – Tom Schwilke, President
- Geoff White – Senior Vice President, Marketing & Merchandising
- Todd Broderick – Senior Vice President, Operations
- Richard Pickering – Vice President, Sales Support
Portland – Dennis Bassler, President
- Doug Campbell – Vice President, Marketing & Merchandising
- Jeff Buchanan – Vice President, Operations, Portland Division
Seattle – Dan Valenzuela, President
- Dennis Schwarz – Senior Vice President, Marketing & Merchandising
- Adam Wampler – Senior Vice President, Operations
- Bob Reorda – Vice President, Sales Support
Southern – Scott Hays, President
- David Urby – Vice President, Marketing & Merchandising
- Steve Hanson – Vice President, Operations
Southern California – Lori Raya, President
- Greg McNiff – Senior Vice President, Marketing & Merchandising
- Wendy Oliver – Senior Vice President, Operations
- Andy Barker – Vice President, Sales Support
Southwest – Shane Dorcheus, President
- Greg Matteri – Senior Vice President, Marketing & Merchandising
- Frank Cannistra – Senior Vice President, Operations
AndNowUKnow would like to congratulate all those named for joining these exciting new leadership teams.
NEW YORK, NY – The Cutrale and Safra Group have shared through their affiliate, the Cavendish Acquisition Corporation, that the deadline for the tender for all outstanding shares of common stock of Chiquita Brands International, Inc. has been extended to 12:00 midnight, New York City time, at the end of the day on Tuesday, December 23, 2014, unless further extended or terminated. All other terms and conditions of the tender offer remain unchanged, according to a press release.
This tender offer, which prices each Chiquita share at $14.50/share, net to the seller in cash, without interest and subject to any required withholding taxes, is the capstone of months of negotiations between Cutrale/Safra and Chiquita.
As of December 3, 2014, merger antitrust filings have been made with antitrust authorities in:
- The United States (under the HSR Act)
- The European Union
- Switzerland
- Ukraine
- Russia
- Turkey
- Ecuador
- Costa Rica
Cutrale/Safra shares that it expects to accept all shares of Chiquita common stock for payment by the end of the first half of January 2015, at the latest. The companies do caution, however, that all timetable are subject to changes by regulatory boards in the several associated jurisdictions and could be moved up in the event of early termination of antitrust concerns.
CANADA – Urban Barns Foods is pitching its ultra-futurist cubic farming concept as ‘Star Trek meets farming.’ According to the company, its state of the art Cubic Farming™ machines sustainably grow premium quality vegetables year round and can even grow 500 heads of lettuce each year in under one square meter of space.
The company explains, “Removing the long-distance transportation model, our patent pending Cubic Farming™ technology allows us to grow produce in secure, safe, and controlled environments, with minimal water requirements, producing green leafy vegetables that are full of nutrients, while eliminating the use of fungicides, pesticides and insecticides.”
Check out this video for an inside look the company’s Cubic Faming concept and how it works:
The company’s Canadian President and CEO, Richard Groome, believes that this system is well ahead of its time. In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Groome said, “This is the highest-density mechanized machine in vertical farming we’ve seen in the world…In our controlled environment growing season, the plants are not subject to the huge variations of temperature and the vagaries of mother nature that are causing chaos.”
Currently, Urban Barns Foods currently offers lettuce, herbs and microgreens grown from non-GMO seeds and free of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides.
Groome went on to say he hopes that once Urban Barns structures are developed in desert areas like Arizona or Las Vegas, they could ultimately be introduced into Australia and the Middle East.
With our industry being tasked with the huge undertaking of feeding the world’s growing population with healthy, high-quality fresh produce, it is always interesting to see what the farming of the future could look like.
POMPANO BEACH, FL - For the second year running, Kingston Cross Dock and Cold Storage (KCDS) has received a perfect score on its recent Primus GFSI Food Safety audit. According to a press release, the purpose of the audit is to test the facility's ability to adhere to the strict protocols of modern food safety principles, including both physical upgrades as well as the procedural adherence necessary for proper food safety guidelines.
“We take Food Safety very serious and are extremely proud of this accomplishment,” said Brian Osborne, General Manager of KCDS. “Achieving a perfect Primus score of 100 is big goal for our team and we are proud to have reached this important milestone at KCDS for the second year in a row. Our results are a testament to our entire team’s commitment to reinforce the procedures necessary to supply our customers with dependable and trust-worthy service. We want customers to trust that their programs are handled with complete integrity and care.”
“Our cold storage facility offers importers, marketers and distributors many advantages that include forced air pre-cooling, a 28-door truck loading dock, six individual temperature-controlled rooms, and close proximity to the Pompano State Farmers Market as well as the U.S.D.A. inspection office,” he continued. “Also, with such quick access to the I-95 corridor, KCDS makes it easy for trucks to get in and out of the state quickly.”
“I congratulate Brian and the entire KCDS team in attaining this top score as we know from our experience how hard this is to achieve,” added David O. Kingston, CEO of Kingston Companies. “I am also excited for the new season and the steady increase of imports into the United States."
According to a press release, some of the standards against which KCDS was measured against included:
- Proper maintenance of temperatures per commodity
- Cleanliness
- Safety documentation
- Proper handling of pest control
- Chemical storage
- Labeling procedures
Congratulations on this impressive achievement, Kingston!