SALINAS, CA - Naturipe Farms’ new Peel and Reseal Fresh Blueberry tray has been named as a finalist for PMA’s Impact Awards. Currently available in 18 oz. and 2 lb. sizes, the tray offers retailers and consumers outstanding product freshness, a secure easy open and close tab, and a 40% reduction in plastic, according to a press release.
“The design of our Peel and Reseal products required a complete systems approach and required adaptation of our traditional practices in order to incorporate a more sustainable consumer package,” said Janis McIntosh, Marketing Manager. “Sustainable packaging is one of the key objectives of our ‘Cultivate with Care’ program which brings focus to an array of sustainable practices that we do from field to the final customer.”
Impact Award winners will be announced during PMA Fresh Summit this month. Check out Naturipe at booth #3148 to learn more about the company’s latest innovation in fresh blueberry packaging.
New York, NY (October 8, 2014) – With a remarkable season in the North American market for the newest variety from global kiwifruit marketer, Zespri, SunGold has experienced a 170% increase in sales from last year with 73% of new accounts coming on board in 2014. Experiencing positive responses from retailers and consumers alike, Zespri today announced that SunGold, with its tropical-sweet flavor and golden yellow flesh, will be a prominent fixture at this year’s PMA Fresh Summit in Anaheim, California.
The Oppenheimer Group’s Executive Category Director of Tropicals, Steve Woodyear-Smith, said, “Zespri has generated much consumer interest in SunGold this year with both new differentiating packaging and B2C media events laying a solid platform for continued growth on this excellent new item.” For example, a Zespri event in New York City gathered 35 magazine editors, high-profile bloggers, and experienced nutritionists to sample SunGold and other Zespri varieties. The event garnered over 275K impressions with 85 brand mentions, inspiring consumer curiosity and excitement over Zespri, SunGold, and organics. Woodyear-Smith continued, “Oppenheimer is working with Zespri and we’re excited to expand the kiwifruit category with SunGold, as well as satisfying the growing demand and retail support for Zespri’s organic kiwifruit line.”
Furthering its efforts, Zespri will be positioned at PMA 2014’s sponsorship activities where attendees may sample the revolutionary SunGold in a variety of tasty and creative ways. Zespri is also co-sponsoring the Welcome Reception happening Friday, October 17th where there will be numerous colorful food trucks serving Zespri food and drink concoctions, along with other sponsored products. During the show, attendees can visit the Zespri Kiwifruit sponsored Charge Lounge where there will be SunGold smoothies and SunGold Kiwitinis for the more adventurous! Lounge guests will be able to sit, relax, recharge their mobile devices, and mingle with other guests.
Zespri’s Senior Marketing Manager of North America, Michele Hoard, says, “It’s been a great season for us, with a bigger volume of SunGold available to this market and great promotional support. The consumer and trade response has been fantastic! This is a really fun and exciting piece of fruit to offer to be able to offer to North America. We’re excited to be showcasing SunGold at PMA, giving everyone an opportunity to try it."
Dedicated to quality, sustainability, and accountability,Zespri is recognized as the world-leader in premium quality kiwifruit and focuses on minimizing its impact on the environment (both at home in New Zealand and overseas). Zespri invests millions of dollars in innovation technology and to create a superior piece of fruit. Zespri offers different varieties of kiwifruit includingZespri Green, Zespri SunGold, and Zespri Organic.
This article was copied verbatim from a press release.
COMMERCE, CA - On the heels of its $161 million IPO, Smart & Final is refocusing its retail game around bulk organics like fresh produce. Companies like Sprouts and Trader Joe's have enjoyed amazing success thanks to the strength of their produce aisles, and according to the Los Angeles Register, Smart & Final is looking to move away from its image as a warehouse superstore towards a similar business model.
Smart & Final is incorporating this aim into the process of converting and opening Smart & Final Extra stores. These larger stores have thousands of additional products for household use, giving the retailer far more flexibility with respect to its product listing.
“Our customers really tell us everyday what they want and how their tastes are evolving. Over the years, we’ve done a good job of evolving with that,” Smart & Final's President and CEO David Hirz told the Los Angeles Register. “For instance, in our produce department, we carry 520 fresh produce items; in addition, we carry 80 organic produce items...We began putting bulk food departments in where people can buy fresh, natural or organic.”
He also shared how Smart & Final sees its produce aisle as the key to setting itself apart from the competition.
“Smart & Final combines the produce department of a farmers market with the low prices of a mass merchant – 12 to 16 percent lower than a conventional supermarket,” Hirz said. “Then we have almost 2,000 unique business items. Not another retailer I know of caters to both households and businesses.”
Hirz also spoke to the Los Angeles Register about his interest in expanding Smart & Final's presence in online grocery delivery.
When asked if Smart & Final would be adding delivery down the road, he replied, “We are actually testing delivery in 10 Smart & Final stores for businesses. It’s in a pilot mode. Initial results are encouraging, but it’s too soon to determine whether it’ll be expanded.”
“We’re also doing tests (with household customers) in Northern California as well as Southern California in West Los Angeles with Google Express,” he continued. “They can order products from Smart & Final... and have those delivered by a Google Express driver – same day or next day delivery.”
With its IPO wrapped up and fresh cash flowing through the company, Hirz certainly sounds like he has a plan to lead Smart & Final into a successful future. I'll be looking forward to reading about this company's next moves as we head into the new year.
Smart & Final
PELION, SC - WP Rawl is adding new items to its Nature’s Greens® line: a chard-kale blend and a red kale under the name Burgundy Kale. The former will be unveiled at PMA Fresh Summit this month, with the latter making its debut this fall, according to a press release.
“With consumer demand for leafy greens growing, we are continually looking for new and innovative products to meet that demand,” said Ashley Rawl, Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Product Development. “Customer satisfaction is at the forefront of everything we do at WP Rawl.”
Both products will come in 12 ounce bags under the existing Nature’s Greens line. Be sure to visit WP Rawl’s booth #2852 at PMA Fresh Summit to see the company’s latest.
OXNARD, CA - Mission Produce is in the midst of a major expansion of its Oxnard facilities, headlined by the construction of a state-of-the-art packing line. The new packing line promises to double Mission's production capacity, while cutting both costs and labor requirements, and is a major component of the company's plans to grow its bustling global avocado operations.
“The master plan for this project is the construction of a fully automated facility to complement our growing operations,” Jake Nixon, Vice President of Engineering and Process Improvement, shared with me. “Overall, the new facility will increase our storage capacity sixfold and triple the number of loading docks we have access to. The packing line itself is state of the art technology, which will allow us to greatly expand our production capacity while keeping costs down.”
Once completed, the packing line will be able to process 48 tons of produce an hour. It will be complete with modern dumping system which leads into a 10 lane sizer. The sizer will be equipped with a camera system capable of detecting external defects and examining avocados by size and shape. It is also able to pack produce based on weight and promises Mission Produce enhanced accuracy and speed.
“Mission has been a great partner for us throughout this process,” said Joe Chapon, Sales Manager for MAF Industries, the company contracted by Mission to construct this new packing line. “I am very confident that when this project is finished, it will be a great asset to Mission Produce for years to come.”
One of the highlights of constructing the packing line at this time, is that it afforded Mission the opportunity to build it from scratch, on-site.
“It's rare to have the opportunity to be able to build a new packing line in house, but doing so gives Mission an incredible advantage,” Jake explained. “It allows us to have our personnel there on the ground floor throughout the construction process. When our facility is up and running, our mechanics will have already had months of experience working on the packing line, giving them invaluable experience and on-the-job training. This experience will translate into cost-savings for our company for years to come.”
Mission Produce is also focused on making its new facility an industry leader in sustainable energy and food safety. It will be complete with a solar energy system which will provide the facility with a megawatt of clean solar energy.
The first phase of the packing line is currently set to be completed in February 2015. The full project will consist of three phases, each bringing Mission new capabilities and assets to grow its business and provide its partners with the best quality avocados.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for any future updates on Mission Produce and its current expansion plans.
Yakima, WA – 10/7/2014
Holtzinger Fruit Company, Yakima, WA. welcomes Paul Montmeny a retail and produce sales veteran, as its Sales Manager. Montmeny comes to Holtzinger with 25+ years in the Apple/Berry industry. “Paul approaches the marketing of Washington State Apples with a sense of urgency and intensity that is unmatched and has an exceptional perspective and understanding on meeting the needs of customers and the requirements of growers” said Steve Black, Director of Sales, Holtzinger Fruit Company.
Paul brings Holtzinger a diversity of experience in marketing/selling apples, with successes in international and domestic program development.
“As a leading packer for the independent grower it is important we employ unique individuals who have first-hand knowledge of customer and grower needs. As with all our sales staff, Paul’s highest priority will be as a ‘matchmaker’, ensure happy growers and customers” added Black.
This text was pasted verbatim from a press release.
MORGAN HILL, CA – Kimberly Nerli, Sakata Seed America’s West Coast Product Development Manager, joins AndNowUKnow for this exclusive look at the company’s research station in Woodland, California and the company’s western U.S. open field peppers. At the station, Sakata has a pepper-breeding program specifically for this market that focuses on quality, habit, yield and disease resistance dealing with Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus.
The company’s next generation Classic variety of pepper, which will be coming soon, has a resistance to the virus. It will be in trials in the next year or two. Another pepper variety the company is focusing on is Double Up. Kimberly says that it is a popular variety that is very consistent. It will turn red, so it gives growers the opportunity to harvest at either color. With an eye on the future, Sakata is always looking to innovate and is open to suggestions from industry leaders.
SALINAS, CA - For the last month, Foxy Produce has been shipping out a new, organic, non-GMO vegetable called BroccoLeaf™ to nationwide stores, and the grower is extremely excited about the market potential of this new offering. Some are already asking if BroccoLeaf™ could be the next hot trend in the vegetable category.
“It’s incredibly rare, in this day and age, to be able to introduce a new non-GMO organic vegetable into the market,” said Foxy Vice President of Marketing Matt Seeley. “We believe the potential for BroccoLeaf™ is massive and are very excited about consumers’ and retailers’ responses."
American farmers have used the leaves of their broccoli crops for years in order to cleanse and nourish soil, but few considered selling the leaves themselves for consumption. Realizing the significant health benefits BroccoLeaf™ offers, Foxy is changing this. Some of these health benefits include:
- Excellent source of Calcium
- An adult dose of Vitamin C
- An excellent source of Folate, a key nutrient for heart health and pregnancy.
- An excellent source of phytonutrients, powerful detoxifyers (the 3 cancer fighting Glucosinates)
According to a press release, Foxy discovered the potential of BroccoLeaf by chance through its full-utilization practices. Foxy explains that during the recipe testing process of its “REJUICENATE With Foxy” series of free juicing activations at nationwide retailers, a Foxy employee proposed incorporating organic broccoli leaves. The rest, as they say, is history.
“We are big advocates of full produce consumption which is why we started experimenting with broccoli leaves,” shared Foxy Vice President of Operations Tom Nunes V. “But, the health findings and taste even took us by surprise. We know how fantastic broccoli leaves are for the soil, but nobody considered it a viable produce item. Everyone in our industry’s been trying to find the next kale, and BroccoLeaf has been staring all of us in the face for decades.”
In celebration of this product launch, Foxy will be releasing a series of original BroccoLeaf recipes through a collaboration with BroccoLeaf spokesperson Ashley Koff RD. All of these recipes can be found on Foxy's website in the hope that they will be a valuable resource for customers looking to learn more about how to incorporate this new produce offering into their daily lives.
Foxy will also be launching a coordinated social media campaign. Through it, the company will encourage consumers to post and share their favorite original BroccoLeaf creations for fellow produce fans to enjoy.
Congratulations on this exciting new product launch, Foxy Produce!
CASHMERE, WA - Crunch Pak is welcoming business analyst Jenni James to expand the company’s market research capabilities.
James’ experience with managing custom research projects and teaching classes as a professor of agribusiness at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, CA will greatly enhance Crunch Pak’s analytical effectiveness. She will report to the company’s Senior Product Manager, according to a press release.
“We are at a critical juncture in the growth of our business and it’s imperative that we have educated, experienced staff managing the multiple sources of market research we invest in annually,” said Tony Freytag, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Jenni’s leadership will benefit us as we work to design and implement new reporting systems and structures.”
James specializes in quantitative analysis, econometrics, and agricultural policy. She holds a doctorate and a master of science degree in agricultural and resource economics from the University of California, Davis.
Congrats on joining this new position at Crunch Pak, Jenni!
CHARLESTON, SC – Greenbax Enterprises Inc., Piggly Wiggly Carolina Company’s privately owned parent company, is asking shareholders for approval to sell its retail and wholesale grocery businesses by the end of the year.
The Post and Courier, which reports that it has received a summary of the deal, says that the company is also looking to dissolve the company within the next three years.
According to that summary, Greenbax will need two-thirds of its shareholders to approve the deal, with votes being due by 5 p.m. on October 15. The company has an employee stock ownership, and as of March of 2014, 82% of the shares were held by employees in a trust.
Christy Boudolf, a company spokeswoman, issued a statement to the Post and Courier in regard to the notice it obtained saying that it “is not intended for the public at this time. It is our position that it should not be published or made public until the pending transaction is completed.”
In the proposal, Greenbax would sell its remaining wholesale operation to C&S Wholesale Grocers Inc. for $9.3 million and then sell the 19 remaining grocery stores to independent operators.
The sale to C&S is expected to close by October 20, and Greenbax has entered into verbal agreements with buyers of 17 stores so far, according to the Post and Courier.
This decision comes just over a year after Piggly Wiggly Carolina Company announced that it was selling 7 stores to Harris Teeter and another 22 stores to Bi-Lo.
If this new proposal is accepted, it is unclear whether the stores would continue to operate under the Piggly Wiggly banner. Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for the latest on these potential changes in the Charleston market.