CAMARILLO, CA - Houweling’s Tomatoes is welcoming Kevin Doran as the company’s new Chief Operating Officer. As he settles into his new role, Kevin will be responsible for initially focusing on all high touch customer interface platforms for all three of Houweling’s greenhouse farm locations, as well as working with the company’s direct retail partnerships. He will be based in the company’s Camarillo, CA operation.
“Houweling’s is committed to setting the standard for excellence within the greenhouse and produce industry,” said Casey Houweling, CEO. “Our growing expertise is second to none, and while we have made significant strides as a sales and marketing organization, I see Kevin as an integral piece to realize the vision I have for our company."
Kevin is particularly valued for his specialized knowledge of protected crops and the greenhouse sector, according to a press release. He brings over 20 years of strategic sales and marketing executive management experience, and was a former key member of the executive team at The Greenery BV.
Kevin was particularly excited about the opportunity, marking it as one he could not afford to pass up. “I have always had a tremendous respect for Casey Houweling, his values and passion for growing,” said Kevin. “It’s an exciting period in Houweling’s history, and I believe I can add value and perspective that will help the business achieve its stated objectives in what is a very competitive industry sector.”
Congratulations on joining Houweling’s, Kevin!
OCT. 3, 2014 (LEAMINGTON, ON) - After many years of operating greenhouse operations at the corner of Highway 77 and County Road 14, Orangeline has put up its first ever company sign on the property. “Think of it as a sign that we’re launching into the next level of our growth and development,” jokes Duffy Kniaziew, President of Orangeline Farms and one of two brothers who own and manage the business.
“It never seemed like that much of a priority,” says his brother Jordan, Vice-President, “since we deal primarily with produce buyers from the major chains. From that standpoint, having a strong local presence was never a major priority.”
But, he adds, the family is proud of their Leamington heritage and the company’s role in the community. “I guess it was time to ‘sign up’, so to speak, for a more visible presence.” Motorists along Highway 77 will hardly miss the large orange sign that now sits on the corner of the property.
COMMUNITY OFFERED FREE SAMPLES OF ZING! PRODUCE
To celebrate the new sign, Orangeline invites the community to experience its premium Zing! brand sweet bell peppers and other specialty produce. The company’s roadside stand, just west of the new sign, will be open on Saturday Oct. 11 at 8:00AM. While quantities last, visitors will be welcome to take home free sample bags.
“It’s our way of giving thanks to the community for all the support we’ve received over the years,” adds Duffy. “With the amazing bounty we see all around us, and with Thanksgiving right around the corner, it’s a great time to be giving back to our local friends and neighbours.”
Orangeline Farms is an award-winning, boutique grower of specialty greenhouse products. The family-owned business operates year-round in Leamington, Ontario. For more information, go to orangelinefarms.com or call the Orangeline sales team at 519-322-0400.
This text was copied verbatim from a press release.
ANAHEIM, CA - With PMA Fresh Summit just around the corner, we are taking a closer look at one industry innovator and someone local to the team here at AndNowUKnow, Lisa Davis, Chair of the Fresh Summit Committee for 2014.
Lisa, who is also the Director of Business Development for Edge Sales and Marketing, will be delivering a message at the October 17th General Session where she will address our industry peers with a snapshot of what they will find at this year's Fresh Summit. PMA has been increasingly focused on global connections and innovations, while also bringing the organization’s resources to the forefront of the industry with greater efficiency and accessibility. Are you new to the show this year? Lisa will also be sharing the 411 on how to tap into the Fresh Summit experience through the show’s array of assets, events and workshops.
“This year, the committee has invested a considerable amount of time and effort in identifying what matters to the industry and what can influence and contribute to the future of the trade and fresh produce consumption,” Lisa tells me. “The general education workshops are a very important part of this year’s show and deliver the most relevant and forward-thinking information available for everyone involved in our industry, across the board. These sessions are personalized to fit multiple member backgrounds. This isn’t just a trade show, but an event that offers so much more.”
The Salinas, California native has been on the committee for the past three years and was Vice Chair in 2013. Now a leading part of Edge Sales, Lisa represents more than 30 industry brands with an expertise in marketing, advertising, and developing new business relationships.
“The Fresh Summit Committee, and the PMA Board of Directors, bring opinions from across the industry. We are not just comprised of individuals from a single sector of fresh produce and we hope to give our industry members a deeper look into the people here and how this organization works,” Lisa notes.
Bryan Silbermann, CEO, Produce Marketing Association, and Cathy Burns, President, Produce Marketing Association will also be addressing the crowd and the state of the industry with insights on PMA initiatives that seek to inspire the ‘Fresh Revolution.”
Lisa is joined by a host of her industry peers on this year’s committee, with Brian Cook from San Miguel Produce also assuming a leadership role as Vice Chair.
Also on the committee are:
- Tom Brugato, Pacific Coast Fruit Company
- Tyler Clear, Organically Grown Company
- Greg Corrigan, Raley's
- Julie DeWolf, Sunkist Growers, Inc.
- Mark Gale, Charleston/Orwig
- Randy Giumarra, Giumarra Vineyards Corporation
- Melinda Goodman, FullTilt Marketing
- Mark Harley, Decade Products LLC
- Paul Kneeland, Kings Food Markets
- Julie Lucido, Marketing Plus
- Luis Moreno Martinez, Grupo PM, S.A. de C.V.
- Megan McKenna, National Mango Board
- Scot Olson, Grocery Outlet, Inc.
- Jennifer Pelayo, Advantage Sales & Marketing
- Loren Queen, Domex Superfresh Growers
- Maria Fernanda Sarmiento, American Non Stop Label
- Tristan Simpson, Ready Pac Foods
- Kim St George, Mann Packing Co., Inc.
- Kevin Steiner, Sage Fruit Company
- Kyle Stone, Ben B. Schwartz & Sons, Inc.
- Brad Wyllie, Litehouse, Inc.
With its finger on the pulse of the fresh produce industry, PMA is promising to bring an elevated experience to the notion of the trade show. Fresh Summit is an event not to be missed. I’ll see you all there!
BENTONVILLE, AR – Wal-Mart has announced its commitment to create a more sustainable food system through a four-part plan at its Global Sustainability Milestone Meeting.
“The future of food is absolutely critical for both our society and for our business, which means we have a huge opportunity to make a difference here,” said Doug McMillon, President and CEO of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
“We’ve learned on our sustainability journey that we’re most successful when our initiatives create social and environmental value and business value at the same time. Food is our number one category worldwide, and we are going to do even more in our grocery business in the years ahead. Paving a sustainable future for food is necessary for society and our business,” McMillon added.
The retailer plans to address major issues and threats facing today’s global food system through four key pillars: improving affordability of food for customers and the environment, increasing access to food, making healthier eating easier, and improving safety and transparency of the food chain, according to a press release.
- Affordable: Wal-Mart is working with suppliers to lower the “true cost” of food to provide lower prices and decrease the environmental impact of agricultural practices, according to a press release. The retailer has also launched its Climate Smart Agriculture Platform to improve environmental outcomes.
- Accessible: Through its “Fighting Hunger Together” commitment, Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club facilities donated more than 1.58 billion pounds of food since 2010. Wal-Mart and the Wal-Mart Foundation aim to provide 4 billion healthier meals to those who need them in the U.S. over the next five years.
- Healthier: The company reports a 13% reduction of sodium and a 10% reduction of sugar levels in Great Value, Marketside and nationally branded products. As part of this new plan, Wal-Mart and the Wal-Mart foundation will provide nutrition education to 4 million U.S. households.
- Safe and Transparent: Wal-Mart plans to provide more information and transparency about its products so customers can see where an item came from, how it was made, and decode the ingredient label.
“Wal-Mart has made major progress since we set out to achieve our three ambitious sustainability goals to create zero waste, be powered by 100 percent renewable energy, and sell products that sustain people and the environment. We believe it’s especially critical to focus our time and effort on advancing the sustainability of our food products and practices,” said McMillon. “Grocery is a very personal category – it’s about what you feed your kids and how you take care of yourself. It’s about your health and wellbeing. And it all comes down to trust. Customers have to trust us on food. When we focus on food, we are doing right by our customers, our communities, and our planet.”
Wal-Mart will be continuing to collaborate with suppliers to track and report the progress of this plan and the creation of a sustainable food system.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to follow the effects and progress of these initiatives.
NEW KENSINGTON, PA – Yerecic Label is making life simpler for its partners again with a new virtual tour video on its website. Only four minutes long, the tour captures the company's expertise and passion for the industry.
“The produce industry knows the Yerecic Label name through our consumer research, presence at tradeshows and participation within the industry,” said President Art Yerecic. “But our customers and others in produce rarely get to see what happens to build the labels that help sell fruits and vegetables.”
This newly released virtual tour is Yerecic's way of solving this problem.
“History has shown us that when visitors tour the Yerecic Label facility, they leave with a real appreciation for our people, automation and lean manufacturing,” Rich Thoma, VP of Sales and Marketing, further explained. “The cleanliness and efficiency of our facility, as well as passion and talent of our associates, helps to take their trust in our products to a new level.”
Check out the video for yourself below:
Through this innovation, Yerecic Label is putting its commitment to quality, food safety and lead times on display for the rest of the industry. It allows Yerecic's partners in the business to get to know the Yerecic process, team and facility without having to leave the comfort of their computer.
I'd certainly recommend Yerecic's video to anyone closely connected to the produce industry. It provides insights into a part of the production process that all too often can be taken for granted or forgotten.
OVIEDO, FL - Duda Farm Fresh Foods is launching a new line of ready to eat value-added radishes, as well as serving up a host of award-winning original recipes from renowned Chef Todd Fisher at booth #2430 at PMA Fresh Summit.
“We saw an opportunity to innovate in the radish category – offering new forms with compelling product benefits. After exploring billions of potential combinations for new radish products we chose the top three as items that consumers would purchase with the most amount of frequency. We took the feedback and decided on building our program around Ready Radishes, which are cut, trimmed, and ready to eat, along with Radish Coins and Radish MiniSticks,” Nichole Towell, Director of Marketing, tells me. “Our research indicates these products will entice the radish lover and the younger non-radish user as well, who may be discouraged from using the item due to prep and unfamiliarity.”
The company recently delved into the world of collaborative consumer research with Affinnova and surfaced with bold new packaging for its three new radish items. Through the consumer testing, Duda was able to highlight over 100,000 different prototypes, which eventually lead to the eye-catching packaging that now showcases the radish items.
Affinnova is a type of testing that gives participants many different potential elements and asks them to choose the components that perk their interest and satisfy their senses the most. The algorithm behind the software utilizing real time consumer feedback identifies the best ideas, and starts to learn what you like and proceeds accordingly.
“We took all the consumer recommendations to heart, 100%,” Nichole notes. “It was important to us that our audience be included in the creative dialogue when designing this new packaging.”
Based on third party revenue data, products created from Affinnova-optimized concepts perform 4.4x better in marketplace relative to the category average, according to Affinnova company materials.
Don’t forget to try some of the award-winning recipes from Chef Todd Fisher. On Saturday, Chef Fisher will serve Ciabatta and Burrata with Dandy Radish Mini Sticks & Celery “Crudo,” Lemon Grass Steamed Chicken Bahn Mi with Celery and Radish Mini Stick “Quickles,” and Dandy Citrus Tartlets with Burnt Meringue.
On Sunday, the chef will serve Grilled Tombo Tuna Tacos with a Dandy Radish Mini Stick and Black Garlic Slaw, Lemon Grass Steamed Chicken Bahn Mi with Celery and Radish Mini Stick “Quickles,” and Dandy Meyer Lemon Panna Cota with Clementine Conserva.
Duda is part of #TeamFreshSummit, a social street team project that invited 16 food bloggers to blog live from the show floor. Carly Morgan from Ever Clever Mom and Megan Myers from Stetted will each blog for two hours on Saturday and Sunday, according to a press release.
Check the new packaging and these savory dishes from Chef Fisher out in person at PMA Fresh Summit this month in Anaheim, California at the Duda Farm Fresh Foods Booth #2430.
VALENCIA, CA – Kicking off the 2014/15 California and Arizona citrus growing season, Sunkist is launching new Sesame Street-themed packaging in collaboration with PMA and Sesame Workshop’s ‘eat brighter!’ initiative.
The program will use the influence of Sesame Street brand and characters to promote fruit and vegetable consumption among children aged 2 to 5 and their parents and caregivers.
“Childhood obesity is a critical issue for our country, and we are proud to be working with PMA and Sesame Workshop to encourage families to eat healthier,” said Sunkist Vice President of Sales & Marketing Kevin Fiori. “Like Sunkist, Sesame Street is a trusted family brand and we hope our collaboration will help generate consumer excitement about fresh citrus and the produce category as a whole.”
Sunkist will be offering its customers a Sesame Street-themed 10-pound Navel orange carton and polybag as well as a Giro-bag for easy-peel mandarins, according to a press release. The eye-catching packaging will assist the goal of helping kids and their families eat more fresh produce.
Sunkist® Navel oranges are some of the most popular citrus varieties and are available from November to June. The Sunkist mandarins are seedless and easy to peel, making them a kid favorite. They are available mid-October through April.
TRACY, CA – Twelve months of GloriAnn Sweet Corn, one month of “Corn for the Cause” and three days of PMA Fresh Summit bliss – needless to say, GloriAnn Farms is busy.
With October here, GloriAnn Farms is kicking off their “Corn for the Cause” breast cancer awareness campaign that will run through the month. In a continued effort to help a cause that affects so many and their families, GloriAnn Farms will once again be making a donation to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc., for every specially marked retail case of corn purchased by participating retailers.
“Corn for the Cause” is similar to the August campaign in support of the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, which serves United States military personnel wounded or injured in service to our nation, and their families. This past August, GloriAnn Farms contributed nearly $19,000 to this fund.
GloriAnn Farms provides a summer favorite, year-round in a large variety of tray styles to suit each customer’s needs. Not only does GloriAnn Farms make their fresh sweet corn available 12 months of the year, they listen to their customers’ demands and offer everything from mini cobs to family packs and easy microwavable trays. Whether it’s for retail or food service, GloriAnn Farms offers plenty of fresh sweet corn choices.
The full line of GloriAnn and Majesty branded sweet corn will be out for display at the 2014 PMA Fresh Summit, October 17-19, 2014 for attendees to see first-hand, including the specially marked, pink ribbon packs. “We are always excited for the PMA Fresh Summit because, it gives us the chance to network, learn about new industry trends, connect face-to-face with our customers and continue building long-term business relationships,” says owner Mark Bacchetti. “We go home with new connections, strengthened partnerships, and inspiring ideas every time.”
Come visit GloriAnn Farms at PMA booth 843 and help us support one of the leading breast cancer organizations in the world with “Corn for the Cause.”
This text was copied verbatim from a press release.
ANAHEIM, CA - Green Giant Fresh will be launching its “On Trend” marketing campaign at this year's PMA Fresh Summit. According to a press release, the focus of the “On Trend” campaign will include convenience, snacking, cause marketing, national branding and health awareness.
"We listen to what our customers want, research trends and then choose the best new formats and offerings to bring to market," shared Jamie Strachan, CEO of Green Giant Fresh. “We are committed to delivering products that are On Trend and providing consumers with value through convenience, taste, quality and innovation. Our extensive 2014 product rollouts are a reflection of that commitment.”
Green Giant Fresh's position as the most widely recognized vegetable brand allows it to offer complete solutions in all major vegetable categories. The company will be featuring several of its new items at PMA Fresh Summit at Booth 1238 and in the Fresh Summit New Products Showcase. These products include:
- Little Gem Lettuce Hearts
- Green Giant™ Fresh Hummus – available in eight flavors
- Full-line Herbs - .75oz clamshells
- Basil - 2oz pouch
- Trimmed & Peeled Baby Brussels Sprouts – 8oz
- Trimmed & Peeled Brussels Sprouts – 12oz and 2lb
- Asparagus Tips – 8oz
- Sweet Corn – Grab ‘n Go Pouch
- Brussels Sprouts Halves – 9oz
- Sweet Baby Carrots – 4/2.25oz Snack Pack
- Living Lettuce Trio
Congratulations on the new campaign, Green Giant Fresh!
LOS ANGELES – POM Wonderful® is celebrating fresh pomegranate season, October through January, with a new TV ad campaign and new recipes featuring its POM POMS™ Fresh Arils and 100% Pomegranate Juice.
The “Crazy Healthy” ad campaign is running in October and includes four commercials that feature characters like a dragon, a samurai, a Cyclops and archers, which highlight the healthful antioxidant power of 100% Pomegranate Juice. This marks POM Wonderful’s return to television after a three-year absence.
“Consumers love the sweet burst of flavor and versatility of our products,” said Dahlia Reinkopf, Senior Director of Marketing, POM Wonderful. “Our ‘Crazy Healthy’ TV campaign is timed perfectly with the launch of POM season to remind people about the antioxidant power of pomegranates. The goal of our campaign is to inspire consumers to get crazy healthy with our premium 100% Pomegranate Juice and seasonal Wonderful variety pomegranates.”
Check out the dragon spot here and the other three at the end of the article:
The commercials were directed by Tarsem Singh, Directors Guild of America award-winner. He has also won awards for outstanding directorial achievements in commercials, according to a press release. Framestore, a VFX COMPANY in London, created the special effects.
POM Wonderful has also continued its partnerships with distinguished chefs like José Andrés, Ludo Lefebvre, Suzanne Goin, Dale Talde, Michael Mina and more this year to create new recipes featuring POM POMS Fresh Arils for a signature Chef Series. POM Wonderful’s 4.3oz containers of POM POMS Fresh Arils are conveniently packaged ready-to-eat arils with just 100 calories.
The recipes and other POM-inspired ideas can be found on Simply Wonderful, POM Wonderful’s digital magazine.
Check out POM Wonderful at Fresh Summit booth #2184 and the other three commercials below.
Samurai:
Cyclops:
Archers: