SALINAS, CA – Mann Packing has announced that it will be sponsoring a three-man team in the first Tour de Fresh next month. According to a press release, proceeds from the event will go towards the Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools campaign, bringing salad bars to 40 schools across the United States.
“This is a cause that’s near and dear to our hearts at Mann Packing,” said Craig Grantham, rider and team captain for Team Mann. “In the spirit of Mann’s history of philanthropy, what better an opportunity to help influence the health and well-being of children than providing them with an opportunity to have a healthful and nutritious lunch each day at school.”
“Myself, and fellow Mann team members, Rodman Bittner and Danny Goforth, are excited for this opportunity to represent Mann’s—and to represent the produce industry in this worthy cause,” he continued.
The 4-day event will take riders 275 miles along the California coast, from Carmel all the way to the PMA Fresh Summit show in Anaheim. Riders will leave on Monday, October 13th and race until Thursday, October 16th.
In order to further support the team Mann will be holding a fundraising luncheon on Friday, Sept. 26 at Mann’s cooler facility and offices located at 1250 Hansen Street in Salinas from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. There, a $10 donation will buy attendees a delicious barbecue lunch complete with Swiss sausage sandwich, fresh vegetables, chips, cookie and water.
Interested individuals can also donate to the riders directly through the Tour de Fresh's website. The minimum donation is set at $5.
It's great to see Mann Packing get behind this very worthy cause. Helping to raise the next generation of fresh produce consumers is something we can all get behind!
WENATCHEE, WA - Stemilt has promoted Tate Mathison to Director of Sales and Dennis Howell to Director of Planning. These two new positions were created to further the company’s strategic goals centered on sales planning and process development, according to a press release.
“Tate has shown an ability to excel and lead. His incredible people skills and passion for this business will serve him well in this new role, where he will guide strategic alignment between our fruit manifest and customers,” said Mike Taylor, Stemilt’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Dennis has a mind for planning and process development and exceptional knowledge of information technology systems, which are imperative as he guides our planning department.”
Since joining his family’s company in 2007, Tate has spent the past 7 years working in domestic sales at Stemilt. Most recently, he worked as a sales team leader for national accounts. Prior to Stemilt, he worked as a technical service representative at Dole Food Company in Los Angeles before later being promoted to Tropical Sales Manager.
Meanwhile, Dennis joined Stemilt in 1997 as a technician in the company’s R&D department. His latest accomplishment was as a Sales and Business Planning Team Leader where he oversaw the launch of the new era of supply and demand forecast modeling and process development. He has served in a number of roles during his time at the company, namely as a Quality Control Manager, Director of Quality Control, and Sales Analyst.
Congratulations on your appointment to these newly created positions, Tate and Dennis!
LEAMINGTON, ON - Pure Flavor® is providing greenhouse grown bell peppers for the crew members of the International Space Station (ISS).
The peppers are part of the fresh food supply that will be delivered on the Space X-4 cargo flight, which began its journey from Cape Canaveral, FL on September 21, according to a press release.
“We are honored to be part of this adventure to bring fresh vegetables to space,” stated Matthew Mastronardi, Chief Marketing Officer at Pure Flavor®. “All of us at Pure Flavor® are very excited to be working with NASA in their journey to explore the universe in a healthy way.”
Technology has evolved since the early days of the space program where prepared meals for astronauts in space were only available in semi-liquid form stored in specially designed packages, according to a press release. Today, astronauts have the ability to have more variety that includes fresh fruits and vegetables.
For more information regarding NASA or this mission, please go to http://www.nasa.gov/.
LANDOVER, MD – Ahold's Giant Food Division will be launching a new low-pricing initiative in order to drive sales throughout its stores this Fall.
“We are pleased to offer our customers reduced prices on thousands of fresh food and grocery items,” said Gordon Reid, President of Giant Food. “We value our customers and recognize that they have numerous options to choose from when shopping for groceries. That is why at Giant we are committed to providing our customers great quality and great prices so they see their savings stack up.”
According to a press release, in order to promote the initiative, new Bonus Buy Savings signs throughout Giant Food stores will showcase limited-time promotional savings offers. At the same time, new Low Everyday Price signs will highlight long-term price reductions on shopper's favorite products. The retailer hopes that this will make it even easier for its customers to find the best deal during their shopping trips.
In addition to its new low pricing rollout, Giant Foods is also striving to improve the shopping experience of its customers with enhanced fresh, upscale, local, and ethnic product lines, as well as new items.
To learn more about Giant Food's new price cutting campaign, check out their website for further details.
LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE, CA - The Allen Lund Company has revealed that it will be promoting Beau Thompson to Business Development Specialist at its Madison office.
"I am very excited for my opportunity to learn and continue to grow with the Allen Lund Company,” Thompson shared. “I am surrounded by great employees, and the leadership of Rick Barker will prove successful.”
"Beau's ability to connect with customers and his drive to learn and grow make him a great fit for the Madison office," stated Rick Barker, Manager. "With Beau's marketing background and natural instincts we feel he is positioned for success in Transportation Brokerage."
"Rick recognized the need for additional sales efforts to meet office goals,” agreed Eddie Lund, VP of Sales and Branch Operations for Allen Lund. “With Beau in place, we are now well positioned to not only hit those goals, but to surpass them."
According to a press release, before joining the Allen Lund team, Beau Thompson received his education at Western Illinois University. After graduating with a Bachelors of Businesses-Marketing degree he was hired by the Allen Lund Company as a Transportation Broker. His success in that position facilitated his rise to his current position.
Congratulations on the promotion, Beau!
IRVINE, CA – The California Avocado Commission has welcomed back produce veteran Connie Stukenberg as a full-time Retail Marketing Director. Connie previously worked on CAC’s merchandising staff from 2000 to 2009.
“CAC Vice President Jan DeLyser and I are thrilled to have Connie’s merchandising and marketing expertise on staff, as well as all that she brings to the table with her retail relationships and passion for California avocados,” said Tom Bellamore, CAC President.
In this new position, Connie’s responsibilities include calling on corporate accounts for Albertsons, Costco and Safeway, as well as retail marketing in Arizona and California, including the Los Angeles wholesale market, according to a press release.
“Connie is an expert in avocado merchandising and marketing,” said DeLyser. “The relationships that she has built with retailers and others in the produce industry are invaluable.”
Starting in 1979, Connie has been affiliated with the produce industry for more than 30 years. She co-founded Citrus Connection in 1987 and built the fresh juice business until California Day Fresh Foods, a Chiquita subsidiary that was later renamed Naked Juice, purchased it, according to a release. She stayed with Naked Juice until 2000 when she joined CAC.
Connie is a recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award for recognition of more than 4,000 hours of volunteer service to community and country. She has also been honored with the Fresh Produce and Floral Council’s “Buz” Bolstad Produce Achievement Award for service and contributions in 2012.
Congratulations in your return to CAC, Connie!
CANADA - Canadian growers have long enjoyed a preferential status in their export trade with the United States, receiving protection under the same U.S. PACA laws as domestic suppliers. According to a press release, this preferential status could soon be revoked if Canada fails to enact reciprocal protections for U.S. growers exporting produce into Canada, as the Canadian government agreed to do during the 2011 Canada-U.S. Regulatory Cooperation Council.
“According to data collected by the Fresh Produce Alliance, American suppliers are losing at minimum $10 million annually through Canadian buyer insolvency,” said Anne Fowlie, Executive Vice-President, Canadian Horticultural Council. “This is, coincidentally, about the same amount that Canadian suppliers are recovering each year through the U.S. Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) Trust. Hundreds more Canadian suppliers depend on the security PACA offers for ease of mind in their trade relationships.”
Losing PACA protections, which the FPA warns could happen any day, could deal a serious blow to the Canadian export market, which sends $1.6 billion in fresh produce the United States, supports 147,900 jobs and created $11.4 billion in real GDP in 2013.
“Canadian industry can ill afford to take on added costs, given that three quarters of Canada’s 10,000 fruit and vegetable producers are small businesses with average sales of less than $85,000 per year,” said Jim Di Menna, President and CEO of Red Sun Farms. "Canadian exporters will be hit extremely hard because they will have to meet costly bonding requirements to achieve the same level of U.S. PACA trust protection they have enjoyed in the past."
What can industry members do to prevent this needless economic fallout? The Canadian produce industry has advocated the formation of a limited statutory deemed trust, modeled on the U.S. System. In order to unite your company behind this important cause, one which has profound implications for U.S. and Canadian growers alike, contact the Fresh Produce Alliance to learn what you can do to make a difference.
Canadian Horticultural Council
HOUSTON, TX and ROSEMONT, IL - The $8.2 billion deal between Sysco and US Foods is now being threatened by a potential antitrust lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), according to the Wall Street Journal.
In spite of Sysco’s latest statement that the acquisition is still on track, people familiar with the matter are currently suggesting that the FTC is concerned that the deal could threaten competition. This is the question that has continually plagued the deal ever since its first announcement late last year.
Though the Commission has not yet decided whether to challenge the deal, a decision “could come within weeks,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Last June, Bill DeLaney, Sysco President and CEO, said, “We continue to believe that the Commission, once it finishes its investigation, will conclude that our industry is – and will continue to be – fiercely competitive. Our proposed merger will benefit customers and help us become more efficient in this rapidly evolving marketplace.”
The merger has since then been delayed and could close during late Q3 or during Q4, pending final approval by the FTC.
If the FTC does indeed approve the deal, the two businesses would represent more than 25% of the $231 billion U.S. food-distribution industry, according to Wall Street Journal. This is not large enough to be considered a monopoly however, analysts suggest. I further considered the implications of the deal in a previous article, noting that at worst, investors say that the FTC may simply force Sysco to divest assets in areas where there’s too much geographical overlap. A Barclays report states that a number of industry experts believe that Sysco would have to divest approximately 15 facilities, or $6 billion of its revenues.
Sources tell AndNowUKnow that the merger shouldn’t concern larger suppliers, but it could possibly have an effect on some smaller suppliers who have a greater allocation for their customer base.
Brian Shapiro, Owner of Shapiro’s Delicatessen in Indianapolis, echoed these comments. “Sure, there are little produce companies and meat companies that mirror US Foods and Sysco, but in terms of dry and frozen goods, no small distribution firm can compete,” he told the Wall Street Journal.
Nevertheless, Wall Street Journal also reported in May that smaller competing suppliers, such as Jetro Holdings LLC, are growing fast, suggesting that this mega merger might have little effect on the competitive market, if at all.
The next biggest question on the FTC’s mind would be if competing food distributors looking to acquire divested assets from Sysco and US Foods would be enough to address concerns regarding the loss of competition from the merger.
Whether questions like these will be answered anytime soon remains to be seen. In the meantime, let us know what you think by voting in the survey below.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for any future updates on the FTC’s examination of the merger between Sysco and US Foods.
NEWARK, UK - 
Peter Glazebrook of Newark, UK turned heads at the Harrogate Autumn Flower Show this year with a whopping 20lb carrot. Although the carrot has yet to be certified by the Guinness Book of World Records, according to the World Carrot Museum, its reported weight would easily topple the previous record holder, John Evans' 18.985lb show-stopper.
These carrots would make even Bugs Bunny pause for breath. Just how does someone like Peter Glazebrook, who according to the Daily Mail also holds the world record for world's largest cauliflower, longest turnip, and heaviest potato, grow these giant offerings?
This BBC interview with Glazebrook from September 2013 reveals the secret to Glazebrook's giant vegetable technique:
Interestingly, Glazebrook's record for largest onion was just broken by another grower featured on AndNowUKnow: Tony Glover and his 18lb 11oz onion.
Congratulations to Peter Glazebrook for this incredibly impressive accomplishment! I'll be looking forward to seeing you join the Guinness Book of World records very soon.
UNITED STATES - U.S. lemon prices have reached record highs this year. USDA data shows that for the year ending July 31, lemon prices increased the value of the crop by 62% to $647.7 million.
Lemons received a big boost this year from several different factors. The prices of limes tripled by May for some buyers after crop damage in Mexico led to tight supplies and varying effects on supply from drought conditions in California were both key contributors, according to Bloomberg.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that wholesale lemon prices almost doubled from the previous year, and retail lemons are up 36% to $2.327 per pound in August. According to Bloomberg, that is the highest since the Bureau began tracking them in 1980.
This price increase has been good to the California lemon growers who harvest lemons almost year-round and accounted for 91% of the U.S. lemon crop this year.
Harold Edwards, Limoneira’s Chief Executive Officer, told Bloomberg, “This has been by far our most profitable lemon year.” Edwards added that Limoneira, which farms 4,000 acres of lemons in California and Arizona, received about $24 on average for each 40lb carton sold in the fiscal year that ends next month. This is a 50% increase from a year earlier.
Sunkist Growers tells Bloomberg that consumers, restaurants and beverage makers have all boosted lemon demand to an all-time high due to growing popularity. Mintel Group Ltd’s Menu Insights database shows that lemon-flavored ingredients on food-service menus climbed approximately 11% between the second quarters of 2011 and 2014.
With all of these demand increases, Edwards tells Bloomberg that Limoneira plans to more than triple annual lemon production to 10 million cartons within eight years.
“As production stabilizes and comes back into norm, we’re very, very pleased in that we’re not seeing our pricing fall as dramatically as we once thought it would,” Edwards said. “We continue to be very, very bullish on the future consumption of lemons.”
It will definitely be interesting to see where this market will go. Stay tuned for AndNowUKnow for the latest updates.