KINGSVILLE, ON - Mucci Farms is introducing new CuteCumbers, snack-sized cucumbers, a finalist for the PMA Impact Awards.
These smaller, crunchier and bite-sized CuteCumbers make an ideal snack for kids and adults with no cutting or chopping required. The high graphic, resealable, stand-up pouch bags offer consumers added value with QR code technology and recipe ideas. Some of these ultra-clear film bags are made of 100% recyclable MAP, modified atmosphere packaging, film, offering extended shelf life all while maintaining freshness. These packs are available in 10oz, 1lb, and 1.5lb bags year-round.
If you’d like to see your product in this video segment, please send samples to 2020 L Street, Suite 320, Sacramento, CA 95811.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United Fresh Produce Association appointed the Board of Trustees who will lead the new United Fresh Start Foundation.
The Foundation will be led by the inaugural Board of Trustees:
- Jim Lemke, Senior Vice President, C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc., Foundation Board Chairman
- Kenny Avery, Global Commercial Lead, Monsanto
- Karen Caplan, President & CEO, Frieda's, Inc.
- Robert Gordon, President, FreshPoint, Inc.
- Emanuel Lazopoulos, Senior Vice President, N.A. Sales & Product Management, Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc.
- Dan'l Mackey Almy, President & CEO, DMA Solutions, Inc.
- Lisa McNeece, Vice President, Foodservice and Industrial Sales, Grimmway Enterprises, Inc.
- Phil Muir, President & CEO, Muir Copper Canyon Farms
- Lee Anne Oxford, Director of Marketing, L & M Companies
- Steffanie Smith, CEO, Colorful Harvest, LLC
- Hugh Topper, Group V.P. Fresh, H-E-B
The United Fresh Start Foundation focuses on increasing children’s access to fresh fruits and vegetables and is the result of more than two years of planning by the United Fresh Board of Directors, according to a press release. The Foundation will create a unique platform to provide a fresh start for kids by increasing access to fresh fruit and vegetables.
"In looking at board members to lead the new Foundation, we sought industry leaders who are passionate and committed to the mission and will be strong public advocates for the organization," said United Chairman Ron Carkoski, President & CEO, Four Seasons Family of Companies. "I'm confident that the collective talent of this group will bring an energy and passion that will not only accelerate our mission, but significantly change the landscape of our children's health and the future of our nation."
The Foundation’s efforts will also be supported by program committees focused directly on key initiatives, including United's leadership of the Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools campaign and school foodservice outreach programs, according to United Fresh.
"We've made incredible progress with salad bars and advancing healthy eating in schools over the past five years," said Tom Stenzel, President & CEO, United Fresh Produce Association. "But we still have much work to be done to reach our national objective that "Half the Plate" consists of fruits and vegetables. We are working to double fresh fruit and vegetable consumption by the next generation!"
The Board of Trustees will meet later this year to begin developing the key goals and strategic vision for the Foundation.
ROSEMONT, IL - Reinhart Foodservice is revolutionizing restaurant management with a new online ordering platform. The next-generation TRACS® Direct online system helps restaurant operators go beyond simple ordering to take control of their food costs and helps them manage operations and budgeting. I spoke with Eric Cronert, Reinhart’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications to learn more about what this app can provide for the industry.
“TRACS® Direct makes restaurant management easy. From facilitating ordering to recipe development, food costing or inventory control, it integrates all of the separate aspects of restaurant management with Reinhart’s product database,” Eric tells me.
“This cloud based system won’t tie you down to a specific location or computer and puts product in front of the customer more easily,” he added.
Check out a video of the app in action below:
The Reinhart exclusive tool includes product order entry and tracking, comprehensive recipe management and menu planning, robust reporting and instant analysis of purchase history, all linked to a fully integrated database, so that product information and product costing is always up to date. The tool ensures that operators’ menus are with cost control and consistency in mind, and even makes it easier for operators to train their kitchen team.
This program not only helps operators manage many aspects of their business, but it also offers them the flexibility to order all of their products directly from Reinhart. Customers can access TRACS Direct at www.tracsdirect.com and can now also utilize the company’s TRACS® Direct To Go app. Available on the Apple® iTunes Store now and coming to the Google Play in Q4.
“The great part about TRACS Direct is that operators can integrate items from other distributors, so they have full visibility of their food costs and inventory, and don’t need to juggle multiple systems,” says Cronert. “We know that managing a restaurant is a labor of love and if we can help operators to better control their foodcosts, improve their operations, and even market their business then we all win.”
For more information on Reinhart's latest innovations and its success in the industry, check out our exclusive interview with Dean Hogan, VP of Category Management, and Rob Ondrus, Director of Produce Category Management in the latest issue of the Snack magazine.
DELANO, CA – Columbine Vineyards has opened 'The Exchange at Columbine Vineyards,' its new sales office that maximizes efficiency and embraces technology.
“The Exchange at Columbine Vineyards is an example of new technologies and sustainable practices that serve a greater purpose by being environmentally friendly,” said Denise Smith, Columbine Vineyard’s Sales Support Manager.
The new office is located north of the company’s 204,000 square foot cold storage facility in Delano, CA. Denise explains that, “It is appropriately positioned by the new cold storage facility that has further expanded Columbine Vineyards’ ability to preserve the shelf life and the nutritional value of the high quality grapes that are grown and shipped exclusively by our company.”
The new office boasts advanced technologies that allow the sales staff to monitor sales and watch the receiving line at a glance from their ergonomic desks, according to a press release. It also features huddle rooms for a collaborative work environment, a state-of-the-art conference center and a customer service check-in center.
While developing this new office, Columbine remained focused on sustainability. The kitchen tables are made from reclaimed trellis steaks and recycled corner irons, a custom logoed art piece is made from reclaimed vineyard cross arms and the office features a drinking fountain with bottle filler to reduce plastic usage. Columbine also made the transition to paperless filing and reports over 90% of its customers receive electronic invoicing.
Congratulations on the new sales office!
BOISE, ID – Albertsons and Safeway have announced the new leadership team and Division Presidents who will be guiding the combined companies in the wake of their proposed merger. The new executives are expected to assume their roles as soon as the merger receives regulatory approval and the transaction formally closes.
"We're drawing on the strong talent within both companies to build an innovative, customer-focused and growth-driven company," said Safeway President and Chief Executive Officer, Robert Edwards, who will also be assuming the role of President and CEO for the combined company. "We are confident in this team's ability to build a great company that's positioned to win over the long term by earning the loyalty of grocery shoppers in every market we serve and delivering superior operational and financial results."
The combined company will be made up of three regions and 14 retail divisions, supported by corporate offices in Boise, ID, Pleasanton, CA, and Phoenix, AZ. 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.
Safeway/Albertsons' new leadership team will compose of:
- Bob Gordon, Executive Vice President & General Counsel
- Shane Sampson, Executive Vice President, Marketing & Merchandising
- Andy Scoggin, Executive Vice President, Human Resources, Labor Relations, Public Affairs & Government Affairs
- Jerry Tidwell, Executive Vice President, Supply Chain & Manufacturing
- Lee Wilson, Executive Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer
- Bob Dimond, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, reporting to Mr. Wilson
- Justin Ewing, Executive Vice President, Corporate Development & Real Estate, reporting to Mr. Wilson
- Barry Libenson, Interim Executive Vice President & Chief Information Officer, reporting to Mr. Wilson. Mr. Libenson is expected to be with the new company through March 2015, at which time a successor will be named.
- Wayne Denningham, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, South Region
- Justin Dye, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, East Region
- Kelly Griffith, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, North Region
The new Division Presidents of Safeway/Albertsons' will include:
- Dennis Bassler, Portland Division, North Region
- Paul McTavish, Denver Division, North Region
- Susan Morris, Intermountain Division, North Region
- Tom Schwilke, Northern California Division, North Region
- Dan Valenzuela, Seattle Division, North Region
- Shane Dorcheus, Southwest Division, South Region
- Scott Hayes, Southern Division, South Region
- Sidney Hopper, Houston Division, South Region
- Lori Raya, Southern California Division, South Region
- Robert Taylor, United Division, South Region
- Steve Burnham, Eastern Division, East Region
- Jim Perkins, Acme Division, East Region
- Jim Rice, Shaw's Division, East Region
- Mike Withers, Jewel-Osco Division, East Region
"We know the best way to grow our business is to have the highest quality fresh departments, lower prices, clean, well-stocked stores and the best customer service in the market," said Bob Miller, Albertsons current CEO, and the announced Executive Chairman of Safeway/Albertsons. "Our teams will focus on delivering what customers want locally, and we will give our store teams more flexibility to make decisions that are right for their neighborhoods. The division teams will have the responsibility to have the right assortment for their markets."
According to a press release, no banner changes are planned for the combined company.
AndNowUKnow would like to congratulate all of these executives for their new positions!
HERMOSILLO, MX – The Mexican Table Grape Growers Association (AALPUM) will be hosting the 2nd International Table Grape Symposium in Hermosillo, Mexico on February 5 and 6, 2015.
The event, which is held every two years, will take place in the Mexican state of Sonora, which is the largest producer of table grapes in that country, according to a press release.
With production in that state primarily intended for the export market, farmers have adopted new technologies and practices there to succeed in producing early and sustainable crops. AALPUM and its partners will be showcasing those technological advancements at the Symposium.
The first Symposium, which was held in January of 2013, featured 18 national and international exhibitors. The AALPUM is building on that event and driving quality improvements for next year’s event with international assistance and more speakers from the Table Grape Industry.
Industry members, producers, technical advisors and researchers are all invited to attend. To register for the event, click here.
VANCOUVER, B.C. - The local British Columbian produce community recently honored Windset Farms with the ‘We Heart Local’ award. The award pays tribute to the community’s favorite local greenhouse or veggie grower in B.C.
“Earlier this year, we had the honor of receiving the ‘World’s Best Tomato Grower’ award at an international event, and we feel even more fortunate after winning this local award,” said John Newell, COO of Windset Farms. “We could not have done it without our supportive Friends in Freshness® who voted, and we hope to give back to them and our local consumers by continuing to supply safe, delicious, and sustainable fruits and vegetables.”
Currently in its second year, the We Heart Local Awards is the first-ever community driven awards program to celebrate food and agricultural producers across B.C., according to a press release. The awards showcase the favorites of the B.C. food community in fifteen categories.
The We Heart Local Awards is a partnership between the B.C. Agriculture Council, the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture, Global TV, Taku Resort & Marina, The B.C. Association of Farmers’ Markets, The B.C. Dairy Association, LOCO B.C., the B.C. Restaurants and Foodservices Association, and Edible Vancouver.
Congratulations on your latest win, Windset!
IVANHOE, CA – This morning, a three-alarm fire destroyed the packinghouse at Phillips Farms.
The fire broke about 1 a.m. at Phillips Farms just north of Ivanhoe, according to the Tulare County Fire Department.
The Fresno Bee reports that luckily no one was injured, but a large propane tank did explode in the blaze. The tank landed a quarter mile away.
“When that thing let go, that was a fireball you would not believe,” Division Chief Charlie Norman told the Bee. Firefighters were able to hear the hissing from the tank and stayed clear, he added.
Doug Phillips, owner of the packinghouse, told the Bee that damage to the plant and to the fruit waiting to be packed and shipped totals in the millions of dollars. The cold storage unit was loaded with quince, peaches, Asian pears and more, he added. Luckily, firefighters were able to save the office.
Small spot fires broke out periodically in piles of charred fruit, but the fire is expected to burn itself out over two days. The cause of the fire is currently unknown and is under investigation by experts from the Visalia, Porterville and Tulare County fire departments.
SALINAS, CA - D’Arrigo Bros. recently celebrated its 15 year partnership with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation during the gala Pink Party & Press Conference. At the event, held at the D’Arrigo headquarters in Salinas, CA, President and CEO Myra Biblowit of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation praised the company for its longtime support and generosity.
“What D’Arrigo has done is nothing short of magnificent,” said Biblowit. “It has been a joy. I feel blessed to have a job that changes peoples’ lives so profoundly.”
To date, D’Arrigo has raised over $1.3 million for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and has proudly displayed the foundation’s logo and message on all of the company’s bags, skirt ties, and boxes. Those funds are being put to work in medical institutions across the country, enabling the world’s leading scientific minds to actualize breakthroughs which seemed, even in recent history, impossible.
Speaking on the initiative and the company’s dedication to fight breast cancer, John D’Arrigo, President and CEO, said, “We’ve taken it on as a family and a company. It’s an emotional tie that transcends any business motivation. Thanks to Myra – your dedication and leadership – the Breast Cancer Research Foundation became the largest private funder of breast cancer research in the world.”
Biblowit also emphasized the importance of vegetables in the fight against cancer. “We’ve always known that vegetables were important for cardiovascular health. But in the last two years, we’ve acquired solid, irrefutable international data that says for women with a higher vegetable intake - women with estrogen receptor negative breast cancer – reduce their risk by 20% to 40%,” said Biblowit. “How easy is that? Everyone wants a magic bullet. Vegetables are the magic bullet.”
Monterey County Supervisor Simon Salinas, Assemblymember Luis Alejo’s aide, and State Senator Anthony Cannella awarded D’Arrigo Bros. with a commemorative resolution plaque.
This year, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation has raised $53 million. Let’s continue doing our part as an industry to fight against this epidemic which threatens the lives of tens of thousands of women and hundreds of men each year.
ST. LOUIS, MO - Schnuck Markets announced today that it is on the hunt for a proper site in St. Louis to build a new million square-foot warehouse. To put into perspective just how massive a structure that would be, 17 football fields could fit comfortably inside the new warehouse with room to spare. According to St. Louis Today, this would more than double Schnuck's current storage space in the area.
Once completed, Schnucks intends for the new facility to replace its current Bridgeton warehouse, which the company has outgrown, despite two expansions since 1971. Schnucks currently expects the new warehouse to be operational by the summer of 2016.
According to St. Louis Today, Schnucks will be hiring an independent company to manage and staff the new warehouse, although it will still be closely involved in the design of the massive project. In the meantime the Bridgetown facility will continue to operate as usual. Once the new warehouse is finished, Schnucks intends to keep it open, albeit with a smaller operation than it is currently responsible for.
Congratulations on the commencement of this impressive undertaking, Schnucks!