GLENDALE, WI - Maglio & Company is welcoming retail and foodservice sales veteran Scott Hoerman as its new Regional Sales Manager this month, according to a press release.
“Scott is a valuable addition to our company and will play a key role as a Regional Sales Manager,” said Sam Maglio, President of Maglio & Company. “With his knowledge and expertise of the produce industry, as well as his proven work ethic and leadership skills, Scott will reinforce our commitment to providing high-quality produce solutions and conscientious customer service.”
Hoerman has been actively involved in the produce industry, having gained sales and marketing experience at companies such as Riggio Distribution Company (Aunt Mid’s), Del Monte Fresh, and Sysco. He will be using that experience to deliver value-added produce solutions to Maglio’s foodservice and retail clients, according to a press release.
“The environment at Maglio & Company is progressive, growing and innovative,” said Hoerman. “I’m joining an excellent team and am looking forward to the collaboration.”
Congratulations on joining Maglio & Company, Scott!
WEST COAST, USA - After weeks of tension over the issue of the contract talks between the West Coast dock workers' International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), news is breaking that a tentative agreement has been reached on the issue of health care coverage, one of the central issues tying up talks and keeping executives up at night with fears of a strike.
At the heart of the issue was a conflict between the dock workers who didn't want to have their health care benefits cut and the PMA's worries that the generous nature of the health benefits have led to tens of millions of dollars in fraudulent claims.
According to the Times Colonist, the PMA wanted to eliminate the potential for these fraud cases as a way to reduce its tax burden under the Affordable Care Act, which would have cost the Association roughly $32 million in new taxes each year starting in 2018. Combined with the $461 million which it cost employers to cover the 13,800 dock workers and their families in 2013 and you have a sizable burden for employers, the PMA argued.
The dockworkers countered that this emphasis on stamping out fraud, the scope of which was largely exaggerated by the PMA, prevented the payment of legitimate health care claims, leaving ailing workers out in the cold when they needed health care unless they had the tens of thousands of dollars to fund their care out of pocket.
According to the Times Colonist, while specific details of the agreement have not yet been released to the public, any deal between the two parties would have to satisfy the cost concerns of employers while assuring the ILWU that worker's benefits would remain intact.
The settlement of the health care issue removes one of the largest roadblocks in the way to a deal, but several important matters remain to be settled before this issue can come to a close. Matters of pay, job security, and workplace safety still have to be hammered out.
Regardless, it is certainly excellent news to see progress be made. Hopefully it is the sign of more good news to come.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for future updates on the West Coast Port labor talks.
UNITED KINGDOM - Aldi is introducing “healthier tills” at all of its 500 UK stores in January 2015.
Daily Mail reports that Aldi will remove all confectionery, chocolate and sweets for checkout stands and replace them with healthier options like dried and fresh fruit, nuts, juices and water.
“It is welcome news that Aldi is promoting healthier tills across all of its stores. We want all retailers to ensure that product positioning, particularly at the checkout, helps people to make healthier choices,” Richard Lloyd, Executive Director of the consumer group 'Which?,' told the Guardian.
Aldi’s decision comes after a 16-week trial in a select number of UK stores that ran from February to June of this year.
“The healthier tills trial quickly showed that healthier foods prove more popular with our shoppers than the traditional checkout offer of confectionery and sweets,” said Giles Hurley, Aldi’s Joint Managing Director of Corporate Buying.
In January, Lidl banned confectionery from its 600 UK stores, and then in May, Tesco announced that it would be removing sweets and chocolates. Now Aldi will be doing the same. Is this a trend that could make its way to the U.S.? Take the survey below, and let us know what you think.
IRWINDALE, CA – With August nearing to a close, back to school season is already in full swing. Ready Pac has parents looking to put together healthy lunches for their kids covered with its new line of Ready Snax® products. Ready Snax® provides a wide array of on-the-go snack packs with fruits and vegetables paired with a great dip or treat.
“By offering a wider variety of delicious and healthy components, Ready Snax helps parents find more ways to introduce daily healthy eating habits to their kids without the boredom and limitation we traditionally think of in terms of nutrition,” said Tristan Simpson, Vice President of Corporate Communications at Ready Pac.
More than ever before, parents are looking for healthier options for their kids' lunches. For example, Mom bloggers at Completely You said that, “Sending kids to school with a nutritious lunch isn’t always easy. Although school lunches are mandated to be healthier this year, many parents still prefer their kids bring food from home for both financial and health reasons.”
Linda Spiker, the writer behind The Organic Kitchen, elaborated on this point, saying that, “If you buy prepared food, make it good food! Always pack veggies, and be sure to add variety. Nothing makes your child want to trade their lunch for a friend’s Hostess cupcake faster than opening their lunchbox to the same ol’ same ol’ every darn day.”
Ready Pac is confident that its Ready Snax® product line will be exactly what these parents are looking for. According to a press release, Ready Snax® come in 6 flavor combinations:
- Carrots, Grapes & Cheese with Pretzels
- Fruit, Cheese & Flatbread Crackers
- Apples & Cheese with Caramel Dip
- Veggies & Cheese with Ranch Dip
- Veggies, Hummus & Sunflower Seeds
- Apples, Granola & Yogurt
Ready Pac also wants consumers to know that its Ready Snax® line isn't just for kids. In Technomic’s 2014 The Snacking Occasion Consumer Trend Report, 51% of consumers saying they snack twice a day, 60% calling portability extremely important for any snacking option, and 50% saying that healthfulness is very important to them. Ready Pac is pointing to Ready Snax® as a perfect option that fulfills all of these desires.
To check out more fresh snacking options from Ready Pac, check out its product lineup here.
Anthony Vineyards’ Cookie and Bobby Bianco have been featured in the latest edition of AndNowUKnow’s print publication, The Snack Magazine. These brothers talk the past, present, and future of the company as well as share how they have turned Anthony Vineyards into the more than 8,000 acre California grape powerhouse it is today.
Check out The Snack article by clicking here, or read the full text below:
BET ON YOURSELF
The Bianco boys did it the hard way. “We started with 160 acres, and not one of us took a salary or a bonus for 20 years. Not a dime,” Cookie Bianco tells me.
“We all found separate jobs and came together to buy the land. After that, we invested the profits back into the business,” Bobby Bianco says.
Four Bianco brothers bought land in Bakersfield, California more than 40 years ago and have now grown Anthony Vineyards into the more than 8,000 acres it is today. Today, the vertically-integrated company has a grape deal from May through December with a hand in dates, peppers, and citrus to round out the program.
That’s how they did it. Sheer will and determination–something their father taught them.
“Bet on yourself.” Cookie has said it before, and it always resonates with me. Since I was in high school during the late 80’s, this sentiment has been in my ear a long time. “It’s the only way anything gets done,” he says.
That’s what he tells his sales staff every day. “If you don’t believe in yourself, how will you convince anyone else?” he asks me. “That’s my philosophy.”
“Cookie and I have a great rapport because he’s an eternal optimist and I’m an eternal pessimist,” Bobby laughs. “We both have our separate knowledge that we bring to the table.”
Originally founded by four brothers, today Domenick "Cookie" and Robert "Bobby" Bianco stand at the helm of the ship and are deeply involved in the operation of Anthony Vineyards. Their father, Anthony A. Bianco, immigrated to the United States in the 1920s from his native Italy as an 18 year old and began working as a fruit peddler in New York City. Bianco made his way onto the New York Produce Market and became a commission merchant for wine grapes, selling them through the New York produce auction. With frequent visits to California where he sourced the fruit, their father decided to make the move to the West Coast in 1942 with his family in tow.
I ask Cookie how he got his name. “My older brother said ‘here comes cookie’ and it stuck,” Cookie laughs. The family left New York in 1942 when Cookie was 8 years old and Bobby was 9 months.
In 1967, their father Anthony Bianco passed away, and two years later the company went bankrupt because of the California grape boycott.
I find it hard to believe that you can keep a Bianco down. And as far as I know, you can’t. Enter the four Bianco sons a few years later, digging their heels into the earth in Bakersfield, California… and Anthony Vineyards was born.
“With your family you can reach a little higher, lift each other to the next rung on the ladder,” Cookie notes. “It’s taken a fire in my belly to get to where we are, but family was even more essential.”
When I ask Cookie and Bobby who their biggest mentors have been; who has influenced them the most, Bobby replies, “Our father had a 3rd grade education but was the smartest man I ever knew.” This is a response that speaks volumes towards the Bianco work ethic, the value of a man.
The company has continued to stay ahead of the curve. Eleven years ago, the two brothers took another leap of faith and turned their focus to expanding the business into organics.
"We put a toe in the water. A ranch came up for sale that was originally owned by a pioneer in the organic grape deal,” Cookie notes. "I said to our sales manager 'let’s give it a try for one year – if it doesn’t work – we can convert it back to conventional.'"
Once the company gained its organic foothold, Anthony Vineyards ramped up its grape expansion and now has a third of its grapes in the organic grape category. “We may increase our organic grape offerings to 50% in a couple years,” Bobby tells me. “This is another way that we have looked to diversify our business. It has been successful and as always, we’re here to please.”
“All these things were about developing and investing back into the business, both in our people and the ranches,” Cookie notes. “The company has become too big for the two of us to do everything the way we did 40 years ago and business is certainly now more complicated than the old days. We have a solid team of agricultural, sales, and administrative people, each with skill sets we don’t have. They operate the day to day activity of the business. They are all considered part of our extended family.”
“Investing in the ranches to improve efficiency and quality has kept us a player in the game,” Bobby tells me. “The new improved trellis systems installed this past decade cost about as much as the land when we bought it. Most of all the land has been converted to drip irrigation. Also, we invest significantly to replace old varieties and vineyards that are beyond their useful life and to meet the ever changing requirements of the consumer.”
The grape program is now more labor friendly, and the health of the fruit has improved substantially; quality is more consistent. Vines are trained branch-by-branch to follow the arch of a trellis, which allows workers easy access to their fruit.
Anthony Vineyards has two principal grape growing regions in California, beginning with the Coachella Valley in the first part of the season and the San Joaquin Valley in the latter. The family has been in both areas for more years than they can count, and Bobby will attest to the difficulties of farming in the desert.
“Everything is accelerated with less wiggle room and planning for incremental weather and drastic changes in temperature,” Bobby says, recalling challenges with dormancy during some seasons when there was not enough chill hours for the grapes. Dormancy is the important stage of the grape’s annual cycle when growth and development stop temporarily and the vine rests, allowing growers to prune the vine and set it up for the upcoming season.
“In the desert you have a matter of hours compared to the days you may have in the San Joaquin Valley to address an issue,” Bobby tells me.
Although the future is bright for the Bianco generations to come, they also know that there will be challenges ahead.
“We’ve built up a good, solid business. But labor could be an issue for our children. Something has to change. The agricultural workforce is diminishing. Moving forward, we have to find varieties that produce more with lower growing costs. Even if we create an environment where there is less demand for labor, you will always need people to care for and harvest the fruit. We need immigration reform and a workable guest worker program,” Bobby tells me. Thompson seedless was the big variety back when the Bianco’s got started, but many growers have replaced it with less labor-intensive grapes.
It’s been a long road since 1967. The two youngest Bianco boys now count some of their own sons and daughters as employees, with yet another generation entering the ranks. “I will be 80 this year,” Cookie says. “And I tell it the way it is. I get away with it at my age. But, I think my team will tell you that what I have to say is worth sharing.”
The brothers have been in business for more than 50 years together. At the end of the day they agree it always works, but not without getting your hands dirty. They wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Bet on yourself,” Cookie tells me again. And from the way things have come together for the Bianco brothers, I’d say it was a good bet to make.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The USDA has lifted PACA reparation sanctions on Pacific Coast Produce & Distributors Inc.
The Los Angeles, California-based company may now continue operating in the produce industry after applying for and receiving a PACA license. Chester J. Frangipani was listed as the sole officer, director, and major stockholder of the business and may now be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee, according to a press release.
Pacific Coast Produce & Distributors Inc., doing business as R & R Produce, was formerly restricted from operating in the produce industry in September 2013 for failing to pay a $26,210 award in favor of a Florida seller. Once a reparation order is fully satisfied and it is confirmed that there are not any outstanding unpaid awards, USDA lifts the employment restrictions of the previously named, responsibly connected individuals.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 4,600 claims filed under PACA involving more than $87 million. Individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors, or major stockholders may not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee without the approval of the USDA. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), PACA Division, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses operating subject to PACA.
YAKIMA, WA – Domex Superfresh Growers’ Chief Horticulturist, Dave Gleason, offers a look into the company’s 2014 apple harvest. Make sure to check out the video below.
Domex has begun its harvest of Gala apples and is seeing color improving and sugars advancing in each block. With no major weather incidents this year, the fruit is sizing up and finishing well.
A new technological development for this year’s harvest is the use of platforms to aid in harvesting. Domex has been working on the implementation of this new tech for the past few years. The company has already seen increases in worker safety, a reduction in fatigue and less bruising on the apples.
The platform has two working levels, which allow workers to pick both the top and bottom halves of the trees without the use of ladders. This creates a safer and more efficient working environment with workers not having to climb up and down. It also reduces the amount of walking they do while carrying heavy picking bags.
The harvest will continue for two months ending with Fuji and Pink Lady apples.
NOGALES, AZ - The Fresh Produce Association of the Americas (FPAA) has announced that it will be having two big name speakers at its 46th Produce Convention and Golf Tournament: Seald Sweet's Director of Global Affairs Bruce McEvoy and Arizona Congressman Jim Kolbe.
“We are really excited about this year’s event. In addition to Bruce McEvoy of Seald Sweet, we also have former Arizona Congressman Jim Kolbe to round out the educational component,” said FPAA President, Lance Jungmeyer. “Of course with our fantastic weather and our concentration of produce companies for people to network with, the FPAA Produce Convention has been a must on everyone’s calendar for many years.”
According to a press release, Bruce will be discussing market access issues that are a critical component of global sourcing. In addition he will be sharing his experience in turning Seald Sweet into a global company with $4 billion in annual sales, including its merger with Belgium-based UNIVEG Fruit and Vegetable Group. He will be sharing how his experience in this process can help inform the decisions of other produce executives going through the same phase with their own companies.
Jim will be speaking on the topic of trade with Mexico and his vision for how Arizona will succeed as this trade market moves into the future.
Located in the Plaza at the Tubac Golf Resort and Spa, the event's opening evening will provide guests a great opportunity to both enjoy the view as well as network with fellow influential produce leaders.
“We strive to give everyone a great backdrop as they interact with their clients, suppliers, and friends in the industry. The produce business is very much based on relationships, and this is the event to nurture those relationships,” says Jungmeyer.
Other highlights of the event include:
- A two day Golf Tournament starting Friday morning and hole-in-one contests in which golfers will have 4 opportunities to win a brand new car.
- Helicopter rides from the putting green at the Tubac Golf Resort and Spa, down produce row, to the border and back.
- The Gala Event and “Pillars of the FPAA” Award Ceremony which will be held on Friday, Oct. 31. The award recognizes excellence and service to the FPPA. Last year's winner was former FPAA Executive Director Bob Hathaway.
According to a press release, the Produce Convention & Golf Tournament will run from October 30th to November 1st in Tubac, Arizona.
In order to register for this event, interested parties can visit the convention website here.
Misionero’s customers now have the power of choice.
Customers can order Misionero’s Garden Life Washed and Trimmed Lettuce and Misionero Earth Greens Organic Salads with either the company's existing packaging or with its new peel and reseal film technology.
Garden Life® Washed & Trimmed Lettuce comes with the equivalent of one full head of lettuce in each package. The lettuce is triple washed, comes in 4 different varieties, and is 100% usable.
All 15 varieties of Earth Greens® Organic Salads are also triple washed and ready to use right out of the container.
With this new innovative lidding film, Misionero has reduced material used for this pack by 20%.
The new lidding film has a tamper evident seal and is easy to use. Consumers pull open the package, use what they need, and reclose the container. The packaging's flexible closure allows it to be resealed multiple times without loss of functionality so customers can simply use what they need and reapply the film without worrying about the produce aging too quickly or going to waste.
Retailers also love the new packaging because it makes more effective use of retail shelf space.
Now that's the power of choice!
CHARLOTTE, NC - Chiquita Brands International has announced the discovery of $20 million in additional synergies with Fyffes related to their proposed merger.
"...Chiquita and Fyffes have identified an additional $20 million of synergies that will allow ChiquitaFyffes to deliver even more value for our shareholders and result in a combined company with stronger earnings power,” said Ed Lonergan, Chiquita's Chief Executive Officer, and David McCann, Fyffes Executive Chairman, in a joint statement. “Chiquita and Fyffes remain committed to the transaction and are continuing to work together to complete the Combination as expeditiously as possible."
According to a press release, Chiquita and Fyffes believe that they will be able to realize roughly half of the $60 million in total synergies expected from the merger within the first year of the deal. The remaining $30 million is expected to be realized during year two of ChiquitaFyffes, according to the two executives.
Will this latest news be enough to put the Chiquita-Fyffes merger over the top with shareholders? Chiquita thinks so, and is urging its shareholders to vote "yes" on the anticipated merger.
“The combination with Fyffes accelerates Chiquita's 'Return to the Core' strategy and should enable Chiquita to achieve higher, more predictable cash flow and to immediately deleverage, further improving the Company's financial profile,” read a letter from Chiquita to its shareholders. “Under the new strategy, Chiquita's EBITDA is set to double from approximately $70 million in 2012 to $130 to $150 million in 2014.”
As AndNowUKnow has previously covered, Chiquita has also received an unsolicited merger offer from The Cutrale and Safra Groups. It has since rejected this offer, telling its shareholders that “...our Board unanimously determined that the Group's unsolicited offer is inadequate and not in the best interests of Chiquita shareholders.”
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for further updates on the Chiquita-Fyffes merger talks.