IRVINE, CA – Urban Produce kicked off the grand opening of its first Southern California location this past week, and it is excited about the reception it has received so far from the industry.
“We were blessed with the turn out,” said Ed Horton, President & CEO of Urban Produce. “The entire Urban Produce team has worked hard to get to this point and we are delighted to be able to celebrate such a special occasion with family and friends who have supported us throughout our journey. Urban Produce is proud to debut its patented High Density Vertical Growing System & excited to bring fresh organic, locally grown produce to Irvine and urban cities nationwide. ”
Center stage throughout the grand opening was Urban Produce's patented High Density Vertical Growing System, which the company is marketing as a sustainable alternative to traditional agriculture. By using advanced hydroponic technologies in a controlled, state of the art greenhouse environment that balances important elements like light and air distribution, Urban Produce is able to both increase growing efficiency and cut production costs.
Frankly, the vertically stacked produce shelves are quite a sight to see themselves. Check out this inside look into Urban Produce's High Density Vertical Growing System!
Among the attendees at the Irvine location grand opening celebration was former California Secretary of Agriculture AG Kawamura and Mayor Steven Choi. According to a press release, the guests raved about the “old west” theme Urban Produce planned for the night.
Urban Produce says that its mission is to bring fresh organic, locally grown, produce to the consumers and growth and employment opportunities to the local communities it partners with.
Urban Produce intends to build 100 urban farms throughout the United States and internationally within the next 3-5 years.
Congratulations on the grand opening, Urban Produce!
MISSISSAUGA, ON - As growth has increased for Chantler Packaging Inc., the company has launched a new packaging consultancy division called Brandcheck.
Ian Ferguson, VP of Chantler Packaging and Practice Leader for Brandcheck, tells AndNowUKnow that Brandcheck came about when Chantler noticed that there was a need in the market for an advisory service to help brand owners improve the fit between brand strategy and packaging.
“One of the reasons why some food products fail on the shelf is that their packaging doesn’t fit with their brand strategy. Say a brand builds their business sourcing a great produce item, with a flavor and eating quality that’s really unique. But their package doesn’t call out to the consumer about why that item is unique and special, it doesn’t give the consumer the information they need to create that desire and purchase behavior,” Ian said.
“Another example is a food product that is all about value, about being competitively-priced. But the packaging they use is expensive and takes too much labor to apply. The packaging doesn’t fit with their brand strategy, and we can help with that,” Ian adds.
Brandcheck develops brand and product family strategy through strategic analysis, name generation, innovation mapping and consumer intercepts. All of these services come together to create new strategies and analyze existing ones to better focus the brand.
For more information on Brandcheck, click here.
The company also offers competitive packaging research as well as material and structural development and design.
“One of the key services that sets Brandcheck apart is our competitor comparison service. We look at what the competing brands are doing in their packaging to see what consumers are more likely to choose. We look at the packages head to head and generate data to develop the best packaging improvements to help brand owners forge that connection with consumers,” Ian says.
As the market continues to evolve, companies are looking for the next new strategy to energize their portfolios. With that in mind, Chantler Packaging is raising the bar and inspiring new ways of interpreting the consumers' experience.
TORONTO, CANADA - Shoppers Drug Mart has announced that it will be adding fresh produce and grocery options in select stores as it tests the viability of selling groceries alongside its lines of pharmaceutical products. According to The Star, the pilot program is set to launch on September 20th in 6 select Toronto stores. When the launch day does come, Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer Mike Motz is confident Shoppers is up to the task of accustoming consumers to shopping for cherries alongside cough syrup.
“It took a while to build milk, eggs, butter. It took us a while to get to packaged meat, it took us a while to get to bacon,” said Motz. “We are going to learn a lot from the pilot.”
“The biggest hurdle is having customers believe that they can get fresh food at a pharmacy,” he continued. “I think they’re going to hold us to a higher standard than they would hold a conventional supermarket.”
Interestingly, Shoppers isn't counting on rock bottom prices to drive its sales numbers since its pricing structure is on par with a conventional retail option rather than discount stores. Instead Motz is hoping that the convenience of buying at Shoppers, with its well-lit parking lots and late hours, will drive customer sales decisions.
“Our core customer is about 76-78 per cent female, they’re moms, they’re time-pressed, they’re looking for convenience, and a natural extension of convenience, from beauty and health and wellness, is food,” Motz told The Star.
According to Motz, this latest move is simply a continuation of the slow evolution Shoppers has undergone over the last decade. The Star chronicles how Shoppers has grown in size since 2003, with a 5,000-10,000 square foot format being replaced by more 15,000 square foot formats. Later came small snack food aisles and an expanded beauty and cosmetics department. In 2008, Shoppers introduced more and more convenience foods for its customers to peruse. The success of each of these former initiatives spurred Shoppers to a later move and most recently its acquisition by Canada's largest retail chain, Loblaw. This history of growth and change is what has lead Shoppers to today's news that produce would be its newest initiative.
If this produce test meets with anything like the success of Shoppers Drug Mart's previous undertakings, it's likely that a full expansion could soon follow.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow to stay updated on this latest produce push by Shoppers Drug Mart.
DINUBA, CA - After having wrapped up its latest grape harvest on Flames and Thompsons, King Fresh Produce is launching into its late summer and fall program with excellent berry size and sugar content all around on its Scarlet Royal and Red Globe varieties.
“The Scarlet Royal quality is very good with larger berry size and excellent sugar content. Our Red Globe production in the South Valley is also looking good with large size and very good quality,” Rene Millburn, Public Relations Director at King Fresh, tells AndNowUKnow. “The demand forecast is looking to be quite nice, especially with our export customers.”
Overall volume on Scarlet Royals and Red Globes are also up, and pricing continues to be in line compared to past seasons, according to King Fresh.
The company offers a large selection of packaging, including high graphic standup pouch bags and fixed weight pouch bags, along with its 2lb., 3lb., and 4lb. clamshell programs.
King Fresh is eagerly anticipating the start of its Fall varieties, which include Autumn King, Autumn Royal, Vintage Red, and Crimson within the next 3-4 weeks. Quality and sizing is expected to be fantastic as well.
Be sure to visit King Fresh at the upcoming PMA Fresh Summit expo in Anaheim this October at booth #3984. Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for upcoming seasonal updates from King Fresh.
HALL, NY – Say hello to Butterkin, a flavorful new variety of winter squash developed for its distinctive flavor and texture.
“I think the best way to describe it is Butterkin is like butternut’s hotter cousin. It’s sweeter than butternut with a creamier texture and less stringiness. I see it gaining popularity over the next few years as more people are exposed to it,” says Michele Collins at Fair Weather Acres in Connecticut.
Currently, more than 300 growers in 34 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces have adopted it.
“The feedback from the growers has been very positive and we’re looking forward to a very successful season,” says Dean Cotton, Vegetable Seed Business Manager at SEEDWAY, LLC.
This new variety measures about 6 to 7.5 inches in diameter and weighs between 2 to 4 pounds, according to a press release. Its flavor is a perfect blend of sweet and buttery, and its texture makes it extremely versatile and excellent for baking, roasting, steaming and even grilling. Click here for recipes.
Butterkin will be harvested in September and available in parts of the U.S. and Canada, with supplies expected to last through November.
TEWKSBURY, MA - It may have taken the intervention of two governors, the protests of thousands of employees, and a two month boycott, but news has finally broken that Market Basket has finalized a $1.6 billion deal with Arthur T. Demoulas. According to the New York Times, the deal which was finalized late Wednesday night, allows Arthur T. Demoulas to acquire his cousin's 50.5% stake in the company and reassume his former position as President and CEO of the retail chain.
“Words cannot express how much I appreciate each and every one of you,” Arthur T. said in a statement to the thousands of employees and Market Basket customers who have spent the previous months protesting on his behalf. “You are simply the best...As I stand here, there is very little that I could ever add to your brilliant work, your extraordinary display of loyalty, and the power of your enduring spirit over the past several weeks.”
The Boston Globe, after speaking with many employees, noted a strong sense of relief and happiness among the Market Basket faithful.
“I feel like we won the lottery!” said Frank DiMauro, an Andover Market Basket warehouse worker and 28 year veteran with the company.
“We did,” agreed Andy Lien, Director of the Perishable Warehouse in Andover. “We really did.”
Having covered this story extensively since Arthur T. Demoulas' initial firing this previous June, it is truly great news to see Market Basket finally putting this contentious period behind it and moving forward into a brighter, more peaceful future.
Even with Arthur T. back in control and customers and employees returning to the stores, challenges remain for the retailer. Months of barren shelves and negligible sales leave plenty of work to be done before Market Basket can justify the $3.2 billion valuation quoted in the New York Times on more than just potential. Arthur T. Demoulas is confident however that Market Basket has the foundation in place to more than get back on track.
According to an official company statement, Arthur T. Demoulas will be immediately reinstated “with day-to-day operational authority” until the deal is officially finalized. Current co-CEO's Felicia Thornton and James Gooch are to remain installed in their current positions until this time and will be working with Arthur T. Demoulas throughout the position period.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The USDA has filed action against Supreme Cuts LLC, a New Jersey-based company for failure to pay for produce.
Supreme Cuts LLC has allegedly failed to pay $385,683 to 17 produce sellers from August 2011 through January 2014, according to a press release.
The company will have an opportunity to request a hearing. If the USDA finds that the company has committed repeated and flagrant violations, it would be barred from the produce industry for two years. Furthermore, its principals could not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee for one year and then only with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond.
In the past three years, the USDA resolved approximately 4,600 claims under the PACA involving more than $87 million. Individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors, or major stockholders may not be employed 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.
LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE, CA – ALC Logistics has been named as one of 2014's Top 3PL & Cold Storage Providers by Food Logistics, a publication dedicated to global supply chain solutions for the food and beverage industry.
“We have been in the food business since our inception, so we are incredibly honored to make this list and look forward to upholding our end of providing the very best service we can,” said Eddie Lund, Vice President of Sales and Operations.
The Top 3PL & Cold Storage Providers serves as a resource directory of third-party logistics and cold storage providers whose products and services are critical for companies in the global food and beverage supply chain, according to a press release.
Food Logistics will profile this year’s Top 3PL & Cold Storage Providers in the August 2014 issue, as well as online.
Congratulations on the honor, ALC Logistics!
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.