LOS ALAMITOS, CA – Three generations of the Frieda’s Specialty Produce family have been recognized for their accomplishments.
Company founder Frieda Rapoport Caplan was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters during Cal Poly San Luis Obisbo’s commencement ceremony for her achievement as one of the nation’s most successful female entrepreneurs. Frieda introduced unusual and exotic produce to supermarkets that revolutionized the produce industry and changed the way Americans eat fruits and vegetables, according to a press release.
“It was a great privilege to present Frieda with this degree in recognition of her visionary leadership in the agricultural business industry,” said Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong.
Caplan’s daughter, Frieda’s VP and COO Jackie Caplan Wiggins, was at that commencement ceremony, missing the announcement of her own award at the United Fresh Produce Industry Leadership Program Alumni Reunion dinner in Chicago.
Wiggins received the "Timothy Vaux Outstanding Alumni Leadership Award” by her fellow graduates of the leadership program. This award was established to honor individual Leadership Program graduates who have demonstrated exceptional leadership achievements in the areas of Produce Industry Leadership, Industry Service & Outreach and Community Service, according to a press release.
“Jackie is the embodiment of exceptional leadership, passion, and dedication,” said Victoria Backer, United’s SVP of Member Services. “She is the type of person you depend on. She doesn’t take on responsibilities unless she knows she can come through, and when she does, she does it whole-heartedly.”
Wiggin’s niece Alex Jackson, sales account manager and daughter of Karen Caplan, President and CEO of Frieda’s, is joining the 12 other members of Class 20 in the Leadership Program.
“The part I am most excited about is becoming more involved with United Fresh after Class 20 graduates, especially in increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables in children’s diets, which I am extremely passionate about,” said Jackson. “I am also honored to have been selected for this program as a second-generation class member.”
Congratulations on your accomplishments Frieda, Jackie and Alex!
RICHMOND, VA - If U.S. scientist Michael Mautner has it his way, a shuttle ticket to Mars could be in your future.
Mautner, a Virginia Commonwealth University researcher, envisions a future in which scientists are able terraform foreign planets to allow for the cultivation of crops which could provide nourishment and oxygen for human space settlers.
"People have been talking about terraforming, but what I'm trying to do is give some concrete evidence that it's possible to do this, that it's possible to grow in extraterrestrial materials. What I've found is that a range of microorganisms—bacteria, fungi, and even asparagus and potato plants—can survive with the nutrients that are in extraterrestrial materials," Motherboard magazine quoted Michael Mautner as saying.
This so-called “space asparagus” is grown in soil made from ground-up meteorite samples. That they can be successfully grown in this type of soil conjures up visions of meteorite farms circling the Earth in its orbit and peanuts growing in space dust.
It is, of course, more complicated than that. A quote from Mautner on the International Business Times reveals: "The conditions outside Earth are presumably anaerobic—that's an order of magnitude harder to do. But, if we can find things that can grow in extraterrestrial materials under Earth conditions, you can start to talk about it."
Scientists at NASA have already confirmed the viability of growing most plant life in zero gravity environments and as Geek.com notes, plants growing in anaerobic conditions is not as impossible as it sounds. Now that Mautner has confirmed that it is also possible to grow crops in alien soil, humanity is a step closer to that far away dream of long-term space settlement being an actuality.
Science still has a long, long way to go in this field. That said, as long as it still costs $23,000 to transport a kilogram of food into space, we'll have to think of something new if we ever want there to be a Team Mars competing in the World Cup one day.
Michael Mautner is doing his part to point the way.
CINCINNATI, OH - Customers who visited the Kroger in Lexington, Kentucky in 1978 might not have known it at the time, but the young stock boy passing by them in the aisles was Rodney McMullen, now CEO of Kroger. Over the next four decades he would lead Kroger to become a giant in the grocery world.McMullen put himself through college by working at Kroger.
"My parents figured if there's a will, there's a way," McMullen told reporters at Cincinnati.com. "I worked every job in that store, from the dairy to the deli."
He graduated 4 years later with a Masters in Accounting and a job offer from Kroger to work as an Accounting Supervisor in Kroger's Charlotte, NC division office. He quickly impressed corporate executives while in Charlotte. In 1986 he was promoted to Financial Analyst and moved to Cincinnati. While there he played a key role in Kroger's 1988 restructuring program under CEO Lyle Everingham and President Joe Pichler.
"He was so good at doing the calculations in record time," Pichler recalled. "He ran with the best on Wall Street."
By 1995 he was Kroger's CFO, a position from which he oversaw the 1999 Fred Meyer $13 billion acquisition.
Cincinnati.com notes that he was a similarly big part of implementing the sales strategy that allowed Kroger to compete with Wal-Mart's basement bottom prices.
"Sales had begun to flatten and our divisions said our prices were out of whack with Wal-Mart," Pichler recalled.
To combat this problem, Kroger calculated that by cutting prices they would be able to generate enough new sales to outweigh the loss of revenue per item. They would then be able to use this new revenue to further cut prices, allowing Kroger to compete on a more even playing field with the Wal-Mart super stores. Under Pichler and McMullen's leadership, Kroger saw sales surge in the wake of the price cuts, jumping from $50.1 billion in 2002 to $98.4 billion in 2013.
Additional innovations under McMullen and new CEO David Dillon such as the “Customer 1st” strategy, which capitalized on Kroger's 2003 investment in its groundbreaking loyalty reward card program, further solidified Kroger's place in the retail market.
By the time Rodney McMullen became Kroger's CEO, he had enjoyed 36 years of tremendous success with the company and mentorships with some of the biggest minds in Kroger's history in Everingham, Pichler and Dillon.
"The last 25 years, I've worked with legends,” said McMullen.
According to Cincinnati.com, today Kroger operates 2,640 supermarkets in 34 states and the District of Colombia, employs 375,000 workers, and has a surging stock backed by backed by 10.5 years of consistent sales growth and a very successful takeover of Harris Teeter.
Donald Kent, Sr., retired Stater Bros. Markets' VP of Produce Operations, passed away on June, 18th at his home in Riverside, CA at the age of 76. Don was born in San Bernadino, CA on August 17th, 1937. He lived there for 31 years and then in Riverside for 45 years.
He served in the U.S. Army as a Sergeant in the Artillery at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma as well as CA National Guard infantry 1958-1962. After 37 years of service, he retired from Stater Bros. Markets.
Don is survived by his wife Jeri of Riverside, CA; sons Kevin of San Diego, CA and Don Jr. and daughter-in-law Lena of Riverside, CA; brother Andy of Pacifica; sister Lottie Joy of Hesperia and 5 grandchildren.
The Funeral Service will be held on Thursday, July 3rd at 12pm at The Grove Community Church, 19900 Grove Community Dr. Riverside, CA 92507. The burial will be at 2pm at Riverside National Cemetery with a light reception back at the church after.
The family suggests memorial contributions be made to the American Heart Association or the Wounded Warrior Project in lieu of flowers.
AndNowUKnow would like to extend our deepest condolences to Don’s family and friends.
Dan’l Mackey Almy, President and CEO of DMA Solutions, joins AndNowUKnow to share the latest details on the company’s Honor Your Fresh Hero campaign as part of its 10th anniversary. Honor Your Fresh Hero is the perfect opportunity to express gratitude to the person who inspires your passion for fresh produce.
Dan’l also takes a moment to share her fresh hero, Lorelei Disogra. Lorelei taught her a number of valuable lessons, including the importance of pro fruits and vegetable policies and our efforts to increase produce consumption. To find out how you can say "thank you" to your inspiration, follow the link below...
ROSEMONT, IL – US Foods is introducing a new Summer Scoop product line inspired by family dining that restaurants can add to their menus.
“With this Summer Scoop product line we are changing the way families dine together by providing new menu offerings that will please the palates of even the pickiest family members,” said Pietro Satriano, Chief Merchandising Officer, US Foods. “Nearly 90 percent of families choose a restaurant based on its kid-friendly environment and more than 60 percent of parents want more interesting options on a kids’ menu. With this product line, we are providing operators with the products they need to capture this audience and keep their tables filled all summer long.”
The Monach Puzzle Potatoes are one of the most kid friendly additions and are delicious and fun to eat. They are designed in puzzle shapes to bring entertainment and eating together. The new Harbor Banks Basil Cod Fries pair with cod, one of the healthiest sources of low-calorie protein and omega-3s, and the new Devonshire Cake Pops are a fun way to end the meal for children and adults alike.
Aside from the new menu, the line includes an exclusive 3-D customizable coloring placemat that allows kids to see their images come to life in 3-D with the “colAR Mix” app available from iTunes and Google Play.
The company is also introducing two new Italian sausages from famed meat purveyor Pat LaFrieda, according to a press release. The Chef’s Line Hot Italian Sausage and Sweet Italian Sausage are made using traditional recipes. Another new item is the winning item from the US Foods 2013 Next Top Product Contest, the Chef’s Line Black Bean Burger.
Keeping adults in mind too, US Foods added two new pasta options. The Chef’s Line Heirloom Tomato and Burrata Mezzelune and the Buffalo Milk Ricotta, Spinach and Rapini Tondi add an updated twist to classic stuffed pasta.
“Creating a menu that will satisfy both kids and their parents is only one part of making a restaurant family friendly,” said Satriano. “That’s why we’re searching for restaurants that represent the best in helping families enjoy the entire dining experience together.”
Building on the family theme, US Foods is excited to launch the Top Family Friendly Restaurants contest to search for the best family restaurants in the country. Restaurants will be judged on their family friendliness, kid’s menus and overall fun environment. Ten finalists will be chosen by a panel of culinary experts, including a judge from Rachael Ray's Yum-o! organization. The judging panel will announce five winners on September 2, 2014 who will each receive $2,000 worth of culinary equipment and supplies and be featured in the 2014 winter issue of Food Fanatics Magazine.
Restaurants can enter through July 18, 2014 by clicking here.
STELLARTON, NOVA SCOTIA - Facing declining earnings and underperforming stores, Sobeys announced today that it will be closing roughly 50 of its stores, 60% of which are located in Western Canada, in efforts to improve future earnings.
A statement released by Sobeys' parent company Empire Co. said that this move “logically follows” Sobeys' recent $5.4 billion retail acquisition from Safeway. This purchase brought 213 new full-service grocery locations into Sobeys' retail network in Western Canada.
CBC News reports that by July 5, the Foodland outlets in Amherst, Tracadie, Perth-Andover, Edmundston and Nashwaaksis will be closed. The St. Stephen location and many others are expected to follow.
“We reviewed our network of stores, as we do, on a market-by-market basis and as a result of that made the decision to close a group of six stores in the Atlantic region that have consistently been underperforming,” said Sobeys Atlantic spokesperson Shauna Selig.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the store closures will cost almost $170 million Canadian dollars and is expected to reduce future sales by around $400 million Canadian dollars. Empire Co. hopes however that despite the costs, the closures of these stores will improve it's net earnings in future quarters.
Selig added that Sobeys will strive to make sure its employees in the closed stores will find work elsewhere in the company or be given severance pay.
"The decision to close stores is always difficult and it's never taken lightly," she said. "We think about the impact it has on the customers, the staff and the community."
According to a press release, Empire Co. had adjusted net earnings from continuing operations of $1.5 million, $0.02 per diluted share, in the 2014 4th fiscal quarter. This is in comparison to $102.5 million, or $1.51 per diluted share, from last year.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for updates on this developing story.
IRWINDALE, CA – Ready Pac Foods Inc. welcomes Robert Prystash as its new Vice President of Continuous Improvement.
Robert will lead transformation initiatives and continue to progress Ready Pac’s culture of continuous improvement and will report directly to Peter Laport, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Ready Pac.
“Robert’s true leadership and dynamic approach to obtaining results make him an ideal fit to innovate and lead continuous improvement for Ready Pac,” said Laport. “We are excited to utilize his experience in developing strategic vision and leading cultural change to further our mission and goals of our company.”
Previous to this appointment, Robert was responsible for implementing a continuous improvement operating system in Logistics as the Director of Continuous Improvement in Supply Chain for ConAgra, according to a press release. Prior to that, he worked for Sun Chemical, Solo Cup Company and Moore Business Forms in a variety of improvement roles.
Congratulations, Robert!
FRESNO, CA – A new television campaign for Grapes from California kicked off in June on the Food Newtork.
“These commercials showcase the natural beauty, easy versatility and great taste of California grapes while communicating the value of sharing life’s special moments with family and friends, and the care that growers put into growing,” said Kathleen Nave, President of the California Table Grape Commission.
One of the two new commercials has a grower theme and the other has a dinner party theme. You can watch them below.
These commercials are the first two of a planned series of six and are seen during shows like “Trisha Yearwood’s Southern Kitchen,” “Sandra’s Money Saving Meals,” “Home For Dinner with Jamie Deen,” and “Diners Drive-ins & Dives,” according to a press release. The commercials will be run through December.
EMERYVILLE, CA - SCS Global Services is offering its first interactive online training class for GLOBALG.A.P. food safety Standards: IFA & PSS for Fruits and Vegetables. The class, which debuts in July, will feature live tutorials and self-paced interactive coursework.
To register for the course, click here.
GLOBALG.A.P. is an internationally recognized set of farm standards dedicated to good agricultural practices and is recognized by the Global Food Safe Initiative (GFSI), according to a press release.
“GLOBALG.A.P. training is the most efficient way for growers to start the process of reaching certification. SCS has worked closely with reps from GLOBALG.A.P. to ensure that our education programs are accurate and helpful. We’re happy to be able to offer a new kind of learning for producers around the world,” said Diane Dulmage, SCS Training Services Manager.
SCS has turned its traditional two day GLOBALG.A.P. course into a syllabus structured around three web-based live workshops to help attendees progress through 14 digital learning modules at their own pace. The attendees will have continuous interactive engagement with the each other and the instructor, food safety veteran Rhiannon Wallstedt Woo.
“SCS is bringing its popular food safety training experience to a worldwide audience online while providing immediate cost savings while maintaining our commitment to high-quality education,” continued Dulmage.
SCS will roll out the GLOBALG.A.P. online training course over a live–streamed introductory workshop on July 8th at 10am PST. The course will take place for two weeks until July 22nd.
For more information on the course, click here.