DENVER, CO - Chipotle is reaffirming its commitment to serving customers fresh, local produce with plans to increase its purchases of locally grown bell peppers, cilantro, red onions, jalapeno peppers, oregano, romaine lettuce and tomatoes to over 20 million pounds in 2014. This represents a 33% increase from last year's produce orders. By coordinating purchases with over 45 local farms spaced across the United States so that none will be farther than 350 miles away from the location it will be servicing, Chipotle has drastically increased the amount of locally sourced produce it sells since first starting the program in 2008.
“We are changing the way people think about and eat fast food,” said Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO of Chipotle. “That means pushing ourselves to find the best quality ingredients – ingredients that have traditionally been available only in high-end restaurants and specialty food markets – and making them available in a way that is accessible to really mainstream customers.”
A 2014 National Grocery Association panel showed that 87% of consumers consider it 'very/somewhat important' to have locally grown produce and packaged food choices available to them. This is an 11% increase from when the study was last conducted in 2009.
Recognizing this growing market demand early on, Chipotle was among the first to make locally grown choices available to consumers when going out to eat.
Chipotle also prides itself on its organic food selections. According to a press release, Chipotle restaurants use 2 acres of organic cilantro every day, along with 7 million pounds of organic black beans and 1.2 million pounds of organic wheat each year. In addition Chipotle is the leading provider of Responsibly Raised® meat among all US restaurant companies and ensures that its dairy products are free of the synthetic hormone rBGH and come from pasture-raised cows.
ATLANTA, GA – Stanley Farms LLC, a Vidalia onion producer, has agreed to pay over $90,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a group of farmworkers over wages and working conditions.
A judge on Monday approved the agreement. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution states that Stanley Farms agreed to pay $92,500, with $82,500 going to back wages and damages and $10,000 going to attorney’s fees and costs. The company also agreed to follow specific hiring and employment practices that were outlined in the agreement.
“We’re pleased with the resolution reached, and we’re pleased that the farm is agreeing to pay U.S. and foreign workers the same amount, which we don’t believe they were doing,” said Dawson Morton, a lawyer for the workers. “That should reduce the exclusion of U.S. workers from Vidalia onion work and we hope assure equal treatment and equal pay.”
The American workers and their former co-workers filed a lawsuit last year that claimed that American farmworkers were paid less than the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour while foreign guest workers were paid between $9.11 and $9.38 an hour.
As part of the settlement, Stanley Farms also agreed to only use transportation that is properly inspected and insured and has a seat for each passenger, not allow workers into fields until 24 hours after the application of certain chemicals, and provide proper tools, according to the Greenfield Reporter.
Stanley Farms does not admit to the allegations in the lawsuit. “We still dispute that we are liable,” the farm's attorney Larry Stine said, “but it would cost us more to go to trial than to settle the case.”
Stanley Farms currently grows more than 1000 acres of onions as well as numerous acres of other crops and vegetables including over 100 acres of Certified Organic Vidalia Onions.
TEWKSBURY, MA - It seems controversy has found Demoulas again with reports coming out that Market Basket has lost almost three centuries worth of retail leadership experience. Seven top executives quit in protest of Monday's removal of former Demoulas CEO Arthur T. Demoulas and fellow executives William Marsden and Joseph Rockwell.
Before he was let go, Marsden was highly critical of the Board's ouster of Arthur T. Demoulas saying, “The Board's action today is driven by greed, pure and simple.”
Former Executive Vice President Jim Miamis, who left Market Basket with his fellow executives today, apparently agreed with this sentiment. The longtime Demoulas employee who started with the company when he was only 11 years old will take with him 59 years of retail experience as he leaves.
His fellow protestors will take with him a comparable wealth of industry knowledge. Joanne Marsden, Ron Carrigan, Susan Dufresne, Dave McLean, Jay Rainville, and Don Mulligan leave Market Basket without its two top Executive Assistants, Deli Director, Director of Operations, Director of Advertising and Governmental Affairs, and Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, and Vice President.
The Board's actions have done more than drive away top executives. According to the Sentinel & Enterprise News, hundreds of Market Basket workers and managers, many who thought of Arthur T. Demoulas in a way usually reserved for family members, rallied together in the Chelsea store's parking lot yesterday to protest.
Christine Doubleday, a 20 year veteran with the company, said, "I just feel like a family being broken up."
How new Demoulas Co-CEOs Felicia Thornton and James Gooch will deal with this controversy will have big ramifications for the future of Market Basket and its thousands of employees.
For more information on Monday's Board decision which triggered this sequence of events click here.
Market Basket
WASHINGTON, DC – Kevin McCarthy, who represents the 23rd district in California, has been elected to Majority Leader in the House. With a district that includes the San Joaquin Valley and its large agricultural growing region, the produce industry celebrates this change in leadership.
Tom Nassif, Western Growers President and CEO, released a statement praising the election. “Majority Leader-elect McCarthy has provided critical leadership on a number of issues impacting the produce industry, including ensuring passage of a farm bill that recognizes the importance of fresh fruits, vegetables and tree nuts, ongoing work to negotiate a solution to our water crisis, and of course working to address the immigration needs of agriculture,” said Nassif. “We look forward to working this year with the new majority leader to bring relief to our drought stricken farmers and to finally fix our broken immigration system.”
Nassif was not the only industry leader to respond. Ray Gilmer, Vice President of Issues Management and Communication at the United Fresh Produce Association, also weighed in. In a statement to Politico, Gilmer said McCarthy “understands the importance of the fresh produce industry to his state’s economy and of the nation. We look forward to working closely with the new House Majority Leader to address produce priorities on immigration reform, nutrition and other issues.”
Immigration reform is going to be a key factor as McCarthy assumes his new position. CNN reports that supporters and activists are both looking to McCarthy for action. "We have spoken with Congressman McCarthy and his staff about immigration reform and its importance to our local and regional economy," Cynthia Pollard, president and CEO of the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce told CNN in a statement.
"As the person responsible for scheduling House votes, when it comes to immigration reform McCarthy will either be a hero or a zero," Frank Sherry, Executive Director of America's Voice, an immigration reform advocacy group, said in a statement.
“I have lived my entire life right here in our community. It is where I met my wife, raised our children, all in the first house we ever bought, and it is where I learned my conservative values. It is with great pride and humility that I have been entrusted to serve on your behalf every day. I believe strongly in our country’s ability to overcome any challenge, and I will continue to work in Congress fighting for solutions to help our neighbors and our communities,” McCarthy said in a statement on his website.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for more stories on McCarthy’s impact on the produce industry and the problems that it faces.
CORAL GABLES, FL - Del Monte Fresh Produce now offers Del Monte® Fresh Guac and Fresh Avocado.
“We use only fresh ingredients such as veggies, creamy Hass avocados, and a dash of salt (for flavor) to create our delicious guacamole,” says Dionysios Christou, Vice President of Marketing for Del Monte Fresh Produce. “Del Monte® Fresh Guac comes in an assortment of flavors in convenient packaging, and since we are using Ultra High Pressure, it is preservative free, and always fresh tasting and ready-to-eat.”
The company offers an array of flavors including Classic, Spicy, Pico de Gallo, Baja, and 100% Fresh Avocado. The Del Monte® Fresh Guac blends are made with 100% fresh ingredients and provide no less than a 45-day shelf life from packing date. Maintaining freshness and quality are two major factors when providing its customers with the best quality guacamole product on an everyday basis.
WENATCHEE, WA - Bryon McDougall, Vice President of McDougall & Sons, joins AndNowUKnow to discuss CMI’s new 445,000 square foot facility center in Wenatchee, Washington.
The new facility addresses the limitations of current packing facilities with increased capacity, more consistency, and the latest technology. The packing line can also double the capacity of the current packing line as well.
Versus last year, McDougall says that the company is up 25% and expects 10-15% growth year-over-year over the next five years.
Come join us as we take an inside look into this exciting new facility!
CHARLOTTE, NC - Chiquita is capitalizing on recent consumer trends with the launch of the company’s new Flavored Apple Bites in Cinnamon and Butterscotch. These ready to eat apple slices come with flavored sprinkles in grab-and-go snack packs for kids and adults on the run. They’re available in single serve and multipack, which is a clamshell that includes four singles.
Snacking is now a major part of daily life as the trend is now encompassing 53% of eating occasions – up from 49% in 2010. In addition, 46% of consumers snack every day.
Consumers are also seeking healthy and tasty options with 56% of consumers wanting something healthy for a snack (vs. indulgent). Note that 68% of consumers would be interested in trying healthy snacks that come in more exciting flavors.
Chiquita is also building on the model that variety is the key to growth. The company notes that 82% of consumers stated they would purchase these apples in addition to what they buy today. In addition, these snacks would be eaten most often outside of lunch; the #1 time was as an afternoon snack and the #2 was between breakfast and lunch.
Source: Rogil, Fresh Appple Bites with Flavoring Product Test, April 2013
DELANO, CA - Columbine Vineyards has taken another step towards its goals of energy efficiency, safety, and sustainability with the opening of a new state-of-the-art cold storage facility.
“We are very proud of the dedicated team of professionals who have diligently constructed a facility that combines traditional agriculture with advanced technologies making the preservation of our grapes more efficient,” said Martin Caratan, President, M. Caratan Inc.
The new facility measures in at 204,200 square-feet, roughly 3.5 times the size of an American football field, and can store 750,000 boxes of produce when full.
“Adding this facility into our organization will provide us with the capacity to receive and ship more than 200,000 boxes a day and the design expands Columbine Vineyards ability to preserve the superb taste, freshness and nutritional value of our high quality grapes,” said Caratan.
Columbine Vineyards is a family owned farm which has been raising grapes for harvest for 4 generations, according to a press release. They are best known for their Holiday Seedless® and Black Globe® proprietary grapes.
IRWINDALE, CA – Ready Pac Foods Inc. welcomes Stephanie Santiago as its Director of National Accounts – Costco Team Lead.
In this role, Stephanie will act as the primary account contact for Costco. She will work with internal resources to develop and guide the implementation of business plans that achieve sales targets and profitability, according to a press release. She will report directly to Alan Ediger, Sr. Vice President of Retail Sales West at Ready Pac.
“With over 14 years of selling experience, Stephanie brings a wealth of knowledge and insights making her the ideal fit to establish and maintain sustainable partnerships for Ready Pac,” said Ediger. “We are excited to utilize her background in both manufacturing and brokerage to further our mission and goals of our company.”
Stephanie comes to Ready Pac from ADW ACOSTA, where she was the Northwest Regional Business Manager and oversaw a $100 million sales budget. Previous to that, she was a National Retail Account Representative for Aqua Star.
Congratulations, Stephanie!
MANKATO, MN - The rivalry between Wal-Mart and Target heated up Tuesday with the groundbreaking of Wal-Mart's first Minnasota distribution center in the city of Mankato. The $75 million dollar investment in the home state of Minneapolis-based Target will allow Wal-Mart to both grow its market in the upper Midwest while putting pressure on one of its biggest competitors.
Echoing this sentiment, Wal-Mart's Director of Corporate Communication Della Garcia said, "The distribution center that we're opening in Mankato is a very visible signal of our growth in the upper Midwest."
As AndNowUKnow covered in an article last week, increasing U.S. growth is a top priority of Wal-Mart after a series of unimpressive fiscal quarters. For more on that story, click here.
The new distribution center allows Wal-Mart to focus on these goals while simultaneously “[putting] pressure on their arch-enemy, which is Target,” stated Dave Brennan of the Institute for Retailing Excellence.
Analysts who spoke with reporters at the Mankato Free Press estimate that the new distribution center will bring at least 300 new jobs to Mankato, a number which could rise because of the truck maintenance facility Wal-Mart also intends to build in the region. There are also plans to expand the distribution center with a dry-goods facility, although these plans are not finalized.
Paul Vogel, the Mankato Community Development Director was excited about the project, saying that "it's about another opportunity for people to work."
According to sources at the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, the new distribution center is not the only plan Wal-Mart has in store for Minnesota. Della Garcia hinted that there are “a few more” undisclosed projects in mind for the future.
Wal-Mart already owns and operates 82 stores in the Minnesota region, 22 of which have been added since 2008. Target owns 75 Minnesota locations.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for further updates on this continued retail rivalry.