YERINGTON, NV - In just over 12 years, The Nunes Company has taken its 32 acre start to over 4,000 acres of organic, fresh vegetables and leafy greens.
Tom Nunes (T5), fourth generation farmer and company President, walks us through the journey to growing in Yerington, NV, and beyond.
“It all incubated in 2008 with Mark Crossgrove, our Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, striking up a meeting with David Peri,” T5 says, explaining the two envisioned the growth and expansion that fresh vegetables could have in this climate. “What makes Yerington, NV, unique is land, infrastructure, an ideal climate, the fertile soil, and tremendous expertise in the cultural and farming side. It allows us to produce premium organic vegetables during the summer months.”
The Nunes Company takes great care in the packing of each and every products. T5 explains that the equipment used allows the team to have great efficiency and help its workforce perform at the highest level, both in quality and production.
“The beauty of the relationship between the Perry family and the Nunes family is likemindedness. We’re both stewards of the land. We take great pride in the environment. We take great pride in what we do. We’re proud of the people that work for us and the crops we produce,” T5 shares.
To learn all about the Nevada move from June to October, all the varieties the Nunes Company covers, constant growth and expansion, and what it all comes down to, watch the brief, high-graphic video above.
REEDLEY, CA - The California grape season is always highly anticipated amongst retailers and foodservice operators alike as consumers look for the best of the best to fill their shopping baskets. Fruit World Co., like the company name implies, is one of those great partners seeking to create a fresh fruit lifestyle in produce departments and is doing so this summer and into the fall. With the company’s organic California grape season having kicked off in July, Fruit World is looking to build on promotional opportunities with its customer base and expand its relationships with new retailers and operators.
“Available through October, our California grape program brings a full organic line of innovative and heritage varieties from new and old school growers in the Golden State,” Co-Owner and Operator Bianca Kaprielian shares with me. “It is an exciting time to build value in the produce department and on the plate.”
Fruit World offers three types of industry packing across its organic red, black, and green varieties, showcasing a 9 x 2 lb pouch bag, a 20 x 1 lb clamshell, and a 10 x 2 lb brown paper tote. The company occasionally has people ask for a loose volume filled pack which Fruit World can tailor its efforts to as well. For the company’s organic Thomcord grapes, it packs the variety either in a 20 x 1 lb high-graphic clamshell or a 10 x 2 lb brown paper tote.
“We listen to the needs of our customers and work closely with them on designing a program that is specific to their business model and demographics,” Bianca says.
The team is expecting a steady supply of its organic Thomcord grapes during the 2019 season, as the company confirms consumers love these grapes and anticipates the return of the high demand the variety has seen in previous years. Thomcords are a hybrid of the heirloom "grape jelly" Concord grape and popular Thompson Seedless grape and are known for being exceptionally flavorful and aromatic.
While the company seeks to give customers those traditional and innovative varieties, Fruit World truly prides itself on the heritage varieties grown on heritage vines.
“One of our partners is Pete Wolf, who was one of the first organic growers in California. If this gives you any idea of his roots in the industry, Pete’s organic certification number is 002,” Co-Founder and Operator CJ Buxman tells me. “Pete implemented sustainable practices when organic was more of an underground movement and as you can see, organic has become mainstream. We are very proud to work with Pete, who brings some of the sweetest, crunchiest grapes around. The eating experience truly encapsulates the history of the land, the industry, and the aroma and flavor that particular consumers are seeking.”
For an industry of storytellers, sometimes the best ones are the fruit themselves. At least in Fruit World’s mind, the grapes are the real star.
OVIEDO, FL - Duda Farm Fresh Foods is coming to the rescue for consumers who crave sweet-tart citrus all year long, with the announcement of the launch of its import citrus program for the 17th consecutive summer. The company imports citrus from the southern hemisphere to bring U.S. consumers citrus with optimal quality, flavor, and volume, from mid-May through October.
“At Duda Farm Fresh Foods, we are constantly improving our citrus variety to provide quality fruit for our customers year-round,” said Dan Duda, President. “Importing citrus from our growers in the southern hemisphere allows us to provide a solution to seasonal gaps in the U.S. market.”
Duda Farm Fresh Foods maintains close relationships with growers in the southern hemisphere, and while the company sources fruit primarily from Chile, Peru, and Uruguay, it is also bringing in high-quality products from Morocco and Argentina, according to a press release. It is through these grower relationships that Duda is able to provide consumers with excellent citrus year-round.
“Preserving our relationships with growers in the southern hemisphere for over 17 years now is a great accomplishment and one we are very proud of,” said Alberto Cuellar, Vice President of Global Business. “As consumer demand for citrus in the summer increases, we will continue to meet that need through our citrus import program.”
The company’s line of imported citrus, sold under its Dandy® label, includes lemons, clementines, navels, and Cara Cara oranges. Duda introduced Argentinian lemons during the 2019 season, which are available in stores now. Another popular addition has been Chilean easy-peeler clementines which have a premium sugar-to-acid ratio, which results in a sweeter citrus, perfect for late summer snacking.
For more produce industry news, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
UNITED KINGDOM - One of Kroger’s biggest partners, Ocado, has just been scooped up by a leading U.K.-based grocer—or at least half of it has. Marks and Spencer (M&S) announced this week that it completed its acquisition of half of Ocado, marking the start of Mark and Spencer’s 50/50 Joint Venture with the online grocer. As part of the deal, Melanie Smith, the current Strategy Director at Marks and Spencer, will become CEO of Ocado Retail, effective September 1, 2019.
“Ocado Retail’s future, as part of a joint venture with M&S, is full of opportunity. The new company will be able to offer customers even greater range, service, quality, and value,” said Tim Steiner, Chief Executive Officer of Ocado. “Our collaboration will also allow us to grow the business faster, add more jobs, and create more value for all our stakeholders. We are very excited to be working together. I am very excited about Ocado Retail Limited continuing to realise its fullest potential under Melanie’s leadership.”
According to a press release, the new partnership will bring together the strength of Marks and Spencer’s brand and its leading food quality and product development with Ocado’s proprietary technology and award-winning service. The two will then transition into offering over 6,500 Marks and Spencer food products on Ocado.com by September 2020.
“I have always believed that M&S Food could and should be online. The addition of Ocado to our family of businesses marks M&S’s first truly transformational step in shaping our future as a digital-first retailer,” said Steve Rowe, CEO of Marks and Spencer. “Through its unique technology, Ocado has developed the most cost advantaged model in online grocery retail, and our new partnership unlocks growth for M&S Food through an immediately profitable, scalable presence in the UK’s fastest growing grocery sales channel. I am absolutely delighted that our JV will be led by Melanie. She is a real talent; who combines extensive retail knowledge, strategic vision, and a focus on delivery.”
In addition to Melanie Smith taking on the CEO position of Ocado Retail, Steve Rowe, Stuart Machin (M&S’s Food Managing Director), Tim Steiner, and Duncan Tatton-Brown (Ocado’s Chief Financial Officer) will become the directors of Ocado Retail. Steiner will serve as Chair. Lawrence Hene, the current interim Managing Director of Ocado Retail, will be appointed Deputy CEO for a transitional period before moving back into a senior role with the Ocado group, as noted in the press release.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Lawrence for his incredible achievements with ocado.com since 2011, which he has been instrumental in growing to the business it is today, and I look forward to continuing to work with him, both during his transitional role at Ocado Retail Limited and when he moves back to the Ocado Group,” Steiner continued.
For the full details of the transaction and rationale, click here. And for more breaking grocery and fresh produce news, stay right here with AndNowUKnow.
BOISE, ID - Albertsons, one of the nation’s largest retailers, recently announced the addition of two retail superstars to its executive team. Gineal Davidson has been named President of the company’s Portland Division and Mike Theilmann has been named EVP & Chief Human Resources Officer. He replaces Andy Scoggin, Albertsons’ former Executive Vice President of Human Resources, Public Affairs, Government Relations, and Labor Relations, who announced his plans to leave the company at the end of the calendar year.
Davidson has been with the retailer for over 30 years. She began her career with Albertsons as a Courtesy Clerk and has since held positions such as Service Deli Sales Manager, Store Director, Six Sigma Black Belt, District Manager, and Director of Sales Support. She was named Division Vice President, Marketing and Merchandising of the company’s Shaw’s Division in 2016 and returned to the Intermountain Division in 2017 when she was named Vice President, Strategic Initiatives. Davidson was named to her most recent role of Intermountain Division Vice President, Marketing & Merchandising in October 2017. She holds a bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and an MBA from the University of Phoenix.
“We’re thrilled to have an operator of Gineal’s caliber to lead our Portland Division team,” said Susan Morris, EVP and Chief Operations Officer. “Gineal is a dynamic leader with a fantastic track record of leading winning teams, and we look forward to her taking on this key role within our company.”
According to a press release, Theilmann was most recently with Heidrick & Struggles, an Executive Search and Leadership Consulting firm, where he served as the Global Practice Managing Partner, Human Resources Officers Practice.
“I’m thrilled to be joining Albertsons Companies’ leadership team at such a pivotal moment in retail,” said Theilmann. “At no other time has the retail game been changing faster than it is today. Our omnichannel, technology-driven world isn’t just transforming how we shop; it’s influencing how companies attract, retain, and develop talent in order to grow and sustain results, too. I look forward to the opportunity we have across Albertsons Companies 2,200+ stores to build the best workforce in the industry, and to create a culture that people can’t help but want to be part of as employees and as customers.”
Throughout his 30-year career, he has held positions with Diageo, PepsiCo, Yum, and JC Penney. During his time at Yum, Thielmann held several human resources positions, such as VP of People Services, VP of Human Resources, Europe, and SVP Chief People Officer for the international business. He also served as Chief Human Resources and Administration Officer of J.C. Penney from 2005 to 2009. He was promoted to Group Executive Vice President in 2010, where he led store operations, supply chain management, human resources, and administration.
“Mike brings to Albertsons Companies both proven HR leadership and a winning track record in developing strong cultures of employee engagement and development. His experiences across many industries, in large service-centric companies, and his ability to connect operating priorities to talent and culture priorities will be invaluable as we navigate this new era in retail,” said Vivek Sankaran, President & CEO. “I look forward to working with Mike as we continue to grow and develop as a locally great, nationally strong omnichannel retailer.”
Congratulations to Gineal and Mike on these new positions!
INDIA - As the retail space heats up in one of the largest potential markets on the planet, companies are climbing over each other to get a piece of the India pie. Walmart recently beat out Amazon and nabbed a 77 percent interest in Indian e-commerce company Flipkart—a whopping $16 billion transaction. Now, it looks like the Bentonville-based retailer has once again gotten the upper hand on Amazon, recently committing to a $50 million investment into Indian fruit and veg supply chain startup, NinjaCart. But Amazon isn’t ready to give up the fight just yet.
According to ETtech, Walmart has not officially finalized the deal with NinjaCart, but is expected to close in the next three weeks. The retailer will reportedly get a seat on the board of NinjaCart as part of the transaction, though Walmart has not released any comments on the speculative deal.
According to Entrackr, Amazon is taking its own major steps into the Indian retail space, entering into talks with one of the country’s biggest brick-and-mortar retailers, Reliance Retail. The e-tailer is purportedly looking to acquire a 26 percent stake in the company, as marketplace firms are not allowed to own more than 26 percent stake in sellers under Foreign Direct Investment, the news source reports. Reuters reports that Reliance Retail, valued at $5.53 billion, will help expand Amazon's retail footprint in the country.
With these two retail giants continue to duke it out in one of the fastest growing markets in the world? What will be the next strategic partnership? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
BAKERSFIELD, CA - The warm rays of August have me lounging about in my living room under a high-powered fan as of late, noshing on all the fresh and delicious literal fruits of labor that this season has to offer. As summer peaks, what better fruit to nosh on than grapes?
Anthony Vineyards’ Rob Spinelli, Sales, has given me a golden opportunity to learn more about what’s coming from the field to retail.
“By the middle of August, you’re going to start seeing the newer high flavor varieties coming in like the Sweet Sapphire, Sweet Heart, Candy Heart, and Candy Dream. The week of August 12 will see other varieties like Sweet Globe, Sweet Scarlet and Timco to name a few,” commented Rob. “There’s a slight delay, but that might actually work out for us during the dog days of summer.”
And the heat is on, making these juicy grapes sound even more satisfying to munch on. Despite the rainy weather in May and the cool June, Rob assured me that volumes will remain in promotable volumes and to keep an eye on the organic varieties coming in for great opportunities to push the segment front and center. The beginning of the season was not easy for many California grape growers for a host of reasons, but the market is beginning to stabilize to create a more healthy dynamic between suppliers and buyers, Rob notes.
“The organic grape program is still going strong. Our organics have a steady volume now, which means steady pricing,” continued Rob. “We’re seeing good quality, especially with the greens—they have a good size, brix, and are also eating great right now.”
Small, convenient, portable, and oh so crunchy, these grapes have weathered through hurdles in the arms of the Bakersfield area and have come out shining and ready to eat. Anthony Vineyards' high flavor varieties are available in 1 and 2 lb clamshells and variety-specific pouch bags, sure to excite customers’ palates and draw in a loyal fan base.
Keep reading ANUK for the latest in all crop updates.
MOUND, MN - If the value of a team member can be found in their attitude, aptitude, and ability, then I think it is easy to say that Naba Bakar possesses and excels in all three areas. Having proven herself as a leader and expert in strategic planning and brand management, Bakar has been promoted to the role of Director of Marketing for Golden Sun Marketing.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to continue to drive the strategic direction of Golden Sun Marketing and deliver long-term growth and success for our clients," Bakar shared. "I'm honored to work for a company with deep roots in the fresh produce industry and especially proud of our powerful team of marketing professionals.”
Bakar’s role was effective as of August 1st. She has been with Golden Sun Marketing for three years touting a quick trajectory from Marketing Manager to Senior Marketing Manager in just that small window of time.
“Naba has been an integral part of the team for her strategic thinking and strong marketing skillset that have helped us grow,” President Don Goodwin said. “She has proven herself to be a natural leader for our marketing team and our clients. I have a great deal of confidence in Naba, and I look forward to her leading our market efforts as she supports our clients.”
The newly promoted Director of Marketing brings a marketing background of more than seven years, ranging from corporate marketing to startup ventures, according to a press release. In addition, Bakar earned a BS in Biological Sciences from the American University in Washington D.C. and an MBA from the Minnesota School of Business.
“No different than the industry as a whole, our company continues to grow in new and challenging ways,” Tom Thompson, Vice President, reflected. “We are excited about what is ahead and having Naba in a leadership role will help drive us and our clients there faster. Her balance of creative and marketing skills coupled with her vision and passion for the business is a rare find, so we are very lucky to have her continue to grow with us in this new role.”
Golden Sun Marketing’s core services include business strategy, business development, and marketing. The firm's clients span a wide range of seed companies, growers, shippers, and distributors.
Congrats, Naba, on the amazing promotion and good luck on the exciting road ahead!
LOS ANGELES, CA - For the fourth consecutive year, Wonderful Halos broke onto the Smarty Pants 2019 Brand Love™ list, making it the top healthy snack brand by both parents and kids for the second year in a row. The Wonderful Company’s Wonderful Pistachios also made it to the list this year.
“The Pure Goodness of Halos’ sweet, seedless, and easy-to-peel mandarins continues to win over the hearts and minds of parents and kids year-over-year, as America’s most-loved healthy snack brand,” said Adam Cooper, Senior Vice President of Marketing at The Wonderful Company. “We are thrilled that parents and kids also recognize and adore Wonderful Pistachios as a healthy snack that’s gaining popularity on their grocery lists. As today’s consumers seek healthier snack options, it’s fantastic that Wonderful Halos and Wonderful Pistachios have become parents’ and kids’ ‘go-to’ as the fun-to-eat, healthy food brands they love most.”
The study released by Smarty Pants states that the delicious mandarins were ranked number 17, and the only healthy food brand to rank among parents’ top 20 favorite brands. In its (very successful) effort to stay relevant with the youngins these days, Halos continued its partnership with 7-year-old Ryan of Ryan ToysReview. The media mogul is one of YouTube’s top video creators boasting over one billion views per month and nearly 21 million subscribers. Talk about a prime market, amiright?
With more than 16,000 parents and children ages 6–12 across the country surveyed, it’s hard to argue with the choice of Halos. To find out more about what’s hip in the produce world, stayed tuned with ANUK.
SACRAMENTO, CA - It appears WiFi on our industry’s spacecraft was working overtime on Friday, because not only did selfies and submissions pour into our inbox, but at warp speed—Doctor Spock couldn’t chase (any Rihanna fans out there?)! But our winners—our winners hit new high records in all of the galaxy by zooming into our inbox with grace, poise, and, of course our favorite thing ever: bright smiles!
Bre Macomber, Marketing Specialist for the Tom Lange Company, beamed her selfie to the top of our inbox, earning herself the title of buy-side winner and the $100 cash prize!
“The Snack merges real-time news with sprinkles of fun, and the Lange Family is always on watch for the next issue to come in,” Bre shared with us following her win. “THANK YOU, ANUK!”
On the supply-side, Kimberly Chan, Associate Buyer for 99 Cents Only, once again returned show off just how speedy she is at locating our ANUK apple logo! Now she gets to walk into another Monday $100 richer and with the coveted bragging rights only the Find the Apple Logo contest can bring!
"Thank you, The Snack! I always look forward to this contest and for the amazing content from your magazine! Woohoo I’m back!" Kimberly exclaimed after learning she'd won yet another round.
If you didn’t have luck this round, not to worry! Subscribe to The Snack Magazine here (subscription is valued at $129 per year), and keep an eye out for future contest announcements on ANUK for another chance at winning our cash prize.
July 2019 Snack Magazine-Volume 42
Remember that contest rules require that submissions include a person pointing out the logo on the cover of The Snack Magazine, and the countdown only begins once we announce the contest in AndNowUKnow’s newsletter.
Congratulations to our July winners! And we’ll see the rest of you intergalactic stunners in our September round next month!