WENATCHEE, WA - It’s almost pear season! To prepare retailers for another great season, Stemilt Growers is getting the jump on fall line-ups by helping all in the biz with their autumn promotion plans—now! The grower is especially excited for its Rushing Rivers® brand and the wide variety of pears that full under it.
“Although autumn may still be far away, now is the time to start working with your Stemilt representative to get pears ready for big, multi-variety ads as pears are harvested this fall,” said Brianna Shales, Communications Manager. “This year we are expecting a crop with large fruit size, great flavor and quality, plus an increasing organic category.”
Because crops are expected to be large and in charge, Stemilt Growers is gearing up to push bulk as the primary promotion vehicle for the 2019-2020 season. As a result, the grower recommends retailers start planning for large displays using Stemilt’s Rushing Pears-branded bin or easy pallet display. According to a press release, this display strategy will give retailers the opportunity to tell consumers the story of Rushing Rivers and offer them additional information about where the fruit is grown.
“Our Rushing Rivers brand has such a unique story to tell, which is why we encourage retailers to share that story with consumers,” added Shales. “Transparency is appreciated among consumers, which leads to a delightful experience—something we are striving for every day.”
Shales even suggested organizing pears by variety and color as a means of presenting an attractive, eye-catching color break display that consumers won’t be able to resist.
“Placing prominent pear displays in a high traffic area will boost any retailer’s pear category,” continued Shales. “With so many items in produce, it is crucial that retailer’s pears have moments where they are front and center. An attractive display can captivate both the conventional and organic consumer.”
Tosca, Bartlett, and Starkrimson will kick off the Rushing Rivers season, with their organic counterparts following close behind. In mid- to late-September, Bosc, Red d’Anjou, and d’Anjou, as well as organic Bosc, will then join the rest of the autumn pear lineup. In addition to the Rushing Rivers brand, the Tosca, Bartlett, and Red pear varieties will also be available through the Lil Snappers® kid-size fruit brand, in 3lb conventional bags and 2lb organic bags.
“In the industry as a whole, the organic category is growing, but there is a lot of growth here at Stemilt as well as with our growing and packing partner, Hi-Up Growers,” concluded Shales. “As we all know, organic is a constantly evolving category, and it is in high demand. Even though growing pears organically is a challenge, we feel it’s an important offering to consumers and have recently increased organic pear volumes.”
First introduced in 2014, the Rushing Rivers brand highlights some of the two best pear growing locales in the world: the Wenatchee and Entiat River Valleys—neighboring valleys that are surrounded by alpine peaks that help air flow and pears stay cool during the warm summer months. The valleys’ soil also contributes to the peak pear quality thanks to its nutrient richness.
For more fresh produce news like this, AndNowUKnow will keep you in the loop.
EAST WENATCHEE, WA - After years and years worth of marketing experience to back him up, Steve Lutz became the Regional Vice President for the Produce Marketing Association (PMA). But now, Lutz is returning back to his roots and stepping down from PMA to open a new marketing and strategic communications venture.
“I truly appreciate the opportunity I had to serve the industry in my position at PMA,” said Lutz. “PMA is a great organization with a first-class staff. However, I felt a strong pull to return to the areas of marketing, research, and category analytics where I excelled throughout my entire career.”
In addition, he will leverage professional connections in data, design, social media, and communications as needed to support his clients. According to a press release, Lutz was previously Chief Strategist and Vice President of Marketing for CMI Orchards. Prior to that, he was Executive Vice President for Nielsen Perishables Group and served as President and CEO of the Washington Apple Commission.
“Over the course of my career I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the most creative minds in the industry,” Lutz continued. “There is a real opportunity to harness the skills of these individuals to support the industry.”
Not only would he be shifting careers again, but there’s also the added challenge of the ever-changing consumer moods.
“The explosion of new brands, proprietary varieties, and fragmentation of retail outlets has completely changed the game for the produce industry,” said Lutz. “As consumers shift purchases from commodity products to proprietary brands and organics, the interest and opportunities—as well as the challenges—for growers have never been higher.”
Lutz will officially leave PMA on August 2. We at ANUK look forward to his endeavors.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - Produce doesn’t just get harvested and then, poof, magically show up in the store—there’s an entire supply chain to contend with. When one link in the chain is compromised, the entire system falls apart, which is why AgroFresh works with retailers, distributors, and growers to make data-driven decisions about produce distribution. Consistently improving, AgroFresh has recently collaborated with Zest Labs to bolster its FreshCloud Transit Insights solution.
“AgroFresh’s plant physiology expertise and decades of experience in the fresh produce industry, coupled with Zest Labs’ advanced technology, offers growers, distributors, and retailers a best-in-class solution,” AgroFresh CEO, Jordi Ferre, told me. “The collaboration offers customers unparalleled insights to help them make smart and timely decisions about transit, resulting in less waste, greater revenue, and maximum retail appeal.”
The FreshCloud Transit Insights solution was enhanced with Zest Fresh’s IoT technology, which provides customers with field-to-shelf product visibility, enabling them to make more informed and real-time decisions about transport conditions and shelf-life prediction, maximizing produce quality, safety, and freshness.
With superior tech and strategy, AgroFresh is in a state of growth, most recently looking to expand FreshCloud into new regions to serve new fruit and veg markets.
“We anticipate serving more global customers across more crops, providing them with unique intel about each pallet of produce, and helping more customers around the world reduce food waste and maximize the value of their crops,” Jordi said.
Sustainability, the topic in the back of everyone’s mind, ranks high on AgroFresh’s list of priorities, and the company is constantly searching for ways to help its customers create a more sustainable produce supply chain and minimize food waste.
“At AgroFresh, we innovate across our global business, seeking new ways to increase produce freshness throughout the entire supply chain, so waste is not an option. Sustainability is a business practice that informs everything we do,” Jordi commented.
The company has stayed true to this ethos, most recently extending its sustainability commitment to include an assessment of AgroFresh’s SmartFresh™ product in the U.S. The SmartFresh solution was found, by an independent study, to have improved the sustainability of the supply chain for apples by reducing over eight million tons of carbon dioxide emissions from 2002-2017. As a result, over half a billion pounds of apples have been sold at the retail level rather than shipped to a landfill—saving 800 million gallons of water and over 22,000 hectares of production that would otherwise have been wasted.
With solutions to keep the supply chain in check, AgroFresh helps to ensure quality, food safety, and sustainability that benefits everyone throughout the chain.
For more news on fresh collaborations and ideas to keep the supply chain running smoothly, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
ANAHEIM, CA - A balloon in one hand and business cards in the other. Such is the well-rounded approach I saw amongst foodservice operators, retailers, suppliers, and all other forms of attendees enjoying the new direction of The FPFC Expo.
Carissa Mace, FPFC President, shared that close to 1,500 were in attendance with a higher percentage of retailers and buyers this year because of the changes the council made, including those from the Pacific Northwest that had never been to this show before.
“We made a lot of changes to the show this year, especially with the new format. We were able to bring more buyers to the show with our new sponsorship packages, and we overall heard a very positive response to the new floor plan,” she commented.
Kicking off with actual magic, the invitation-only Opening Night Adventure inside Disney's California Adventure park, right across from Disneyland, welcomed industry members and their families for food and fun.
“The FPFC is sensitive to the industry and the 'pulls' on both retail and supply as trade shows begin to populate the calendar,” Raley's Michael Schutt said. “To that end, we have opted to consolidate two regional shows into what we hope is one spectacular destination where there is not only trading space for retail and supply to intersect, but a pre-expo event that welcomes both industry members and their families, too.”
Some started out with the legendary rides the park had to offer, tying the night off with music, food, and drinks, not to mention caricature drawings and photo ops with Disney’s Chip and Dale. Others went in for mingling and memorabilia first before enjoying the lights and offerings of the venue.
Either way, upward of 900 people were there to start the event, many of which closed out the night with Disney’s amazing World of Color, where produce members brought their families to watch water, lights, and music create a show only Disney could cultivate. Let me tell you, I now know how industry roots are planted in the next generation!
The next day we saw there was a new approach to the show floor awaiting attendees, with floral on one side of set tables for meeting and eating, and a dynamic collection of produce businesses on the other. Through the gathering were more rows, fitting exhibitors neatly into a space that seemed to encourage easy walking, mingling, and connecting.
“This year’s FPFC allowed me to connect with old and new vendors alike. From riding Incredicoaster with some of my incredible vendors and industry friends, to meeting new vendors and seeing innovative products at the show, this show offered everything. Last year, we started a cut floral program with a new vendor we met at FPFC Expo. It was great to meet the actual owners, review what we have accomplished in one year, and where the future will take us. FPFC was an impactful show that I know I will be at next year!” Caitlin Tierney, Director of Produce at 99 Cents Only Stores, shared with me.
A highlight for me and those I heard from was the extra energy apparent from both the FPFC and attendees—energy from the council for having combined what has traditionally been two shows (one in Northern California and the other in Southern California) for one main event, and energy from those in attendance that I credit to the maximized timing of the schedule.
“This year the FPFC really showed how it is growing, and it was refreshing to see new faces at this years’ events. The Opening Night Adventure offered a unique way to connect with the industry and the World of Color was breathtaking!” Catherine Gipe-Stewart, Communications Manager for Domex Superfresh® Growers, shared. “This was my fourth year attending the FPFC Expo. My first year I was an FPFC Apprentice (Class #3), and many of the industry veterans I met then I can now say are close industry friends. It’s amazing how close-knit this community is, and how much they value mentorship.”
What is on the horizon now that FPFC has taken steps to further create a support system for the western region for fresh produce? The Pacific Northwest? The Southwest?
I am definitely excited to find out, whichever way this new direction goes.
BALTIMORE, MD - In a major move for the trucking industry, Cowan Systems acquired Carlisle Carrier Corp, bolstering its fleet to a total of 2,500 trucks. The two have long acted as competitors in the East Coast market, with Cowan Systems servicing the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast markets and Carlisle Carrier servicing grocery warehouses in the Northeast.
“They complement our network very well,” said Dennis Morgan, President of Cowan Systems, according to the Baltimore Business Journal. “We align cultures as good as you can ask for two different companies. There are lots of opportunity to grow through existing clients.”
According to Transport Topics, Carlisle Carrier employs more than 250 drivers and operates 1,000 trailers, which all will fall under Cowan’s fleet pending the transaction. In addition, Cowan will take on Carlisle’s terminals in Mechanicsburg and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
In terms of sales, Cowan is expecting to add $60 million to its bottom line following the acquisition—the transportation operator made $550 million in sales last year, Morgan noted. Overall, Cowan expects to continue to grow following its second acquisition in the last three years, as reported by the Baltimore Business Journal.
“The northeast has the most trade volume in the country, so we have an invitation to most bids,” Morgan continued. “We don’t win them all, but we get included and as long as we’re competitive price-wise, we have a shot.”
To stay in the loop on the latest news affecting our industry, keep checking in with AndNowUKnow.
NEW YORK, NY - Since last December, Blue Apron has been struggling to stay afloat as the ever-changing meal kit sector ebbs and flows. Although it hit penny-stock status at the end of last year, the company may now have a new and winning strategy. Recently, it closed a deal with Beyond Meat®, which added the company’s plant-based products to Blue Apron’s meal kits. Since that deal closed, Blue Apron saw its stock price surge by 53 percent per share on Tuesday afternoon.
Adding Beyond Meat’s plant-based meat substitutes to its menu, starting in mid-August, positions Blue Apron to take advantage of changing food trends and attract new customers.
According to Yahoo Finance, Blue Apron split its stock last month in an attempt to keep its stock price above $1 per share and avoid being delisted on the New York Stock Exchange.
The company has endured several hardships of late. Despite its attempts to revive itself and form strategic partnerships with WW—formerly known as Weight Watchers—and Walmart-owned Jet.com, Blue Apron was forced to cancel its pilot program with Costco, and cut its workforce by four percent.
After going public in April, Beyond Meat’s market value has continued to rise, with its share price growing 582 percent since its initial public offering. The entire plant-based meat sector is booming, as according to the news source, the global market for meat substitutes is expected to hit $18.7 billion in sales by 2023.
Will this new partnership and expanded menu offerings be enough to propel Blue Apron out of penny stock misery? AndNowUKnow will report on the latest.
SACRAMENTO, CA - With nearly four decades, a time that Greg Corrigan has called a blessing, the Senior Director of Produce and Floral for Raley’s has announced his upcoming retirement. I first met Greg back in 2012 during my first years with the company, and he has always been a passionate source of knowledge and experience that has helped me understand the world of produce a little bit more.
“I have spent more than 35 years with the incredible team at Raley’s and 19 of those amazing years running the produce and floral department,” Greg shares with me. “The fresh produce industry and the people in it are a dynamic and passionate group that have helped pave the way for my personal growth and evolution. It has been a blessing to live within this industry, every day.”
Greg began his career in the grocery industry in 1984 working for Bel Air Market—before it was acquired by Raley’s—as he attended Sacramento State University where he achieved his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration in 1991. Greg served as a Produce Manager at store level for nine years and, in 1998, Greg was promoted to District Produce and Floral Supervisor overseeing the store level operations for produce and floral in the South Division for Raley’s.
Greg was promoted to Director of Produce and Floral, in 2000, where his responsibilities included overseeing all procurement and merchandising for the four banner company including Raley’s, Bel Air Market, Nob Hill Foods and is retiring as the Senior Director of Produce and Floral for Raley’s Family of Fine Stores come July 20, after which, Michael Schutt will be the new lead for the team.
Greg has always had a contagious energy about him and I think that is what has made him such a leader—amongst many other amazing assets as well—in the retail space and beyond.
So, what is next for Greg? He plans on moving down to South Monterey with his amazing fiancée, Lisa Davis of Bonduelle Fresh Americas.
I would like to extend a warm congratulations from your friends at AndNowUKnow on your recent announcement and the exciting road ahead!
MCALLEN, TX - Fox Packaging, one of the industry leaders in packaging innovation, has announced the latest addition to its family of 50 years. Jasper Trujillo will now be the new Business Development Manager.
“We’re looking forward to having Jasper on the team, as his unique approach to business development and sales strategy are attributes we know are important for this particular role,” said Aaron Fox, Executive Vice President. “We look forward to introducing him to the industry and our customers at Fresh Summit in October.”
The press release stated that Trujillo will help create standard operating procedures and measured competitive analyses for previous clients, pulling from his background in economics and business consulting. Trujillo will also be responsible for the development of an effective marketing and sales strategy in his new role that is centered around metrics-based performance. Trujillo will also work in tandem with the finance team to create a more concise reporting structure for business and product category performance.
“Jasper’s role is critical to strengthen and enhance our systematic sales strategy to better support the team as well as enrich our customer experience,” Craig Fox, Executive Vice President.
Fox Packaging stands on providing top-quality and personalized service and hiring Trujillo is an extension of its values. Congratulations to Jasper Trujillo from ANUK!
ONTARIO, CA - I love making a fresh salad from scratch, combining unique ingredients or kitchen staples to fit that current mood I am in. And then there are other times when I want someone to take the flavor search off my plate and take it onto theirs. Enter FiveStar Gourmet Foods and its Deluxe Simply Fresh Salads®.
“We launched our new line up of Deluxe Simply Fresh Salads just weeks ago and retailers fell in love with them right away,” Tal Shoshan shares with me adding that the line just landed in Costco and Publix with more to come. “Demand has already been amazing. Our buyers really took to the idea of offering consumers a more premium single-serve salad offering that had ingredients that were restaurant inspired.”
Customers of FiveStar know about the company’s keen attention to detail, demand for excellence, and the incredible taste of its signature dressings the team makes in-house. But it really has been the consumer responses that have delighted FiveStar most.
“We engage with consumers on all our social media channels and they just love the Simply Fresh Salad brand and have become accustomed to our high standards. On top of that, we just entered into a formal partnership with Church Brothers Farms who has exceptional growing operations that allow us to provide a vertically integrated program from the more than 40,000 conventional and organic crop acres.”
The line offers a host of flavor combinations:
- Chicken Cobb With a Zesty Avocado Ranch Dressing
- Greek Inspired Chicken Caesar With Lemon Caesar Dressing
- Chicken Caesar Loaded With Double Chicken and Creamy Caesar Dressing
- Santa Fe Style With Chicken, Roasted Corn, Black Beans, and Sun-Dried Tomato Chipotle Dressing
- Chopped Wedge With Grilled Chicken, Natural Bacon, and Creamy Ranch Dressing
- Gourmet Caprese With Fresh Mozzarella Cheese and Ripe Sweet Tomatoes With Our Signature Balsamic Vinaigrette
“Our consumer research indicates that consumers buy packaged salads for the convenience, flavors, and proteins. Our Deluxe Simply Fresh Salads exceeds these needs on all three points. It is our first release that features great familiar flavors with a twist,” Tal tells me.
Current supplies for the new line are shipping from Salinas, California, and when the season changes, the harvest will move to Yuma, Arizona.
Each salad is 8 to 10 oz for each entrée-sized salad. FiveStar partners with leading suppliers to bring “green” packaging into the marketplace. The team also designs and patents each and every packaging it uses in its product lines.
The salad line showcases a unique square bowl with a patented diagonal condiments insert. The design allows for the toppings to be featured front and center and for the consumer to see the amazing quality. Aside from amazing flavors and presentation, the salads utilize FiveStars’ patented Fresh Sealed technology which offers the longest shelf life in the industry without compromising on quality and food safety.
“What sets us apart is our extreme innovation and our desire to bring restaurant-quality salads to retail. We continue to be a pioneer within the single-serve salad category and this latest product line is a perfect example,” Tal reflects. “The ‘Deluxe’ line of Simply Fresh Salads are more premium with restaurant-quality ingredients with an average 25 percent more condiment toppings than most other pre-packaged retail salads.”
Time to update my shopping list before the next grocery shopping trip! FiveStar? Check!
NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI - Ahold Delhaize USA is making waves in the foodservice sector with an all-new fresh processing facility and culinary innovation center. The foodservice hub is being opened by Ahold’s services company, Retail Business Services, and its subsidiary Infinity Fresh Kitchen. The facility was purchased from Taylor Farms, with the company set to serve as the strategic partner managing the hub’s operations and workforce.
“As the services company of Ahold Delhaize USA, the largest grocery retail group on the East Coast, Retail Business Services is charged with finding innovative solutions that enable the local grocery brands we support to focus on serving their customers,” said Roger Wheeler, President of Retail Business Services. “Infinity Fresh Kitchen is the latest example of this innovation, which will help our retail partners bring the latest fresh, convenient items to their customers.”
The Rhode Island-based facility will process fresh food items for area grocery stores, including cut fruit and cut vegetables; leaf, grain, and pasta salads; and sandwiches, wraps, and other items commonly found in deli or grab-and-go sections of supermarkets, according to a press release. In its first few months, the facility will primarily serve the Hannaford and Stop & Shop brands.
“We’re pleased to work with Retail Business Services on this innovative facility,” said Bruce Taylor, Chairman and CEO of Taylor Farms. “We look forward to completing the outfitting of the facility and getting operations underway in the coming months.”
On top of servicing area grocery stores, the new facility will also feature a Culinary Innovation Center that will test new, fresh, and private-brand food concepts.
“We want to create food items that perfect the expected and delight consumers with the unexpected,” said Jacqueline Ross, Vice President of Private Brands Innovation for Retail Business Services. “We’re excited to allocate a portion of the space in this facility to private brand product innovation, particularly fresh, nutritious items and preparations.”
Construction is officially underway, with operations expected to begin in September. Taylor Farms and Retail Business Services are currently in the process of hiring employees to fill about 250 jobs.
AndNowUKnow will continue to report on what’s new and improved in retail, foodservice, and other fresh produce sectors.