SEATTLE, WA - Amazon is heading south to the Lone Star State, expanding its Austin Tech Hub, and creating 800 new tech jobs. Together with its customer fulfillment facilities, the e-tailer has created more than 22,000 full-time jobs in Texas and has invested over $7 billion in the state since 2011.
“In the last four years, we have created more than 1,000 jobs in Austin,” stated Terry Leeper, General Manager of the Austin Tech Hub. “With a strong pool of technical talent in Austin and a dynamic quality of life, we are excited to continue to expand and create more opportunity in this vibrant city."
According to a press release, the new jobs center around software and hardware engineering, research science, and cloud computing.
“The state of Texas has cultivated a strong and vibrant business environment, leading to more jobs and greater innovation,” said Governor Greg Abbott. “With today’s investment and continued investment in the technology sector, Texas will continue to chart a path toward greater economic prosperity.”
Senator Kirk Watson went on to say, “I’m pleased that Amazon is doubling down on Austin by expanding the Tech Hub. Austin is a special place that fosters creativity and innovation, and I appreciate that Amazon has chosen to become an even greater contributor to our dynamic community and economy.”
Amazon’s Austin Tech Hub is one of the company’s 17 North American Tech Hubs—a network of development centers in addition to Amazon’s Seattle and Northern Virginia headquarters. Employees at these Hubs build new products and services for Amazon customers around the world.
“We are pleased to see Amazon’s significant investment in the Austin region continue to grow,” said Gary Farmer, Opportunity Austin Chair, Austin Chamber of Commerce. “This expanding presence is indicative of our region’s ability to provide creative and innovative talent. We’re proud to call Amazon a partner in our efforts to achieve regional prosperity.”
Congressman Michael McCaul added, “It is no surprise that Texas’ booming economy continues to attract innovative companies, both large and small. Amazon’s decision to further expand comes with the recognition that Texas continues to boast a pro-business environment that helps businesses and families to grow, thrive, and succeed. This expansion will help ensure Austin remains at the cutting-edge of the tech that’s fueling and driving emerging markets.”
For the latest in how Amazon is expanding nationally, keep reading us here at AndNowUKnow.
GLENNVILLE, GA - With a distinctly Southern charm and an outlook to match, Bland Farms is heading into the spring onion season with something retailers won’t want to miss out on. But what is this allusive “something” you ask? We caught up with Delbert Bland, President and Owner of Bland Farms, at SEPC Southern Exposure earlier this year to see if we could glean any of the details.
“Well, actually, this is a pretty good time to be in the onion business, believe it or not, because in the last 2-3 years, there’s been too many onions planted and the prices got real low,” Delbert explained. “We just found out this week that we’re 3,000 acres less than what we were last year. Typically, we average anywhere from 11,500 to 13,000 acres. We only had 9,200 acres this year.”
Despite the lower acreage, Delbert noted that Bland Farms is moving out of Mexico and Texas as we speak, even if it is with a lower crop than expected. But Delbert has been in the onion business for a while now, and nothing seems to shake him from his glass-is-half-full outlook.
“Believe it or not, I’ve been talking to some of the retailers and they like when the market is healthy. So, I think you’re fixing to see a very interesting deal, so we’re excited now,” Delbert concluded.
For more wisdom from Delbert Bland, check out our exclusive interview above. And for more breaking fresh produce news, keep checking back with AndNowUKnow.
BAKERSFIELD, CA - As the industry prepares to head for Montreal, Canada, it’s ANUK’s job to ramp up the produce news before the Canadian Produce Marketing Association’s (CPMA) Convention and Trade Show. Here to help us pump up the anticipation is Grimmway Farms’ Vice President of Organic Sales, Bob Borda, who tells me a little bit about what the company will be showcasing out on the floor.
“One of the items we’re most excited to highlight are our bagged rainbow radishes,” Bob tells me. “Cal-Organic bunched rainbow radishes have been on the market for years, but this year we’re introducing 12-ounce packs featuring freshly-picked rainbow radishes, washed with their greens clipped. We’re also looking forward to sharing the latest updates from our carrot and organic vegetable lines and discussing our upcoming organic potato and dry onion programs with customers.”
Grimmway and Cal-Organic, both family-owned and operated, are focused on providing dependable quality and outstanding service to its customers, and the show is a great opportunity to introduce new products and discuss the seasonal and year-round programs.
“CPMA provides an outstanding venue for us to connect with retail and distribution partners north of the Canadian border,” Bob shares. “We value the solid partnerships we’ve built throughout the Canadian marketplace and look forward to continuing to serve our Canadian customers.”
With Canadian consumers’ passion for fresh produce and better-for-you foods, it’s no wonder that Grimmway sees an opportunity to supply organics to this market year-round!
Be sure to visit Grimmway at booth #716! See you there, fellow produce lovers!
VENTURA, CA - LINKFRESH Inc. has announced the availability of the first release of the LINKFRESH ERP suite on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, where users will enjoy an entirely new user experience with many user interface improvements and optimizations designed to reduce button clicks and improve user productivity!
“We are hugely excited for our Dynamics NAV product to now have migrated across into the Dynamics 365 Business Central platform, supporting the very latest productivity improvements that the platform enables,” said Ian Morgan, Head of Product. “In particular, the ‘game changing’ elements that we are embracing in our Business Central release are the completely re-engineered client application and web based access, the in-built mobile interface designer, and the ability to integrate further with all elements of the Microsoft stack.”
According to the company’s press release, LINKFRESH 365 Business Central will be available next month and embodies over 200 separate LINKFRESH application updates across the suite, including major enhancements in the areas of Touchscreen Operations, Mobile Warehousing, Tablet Quality Control, and Gantt Operations.
The workspace has also been improved to pro-actively display relevant supplementary information to support the task being completed.
To improve user productivity, Consignment Traceability functionality has been simplified. With many visual enhancements to the workspace, such as toggles for fresh produce attributes, the LINKFRESH 365 Business Central Production module has received a makeover as well.
“From a LINKFRESH perspective, the new Mobile Warehousing application for a modern age brings a step-change in our capabilities to deliver global mobile applications in a way that is faster to deploy, faster to run, easier to support by us and our partner community, and be fully personalized by our customers,” Morgan explained. “Some 75% of all LINKFRESH users access the system from mobile devices, so having a best-in-class mobile solution is essential. LINKFRESH 365 Business Central is truly the best ERP platform for growing Fresh Produce companies.”
LINKFRESH 365 Business Central is also released with a new “LINKFRESH vNEXT Mobile” suite for mobile warehousing, as stated in the press release. LINKFRESH vNEXT mobile supports Windows Mobile, iOS, and Android devices. Designed around simple repeatable processes, with ease of use and performance in mind, users can complete warehousing tasks such as; Enquiry, Intake & Put-away, Pallet Management, Stock Take, Quick-Picking, Production, and Outbound Processing.
LINKFRESH vNEXT Mobile Warehousing solution includes an innovative “Navigation by Scanning” feature, which enables users to navigate around the mobile warehousing functions simply by scanning a barcode; the solution recognizes the barcode origin and displays the relevant start screens. Further, “screen gesture shortcuts” have been added for the most common processes.
For the latest updates on LINKFRESH’s new software, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
SALISBURY, NC - After months, even years, of research on how to optimize the fresh produce supply chain, it seems like Ahold Delhaize has finally cracked the code. This week, the retailer announced that its services company Retail Business Services launched an end-to-end forecasting and replenishment solution that leverages technology from RELEX Solutions to ensure fresher produce is available on store shelves.
“By implementing this game changing solution, Retail Business Services is further enabling Ahold Delhaize USA’s local brands to deliver on their ambitions to be there for their customers anytime, anywhere with the freshest products,” Chris Lewis, EVP of Supply Chain for Retail Business Services, said in a press release. “Not only will it provide local brand stores with the flexibility they need to best serve their customers, it will enable a complete supply chain transformation at a time when customer expectations are rapidly changing the way groceries are bought, sold, and delivered.”
The solution incorporates both artificial intelligence and flexible rules engines, both of which allow brands to customize their solutions to meet shoppers’ needs and keep fresh produce and center store products on store shelves. In addition, the AI tech allows the solution itself to update constantly as it learns from itself and works to offer increasingly sophisticated forecasting decisions.
Already Ahold has implemented the solution in a few of its chain banners. Food Lion and Hannaford have been piloting RELEX for fresh distribution center forecasting and replenishment since 2018—a pilot that has proven to be successful. Now, Ahold is looking to bring its solution to Giant Food, Martin’s, Peapod, and Stop & Shop as well.
Is Ahold’s new solution what the supply chain has been missing all along? And will Ahold’s official launch of its AI solution lead other retailers to follow suit? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
BOISE, ID - Plated, the meal kit company Albertsons purchased in 2017, has been booted from the retailer’s shelves in Boise, Idaho—at its Broadway location—less than a year after they launched. The company first began offering the meal kits in select markets across the country—in Safeway stores in the Bay Area of California, which currently still offers the kits—shortly after it was acquired. Plated’s then CEO, Josh Hix, announced his excitement to launch the meal kits in Albertsons hometown of Boise (Hix has since left the company).
“Plated has enjoyed the ability to test and learn on a large scale because of Alberstons Companies expansive footprint that covers a wide range of markets and store brands,” stated Plated Director of Public Relations Liz Marsh in a statement to local news source BoiseDev. “Plated is not currently being offered in Boise stores.”
According to Marsh’s statement, Plated will be offered in select stores as the company temporarily reduces the overall scope of its retail distribution. She did not specify the reasons for the meal kits’ removal from stores.
“This shift will allow us to focus on innovation for the future expansion of Plated within the Albertsons Companies ecosystem,” Marsh continued. “We remain committed to growing Plated to serve customers in new and exciting ways.”
Will other Albertsons follow the example of the Broadway store in Boise? AndNowUKnow will continue to report the latest.
SALINAS, CA - In a recent letter addressed to the industry, Taylor Farms announced that beginning May 1, 2019, it is committed to only sourcing leafy green products which are grown in conformity with the heightened water standards outlined by Mark Borman, President.
The letter reads as follows:
During the last year, the Romaine lettuce markets have been shut down two separate times by the federal government following epidemiological links of certain Romaine products to illnesses and deaths caused by E. coli pathogens. The tragic illnesses and persistent negative publicity surrounding these events has eroded confidence in the healthy products the leafy greens industry produces every day and draws attention away from the food safety advancements made by many members of the leafy greens industry.
Based on results from the FDA traceback work, as well as industry research, open source irrigation water has been identified as a meaningful risk factor for promoting the harborage and transmission of pathogens when not managed properly. More specifically, research has shown that an untreated water source, coupled with overhead irrigation techniques, can prove to be a synergistic combination for the growth and transmission of certain harmful pathogens. Fortunately, this risk can be mitigated through on-site treatment of the water, for organisms of concern, prior to usage.
Through this letter, Taylor Farms is committing to source product from Leafy Green Growers who take this additional step to treat water coming from and/or distributed through open sources prior to use in overhead irrigation. Starting May 1, 2019, Taylor Farms is committed to only source leafy green products which are grown in conformance with the heightened water standards mentioned above.
Along with managing irrigation water more stringently, Taylor Farms is committing to engage in continuous research in our farming, manufacturing and transportation processes to develop science-based solutions for identifying and eliminating risk that ultimately impacts the products that we depend on. The success of our industry is dependent on the industry delivering safe and wholesome products. This is a critical next step.
We here at AndNowUKnow commend Taylor Farms for taking this next step in providing the safest produce possible.
MONTREAL, CANADA - Ok, show of hands, who’s psyched for CPMA’s annual Convention and Trade Show? If any of you didn’t raise your hands, shame on you! The CPMA convention is a golden opportunity for anyone attending, as worlds collide on the show floor—retailers, and growers, and consumers, oh my! Highline Mushrooms is prepped and ready to go when it comes to seizing this opportunity, relishing the chance to interact with customers from a business and personal perspective. I spoke with Stephanie Myles, Marketing Specialist for Highline Mushrooms, who dished about connections, innovation, and demand.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to have direct interactions with store managers and consumers to get their feedback on our product and new innovations,” Stephanie said.
According to Stephanie, Highline Mushrooms has been a pioneer in the mushroom industry for over 50 years and is well known as a company that brings innovation to the category and provides superior-quality mushrooms to consumers. She went on to drop some serious ‘shroom creds—not only is the company the largest producer of mushrooms in Canada; it’s the largest organic mushroom grower in the world!
At the conference, the company will be focused on continued innovation in regards to convenience and consumer, as well as new and exciting product concepts that the company has in the works.
Highline Mushrooms recognizes the unique opportunities within the Canadian market, embracing what makes that market so special.
“The Canadian market offers the opportunity to continue driving demand of fresh mushrooms by leveraging on food trends such as the blend and the health attributes of mushrooms, in addition to value added and convenience products,” said Stephanie.
She went on to explain that there are great opportunities consumer-wise to educate consumers on the variety, flavor, and cooking versatility of mushrooms to make a case for more mushrooms on their plates.
It’s not hard to see how Highline Mushrooms’ success stems from its outlook and consumer-centric approach.
“We are a forward-thinking company that strives for innovation in the mushroom category, always with our consumers’ needs in mind,” Stephanie concluded.
Highline Mushrooms will be kicking it at booth #606, ready to answer all your ‘shroom questions and show off its high-quality offerings.
CASTROVILLE, CA - Ocean Mist® Farms has announced the launch of its spring campaign, Reach for the Gold, to support sales of its “gold standard,” or premier spring artichokes, after making a big splash with a rewarding winter promotion.
“We take great pride in the unparalleled eating quality of our artichokes and the level of farming excellence that goes into maintaining our position as the gold standard in artichoke production,” said Diana McClean, Senior Director of Marketing. “Given the great success of the Peace, Love & Artichokes promotion, which elevated Coachella as the premier growing region for our winter artichokes, we’re excited to shine a spotlight on our core growing region in Castroville, California—the artichoke center of the world!”
According to a press release, the company will launch its 30-day Reach for the Gold promotion beginning April 1st to nurture its growing database of loyal customers with weekly prize-winning opportunities through email-based trivia. The promotion will provide shoppers with tips and inspiration for enjoying artichokes as well as promotional content designed to educate shoppers about the company’s 90 year farming legacy as well as its industry leadership as the gold standard in artichoke growing.
Ocean Mist Farms’ first-ever marketing campaign, the brand’s Peace, Love & Artichokes promotion that wrapped up March 1st, aligned with its exclusive winter growing region in Coachella Valley, California. Spurred by an upward trend in artichoke consumption during the winter months, the brand leveraged its strong winter supply and excellent product quality to engage shoppers and drive purchase intent.
The diverse campaign included a Coachella growing region webpage, a sweepstakes, Google, and social media advertising and email marketing, as stated in the press release. As a result, the brand earned 152,000 sweepstakes submissions, preference data from more than 27,000 shoppers, and 7.8 million brand impressions.
Ocean Mist Farms’ artichokes' original home is Castroville. The coastal, Mediterranean-like climate in this central California area is a natural fit for this Italian vegetable that thrives best in the area’s mild temperatures. The company’s vertically-integrated production has allowed it to implement gold standard best practices at every stage of the production cycle, from planting all the way through harvesting, processing, cooling, and distribution. These best practices are a culmination of the expertise gained from a 95-year-old artichoke farming legacy.
For more information on the Ocean Mist Farms' spring promotion, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
MONTREAL, QC - Fruits From Chile has been delivering delicious fruit to North American markets with key categories like blueberries, citrus, stonefruit, and more. At this year's CPMA Conference and Trade Show, the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association will make their case, meet with partners, and dish about an upcoming season packed with promotional opportunities.
“Our key message is that Chile is the one place for everything fresh,” said Karen Brux, Managing Director of the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association. “From cherries, blueberries, grapes, and stonefruit during the winter months to kiwifruit and citrus in the spring, summer, and fall, you can look to Chile for counter-seasonal supply of all your favorite fruits!” said Karen, noting that Fruits From Chile works with importers, wholesalers, and retailers to drive sales of Chilean produce.
Karen continued: “We support all the major retail chains in Canada, but wholesale markets, like the Ontario Food Terminal, also
And, though several Chilean fruit seasons have just wrapped up, there are a number of categories just over the horizon. At booth #1521, CPMA show-goers can meet with the association’s Toronto-based merchandiser, Susanne Bertolas, and Monserrat Valenzuela, from the Santiago-based Chilean Citrus Committee.
“The CPMA annual convention is the perfect setting for us to connect with our Canadian partners. With the convention taking place at the end of our season for grapes, blueberries, and stonefruit, it’s the perfect time to review promotion programs and wrap up the season. On the other hand, we can also look forward to the Chilean Citrus season, which kicks off in May, and start putting plans in place for mandarin, navel, and lemon promotions,” Karen noted, adding: “There are always a number of Chilean exporters who attend the convention, so we also arrange market tours and meetings with key buyers.”
With ample supplies of high-quality counter-seasonal fruit across key categories, Karen told me, Fruits From Chile has everything North American providers need to get high-quality citrus in the coming months.
“The Chilean Citrus season begins in May and continues through October. Chile is the premier source for Southern Hemisphere citrus, and our volumes are growing year on year, so we’re excited to meet with all our Canadian partners and start talking about programs for the upcoming season,” Karen noted. “We’ll also be showcasing our new Facebook page that we’ve launched for Canada (Fruits From Chile Canada). We decided to have a separate Facebook presence for Canada so we can be more targeted with messaging in both English and French.”
Finally, Karen told me that Fruits From Chile is upping its social media game in the Great White North.
“We’ve partnered with social influencers in Canada, and have sponsored everything from a marathon to a hockey association, promoting fruit as a healthy snack,” added Karen.
CPMA Convention & Trade Show attendees, be sure to drop by booth #1521 at the Palais des congrès de Montréal, April 2-4, to learn more about Fruits From Chile.