PORT HUENEME, CA - In what officials are calling the Port of Hueneme’s "biggest drug bust in twenty-five years," federal authorities seized roughly 221 pounds of cocaine that were hidden in the floorboards of two produce ships. The seizures were due to a joint effort on the parts of Border Patrol Agents and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“This normally doesn’t happen in Port Hueneme,” stated Jaime Ruiz, a spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
According to news source VC Star, Ruiz did not disclose how authorities knew there would be illicit substances on the ships carrying produce from Central and South America. The Los Angeles Times reported that the first stash of cocaine, found on January 22, 2019, was discovered on a ship that had arrived from Ecuador. 80 bundles of the drug were wrapped and hidden underneath the floorboards. The second stash, found on January 28, 2019, was concealed under the floor of a cargo ship from Guatemala.
Officials did not specify what kind of produce was on the ships that contained the cocaine.
“I’m extremely proud of the results of this joint effort; it shows the professionalism, vigilance, and keen focus of both agencies in preventing dangerous drugs into our communities,” said LaFonda Sutton-Burke, CBP Port Director of the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport and Port Hueneme, in a press release.
For the latest in how innocent produce is being used for nefarious deeds, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
MISSION, TX - For those of you rushing to enter your Gateway to Innovations submission, it’s all good! The deadline has been extended to February 28, 2019. That’s eight extra days to put your best foot—or produce—forward and show the industry exactly what you’ve got (which is obviously greatness, I mean you work in produce)!
This year marks Viva Fresh’s second annual Gateway to Innovations Awards, and in honor of its return, all types of innovations hailing from the great Tex-Mex corridor are now welcome to join the running. This includes packaging designs, point-of-sale materials, seed varieties, production advancements, machinery, packing facilities and greenhouses, technology and application software, food safety, traceability, and sustainability efforts. Are any of those in your wheelhouse? Yes? Then what are you waiting for?! Submit your innovation now thanks to the extended deadline!
Out of the submissions, 24 top tier finalists will be selected by a panel of judges. The finalists will be showcased before and during the Viva Fresh Expo on Saturday, April 27. Expo attendees will be encouraged to vote for their fave innovation live from the show floor via their mobile devices. And, the winner will receive the Best of Show Award that same day! Trust me when I say, you’re going to want to be the one hefting that trophy home!
Those interested in entering a submission can find the official application webpage here: http://vivafreshexpo.com/viva-fresh-gateway-to-innovation-awards/. All applications are due February 28 and the finalists will be notified by March 25.
The 2019 Viva Fresh Expo will take place on April 25-27 at the JW Marriott Hill Country Resort in San Antonio, Texas. Bring your best, but more importantly bring you! See you there, produce people!
VANCOUVER, BC - A week ago, Village Farms announced that its common shares were approved for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “VFF.” And only yesterday, the company released a statement noting that its common shares will commence trading Thursday, February 21, 2019.
According to a press release, Village Farms will voluntarily delist its common shares from the OTCQX. Shareholders who previously traded Village Farms common shares through the OTCQX will now be able to trade those shares through Nasdaq. In conjunction with this Nasdaq listing, Village Farms’ common shares will become Direct Registration System (DRS) eligible for U.S. shareholders.
The company noted that it expects to report its fourth quarter and year-end 2018 results after markets close on March 13, 2019. Village Farms will issue another press release confirming this date, so stay tuned!
For the latest in all fresh produce news, keep reading us here at AndNowUKnow.
ORLANDO, FL - Hi, fellow women in produce! We’re in luck—a new Wendy McManus program is raising the stakes and giving us ladies another fantastic opportunity to learn how to slay the produce game!
“Through the Lean in to Leadership program, I’m teaching concepts that I wish I had been exposed to earlier in my career,” said McManus, Leadership Coach with Connect 2 Potential. “In this small group format, everyone is connecting and learning from each other, so it’s a fun and dynamic learning environment.”
Lean in to Leadership first came to fruition after Wendy launched it as a pilot program last fall. Following the success of the fall, the team behind the program is announcing that registration is now open for the spring session of Lean in to Leadership, allowing more mid-career women in produce who manage people, projects, or a portfolio of business to take part in the coaching and development program. In a press release, McManus noted that women who are strong contributors to their organization and would like to lean into their growth rather than settling for the status quo should register today!
The program includes five group sessions via video conference and three one-on-one coaching sessions that offer the opportunity to collaborate and grow face-to-face—without the time and expense of additional business travel.
Those who participate in Lean in to Leadership can expect to:
- Expand their influence by learning how to shine in high-stakes conversations
- Strengthen their relationships by improving how they connect and communicate
- Enhance their ability to engage and inspire others through powerful questions and other coaching skills
- Develop their capacity to lead, even if they are not in a formal leadership role
- Bolster their personal leadership prowess through greater self-awareness
- Reconnect with their core values that provide the “true north” for their work and their life
The company’s press release also included rave reviews from the fall program’s participants, including the following:
- “Lean in to Leadership is a great program to learn new leadership skills and hone existing ones, without adding an extra trip to your calendar.”
- “I felt comfortable with Wendy immediately and was able to put her input and coaching to work right away.”
- “Our one-on-ones left me feeling inspired and excited about utilizing the information both at work and in life.”
- “Lean into Leadership showed me the importance of setting an intention and vision to create more value for myself and others.”
- “This is a program I would recommend to any woman in the produce industry to boost your leadership style.”
- “I expected this program to be impactful and beneficial to me as a professional, but it was also life-enriching on a personal level.”
The first group session is set for March 26, with a session every other week until May 21—a schedule that helps participants practice what they’ve learned. Registration will be capped at eight participants, and the program is expected to sell out, so register now!
For more info, click here. And for more info on the produce industry’s not-to-be-missed events, programs, and shows, keep following AndNowUKnow.
PITTSBURGH, PA - After decades sitting vacant, the Pittsburgh Produce Terminal will now see new life. According to reports, last week, Steel City’s Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) approved plans for an ambitious $49.5 million makeover of the formerly bustling wholesale produce hub.
Last Thursday, the URA approved plans submitted by Chicago-based McCaffery Interests to begin construction on the site. Local CBS affiliate KDKA-2 reports that construction on the former produce hub will begin as early as this March.
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the proposed redevelopment plan includes a “food-centric” locally-owned market featuring a chef incubator kitchen, grab-to-go foods, and coffee and cocktail bars. The terms of the deal also stipulate at least 40,000 square feet to be leased back “to local or regional businesses focused on artisan food, crafts, produce, meats, and creative arts.”
McCaffery Interests’ website notes that the renovated site will offer roughly “160,000 [square feet] of new retail, restaurants, and office with parking” and promises to “restore [the five-block-long terminal’s] energy and vitality to once again make it a commercial, people-centric destination.”
According to a Pittsburgh Preservation blog post, the Pittsburgh Produce Terminal was once considered to be “the focal point of the Strip's wholesale district” if only for its sheer size.
The proposed redevelopment project has been a half-decade long process prompting criticism from local organizations and residents.
In 2013, the Post-Gazette published a story lamenting the closure of the terminal and redevelopment plans that could have demolished much of the terminal’s structure in an era when San Francisco, Philadelphia, St. Louis, New York, Chicago, and Columbia, SC, were expanding and reviving their wholesale produce markets.
Will the new retail destination breath life into an erstwhile vacant produce hub? Will food-centric new fixtures fulfill the changing needs of Pittsburgh’s The Stripe neighborhood?
AndNowUKnow will continue to report on all things produce.
WATSONVILLE, CA - Going to the Southeast Produce Council’s 2019 Southern Exposure will mark my first time in Florida, and boy, am I excited. But, I’m not the only one gearing up for the big event: Monterey Mushrooms is preparing to showcase its product line called Let's Blend—finely diced mushrooms ready to blend with ground meat—at the event.
“People want to eat better without giving up flavor and texture,” Lindsey Roberts, Marketing Manager, said in a press release. “Let’s Blend works well with ground beef, chicken, lamb, pork, or turkey. It makes meat juicier without adding fat or cholesterol.”
Roberts noted that the product is an easy way for home cooks to achieve the same blended concept being served in restaurants. Let’s Blend is available in an 8 oz package for retail customers in three pre-seasoned flavors: Classic, Mexican, and Italian. Let’s Blend is also offered in 8 oz and 40 oz packages for foodservice customers, in both unseasoned or pre-seasoned flavors.
The retail Let’s Blend recyclable packaging has an extended shelf life, cooking instructions on the pack, a visible use-by date, and a cut out window to see the product.
Let’s Blend will be sampled at booth #717 at Southern Exposure. The company will serve Let's Blend Queso featuring the Mexican-flavored Let’s Blend mushrooms. It will also serve samples of its fresh line, including clean-n-ready, vitamin D, certified-organic, whole and sliced mushrooms.
See you folks in Orlando!
AJAX, CANADA - Gordon Food Service is all about that new new—I mean, the year is still young, so who isn’t? News source DurhamRegion.com reports that the foodservice distribution company is building a new 342,000-square-foot warehouse in Ajax, Canada, slated to open by early 2020.
The warehouse supplements Gordon Food Service’s distribution needs in Ontario, allowing the company to provide more foodservice products to customers in the pivotal market. The news source notes that the warehouse will feature automation like product selection, sorting, and truck loading details. The new facility will also provide 300 jobs in the logistics and warehousing services sector.
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Last year, Gordon Food Service was busy expanding its brick-and-mortar presence, debuting new urban retail concepts, and even welcoming a new COO and President. With construction already underway on the new facility, this trade news reporter can’t help but wonder if the foodservice distributor is gearing up for another big year.
The new state-of-the-art warehouse, first announced in June of last year, will be built at the Carruthers Creek Business Park on Ringer Street. The project was initially slated to open in fall of 2019.
To stay in-the-know on what’s happening on the buy- and supply-side of produce, keep checking back with AndNowUKnow.
CINCINNATI, OH - After setting up plans to build its first customer fulfillment centers (CFC) in Monroe, OH, Kroger is stretching its wings and finding new regions for additional CFCs. The retailer and its online grocery partner, Ocado, recently announced Central Florida and the Mid-Atlantic as the newly-named regions to house the next two CFCs.
“Kroger is excited to partner with Ocado—one of the most innovative, advanced companies in the world—to redefine the grocery shopping experience for customers along the East Coast,” said Rodney McMullen, Kroger Chairman and CEO, in a recent press release. “We are incredibly excited to introduce customer fulfillment centers in this region to deliver on our Restock Kroger vision to serve America through food inspiration and uplift.”
The retailer has committed to building 20 CFCs—all powered by Ocado—to accelerate its ability to provide customers with anything they want, at any time and at any place. The automated warehouse facility, also known as a shed, has digital and robotic capabilities.
“Kroger is developing the retail model of the future through our exciting partnership with Ocado, a UK-based company with global ties,” stated Alex Tosolini, Kroger’s Senior Vice President of New Business Development. “We will co-innovate with Ocado to develop the best possible experiences for our customers, leveraging advanced robotics technology and creative solutions.”
Luke Jensen, CEO of Ocado Solutions, added, “This announcement marks another important step toward combining Kroger’s long-standing dedication to innovative and world-class grocery services with Ocado’s unique, industry-leading technology. As the U.S. retail landscape continues to change, these CFCs will play a crucial role in helping Kroger offer its customers a superior online shopping experience in these two major markets.”
Stick with us here at AndNowUKnow to learn more about the latest in retail.
BENTONVILLE, AR - Proving, once again, that it is a bona fide retail giant, Walmart has reported exceptional fourth quarter results, thanks, in part, to a lucrative holiday season. With earnings and shares jumping, the retailer shows that it has what it takes to go after mega e-tailer Amazon.
While other retailers saw a slumped December, Walmart had its best holiday season in a decade, with sales at U.S. stores growing over 4.2 percent compared to last year, which includes a 43 percent rise in digital sales and a three percent jump in stock prices as of Tuesday, CNN reports.
"We had a good year, and I want to thank our associates for their great work and openness to change. They continue to inspire us as we strive to serve our customers better every day,” said President and CEO Doug McMillon in a press release. “Progress on initiatives to accelerate growth, along with a favorable economic environment, helped us deliver strong comp sales and gain market share. We're excited about the work we're doing to reach customers in a more digitally-connected way. Our commitment to the customer is clear—we'll be there when, where and how they want to shop and deliver new, convenient experiences that are uniquely Walmart."
A report released by Walmart further details its revenue increase:
- Total 4Q revenue was $138.8 billion, an increase of $2.5 billion, or 1.9%. Total revenue was $140.5 billion (exluding currency), an increase of $4.2 billion, or 3%
- U.S. comp sales on a two-year stack of 6.8%, strongest growth in 9 years
- eCommerce sales increased by 40%
- $27.8 billion generated in operating cash flow and returned $13.5 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases
Possible causes of the increase in sales include low unemployment and rising wages, low gas prices, and bringing in new high-end brands like Bonobos and Modcloth, according to CNN. Some analysts attribute the strong financial results to an opening in the toy market after the closing of longtime toy retailer, Toys “R” Us, as reported by Bloomberg.
It should be noted, however, that other analysts have considered timing to be a major factor—early SNAP benefits increased U.S. same-store sales by 0.4 percentage points. And, higher prices, more so than increased foot traffic, led to the increased earnings, according to Bloomberg.
Walmart is currently focused on expanding its online presence rather than its brick-and-mortar locations, with plans to open only ten new stores in 2019. It should be noted, however, that its physical presence will not be lost as, according to CNN, the retailer operates over 4,700 locations, and more than 90 percent of the country lives within ten miles of a Walmart store.
Will this strong fourth quarter and online expansion put Walmart on the path to e-dominance? Keep reading AndNowUKnow for important updates.
CASTROVILLE, CA - Ocean Mist® Farms is adding 19 years of experience in food safety and organic quality management to its team. The company announced, this week, that it has hired Lisa Fuentes as its new Director of Food Safety and Quality Assurance.
“I am happy to join the Ocean Mist Farms family and look forward to this new opportunity with a brand that has a long-standing reputation for integrity and superior food safety standards,” said Fuentes, in a press release.
According to that release, Fuentes brings past experience earned at Driscoll’s Inc., Foxy Produce, Green Giant Fresh, River Ranch, and Scientific Certification Systems to her new role at Ocean Mist. And, the company noted, her extensive background within the food safety sector will be instrumental as she spearheads the quality assurance and food safety efforts at Ocean Mist Farms.
Fuentes brings experience on both sides of the food safety assurance equation—working as an inspector and auditor as well as in the private sector implementing successful food safety programs, and this experience gives her an invaluable knowledge base from which to lead Ocean Mist Farms’ Food Safety and Quality Assurance team.
“We are glad to have someone of Lisa’s talent join our team,” said Chris Drew, Vice President of Operations. “Her extensive knowledge of quality management and food integrity makes her a vital addition to our team.”
Fuentes is driven by a consultative approach that seeks long-term, mutually beneficial vendor and customer connections, Ocean Mist noted. Fuentes holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Food Service and Technology and a Master’s of Science in Business and Management.
Congratulations Lisa, from the AndNowUKnow team!