CASTROVILLE, CA - Last year: Beyoncé. This year: artichokes! Well, sort of. Ocean Mist® Farms is taking two of Coachella, California’s biggest pulls—Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and artichokes—and mish-mashing them together in its latest consumer-facing campaign. The Peace, Love & Artichokes promotion is kicking off the winter season with email marketing, social media advertising, and sweepstakes prizes to drive sales and in-store demand for this season’s ‘chokes.
“We want consumers to know that our artichokes are grown to deliver consistent flavor to the plate. With well-trained, seasoned harvesting teams and dedicated marketing professionals, we work 365 days of the year to keep artichokes top of mind,” said Senior Director of Marketing Diana McClean. “Furthermore, we hope to build and enhance our community through this promotion. We also seek to inspire those who align with the Coachella festival to give artichokes a try!”
Ocean Mist Farms is leveraging this promotion to increase consumption and keep the upward trend of artichoke sales in late winter on the up and up. To incentivize shoppers, new and old artichoke admirers can enter the Peace, Love & Artichokes Sweepstakes for a chance to win a $1,000 VISA gift card. In addition, the first 1,000 entrants will receive a coveted bumper sticker and will automatically be entered to win an additional Coachella music festival prize pack valued at $500.
Artichokes' ideal growing conditions include mild temperatures and plenty of moisture, a.k.a coastal plains. However, Ocean Mist has honed a desert-grown proprietary seed variety specifically for the Coachella Valley climate, according to a press release. This allows Ocean Mist to take advantage of the valley’s optimal growing conditions during the winter-to-spring months and maintain high-quality standards all year long.
Will this year’s world-renowned festival witness artichoke flower crowns, artichoke leaf skirts, and bulbous accessories of epic proportions? If not, I think we have our work cut out for us from now until April, produce industry fam!
To learn more about Ocean Mist Farms, visit Ocean Mist's website. For more recipe inspiration and tips, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. And to learn how to make a flower crown out of artichokes, keep checking back with AndNowUKnow.
RICHMOND, VA - Performance Food Group Company (PFG) is promoting longtime employee Craig Hoskins to the position of President & CEO, Foodservice and Executive Vice President. In this new role, Hoskins will report to George Holm, the company’s Chairman, President, and CEO.
Hoskins has been with PFG since 2008 when the company merged with Vistar Corporation, according to a press release. He was involved with in sales, marketing, operations, and merchandising at Vistar, then became President & CEO of PFG Customized Distribution and a Senior Vice President of PFG in January 2012. The company verteran assumed additional responsibility for Performance Foodservice’s sales and marketing in January 2018 and has held an interim position as President & CEO of Performance Foodservice since July 2018.
“Craig is an industry expert with nearly three decades of distribution experience,” said Holm. “His background in senior commercial and operating roles will be integral to our continued success as we grow the business and execute on our long-term strategic goals.”
Hoskins has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Northern Colorado and a master’s degree in marketing from the University of Colorado Denver. He currently holds multiple board positions in addition to his work with PFG, including a spot with Omnivore and a Vice Chairmanship with the International Foodservice Distributors Association.
AndNowUKnow will continue to bring you big news on personnel shifts in the fresh produce industry, so keep checking your inbox for the latest.
HOUSTON, TX - Foodservice giant Sysco announced the results of its second fiscal quarter this week. The company cited topline growth and continued investments in its international operations as highlights of a quarter that exceeded analysts expectations. The company also announced its intentions to streamline its business and implement “an approximate 10 percent reduction in salaried corporate support positions” in order to “drive continued growth and value creation.”
“Our second quarter results were in line with our expectations,” said Tom Bené, Sysco’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. “We saw solid topline growth, while we continue making investments in our business, particularly in our international segment. We remain focused on exceeding our customers’ expectations, while continuing to manage costs, and anticipate seeing additional benefit from our cost savings initiatives in the second half of this fiscal year.”
Second Quarter Fiscal 2019 Highlights include:
- Sales increased 2.5% to $14.8 billion
- Gross profit increased 2.7% to $2.8 billion; gross margin increased 4 basis points
- Operating income decreased 14.5% to $451.9 million; adjusted operating income increased 4.8% to $603.3 million
- EPS decreased $0.03 to $0.51; adjusted EPS decreased $0.03 to $0.75
To learn more about Sysco’s Q2 2019, read the company’s financial report in its entirety here.
For more fresh food news, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
OXNARD, CA - If you are experiencing the thick of winter it is probably hard to imagine that, somewhere, it’s warm enough to provide high-quality mangos. But, Freska Produce’s Gary Clevenger assures me that it is so.
“We are currently winding down out of Peru with Kent mangos and started our Mexican season about two weeks ago with Ataulfos from southern Mexico,” Gary tells me. “Volumes fluctuate from year to year out of each of the countries, but demand for mangos continues to go up year after year as they become more mainstream.”
This year’s volume, Gary says, is about 35 percent less out of Peru versus last year.
“Out of Peru, we didn't quite have the right weather, so less flowers remained on the tree. In Mexico, we have some similar problems with flowering and the season was off to a slow start compared to last year. Quality-wise, however, the fruit is very nice this year out of both countries—no visible quality problems with any fruit,” he says.
To continue to foster that rising demand, Gary advises that it’s best to get ahead of promotions as the season gains momentum.
“As mango season ramps up out of Mexico, I would encourage retailers to promote both varieties of mangos—Ataulfos and Kents/Tommys, as wells as multiple sizes, large and small. The National Mango Board is also conducting a Make it with Mango promotion to celebrate mangos all winter long with a special winter recipe contest,” he explains.
So keep a weathered eye on the horizon, or in this case, the port of entry. We’ll continue to keep you in the loop on this and other produce items at AndNowUKnow.
HINCKLEY, OH - Can’t stop, won’t stop must be the new motto for Aldi, as it has recently announced plans for further expansion in the Ohio market. The German retailer is making a commitment to grow employment as it expands its distribution center in Hinckley, Ohio.
“As Aldi continues to grow, we’re excited to expand employment opportunities at our Hinckley distribution center, and we’re proud to be an employer of choice in the state of Ohio and across the U.S.,” said Corey Stucker, Hinckley Division Vice President. “We’re committed to job growth across the country and look forward to continuing to serve our local Ohio communities in the years to come.”
More than 60 new jobs will be created, and 180 current full-time employees will be retained, as reported by Cleveland + Business. The hirings are set to take place over the next three years. The growth is part of the company’s plan to expand to 2,500 stores by the end of 2022, and add 25,000 new jobs.
Will Aldi’s ambitious plan for growth pay off? Keep reading AndNowUKnow for all the updates.
THE NETHERLANDS AND CALIFORNIA, USA - Apeel Sciences has been making headlines ever since its avocados starting rolling out at Costco and Harps. No stranger to the spotlight, the company has once again made heads turn with its latest partnership. Apeel’s plant-derived food waste prevention tech will soon be integrated into Nature’s Pride avocado value chain, which will bring Apeel Avocados—avocados with double the edible shelf life—to European households for the first time.
“Food waste is a massive global problem and with a strategic leader like Nature’s Pride, we can look to a future where there’s much less waste in the system, and we can advance sustainability together with benefits to everyone in the supply chain,” said James Rogers, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Apeel Sciences. “Nature’s Pride and Apeel have the same vision for a future where our food systems operate more harmoniously with nature, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to work with them to take the food waste fight to Europe very soon.”
According to a press release, the partnership comes at a time when food waste in Europe has reached 88 million tons annually and builds on Apeel’s successful introduction in the U.S., where the technology demonstrated more than 50% food waste reduction at the retail level. As part of the partnership, Nature’s Pride and Apeel Sciences will introduce a co-branded label, a signal to consumers of quality, sustainability, longer lasting freshness, and less food waste, made possible by Apeel’s technology.
“We put the health of people and the environment at the heart of all we do. We are constantly looking for improvements in our value chain to provide our customers with the highest quality and most tasty products. With Apeel, we share the same values: we are both pioneering and passionate about reducing food waste, and we want to work collaboratively with others to solve this problem. This makes Apeel the ideal strategic partner for us. We look forward to reducing food waste, unlocking new value for everybody in the supply chain, and growing the fruit and vegetable business with all of our partners together.” said Adriëlle Dankier, Chief Commercial Officer of Nature’s Pride.
Avocado pilots are expected to start mid-year in select retail stores in Europe, subject to EU regulatory approval, and both companies are excited to offer European customers and consumers Apeel Avocados.
In support of Apeel’s expansion to meet demand domestically and around the world, Apeel Sciences has expanded the team. The press release noted that this supports the company's efforts and relationships with its fresh food suppliers and buyers.
Mike Tucker will be joining Apeel as Team Leader of Buyer Relations. His role will be to oversee the group who will work with retailers and wholesalers to grow existing Apeel programs and introduce new Apeel products to the market. Tucker’s most recent role was as Retail Category Manager with Sakata Seed. He also has over a decade’s worth of buy-side experience with Target.
Chayla Balko joins Apeel as a Senior Account Executive on the Buyer Relations team. She brings over 15 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, working with retailers to build winning sales strategies. She gained her strong business development and industry knowledge from her most recent roles with Golden Sun Marketing as its Business Development Manager and The Oppenheimer Group as its Business Development Representative and Key Account Manager.
Michele Visser is returning to the produce industry as the Director of Supplier Relations for Apeel. She will work closely with the grower-supplier community to implement joint go-to market strategies that unlock the value of Apeel. She most recently served as the Vice President of Sales for Aplos Software, and she brings a keen understanding of how to support grower-packer-shippers in their successful adaptation of new systems and technologies from her time as a Senior Account Manager for Famous Software.
Congratulations to Apeel on this new partnership and to its new team members!
WASHINGTON, DC - Mary Coppola is stepping into a new role with the United Fresh Produce Association. The marketing maven has been promoted to Vice President, Marketing & Communications.
According to a press release, Coppola first joined the association in the fall of 2014. During her time with United Fresh, Coppola has been pivotal in spearheading the organization’s marketing and communication efforts.
“When Mary joined our team, we asked her to take on two major tasks,” said United Fresh President & CEO Tom Stenzel. “First, she focused on growing the association’s marketing and communications capacity to deliver targeted messaging to our members and broader fresh produce industry. Equally important, Mary also took on the role of staff liaison to the association’s Produce Marketing & Merchandising Council, a group of 45 leading marketing professionals from our member companies. Working with these volunteer leaders, Mary has helped create a strong professional community of produce marketers that is helping our industry bring great new products to consumers around the world."
The Produce Marketing & Merchandising Council is the team behind BrandStorm™, an industry opportunity to get up close and personal with produce marketers. The council organizes and hosts the interactive event, which is celebrating its fourth year this year.
“Congratulations to Mary on this great and well-earned career step,” said Mark Munger, 4Earth Farms’ Vice President, Sales & Marketing and Chairman of United Fresh’s Produce Marketing & Merchandising Council. “We invite marketers from across our produce supply chain to join our Council members, Mary, and the United Fresh marketing team at this year’s BrandStorm conference for an amazing experience.”
BrandStorm will take place in San Francisco on February 20-22—see you there!
Congratulations, Mary, on your promotion! For more news like this, keep following AndNowUKnow.
UNITED KINGDOM - Kroger’s partner, Ocado, has reportedly been talking to UK-based Marks & Spencer (M&S) about a potential grocery supply deal. A partnership with Ocado, The Mail on Sunday first reported, would give the struggling retailer a chance to pull itself out of the grocery hole.
Given that the two companies have held talks regarding a partnership, one wonders what may become of Ocado’s current partnership with Waitrose. As of now, the contract between the two is set to dissolve in September of 2020.
M&S has been hitting a wall, so to speak, when it comes to expansion plans. The retailer closed 100 stores by 2022 as part of its latest bid to halt a decline in its revenue. Although it has thus far been fairly quiet on the grocery delivery front, M&S allegedly wants to launch a £1 billion delivery service (approximately $1.3 billion USD).
A source reported to The Mail that Archie Norman, M&S Chairman, needs to do something “transformational to make his mark at M&S, and he is running out of time.”
Ocado and Kroger made headlines last May when they announced that their partnership would yield distribution centers, or automated warehouse facilities, to best fulfill Kroger’s online delivery capabilities.
Will Ocado enter into this agreement with Marks & Spencers, and will the partnership look similar to the one it has with Kroger? Will it pull M&S back from the brink? AndNowUKnow will keep its eyes peeled to the newswire.
WASHINGTON, DC - The Trump Administration announced recipients of its 2019 Agricultural Trade Promotion Program (ATP) funding, and the produce industry has emerged victorious. Late last week, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue revealed the Administration’s list of 57 recipients that will split $200 million in funding, 20 of which are involved with the fresh produce and/or nut industries. Familiar produce industry names such as Sunkist Growers, the California Fresh Fruit Association, and the California Table Grape Commission were all names as recipients of the federal funding.
“At USDA, we are always looking to expand existing markets or open new ones, so we are proud to make good on the third leg of the President’s promise to America’s farmers,” said Secretary Perdue. “This infusion will help us develop other markets and move us away from being dependent on one large customer for our agricultural products. This is seed money, leveraged by hundreds of millions of dollars from the private sector, that will help to increase our agricultural exports.”
All sectors of U.S. agriculture were eligible to apply for cost-share assistance under the ATP, according to a press release. Each application was evaluated for potential for export growth in the target market, direct injury from recent tariffs, and the likelihood that the proposed project or activity will have a near-term impact on agricultural exports. The USDA provided a full list of recipients and the amount of funding each will receive here. In total, fresh produce and nut interests will split nearly $30 million between them.
“We were pleased to see the large demand for participation in the program and truly got some out-of-the-box ideas that we are hopeful will expand our global footprint,” Perdue said. “We examined all applications carefully, considered our ranking criteria, and awarded the funds in order to make the best use of taxpayer dollars in growing agricultural trade.”
Below are the 20 funding recipients relevant to the fresh produce industry:
- Almond Board of California: $3,185,690
- American Pistachio Growers: $1,715,000
- California Cherry Marketing and Research Board: $394,440
- California Fresh Fruit Association: $267,565
- California Pear Advisory Board: $140,690
- California Strawberry Commission: $577,140
- California Table Grape Commission: $2,856,830
- California Walnut Commission: $1,612,440
- Cal–Pure Produce Inc.: $1,715,000
- Cranberry Marketing Committee: $1,139,450
- National Potato Promotion Board: $3,670,860
- National Watermelon Promotion Board: $50,000
- Organic Trade Association: $547,085
- Pear Bureau Northwest: $564,170
- Sunkist Growers, Inc.: $546,690
- U.S. Apple Export Council: $196,515
- U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council: $259,953
- U.S. Pecan Growers Council: $1,325,010
- Washington Apple Commission: $8,457,600
- Washington State Fruit Commission: $709,203
AndNowUKnow will continue to report on the latest efforts by the Trump Administration and Secretary Perdue as they look to further stimulate innovation in ag.
PORTLAND, OR - Pear Bureau Northwest (PBNW) is taking February and early spring head on and focusing promotional efforts on the importance of maintaining a nutritious diet and healthy lifestyle. PBNW is taking a multi-channel approach and introducing retailer demos and displays, targeted digital ad campaigns, and editorial and social media with a synchronized message highlighting the flavor, versatility, and nutritional benefits of pears.
“With the fresh start of a new year and many people embracing healthier lifestyle and diet choices, we feel that February and March are the perfect months to loudly share the message that pears are a favorite winter fruit with significant nutritional benefits,” said Kevin Moffitt, President and CEO, in a press release. “Northwest pears are also available nearly year-round, and our promotions during the Nutrition Months will help keep pears on the minds of retailers and consumers in winter and spring.”
PBNW noted that February is American Heart Month, and March is National Nutrition Month, and the bureau is working on a number of coordinated promotions aimed at engaging consumers throughout that window. PBNW is undertaking a collaboration with California Walnuts featuring a produce meal solution that places pears, walnuts, and other salad ingredients conveniently in front of consumers. Retailers will also be encouraged to participate in display contests and feature timely salads, smoothies, roasted veggies, and breakfast ideas in their store signage.
PBNW will be talking about these same topics on its social media platforms and in its consumer newsletters, with an emphasis on pears’ high fiber content (6 grams per medium-sized pear) and the fruit being Heart-Check Certified by the American Heart Association. The bureau also noted that it will continue to run targeted advertisements on social media and will also work with a range of influencers within the healthy eating and wellness communities.
Additionally, PBNW will be hosting an online sweepstakes throughout February and March, offering consumers in the U.S. and Canada a chance to win a custom-painted KitchenAid stand-up mixer. Much of the content used to engage consumers in this contest will emphasize pears as a heart-healthy food, with pears being an excellent source of fiber and a good source of Vitamin C, as well as being sodium-free, fat-free, and cholesterol-free.
For more fresh fruit and veggie news, keep reading AndNowUKnow.