SANTA MARIA, CA – A trending dish for chicken and barbecue plates is coming just in time for consumers to hit the outdoors. GreenGate Fresh and its national sales group, Fresh Avenue, have teamed up to bring a fresh approach to one of the original fresh-cut concepts: coleslaw. The new Coleslaw Kit will be launched under GreenGate’s label this spring.
“We’re really excited about this new Coleslaw Kit GreenGate will be launching soon,” Mark Vaughan, Fresh Avenue’s Managing Partner and an expert on fresh kits, shares. “Going back nearly 20 years, I pioneered the launch of a fresh-cut produce kit. Now, I’m pleased to work with GreenGate to bring a key to better coleslaw: fresh-cut cabbage and mixing the dressing into it.”
While GreenGate’s name might ring as something of a newcomer to the fresh produce scene, Jay Iverson, VP of Sales at GreenGate Fresh, assures me that its work has been around as long as any farming family.
“GreenGate as a company is coming up on our 9th anniversary, but our sourcing and family partners go back 75 years in Salinas and almost 100 in Arizona. We might be a new face but we’re not rookies by any stretch,” Jay says.
With deep roots in cabbage growing, GreenGate offers not only the expertise but also consistency across U.S. markets, something any national foodservice chain might need when looking to give customers the same, fresh, flavorful experience.
“We offer a fresh, consistent product across our customers’ markets, no matter the region,” Fresh Avenue’s Scott Bricker, Director of Sales & Partner, points out. “A huge advantage we have noticed is the ability to offer a consistent product with a fresh taste versus a pre-made alternative wherever you might be.”
Likewise, the team says the new coleslaw kit is a fresher product than the usual pre-made coleslaw, easy and quick to assemble while providing a consistent outcome every time. An extreme assist considering the rising popularity of cabbage-centered items on the restaurant and home consumption scenes.
“We were definitely capable of expanding into this new product with the advantage of selling more cabbage,” says Jay. “Cabbage usage is up across the board and enjoying a resurgence, so anything we can do to help assure that boost we’re on board with!”
GreenGate’s western cabbage has a standout color and flavor to make this fresh, easy-to-prep coleslaw pop on any plate or menu image.
See for yourself in the Big Apple next month! The Fresh Avenue and GreenGate teams will band together to introduce the new Coleslaw Kits at the New York Restaurant Show March 4 through 6. Swing by booth #1671 for a bite and tell them AndNowUKnow sent you!
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Online grocery delivery is picking up steam industry-wide, allowing for niche fresh produce services like Blue Apron, HelloFresh, and more to pop up in the market. In the running, and poised to take the lead, organic meal-kit delivery service Sun Basket opened a new 190,000-square-foot East Coast distribution center in Westampton, New Jersey, to accommodate the company’s growth and expansion. Six times larger than the previous facility, the new distribution center has the potential to support half-a-billion-dollars in revenue for the company, as well as has added 400 jobs to the local economy.
“Our rapid growth and need for a much larger East Coast facility is an amazing vote of confidence from customers, and it’s a clear sign that there is a huge market for healthy, delicious meals which meet consumers’ diet-specific needs,” said Adam Zbar, CEO and Co-Founder, in a recent press release. “We will continue to upgrade our facilities with automation, which improves efficiency and provides customers with an even more personalized experience.”
With state-of-the-art automation and data management tools built into the design, the new facility allows the company to increase its operational efficiency and margins and build on Sun Basket’s Healthy Personal Choice Platform that gives customers greater choice and the ability to personalize meals. The new facility will also help Sun Basket increase its capacity to ship five to ten times more meal-kits on the East Coast—a region the company is currently thriving in new user acquisition.
Sun Basket’s direct-to-consumer model continues to disrupt the $650B grocery market, and the company’s strategy of cutting out the grocery store “middleman” has allowed Sun Basket to deliver fresh farm-to-fork produce, reduce food waste, and reach 98 percent of the continental U.S. through its three distribution centers.
Will Sun Basket’s new distribution center continue the company’s upward trajectory? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
FOWLER, CA – With an exceptionally sweet interior beneath it remarkably bumpy rind, the Gold Nugget Mandarins presents a unique opportunity to fresh-focused retailers this season.
“Gold Nuggets are every citrus lover’s dream,” said Director of Communications Monique Bienvenue, in a press release. “Not only have they been voted to be one of the best-tasting mandarin varieties by a professional taste panel, they’re also easy-to-peel and are virtually seedless!”
Available through March from Bee Sweet Citrus, Gold Nuggets are an excellent, easy-peeling addition to produce aisles this winter. These mandarins come in various sizes—all of which are popular for their signature bright-orange, pebbly rind.
“More and more food trends are incorporating citrus varieties into recipes for added flavor,” continued Bienvenue. “Gold Nuggets are perfect for culinary and health enthusiasts alike, because they can easily act alone as a healthy snack or as staple ingredient for salads, dressings, or desserts.”
With their oblong shape and easy-to-peel characteristics, Bee Sweet Citrus noted in its press release, Gold Nuggets make a great option for healthy-snacking—or as a tasty ingredient in marmalades, salads, and more. At less than 100 calories per serving, Gold Nuggets are a healthy addition to any meal and offer an ample amount of soluble fiber and vitamin C and are also sodium and cholesterol free.
For more fresh produce news, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
NETHERLANDS - After reporting a strong fourth quarter, with continued market expansion and raised dividends for 2017 up 10.5% to €0.63 ($0.77) and consolidated net sales of €15.8 billion ($19.27 billion), the details of which you can read here, CEO Dick Boer provided comment.
"2017 was the first full year as Ahold Delhaize, one in which we substantially completed the integration. We delivered synergies ahead of schedule and continued to show underlying operating margin expansion with stable or increasing market share in our major markets,” Dick revealed. “We grew our online consumer sales by more than 20%, with already €1.2 billion ($1.46 billion) sales in food online. In 2017 we realized €2.8 billion ($3.4 billion) online consumer sales and are well on track realizing nearly €5 billion ($6.1 billion) by 2020. We are expanding our digital capabilities in all our brands and are rolling out successful customer loyalty programs. In 2017 we sent out close to 2.5 billion personalized offers, which we expect to increase significantly in 2018.”
The brand is working to make online shopping more convenient and to increase healthier offerings, including organic and locally-grown, to better attract consumers.
"Both Ahold USA and Delhaize America reported strong underlying operating margins, driven by synergies. Inflation remained at low levels and volumes at Food Lion continued to benefit from the implementation of its ‘Easy, Fresh and Affordable’ program that has now been rolled out to more than half of its store base. Hannaford reported its 15th consecutive quarter with positive comparable sales growth,” Dick explained.
With strong supermarket and online sales performance in the Netherlands, and new leadership in Belgium, Ahold Delhaize has made good progress on its Better Together strategy, having already saved €268 million ($327 million).
"In 2017 we delivered a strong free cash flow of €1.9 billion ($2.3 billion), allowing us to continue to invest in our store network, grow our omni-channel offering and further develop digital capabilities, providing customers with a unique and competitively priced offer. We will return a record €2 billion ($2.44 billion) through our share buyback program for 2018, while maintaining our strong financial foundation and commitment to continually invest across our business,” Dick said. “We are pleased to propose a €0.63 ($0.77) dividend to our shareholders, an increase of 10.5% compared to 2016, reflecting our ambition of sustainable growth of the dividend per share."
For continued financial updates on the produce industry, stay with us at AndNowUKnow.
OVIEDO, FL – Duda Farm Fresh Foods is heading to the Sunshine State for Southern Exposure to expose a sunshine-hued product line of its own. The company is debuting its newly-designed Super Sweet Corn line at the Southern Produce Council’s annual event in Tampa, Florida, this year, once again showcasing the innovation, convenient snacking options, and meal-time solutions it is committed to delivering. In addition to this reveal, the company is also introducing a 100 percent recyclable packaging in its new fiber board tray packs.
To top things off, the company is offering pre-shucked corn year-round with its new product line, so consumers can look to their produce to expedite prep-time, consequently freeing up time for friends and family. To entice consumers, the company has positioned recipes on the bottom of the recyclable trays, as well as consumer promotions throughout the year to inspire recipe making.
“While we have been growing corn for more than 40 years, we saw an opportunity to help consumers with busy lifestyles,” said President Dan Duda, in a recent press release. “By offering a convenience product line, we hope to help people prep fresh, sweet corn more frequently in their homes.”
Duda sources its corn from Georgia, Florida, and Michigan in order to bring freshly packaged sweet corn to its customers year-round, without using genetically modified seeds.
Wanting more details on the product line and Duda Farm Fresh Foods’ goods? Check in with them at booth #411 at Southern Exposure in Tampa March 1st through the 3rd, or take a look at their Super Sweet Corn webpage here.
WENATCHEE, WA – It’s time to think green, retailers, at the register and beyond! With St. Patrick’s Day fast approaching, Stemilt Growers announced an offer for retailers to promote its green-hued Granny Smith apples with a seasonal leprechaun sticker on various pouch bag items.
“The sticker is a great way for retailers to get involved in the green-focused holiday quickly and easily. It’s festive and is applied by Stemilt on our popular 5 lb. Apple Lover and other branded pouch bags,” Marketing Director Roger Pepperl commented. “This sticker is ideal for our 5 and 4 lb. pouch bags because they are great items for in-and-outs. There’s no better way to reach the ‘pot of gold’ for your apple category than by moving more volume through the register via creative and fun seasonal promotions like this.”
Back by popular demand for the second straight year, Stemilt said in a press release that its St. Patrick’s Day sticker is available now for a very limited time to help retailers with those last-minute decorations.
Featuring a leprechaun jumping over a pot of gold, this little touch of luck is available for several of Stemilt’s pouch bags, including the following:
- 5 lb. Apple Lover
- Artisan Organics™ Apple Lover
- 5 lb. Fresh Blenders™ juicing apples
- 4 lb. Artisan Organics™ Fresh Blenders™
Stemilt recommends retailers feature multiple apple varieties on ad starting the week of March 12th and use the popular green Granny Smith as part of their larger displays. The company also suggested retailers capitalize on organic apple promotions for St. Patty’s Day with multiple varieties, including the green organic Granny Smith apple.
“We have been working closely with retailers to establish a simple way to get involved in this fun holiday for last minute promotions,” said Pepperl. “This is a great way for retailers to promote these pouch bags in a festive way, while still pushing more volume through the register.”
In addition to quickly making produce aisles festive, Fresh Blenders juicing apples can also help retailers tap into March’s National Nutrition Month. The company specifically noted that this product makes a great offering for dietitian pick programs.
SANTA MARIA, CA – Everyone likes anniversaries—they show that what’s movin’ and shakin’ is definitely workin’! Celebrating it’s 40th anniversary is Central Coast grower, packer, and shipper of fresh, safe, and innovative produce Gold Coast Packing. Longtime friends Ron Burk and Bob Espinola began their business venture in 1978, when their company started out as a Western veggie and strawberry grower/shipper. From there, the company has expanded into both conventional and organic vegetables and herbs. Customers, continued development, and the addition of product lines to meet their customers needs have been of the utmost priority for the company over the duration of its 40 years and counting.
“To have thrived and prospered in business over a 40-year span proves that we have been able to do things right and meet our customers’ expectations. However, none of this would have been possible without the support of many talented employees and partners over those 40 years,” said President and Co-Founder Ron Burk, in a recent press release. “As I look ahead to our future, I am confident that we are positioned to continue to provide excellent service to our customers with innovative products. Gold Coast’s success is due to the dedicated people who come to work here every day, sharing the vision to be the best we can be.”
Some of the company's best known items include the award-winning Caulifornia™ Riced Vegetable products, as well as its washed and ready-to-use broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, spinach, cilantro, kale, salad kits, and value-added fresh products.
If you’re wondering how the company is ringing in its ruby year milestone, you can look to its new logo that will be displayed throughout the 40th anniversary year. In addition to the celebratory look, the company will hold a few events to honor the landmark.
Congratulations to Gold Coast on the momentous achievement. We wish you every success in your endeavors moving forward!
For more industry happenings, keep checking back with us at AndNowUKnow!
SEATTLE, WA - Amazon is pushing forward its mission of making home delivery for perishables that much more simple. Citing a source familiar with the matter, Reuters reported that the e-commerce giant will acquire Ring, a startup known for making smart doorbells and security cameras, for over $1 billion.
“Ring’s home security products and services have delighted customers since day one,” an Amazon spokesman said in a statement, according to The Washington Post. “We’re excited to work with this talented team and help them in their mission to keep homes safe and secure.”
This deal comes just four months after, Amazon introduced its system, Key, which is designed to allow delivery people to drop off packages inside your home through keyless mobile phone technology. While Amazon hasn’t definitively said this will be part of Ring’s new mission, the company’s purchase of a similar start-up, Blink, has the media speculating this may further close the gap between the retailer and in-fridge delivery for fresh produce and beyond.
“Ring is committed to our mission to reduce crime in neighborhoods by providing effective yet affordable home security tools,” a spokesman for the start-up shared. “We’ll be able to achieve even more by partnering with an inventive, customer-centric company like Amazon.”
Will Amazon be able to beat its rival Walmart to the perfection of keyless delivery? AndNowUKnow will keep you updated with the freshest news.
KINGSVILLE, ONTARIO – Avocados are all the rage these days, with millennials and more getting excited (some more excited than others) about the versatility of the produce fave. Hopping on the popular green fruit bandwagon, North American greenhouse grower Red Sun Farms announced the expansion of its produce family with the addition of Golden Sun Avocados.
“Consumers and retailers alike already associate Red Sun Farms with the very best in tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. Now we have the opportunity to provide them with the highest quality Mexican avocados, produced using the best practices as perfected from years of experience,” Chief Operations Officer Carlos Visconti said in a press release.
The avocados will be produced in Mexico, and distributed through the Red Sun Farms supply chain to service customers throughout North America.
“The avocado market is absolutely booming, and it only makes sense that we would become a part of that. We are confident that this new commodity will be a complementary addition to our existing product catalogue,” Visconti continued.
Red Sun Farms will begin production of the avocados in the second quarter of 2018. Look for Golden Sun Avocados amidst Red Sun Farms tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers in the grocery aisle soon!
And for more on everything new in produce, keep checking back with AndNowUKnow.
PALO ALTO, CA - In another seemingly fantastical turn in Tesla Inc.’s long-distance semi-electric truck odyssey, Jim Monkmeyer, President of Transportation at DHL Supply Chain and one of the first to order trucks from Elon Musk (the trucks are projected to roll out in 2019), stated that the trucks will pay off the difference between themselves and traditional diesel trucks in less than two years.
“We are estimating that we could have pay back within a year-and-a-half based on energy usage as well as lower maintenance cost,” Monkmeyer told Reuters. “The maintenance savings can be enormous as well. Just because the engines are much simpler in terms of the number of parts and the complexities of the parts.”
With the cost of diesel fuel expected to remain high and the decreasing cost of electric vehicles, the savings brought on by an electric semi-truck may be even greater than anticipated.
“Am feeling optimistic about beating the Semi specs announced at the unveiling for the same price. The Tesla Semi will be something really special,” Musk tweeted last week.
To which possible specs could Musk be hinting? Could it be software for the vehicle, as Musk claims, already existent self-driving hardware?
With Sysco already signed on for 50 tractor-trailers and Meijer signed up for a semi-truck test drive, we here at AndNowUKnow await all future advancements with bated breath and hope you’ll stay with us.