WENATCHEE, WA - Nothing beats hands-on experience when it comes to gaining insights and building a repertoire of skills. This sentiment Stemilt knows well as four Stemilt Project SEARCH interns have taken on their last three-month internship in the program before graduating this summer. Help me congratulate Cody Shiflett, Hadley Haggard, Ayden Snyder, and Cristian Judd-Dittmer.

“Every intern has been showing increased confidence in their abilities,” Project SEARCH Instructor, Terry Brown, shares when speaking about how the interns have grown over their first two internships at Stemilt. “Hadley is showing more initiative and independence, Ayden has shown improvement advocating for his needs, Cody is working on non-verbal language and teamwork, and Cristian has tremendously improved his communication skills. Each one of them continues to prove to our staff, their families, the community, and most importantly, themselves, that they can do amazing things. We can’t wait to see them graduate this summer!”

Project SEARCH has a multidimensional approach. It provides education and training to young people with disabilities, helping them gain real-life work experience. This is combined with training for employability and independent living to help them successfully transition to productive adult life, a release states. The Project SEARCH program also helps young adults secure competitive employment with these real-life work experiences and training in independent living skills.

According to a press release, in their final internship, Cody will intern at the Stemilt retail store, Hadley at the Wenatchee Valley YMCA Early Learning Childcare, Ayden at Stemilt’s Euclid Production B Packing Line, and Cristian Judd-Dittmer at Confluence Health in their Food Service Department.

Graduation will take place on June 11, 2024, at the Numerica Performing Arts Center in Wenatchee.

Congrats to these amazing interns! May you all enjoy the last leg of this journey as you move toward graduation.

HATTIESBURG, MS - From Tajin®’s skyrocket trajectory alongside fresh produce to a sweet Vidalia® twist, Josh Smith and I recently reflected on the opportunities, overall barometer, and fun tied to events like Cinco de Mayo.

“We go all out for these kinds of holidays,” Josh, Produce Supervisor at Corner Market, shared with me. “We usually do big merchandising plans to get geared up. Signage, POS materials, as well as teaming up with vendors to ensure the best deals we can.”

For example, while Corner Market does promote traditional white onions for the Latin-flavored holiday, Josh said shoppers gravitate toward Vidalia onions since they begin just before.

And honestly, as someone who grew up enjoying sweet onions fresh off the grill, I don’t know how I didn’t think of this south-to-southwest crossover before!

“Our team of produce managers is where we really stand out. With a commitment to innovative merchandising and customer engagement, all our produce managers are great at what they do. I can’t say enough about them!” Josh said, quickly expanding this to vendors as well. “Vendor partnerships are also key in building those digital and in-store ad opportunities. We focus especially on local farmers, such as a strawberry grower who will be helping us prep for Cinco demand even if that may not be a signature Cinco item.”

In fact, Josh pointed out, thanks to the growth of Tajin, just about any fresh item can be a Cinco de Mayo item. With an internal team that even focuses on fresh-cut fruit and veg in-house, something shoppers are particularly enthusiastic about, the potential spans even more across categories.

“One of our big ways of preparing for any holiday is to communicate the merchandising plans to everyone—we’ve already cast all the way past Mother’s Day and ensured all are on the same page. Of course, everything could change on a dime in a few weeks. That is where partnership is crucial and our size is an advantage. Not being too large, we can be flexible and turn the ship quickly, and I’m able to do this even better thanks to our strong vendor partnerships,” Josh observed, bringing it full circle.

The third-generation-owned company certainly seems to have such an approach well in hand as the warm-weather celebrations begin. Here is to some big fresh selling and eating opportunities ahead!

VANCOUVER, WA - Tomorrow is a big day for Washington residents loyal to the Trader Joe’s following. The retail chain released a brief announcement that it will be opening its newest store in Vancouver Washington, on May 2, 2024.

“We've consulted our maps and compass and have found a terrific location for a store in Vancouver, WA,” the retailer said in a recent announcement. “Please join Captain Ellen and Crew for the Grand Opening Celebration!”

It wasn’t long ago that Trader Joe’s revealed store openings in California, New Jersey, Washington, Nevada, and Texas, as well. With so many new locations on the map, we are left to wonder whether a larger expansion strategy is at play.

ANUK will keep you in the loop as we learn more.

UNITED STATES - The delivery company Getir made a surprising move earlier this week when it announced it would be shuttering its operations in the United States and Europe.

According to a report from TechCrunch, this move reflects the company’s overarching business plans, as it will now focus solely on its home market of Turkey. The news source went on to note that Getir—once valued at $12 billion—perhaps grew too quickly, which, in turn, led to this immense scaling down of operations.

For those wondering if this affects FreshDirect, the New York e-grocer that Getir bought last year from Ahold Delhaize, Getir said that Fresh Direct will continue its operations.

As the source went on to note, Getir will also exit from Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. In July 2023, the company shuttered operations in Italy, Spain, and Portugal.

What does this mean for delivery solutions in the future? AndNowUKnow will be here to report.

OXNARD, CA - Mission Produce™ has long had its hand in the avocado category, proving operational strength at the retail level and beyond. Now, the company is delving even deeper into the mango category as it sees exponential growth. Steve Barnard, Chief Executive Officer, authored a statement about this growth.

After 40 years in the produce industry, I’ve seen a lot of change, and most of all, a lot of opportunity.

I remember when the avocado category in the U.S. took off in the early 2000s. Before then, the per capita consumption of avocados was less than 2 pounds [USDA. Per Capita Availability]. Avocados were considered an “exotic” or “luxury” commodity, and grocers typically sold the fruit hard.

Shoppers couldn’t buy an avocado and eat it in the same day. Eventually, we figured out that consumers liked to buy ripe fruit, which increased consumption, and the supply from Mexico opened. In addition, nutritional research revealed the health benefits of avocados and debunked the perception that avocados were high in cholesterol. And then came the avocado toast. These events made up what I call the “Avocado Revolution.” Today, avocados are a staple of the American diet, and we continue to see growth in Europe and Asia [Rabobank. Global Growth Far from Over. May 2023]

Mission Produce was in the right place at the right time for avocados. And now, we’re on the cusp of the next big thing in produce—mangos.

In 2021, we made the decision to go “all in” on fresh mangos. Mission Produce had the global network, the relationships, the infrastructure and distribution, and the technology to introduce the market to ripe mangos at an unparalleled scale. It was an opportunity we couldn’t miss. And our mango business has steadily grown ever since– in 2023, we sold 46 million pounds of mangos, and we’re just getting started.

For more from Barnard’s statement, click here.

And keep reading ANUK for more industry news.

MONTEREY, CA - With three months until the International Fresh Produce Association’s (IFPA) Foodservice conference, the association already announced the event is officially sold out. The drivers? Heavy demand and keen interest from the buy-side.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to see the expo sell out even quicker than last year,” said Joe Watson, Vice President of Retail, Foodservice, and Wholesale. “The excitement for this year’s event is palpable and it shows in the great number and variety of exhibitors and buyers attending.”

Returning to Monterey, California, July 25–26, the show has a wide scale of large-volume purchasers represented, Watson stated in a press release, including not only distributors, operators, and menu planners, but K-12 school foodservice professionals committed to ensuring the next generation develops healthy eating habits early in life.

“If you want to network with current and new partners, strengthen relationships, and learn about new products and trends, this event is ideal for you,” said Watson. “More than 80 percent of attendees make, influence, or recommend purchases; you can’t go wrong with a stat like that.”

Though the expo has sold out, there are additional opportunities for companies to gain visibility at the conference. According to a press release, there is an expo wait list, sponsorships, and Buyer Sourcing Meetings.

The event draws more than 2,200 people, including a strong buyer community, to connect, learn, and do business, uniting the industry for thought leadership and a chance to see 192 exhibitors seeking to serve buyers of all formats.

To read more about the event, which boasts a 1-to-1 buyer-seller ratio, click here. Conference registration, the expo wait list, sponsorship opportunities, and Buyer Sourcing Meetings are available here on IFPA’s website.

We look forward to the return of this dynamic foodservice event!

OTTAWA, ON, CANADA - Vancouver held a special place for fresh produce hearts last week, as the 2024 Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) Annual Convention and Trade Show wrapped with palpable excitement and over 4,000 participants in attendance. As Melissa De Leon Chavez reported, with a strong international showing and a deep local pride, it was an incredible gathering of fresh prowess.

“CPMA’s Annual Convention and Trade Show is the premier event for the fresh fruits and vegetable industry in Canada,” Ron Lemaire, CPMA President, stated. “The event offers unique opportunities for companies in our sector to make valuable connections. Each year, the event continues to grow, attracting a big turnout of participants from across the globe. This year’s edition was another success as the attendance exceeded the size of all past shows in Vancouver.”

As the final numbers were tallied, it became evident the coveted event continues to be a success as it evolves its impact in the fruit and vegetable space.

According to CPMA, 630 exhibit booths representing over 300 companies accounted for 63,800 square feet of booth space on the trade show floor.

Within this large swath of produce were 148 international exhibitors from 12 countries, 161 Canadian exhibitors, and 78 exhibitors who were new CPMA members.

To top it off, the leftover produce filled five trucks and was donated to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. Further building on these statistics, the 2024 New Product Showcase included 60 products from 36 different companies.

For more on the 2024 event, please check out Melissa’s highlights for award winners, standout moments, and more. And a huge cheers to CPMA and all the parties involved that made the show a success!