SALINAS, CA - With 2016 right around the corner, Ippolito is reflecting on a successful year with new products, an evolving business model, and a growing market share ahead. While currently in the last stages of completing a new processing facility in Salinas, California, General Manager, Butch Corda tells me that the team behind Ippolito is looking forward to a fruitful New Year.
“We will be producing a variety of value-added, microwaveable pouch style bags of Brussels sprouts, and plans are in place to begin a line of packaged spinach for retail and foodservice customers,” Butch says, adding that each year the company’s overall volumes have increased across the board on all its commodities.
Ippolito’s Queen Victoria and Coast King brands’ graphics have also been given an updated facelift as well and the company’s major focus in the New Year will be launching the value-added sprout line in addition to its growth in all commodities.
“We are North America’s largest fresh Brussels sprout producer. We alone produce up to 50% of the total industry’s tonnage annually in California and Mexico, and we are increasing our acreage every year,” Butch adds.
Ippolito also features a full line of western vegetables, including asparagus, artichokes and green onions, and specialty items like anise. Butch notes that in addition to quality, the company is known for its responsiveness and customer service.
“The great thing about Ippolito is we offer large volumes, but our culture here is of a small company,” he says. “Customers are able to get answers quickly to their needs and requests without going through a lot of layers. We are happy to work with customers on custom packs or store-branded items.”
The company recently launched a new website as well, which features many Brussels sprouts recipes, and the team is constantly adding more, as they want to be known as the source when it comes to anything regarding Brussels sprouts.
“Whether it is artichokes or asparagus, green onions, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce or romaine hearts, we can work with retailers to put together a program to suit their needs,” Butch tells me.
Congrats to Ippolito on a great 2015 and we look forward to all the new developments that 2016 has in store.
LOS ANGELES, CA - Giumarra Wenatchee has a product offering that’ll bring a bit of brightness to your winter season—its new Jingold™ brand gold kiwifruit. Showcasing a characteristically vibrant yellow color, and a sweet, low acid flavor, this variety is one that’ll bring a tropical flair to any winter produce display.
The Jingold™ kiwifruit is a proprietary variety grown in Italy, and is available for only a limited time. U.S. and Canadian customers on both coasts can find the golden fruit from now through February, making it a must-grab for retailers.
The development of Jingold™ came through a series of natural selection programs through a partnership with Italy’s University of Udine, according to a press release, and due to a combination of Jingold’s heredity, growing region, and the horticultural practices used to produce it, this gold kiwifruit variety has an exceptional shelf life.
Giumarra offers Jingold™ in both 1-lb. and 2-lb. clamshells, as well as volume fill 6-kg cases, something Giumarra Wenatchee’s Division Manager Jason Bushong says can help retailers gain wide popularity.
“We find that offering both packaged and bulk options of kiwifruit can help a retail customer appeal to a variety of consumers,” Jason shared. “Consumers with families who are seeking larger volumes of kiwifruit perceive packaged fruit as a value.”
Giumarra will be continuing to offer point-of-sale materials and additional retail support to help consumers discover Jingold’s flavor, the company says, and recommends sampling to make sure the products unique flavor comes across.
Scott Ross, Eastern Region Business Manager for Giumarra adds, “For our retail customers seeking added value for their consumers, we also offer the option of a free kiwi spoon promotion for Jingold packed in clamshells.”
For retailers looking for a unique product to bring a burst of color and flavor to a dreary winter, Jingold™ may be just the key.
ROSEMONT, IL - In late January of 2016, US Foods will put into gear an expansion that will double the size of its 123,000-square-foot facility in Fife, Washington. The food distributor looks forward to how the construction will broaden its customer base, improving its offering to Seattle restaurateurs, chefs, and foodservice operators.
"As the vibrant culinary market in Seattle continues to grow, US Foods is positioning itself to continue to be a significant player in the area," Matt Reynolds, President of the Mountain West Area, US Foods, said in a press release.
Once completed, the facility US Foods has operated out of for the last 17 years will be more than 216,000-square-feet in size, and will have a number of technological and environmental improvements.
"Once complete, our expanded facility will allow us to double our capacity for product storage, making it easier for us to bring our innovative, on-trend products and tried and true favorites to more customers throughout Seattle and beyond," Reynolds said.
Among the improvements and additions, the project includes:
- A state-of-the-art kitchen
- A training center that can be used for product demonstrations and customer ideation
- A technology center where customers can learn about industry-leading mobile apps and web-based business solutions.
- A highly efficient cascade refrigeration system
- Energy saving high-output fluorescent and LED lighting
Though many additions and improvements will be for sustainability and the latest offerings, US Foods stated that the majority of additional space will be used for increased product storage. This will allow the distributor to offer its customers an expanded product offering to more readily meet their needs.
Home to more than 300 employees, the facility serves thousands throughout Seattle and the surrounding market area, including:
- Independent restaurants
- Healthcare and hospitality entities
- Government institutions
- Educational institutions
The project is expected to be finished in the fall of 2016, with every effort on the company’s part to use locally sourced and recycled content, such as furnishings and building materials, during construction.
We will continue follow this and other moves foodservice influencers making to grow their footprint in markets around the county, so stay tuned.
TYLER, TX - Brookshire Grocery Company is commencing a new chapter in leadership. After more than four decades with the company, CEO Rick Rayford is retiring and passing the torch to the company’s current Chairman of the Board.
“We appreciate Rick’s 44 years of service to this company and the legacy he leaves behind. Hundreds of employees were promoted to leadership positions during his tenure, some directly through his mentorship and others through the many career development and education opportunities he so strongly supported,” Brookshire said, according to a KLTV report.
The current Chairman and new CEO brings plenty of familiarity to the role, not only as grandson of Founder Wood T. Brookshire, but as someone who has served in many leadership roles within the company. Before becoming Chairman of the Board in 2007, Brookshire worked his way throughout various positions for 30 years.
As for where the company will go from here, he trusts the track Rayford laid out.
“We will continue on the path set forth by Rick’s leadership to fulfill our mission of providing a great food and shopping experience,” he stated. “We thank Rick and wish both he and his wife, Bonnie, the very best in the next phase of their lives.”
Brookshire added that this time of change also brings a time of great opportunity and growth.
“I am excited about all that the future holds for Brookshire Grocery Company. My challenge to each and every one of our 14,000 partners is to remain focused on our common goals of taking great care of our customers, uniting as a team, and making our company the very best it can be.”
In recent months, Rayford encouraged the Board in evaluating a range of strategic alternatives for the company. AndNowUKnow will continue to follow the company as those plans, and new ones, unfold with this new regime at the helm.
LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE, CA - Allen Lund Company (ALC) is doing a huge part this season to make the holidays happier for families in need by participating in a number of charitable organizations.
Along with continuing its partnership with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles through working with Holidays From the Heart to help provide underfunded families of patients, ALC is providing the trucking for a sea container destined for Hands Together in Haiti- effectively aiding those who need help most both here and abroad.
"We're proud to work with CHLA, which is one of the crown jewels of Los Angeles for organizations that serve L.A. County and beyond," Kenny Lund, VP of Support Operations for ALC, said in a press release. To help the cause, the company shopped to provide toys, clothing, and shoes for a family of eight who could otherwise not afford it.
"CHLA has served the L.A. population and the Allen Lund Company well. We are proud to give back in a small way," Kenny added.
As for the Haiti-bound container, Mission Haiti Coordinator Karl Holtsnider expressed heart-warming gratitude for ALC’s part. “Your generous and unsung gift of trucking is helping many, many desperately poor people in a forgotten corner of the world. We cannot thank you enough!"
The container took with it:
- Life sustaining Liquid I.V. crystals
- An electric organ
- Three pianos
- More than 50 musical instruments
- Equipment to set up a woodworking shop
- New cabinets for tool storage
- Shoes and shirts
Chris Clelland, Flatbed Division Manager for ALC, said how great it is to work for a company that supports such causes.
"I am very proud that we are able to help this cause in our small way,” he added.
Teaming up with so many organizations, both locally and internationally, Allen Lund Company is surely giving Santa a run for his money in spreading cheer this holiday season!
BENTONVILLE, AR – Walmart is making good on its promise to increase wages for its employees next year as part of its $2.7 billion investment announced last February.
Starting in February 2016, the retailer will boost entry-level pay for workers nationwide to $10.00 an hour, $2.75 an hour above the federal minimum wage. Employees hired on or after January 1, 2016 will start at $9 and will move to at least $10 after successfully completing Walmart’s new Pathways training program.
Earlier this year, we reported that Walmart would increase wages to $9.00 an hour in 2015 to kick-off its two-year plan.
The move will affect approximately 500,000 of the more than 1.4 million workers that are currently employed at the retailer’s 5,000 stores and clubs. Walmart says on its website that the average, full-time hourly wage for workers in the U.S. is currently $12.96.
The results from the wage hikes this year have been promising, but it’s still unclear how this investment will pan out in the long run. In its most recent Q3 2016 earnings report, the company said that customer experience scores continued to strengthen and comparative-store sales were positive for the fifth consecutive quarter. As we previously reported, however, Walmart announced that it would be cutting back its forecast along with a prediction that its profit would decline in fiscal 2016.
For more on how this multi-billion dollar investment will affect Walmart’s financial performance in 2016, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.
SACRAMENTO, CA - A 32-foot mobile agriculture classroom known as the Seed Survivor Mobile is back on the roads, bringing a produce-centered field trip to the front door of schools around the nation.
The last time the Seed Survivor Mobile took on the U.S. was in 2011-2012, when the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom (CFAITC) ensured that one trailer visited 84 schools and four community events, reaching more than 22,000 students.
Now, in partnership with Crop Production Services and Agrium, CFAITC is hosting two trucks and trailer units to push agriculture and produce knowledge in the school system for the next generation.
“We are excited to educate elementary-aged students about plants, what they need to grow, and how they contribute to a nutritious lifestyle,” Judy Culbertson, Executive Director of CFAITC, tells me. “This experience will help connect students to their food source and is as important as anything else they are learning in the classroom.”
According to CFAITC, this year’s Seed Survivor Mobile is on track to exceed those numbers, with the following itinerary slated for the tour:
- Northern California schools: November 16, 2015 - January 15, 2016
- Central California schools: January 18 - February 29, 2016 (registration opens Dec. 1)
- Southern California schools: March 1 - 31, 2016 (registration opens Jan. 18)
With interactive learning experience tied into an ag-focused curriculum, this program targets students K-6 to encourage knowledge about the benefits of agriculture while teaching them more about where their food comes from. After learning more about the process, student are given a sunflower seed to plant on site before taking home to watch grow for themselves.
To register a school, go to SeedSurvivor.com.
WATSONVILLE, CA - While the holiday season may be bringing us some cooler temperatures, winter is definitely heating up for Well•Pict Strawberries. It’s hard to ignore a healthy, delicious product that has no downside for the consumer, and as Christmas approaches, the company is looking to help retailers increase their ring at the register.
“Thanks to years of refining growing techniques, not to mention some good old fashioned ingenuity and hard work, the days of only seeing berries in stores during summer is over,” says Dan Crowley, VP of Sales and Marketing. “Today, you can find our premium, proprietary berries in produce aisles all over the world, all year long, to the delight of consumers everywhere.”
He also notes that strawberry consumption around the nation continues to grow, and as demand rises, Well•Pict is ramping up productivity to match. “We have expanded our Florida berry production over the last several years, which allows customers to purchase Well•Pict berries during the holidays and into the New Year.”
Well•Pict prides itself on keeping its retail partners’ stores well supplied throughout the year by rotating farming along both the West and East Coasts. While a majority of the year is covered by California’s lengthy growing season in Watsonville and Oxnard, they have expanded production in Baja California, as well as supplementing supply with its Florida farms. Crowley went on to say that at present, the quality of the crop is good and volume is steady. Well•Pict will ship from Florida for as long as weather and market conditions will allow, with the Florida Coast season typically covering through to April.
The good news for the market is that the versatility of strawberries gives produce retailers new ways to add eye-catching color to their produce aisles in the “off” season. “The ‘new normal’ in berries being available 12 months out of the year dovetails nicely with younger consumer expectations, too,” Dan notes. “According to a research study from the Boston Consulting Group, Millennials will spend the greatest amount of money in the coming year on fresh fruits, organic food and natural products — over soft drinks, restaurants and even luxury goods.”
Overall consumer interest in buying healthy, natural foods is a trend that crosses all generations. “This trend is here to stay, as we’ve seen berry sales continue to increase dramatically year over year,” Dan says. He also adds that berries are so appealing, studies have shown that merely adding berry displays to a store’s produce section actually boosts all other produce sales by 6% or more.
When asked about the challenges of this season, Dan admits that, “Weather instability is always a challenge. Warm temperatures at the time of planting can affect the development of the berries, and water is still a topic of concern. But we’re a forward thinking company, and one way Well•Pict addresses water conservation is with the use of drip irrigation, which we adopted early, well before the current California drought.”
Premium berries, like those packaged by Well•Pict, are a great way to address today’s consumers that feast with their eyes, as well as their mouths. And as 2016 gets underway, expect more tasty updates on this growing category.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA - Did you ask Santa for rain and snow this year? It looks like he may have got your letters, because the next week and half are about to be a whole lot wetter.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has released new predictions that suggest Northern California may see several waves of rain or snow from now through Christmas Day. Northern Californians can expect the rain to start pouring in starting tomorrow, with at the very least a chance of precipitation lasting until next Wednesday, the NWS reports. Rain estimates from the NWS from now through early Tuesday are one to two and a half inches in the valley and two to four inches in the foothills.
Snow lovers in the Sierra might be welcomed by some powder on Monday, the official first day of winter. The NWS expects snowfall amounts to range anywhere from four inches to a foot in the mountain range through early Tuesday. Snow levels today and on Friday will be from 5,500 to 6,500 ft above sea level, but will lower to 3,500 to 4,500 ft over the weekend.
Today, Sacramento’s NWS released a special weather statement regarding the expected weather patterns in Northern California. Counties from Shasta, Sacramento, Clear Lake, Chico, Redding and beyond have been warned that the weather will impact holiday travel.
“Extended wet pattern will impact Norcal starting today and could last into Christmas Day,” Sacramento’s NWS announced in the statement. “Impacts to mountain travel will be exacerbated by a high volume of holiday travelers. This extended wet period will enhance potential for localized flooding for small streams and urban areas.”
However helpful this will be to both reservoir and snow pack levels for California, there is no likelihood that it will be enough to make a substantial dent into the state’s overall drought. For more on how California’s drought conditions are faring and the state’s winter weather, continue to check in with AndNowUKnow.
CASTROVILLE, CA - Widespread frosts in California have provided an unanticipated treasure to Ocean Mist Farms this season: Frost Kissed™ artichokes. Available for a limited time, Frost Kissed™ artichokes only develop when temperatures drop below 32 degrees, making them a rare treat to produce departments.
According to Ocean Mist's VP of Sales & Marketing Joe Feldman, the impact of frost on artichokes is similar to how human skin reacts to sunburn. Frost can turn the outside layer of the artichoke dark brown, but it then starts to flake and peel. When cooked, this outer layer fades, leaving the familiar soft green artichoke that shoppers will recognize.
“Frosting is strictly a cosmetic condition,” Feldman added in a press release. “While the brownish color may not look pretty, Frost Kissed™ artichokes actually taste wonderful. The cold weather concentrates the natural artichoke flavors into a more intense, nutty flavor.”
In order to combat any confusion that might arise from the difference in outer color, Ocean Mist Farms has implemented an education program to teach consumers about Frost Kissed™ artichokes. This program includes:
- A website filled with information
- Pictures and recipes sent to all members of the Artichoke club
- Display cards sent to retail customers who will be stocking Frost Kissed™ artichokes
“A Frost Kissed™ artichoke is a very unique item that we don’t have every season,” Feldman finished. “Because they are so seasonal, we have to teach shoppers to look for them and be sure to buy them during the short time they are in the stores.”
Following a freeze, artichoke plants take two to three weeks to start producing frost free artichokes again. Keep an eye out for these rare artichokes, and for more information, check out www.oceanmist.com/artichokes/frost-kissed/.