BELGIUM - Delhaize Group impressed investors and analysts alike with stronger-than-expected results for its latest financial report.
For Q4 2014, the retailer reported revenues of 5.8 billion euros ($6.5 billion), an 11.4% increase compared to the same period last year, according to Wall Street Journal. Sales rose 12% to $4.7 billion in the U.S. Comparable store-sales also saw an increase, rising 3.6%, according to the report.
“Our fourth quarter revenues at Delhaize America were solid, partly helped by inflation and both Food Lion and Hannaford reported positive real sales growth,” said Frans Muller, President and CEO of Delhaize Group.
Muller also outlined the company’s initiatives for 2015, noting that one major focus of the year is to “further roll-out the Easy, Fresh, and Affordable strategy at Food Lion.”
“We will also seek to accelerate growth in selected markets,” he added. “Finally, we will continue to be disciplined with respect to operating costs, capital allocation, and working capital.”
Other noteworthy results for the full year from the report included:
- Underlying operating profit of 764 million euros including the 53rd week in the U.S. (739 million euros excluding the 53rd week)
- Group revenue growth of 3.9% at identical exchange rates including the 53rd week in the U.S. (2.6% excluding the 53rd week)
Delhaize shares increased $1.41 to $20.74, increasing 7.29% as of January 26, 2015 at 4:05 PM ET.
IDAHO FALLS, ID – A fresh year is beginning with a fresh face for Kingston’s Board of Directors.
According to a press release, the company has hired Cory Wengreen, former CFO and Treasurer of Royal Ridge Fruit and Cold Storage, as its new CFO.
“Kingston’s long standing reputation in the industry and proven track record, along with the great people working here, were the key components of my decision to come on board,” Wengreen said.
Bringing more than twenty years in financial operations and experience, the newest addition to the Kingston Fresh Family holds a certification in Public Accounting as well as an MBA in International Finance and Global Management.
Wengreen continued, “I’m excited to join the executive team at Kingston and look forward to playing an integral part in the company’s commitment to responsible, strategic growth in the months and years ahead.”
Ken Nabal, President of Kingston Fresh, commented, “Cory’s strong background, both in the produce and cold storage side of the industry, make him an ideal addition to our team.”
Adding that the company has hired quite a bit of talent in recent years, Nabal stated that Wengreen was a natural progression into the plans the company holds for 2015. As to where those plans will take them, stay tuned.
KINGSVILLE, ON - Mucci Farms continues to cultivate its team with new addition Stephen Cowan. He will join the Mucci Farms Sales & Marketing Department as a Key Account Manager.
“Stephen’s diverse experience will be an invaluable asset to Mucci Farms,” the company said in a press release. “Stephen is a well-rounded individual, he is enthusiastic and a goal-orientated professional. His work history demonstrates his commitment to success and progression within a company; he will fit right in with our team and our work ethic.”
Stephen brings his over 14 years of experience in a wide array of positions within the industry. His prior positions include: Account Manager at Lakeside Produce, Category Manager for Produce Procurement at Loblaw Companies, and multiple Sales and Key Account Manager positions.
Cowan adds, “I look forward to working with an experienced team that has a proven track record.” He also notes his excitement to join Mucci Farms and hopes to be an innovator in the produce industry.
SANDPOINT, ID – Litehouse Inc. has officially made the transition to 100% employee ownership status. Effective December 22nd, 2014, 100% of the company's stock has been sold to Litehouse employees by way of the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), ensuring continued local ownership of the company for decades to come.
Litehouse leaders valued the reputation of ESOP plans for increasing employee satisfaction and retention. According to a press release, some studies have even shown that companies with ESOPs grow at a faster rate than comparable non-ESOP companies.
"We are incredibly proud of our company and want our legacy to be shared with the talented and dedicated employees who have contributed to its growth,” shared Doug Hawkins, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors. “The move to 100 percent employee ownership allows every employee to be an owner and ensures the future success of Litehouse for generations to come.”
Jim Frank, President and CEO, agreed, "We are excited to have created this opportunity for our employees and we are confident that the ESOP will make us an even stronger company. The success of the Litehouse brand and the move to a 100 percent employee-owned company is a strong reflection of our founders Guiding Principles: Faith, Stewardship, Integrity, Commitment to Excellence and Accountability. These principles continue to guide us today.”
Litehouse shares that Doug, Co-Founder Edward Hawkins Jr. and Co-Founder and Vice Chairman Wendell Christoff are all expected to retain their roles as active Board Members.
Litehouse originally formed the ESOP plan in 2006. At that time, the Board sold 30% of the company as a commitment to its employees and their communities. December's accomplishment will ensure that current and future employees will have the opportunity to become owners of this important industry brand, one which had been family-owned for over 50 years.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for more coverage of the latest news impacting the fresh produce industry.
NORTHEAST U.S. - Get the shovels ready. History is in the making.
A brutal winter storm is projected to affect up to 30 million people across the Northeast, and forecasters are already calling it a “blizzard of historic proportions.” Strong blizzard or blizzard-like conditions are expected to make travel dangerous, if not nearly impossible, for residents throughout the region, subsequently leading New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to declare a state of emergency for Winter Storm Juno.
“I’ve authorized state officials to take all necessary action in advance of the storm, and my Administration will continue monitoring conditions throughout the remainder of the storm,” said Gov. Christie. “This is a serious and significant weather event which will create extremely hazardous conditions. Travel will be dangerous and it is not advised.”
All Marine Terminals in New York and New Jersey are preparing for possible closures today by 3:00 PM, but that time may change based on weather conditions, according to a press release from Advance Customs Brokers & Consulting LLC. All terminals will be closed on Tuesday, January 27th. The Philadelphia and Wilmington Ports have not made any decisions yet.
Managers from the Allen Lund Company weighed in.
"Most local carriers have already contacted us to say that they are shutting down operations for the next two days," said 
Lenny Sciarappa, Manager, ALC Boston. "The saving grace for our office is that the strongest part of this storm is occurring on a Tuesday. It is a traditionally slow order day for produce shipments and our northeast shippers will have the remainder of the week to get their product out the door."
“The storm will impact capacity over the next few days for sure,” said Paul Brunelli, Manager, ALC Rochester. “Regional capacity will be affected the most.”
Chad Youngman, Manager, ALC Winchester, noted, “Truck availability is tight and near impossible sending trucks to the northeast. Most local carriers have decided not to work for the next couple days.”
Meteorologists aren’t kidding when they say this will be a historic storm. The brunt of the storm will hit Monday night and Tuesday morning with heavy snow and intense hurricane-force winds in some areas. The National Weather Service reports that New York could get up to 2 feet of snow, while Boston and Providence, RI, could potentially see 2.5 feet. CNN forecasters also anticipate freezing rain and winds between 55 – 65 mph along the Northeastern coast.
“Very highly populated areas of the Northeast are going to get crushed with snow,” said Tom Moore, a coordinating meteorologist for The Weather Channel. “Everywhere…you’re going to get hit very hard by this storm.”
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio used similarly strong language, warning residents, “My message for New Yorkers is prepare for something worse than we have ever seen before.”
The Weather Channel projected the following snow totals over the next 48 hours:
- Portland, ME: 18-24’’
- Boston, MA: 18-24’’
- Providence, RI: 18-24’’
- Hartford, CT: 12-18’’
- New York, NY: 12-18’
- Philadelphia, PA: 5-8’’
- Atlantic City, NJ: 5-8’’
- Baltimore, MD: 1-3’’
- Washington, D.C.: 1-3’’
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue tracking Winter Storm Juno.
FRESNO & OAKLAND, CA - Welcome to What's In Store.
PET Tiger is revoutionizing the Ag Industry. Compatible with a wide range of wireless devices including Android, Apple, and Windows, PET Tiger can collect data from virtually any type ofdevice including a variety of biometrics. This allows it to provide innovative payroll solutions and real-time data collection, tracking, and monitoring.
With PET Tiger, managers can track productivity down to the field and individual worker. Ruggedized bluetooth or RFID scanners with smart devices measure worker productivity and transmits it back to the main office. Allowing for multiple states and accounting systems all within a single database, this all-inclusive system collects data from all areas of the operation, such as fields, packing houses, greenhouses, coolers, and offices.
PET Tiger can also keep you in compliance with worker rights regulations. Recording and monitoring break time, ensuring compliance with minimum wage laws are simplified with this system. Only when you measure piece-rate can you actually manage your labor force. By creating efficiency guidelines you can transform your management in ways you never realized before. By collecting piece-rate data in real-time, you can radically change your employee's performance, as well as your bottom line.
Since PET Tiger is a modular system, it allows users to purchase only the parts relevant to their needs, providing its users another tool to tailor the system to their policies, as well as government regulations.
The Training Module can record employee training including safety and breaks as required by law. This allows for easy employer verification and expedites the process to provide reports for OSHA auditors, as well as generating training certificates for employees.
The Bonus Module calculates bonus pay based on employee performance, additional hours for specific jobs, as well as Fair Food Premiums.
PET Tiger data mapping provides an interactive visual display of the status of a company’s labor force and the equipment in use. With this tool, managers can make informed decisions wherever they are.
Contract labor data can easily be incorporated as well using the Time Sheet Data Entry module. The PET Tiger Billing Module provides the ability to create customers' invoices each time they generate payroll, ensuring all billable time is included.
Orange Enterprises continues work closely with its individual clients to refine the PET Tiger from purchase to implementation.
With today's escalating labor prices, intense regulations, as well as the scarce accessibility of a trained labor force, an effective management tool is crucial. PET Tiger utilizes the latest technological innovations to optimize and manage the return from your employed labor crews. Via PET Tiger's scalability to your operation's size and unique needs, we will tailor for you the best possible software and hardware configuration. Scanners, smart devices, GPS, RFID, biometric, software modules, and options will be assembled to maximize the efficiency of your operation.
Thank you for watching What's In Store.
LINCOLN, NE – After more than a year since being busted for transporting 730 pounds of marijuana in produce boxes, Julio Pena Sanchez and Marcel Bud have both been sentenced in a U.S. District Court.
The Lincoln Journal Star reports that Lancaster County District Judge Steven Burns sentenced both men to two to four years in prison. Bud, however, will be eligible for parole after one year.
According to court records, prosecutors lowered Bud’s charge and dropped another in exchange for a guilty plea to attempted possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.
On November 4, 2013, state troopers discovered Bud had a warrant for failing to appear in Lincoln County during an inspection of the J&J Transport truck he and Sanchez were co-driving, according to CBS Detroit.
Bud was then arrested and Sanchez was temporarily allowed to go on. The truck was later searched, and troopers found bundles of pot hidden in produce boxes with an estimated street value of $2.5 million. Sanchez was then taken into custody.
Sanchez could reportedly face deportation upon completion of his sentence.
CHARLOTTE, NC – Chiquita is presently undergoing several changes after the Cutrale-Safra Groups’ acquisition of the company, including a costly move out of its present headquarters currently located in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Progressing further with these changes, the company has now adopted two new chiefs to add to the team. Effective January 22, former Chief of Operations for Dole Andrew Biles is Chiquita’s Chief Executive Officer while Darcilo Santos became Chief Financial Officer, according to a company financial release.
Biles brings more than 16 years experience in juice and food companies, with a variety of companies including Gerber Emig Global Ltd., and Frigo-Pak Gıda Maddeleri San. ve Tic. A.S. He also served as President of the European Fruit Juice Association, as well as a Director of the international private investment group Hanover Acceptances Ltd.
Santos has over 25 years working in the financial and banking industries to bring to the company table. Holding an MBA in Global Banking from the University of Birmingham, UK, Santos worked most recently as Banco Safra’s Managing Director.
The company has yet to release further information on future plans for its current interim CEO, Brian Kocher, and how long he will remain in the position during Chiquita’s transition. Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as the story continues to develop.
CINCINNATI, OH - Kroger is on the move. That much has been clear since last October when CFO Michael Schlotman admitted that Kroger had plans to enter a “new market.”
“We’re going into a new market,” Schlotman explained. “We have a really good feel of exactly where that’s going to be. But we want to make sure the time’s right for the organization, because we have 2,650 stores that we don’t want to get distracted from every day just to say we’ve gone into a new market organically.”
His comments have given rise to rampant speculation that a Roundy's purchase could be high on Kroger's to-do list. As the Milwaukee Business Journal points out, Kroger could gain a valuable foothold in the Chicago and Milwaukee retail markets through Roundy's, points which are surely not lost on CEO Rodney McMullen.
Some analysts, however, wonder if Kroger would prefer to avoid the ultra-competitive Milwaukee retail market, in favor of greener pastures to the southeast.
"We all know how competitive Milwaukee is becoming," shared retail analyst and President of DSR Marketing Systems, David Rogers. "Do they want to get into that firefight?"
He explained to the Milwaukee Business Journal that while he believed Kroger could certainly hold its own in the Milwaukee market, “on balance, if I was Kroger, I'd be looking at the southeast."
As for Chicago, former Roundy's executive and current grocery consultant David Livingston shared that he thought a potential deal was unlikely at best. Furthermore, it would seem that without Chicago, a deal for the Milwaukee store base would be difficult to achieve.
"Kroger will not buy distressed stores just to get into a market," Livingston said. "They are slow and methodical about entering any new market. Just because they aren't [in a given market] doesn't mean they have to expand."
Earlier this month, AndNowUKnow covered rumors that Kroger could also be considering an acquisition of a portion of Bi-Lo's Florida store chain. As the 3rd most populous state in America, Florida could offer exciting possibilities for the retail chain.
Whether either of these rumored plans materialize into something concrete or remain in the realm of speculation is something that remains to be seen. Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to bring you the latest on the developing situation.
FIRESTONE, CO – The National Honey Board (NHB) has unanimously selected Margaret Lombard as Chief Executive Office (CEO), effective December 29, 2014.
“After a thorough selection process, the Board is delighted to announce Margaret will lead the NHB as we navigate through the evolving and expanding landscape of the honey industry,” said Brent Barkman, Chairman of the NHB.
According to a press release, Lombard has succeeded the NHB’s past CEO Bruce Boynton, who announced his desire to retire in early 2014 after nearly 26 years of service to the honey industry.
Barkman added, “Margaret has extensive experience in food marketing and a comprehensive understanding of the food industry. I have no doubt that she is the right person to take the helm at NHB.”
Margaret has almost 25 years in the food industry. She has held a variety of leadership positions, including VP of Marketing for Raley’s Supermarkets and VP of Shopper Marketing for a national advertising agency. Her clients include Mission Foods, Blue Diamond Almonds and Avocados from Mexico.
“I am honored to have been chosen by the Board to lead the NHB into the next exciting era,” said Margaret. “The NHB is doing some amazing work and is perfectly poised for growth as the trend towards natural ingredients continues to explode. I look forward to working with our Board and our staff in driving growth for the entire industry.”
She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Design from the University of California, Davis and a Master of Business Administration degree from California State University, Sacramento.