FISHERS, NY – The New York state apple industry held an apple tasting fundraiser that raised $10,001 for the American Cancer Society®’s (ACS) Central New York Region, bringing the New York Apple Association's (NYAA) total contributions to $129,000.11 since the year 2000. The funds were raised through sales of New York state apples, cider and applesauce at the Great New York State Fair held August 21 – September 1.
Thousands of fairgoers visited the NYAA booth this year to purchase a refreshing snack. NYAA donated apples and cider, which were provided respectively by Red Jacket Orchards in Geneva and Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards in Lafayette, according to a press release. Mott’s also donated applesauce.
“On behalf of the American Cancer Society, I thank New York Apple Association for its continued support of our mission,” said Bruce Hathaway with the American Cancer Society Eastern Division in Syracuse, N.Y. “Taking a bite of a fresh, crunchy apple is a treat, and the visitors to our booth at the New York State Fair could take that bite knowing they were not only helping their health, but helping the mission of the American Cancer Society. From providing direct services to patients and families across New York to funding a groundbreaking research program, NYAA is a true partner in helping us finish the fight.”
“We are glad to have this opportunity to help fight cancer in our local community, while also raising awareness of apples’ cancer-fighting potential,” said NYAA President Jim Allen.
NYAA Consulting Dietitian Linda Quinn, MS, RD, CDN also appeared at the fair. She noted that current research suggests that eating apples and apple nutrients may help fight a range of cancers.
Great job raising money for this important cause, NYAA!
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Target has laid out plans for a stronger push on the food section moving forward.
In the company’s earnings conference call, Brian Cornell, Chairman and CEO of Target Corporation said, “We believe we should continue to present a meaningful food offering in our stores and online. But we need to ensure that our food offering is uniquely Target and clearly differentiated from our competitors.”
To help maintain that differentiation, Target’s identity and food will continue to involve a combination of national brands alongside the retailer’s exclusive brands.
Cornell added that Target’s team is stepping back and “listening to the guests, really understanding what the Target guest is looking for in food. From an assortment standpoint, from a newness standpoint, we talked about the fact that as we go forward, you should expect to see more natural and organic offerings.”
This news comes after the release of Target Corporation’s third quarter results.
“We’re pleased with our third quarter financial results, which were driven by better-than-expected performance in our U.S. segment,” said Brian Cornell, Chairman and CEO of Target Corporation. “We’re encouraged by the improving trend we’ve seen in our U.S. business throughout the year, and our fourth quarter plans are designed to sustain this momentum.”
For this quarter, the retailer saw U.S. segment sales increase 1.9% to $17.3 billion from $16.9 billion last year and Canadian segment sales increase 43.8% to $479 million from $333 million last year.
Cornell added, “In Canada, we’ve made improvements to our operations, pricing and assortment in time for the holiday season, and we’re eager to measure how our guests respond. The entire company is energized as we approach the peak of the holiday shopping season, and we are looking forward to delivering an outstanding store and digital experience to our guests.”
Other highlights from the quarter include:
- Third quarter adjusted EPS of $0.54 was above the expected range of $0.40 to $0.50.
- U.S. segment transactions declined 0.4 percent, an improvement of more than 1 percentage point compared with the first half of the year.
- Target paid dividends of $330 million in third quarter 2014, an increase of 21.4 percent from $271 million last year.
By the close of the market yesterday, the release of these results caused Target stock to jump $4.99 for a total of $72.50, a 7.39% increase.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to follow these upcoming changes at Target.
CAMARILLO, CA – Houweling’s Tomatoes' CEO Casey Houweling was honored by the Ventura County Resource Conservation District (VCRCD) with the “Excellence in Agricultural Stewardship and Sustainability Award.” Casey's daughter, Monica Houweling, attended the 5th Annual VCRCD awards luncheon in Ventura, CA to accept the award on behalf of the company.
“It is an honor to be recognized amongst such a prestigious group of farmers and peers in Ventura County who are committed to investing in our planet and using their resources as efficiently as possible,” Casey shared. “I believe that working together in the agriculture community, we can continue to innovate and create solutions that are economically feasible but that support our ability to farm with fewer resources.”
One of Houweling’s most exciting innovations has been a 13.2 Megawatt cogeneration installation for its 125 acre farm in Camarillo, CA. This installation, the first of its kind in the United States, according to a press release, generates power on-site, supplies excess electricity to the grid, while capturing traditionally wasted heat and CO2. Instead, these resources are used to grow tomatoes within the greenhouse. The end result is carbon neutral energy and reduced fossil fuel use.
Houweling's also utilizes key greenhouse growing techniques to reduce its water consumption. With these methods, the grower uses approximately 1/6th of the water on less than 3% of the land necessary to farm a comparable yield with open field grown tomatoes, protecting the soil and watertable while conserving land usage.
In addition to the Excellence in Agricultural Stewardship and Sustainability Award, Houweling's has also been honored with the the 2014 Cool Planet Award (Agricultural Sector) and California Energy Solutions Center (ESC) Partnership Award for Innovative Energy Solutions during the ESC Technology and Market Assessment Forum.
Houweling's is looking forward to beginning harvest operations on its new 28 acre farm in Mona, UT. This farm will be completely heated by waste energy captured from the stack of an adjacent power plant.
Past winners of the Excellence in Agricultural Stewardship and Sustainability Award include:
- Harold Edwards, Limoneira Company, 2010
- Richard Atmore, R.A. Atmore & Sons, Inc., 2011
- Craig Underwood, Underwood Family Farms, 2012
- Phil McGrath, McGrath Family Farms, 2013
Congratulations on this latest honor, Houweling's Tomatoes!
CORAL GABLES, FL - Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc. is expanding its Canadian presence with a new fresh cut facility in Oshawa, Ontario. The operation is designed to complement the company’s first Canadian distribution center, which opened in January this year. The facility services the Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa metropolitan areas.
The 108,000 square foot distribution center includes the new fresh cut operation, significant refrigerated cooler space, and 15 pressurized banana rooms with the capacity to grow significantly over the next several years, according to a press release.
“Canada is an important market for us and our investment in this facility in Toronto is a testament to our commitment to the country, our retail partners, and Canadian consumers,” said Dennis Christou, VP of Marketing for Del Monte Fresh, North America. “While we have been able to offer whole fruits such as pineapples, bananas, melons, and avocados for many years, we are excited to expand our line in Canada to also offer fresh cut fruits and vegetables. This is a very successful category for us in the U.S. and we are looking forward to helping it grow further in this market.”
Del Monte’s first Canadian fresh cut facility, which was recently inspected and certified by the CFIA, started production this week. The facility offers a full line of ready-to-eat, fresh cut fruits and vegetables, and will also be able to produce and market the company’s new line of Del Café ready-to-eat fresh salads and snacks with protein.
The facility features state-of-the-art automation and equipment and a test kitchen for developing new products.
Congrats on this latest expansion, Del Monte Fresh!
JUPITER, FL - Locus Traxx and Owyhee Produce have joined together in a new partnership. Going forward, Owyhee Produce will use Locus Traxx's SmartTraxx GO™ units on all of its shipping containers. This will give Owyhee's customers the ability to track and monitor live load temperature and location.
“We are happy to partner with Owyhee Produce and help ensure that their product reaches its destination in the very best conditions,” shared David Benjamin, President and CEO of Locus Traxx Worldwide. “Locus Traxx Worldwide is the leader in managing food safety by combining technologies that deliver necessary information faster and efficiently. It is imperative that we protect the hard work of the growers, and guarantee that the food will not fall prey to temperature abuse. This will ensure a fresh product with high nutritional value.”
“For several years, we have been waiting for a product like the SmartTraxx GO™ to come along,” agreed Shay Myers, CEO at Owyhee Produce. “It doesn’t matter how much time and effort we put into growing, packing, and marketing a product if we can’t assure that it arrives on time and in the same condition in which it left our facility. We will never have to worry about losing communication with a load in transit because we are guaranteed transparency and visibility at our fingertips.”
“The use of the SmartTraxx GO™ on all of our loads is just another way to demonstrate our clients why 'there’s a difference' when you buy from Owyhee Produce,” he continued. “We hope that this exclusive agreement between Owyhee Produce and Locus Traxx Worldwide will help demonstrate the value we see in this great product, and serve as example for others who might consider using it.”
Congratulations on the start of this exciting new partnership, Locus Traxx and Owyhee Produce!
LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE - The Allen Lund Company is supporting the Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) this holiday season with a book and toy drive. From December 1st through December 12th, Allen Lund's mascot, Big Al, will be parked in the company's parking lot to accept community donations. The Los Angeles community is encouraged to donate new books and unwrapped toys from 9am-3pm throughout the drive.
"The Allen Lund Company is excited to utilize Big Al to deliver books and toys to Children's Hospital Los Angeles," shared Nora Trueblood, Director of MarCom. "We are thrilled to utilize Big Al as a collection point for the local community. We hope to load every inch of the truck with books and toys."
"Helping children in need at Children's Hospital Los Angeles is good for Allen Lund Company as well," agreed Kenny Lund, Vice President of Support Operations. "We build teamwork, enhance our company culture and we strengthen our core family values as we work on this project to visit and provide gifts to those served so well by CHLA. We are grateful for the wonderful year we experienced and to be able to give back to the community in this way."
The Allen Lund Company does caution, however, that stuffed animals will not be accepted during this drive.
According to a press release, donations can be made at 4529 Angeles Crest Highway, Suite 101, La Cañada, CA 91011.
MICHIOCÁN, MEXICO – Michoacán will be exporting approximately 815,000 tons of agricultural products this year.
Pedro Benitez Vélez, a delegate of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA) tells Quadratin that "this will position Michoacán as one of the top institutions in this area."
Quadratin reports that during the signing of an agreement to develop a technical study on an irradiation plant before leading organizations and representatives of the National Institute of Nuclear Research, Vélez said that the export list is topped off by 628,000 tons of avocados, 91,000 tons of mangos and 23,000 tons of lemons.
Other notable exports include:
- 15,000 tons of blackberries
- 14,000 tons of melons
- 13,000 tons of grapefruit
- 10,000 tons of guava
Vélez also shared that the new plant will allow the exports listed, as well as other products, to increase export volumes because it will help to remove items like pesticides and chemicals that have prevented produce from Michoacán from reaching international markets because of phytosanitary standards.
With the potential to increase export volumes, I will certainly be keeping an eye on this market. Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for the latest updates.
ORLANDO, FL - Three senior executives at Darden Restaurants have announced their departure from the company:
- Brad Richmond, CFO, will retire after 32 years with the company, effective at the end of March 2015 or sooner if a successor is found.
- Daisy Ng, Chief Human Resources Officer, will transition out of her role to be replaced by Danielle Kirgan, SVP of Human Resources, Specialty Restaurant Group, and Total Rewards, effective January 5, 2015. Ng will continue to work with the Board of Directors, however.
- Bob McAdam, SVP of Government and Community Affairs, will resign from the company after eight years of service.
This news comes as Darden announced a number of strategic actions to save approximately $20 million per year through a reduction of general and administrative expenses, according to a press release. These actions include a corporate restructuring that will affect nearly 60 employees and cut 25 open positions, the elimination of a layer of field operations management at Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse, and the removal of the company’s aviation department.
“While these changes will significantly improve how we operate, it is always difficult to take actions that have an impact on the dedicated individuals who have made significant contributions to our company,” said Gene Lee, Darden’s Interim CEO. “Departing employees will receive severance and other benefits appropriate to their position and tenure that are consistent with our values. We thank them for their contributions to Darden.”
The company expects savings of approximately $10 million this fiscal year.
Darden suggests these moves will continually increase the focus on restaurants operations and improve the guest experience, ultimately better positioning the company to “win the battle for market share across all of its concepts.”
Lee continued, “The actions announced today are critically important steps in becoming more efficient in how we support the restaurants. This includes limiting the number of distractions that divert our attention from what matters most – continually working to improve the food and service we offer our guests.”
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for Darden’s upcoming second quarter earnings call next month.
MONTRÉAL, CANADA - Metro Inc. shares roared to an all-time high on Wednesday, November 19th, 2014, on the heels of a robust Q4 and FY 2014 financial report. Most notably, profits climbed 45.4% to $115.6 million during Q4 2014, according to a press release.
“Our financial position at the end of the fourth quarter of 2014 remains very solid,” shared Eric R. La Flèche, President and Chief Executive Officer. “We delivered strong fourth quarter results which confirms that our customer-first strategies are gaining traction in our very competitive industry. We are encouraged by the improved sales performance across all banners. We completed the acquisition of Première Moisson in the fourth quarter and we will continue to invest in our network and execute our business plans to pursue our growth.”
Some Q4 2014 highlights from Metro's financial report include:
- A 3.9% increase in sales to $2,712.2 million.
- A 3.1% increase in same-store sales.
- A 59.0% (or 14.8% on adjusted basis) increase in fully diluted net earnings per share to $1.32/share.
Some FY 2014 highlights from Metro's financial report include:
- A 1.7% increase in sales to $11,590.4 million.
- A 1.1% increase in same-store sales.
- A 35.2% decrease in profit to $456.2 million.
- A 30.4% decrease in fully diluted net earnings per share to $5.07/share.
- Adjusted net earnings from continuing operations of $460.9 million.
Metro exceeded analysts' expectations in this financial report. According to the Financial Post, analysts had only anticipated profits of $1.27/share in Q4, a number which Metro beat by 5 cents with a posting of $1.32 profit per share.
Metro's stock rose to $84.66/share on the Toronto Stock Exchange in the wake of this news, up 2.62% or $2.16. This represents an all-time high for the company's stock, according to the Financial Post.
It was a busy quarter for Metro Inc. In addition to its financial results, the company also announced that longtime Board member Réal Raymond would be succeeding the retiring Pierre H. Lessard as Chair of the Board of Directors of Metro Inc.
“On behalf of the entire Metro team, I would like to thank Pierre Lessard and Paul Gobeil for their exceptional contribution to Metro’s success," Eric R. La Flèche, shared in the announcement. "We will pay tribute to them at the next annual general meeting of shareholders.”
Pierre has been a pillar of Metro's executive team for over 24 years, having served as President and CEO from 1990 to 2008 and Board Chair from that point until today.
Along with Pierre, Paul Gobeil, Vice-Chair of the Board since 1990, will also be retiring after the next annual general meeting on January 27, 2015. John H. Tory has also resigned from the Board following his election as Mayor of Toronto.
Congratulations on an excellent fourth quarter, Metro Inc.!
SALINAS, CA – As of Tuesday, November 18th, 2014, Taylor Farms has begun the operation of one of Salinas Valley's first wind turbines. The 398 foot testament to the company's commitment to sustainability and clean energy will help power Taylor Farms' Gonzales vegetable processing facility.
“All of us at Taylor Farms are excited about this new wind turbine because it offers us a sustainable, clean energy generation solution,” shared Nicholas DaCosta, COO Taylor Farms Retail. “We have installed solar, fuel cell, and now a wind turbine into our energy generation system. These systems are part of our continued sustainable efforts.”
According to a press release, the wind turbine can spin at up to 20 rotations per minute and provide up to one megawatt of power.
This is not the first investment Taylor Farms has made towards sustainable energy. Earlier this year, Taylor Farms Retail installed a 2,250 solar panel energy system on the roof of its salad processing plant in Salinas, CA. This investment provides the plant with one million kilowatt hours every year.
The company also installed a fuel cell power system in September 2012. This system uses up to 30% less carbon dioxide and 99.99% less water per kilowatt hour than a conventional power plant.
Put together, these three initiatives comprise a core component of Taylor Farms' sustainability strategy. Congratulations on the excellent work, Taylor Farms!