AUBURNDALE, FLORIDA - Multisolution enterprises make the work easier, more efficient, and more responsive to a changing marketplace. A triple threat, if you ask me. Crawford Packaging is bringing exactly that to the International Fresh Produce Association's Global Produce & Floral Show, tailored to each customer's operation.

"This year, our focus is clear: supporting U.S. produce customers with complete packaging solutions built around their operations. Crawford Packaging brings deep produce expertise, a full packaging and automation platform, technical support, service, and spare parts together under one solution," Stuart Jackson, Vice President, Produce Packaging, shares. "We work closely with growers, packers, and shippers to engineer solutions around their specific products and production environments, with the goal of extending freshness, improving productivity, and maximizing uptime."

Crawford Packaging is now serving the U.S. produce market through its new facility in Auburndale, Florida, located in the heart of Central Florida’s produce region. Supported by a dedicated U.S. entity, the facility brings inventory, technical expertise, and service closer to American growers, packers, and shippers, strengthening Crawford’s ability to support customers from within the market they operate in.

"What differentiates Crawford is the combination of broad capabilities and deep produce expertise," Stuart continues. "We do not approach a customer with only a packaging material, a machine, or a service program. We look at the complete operation, from the product and packaging to equipment, labor, production requirements, and service needs. And we engineer a solution around the customer's objectives."

That integrated model keeps Crawford focused on freshness, throughput, uptime, and labor efficiency; and its service, preventive maintenance, and spare parts programs keep it there long after the install.

As Stuart explains, produce businesses are being asked to improve on several fronts at once: shelf-life, sustainability, labor, cost, and reliable production.

"Our solutions are designed around those realities," Stuart notes. "Shelf-life extension and product protection are fundamental. The right packaging solution can help preserve quality throughout the supply chain, reduce food waste, and deliver a better product to retailers and consumers. We are also continually evaluating innovations that support sustainability and recyclability while maintaining the performance and economics our customers require."

Automation is becoming just as important, as we all know. Strip out the repetitive manual tasks, and customers can move labor where it is needed more, while consistency and throughput climb.

Meet both Crawford Packaging's U.S. team and members of Crawford Packaging's leadership team at booth #2717. Understanding the challenge first, then bringing together the right combination of packaging, automation, technical expertise, and service to address it will be top of mind.

ISSAQUAH, WA - Costco Wholesale Corporation reported net sales of $23.70 billion for the retail month of August, the four weeks ended August 30, 2026, an increase of 9.9 percent from $21.56 billion last year.

For the 16-week fourth quarter, the Company reported net sales of $93.9 billion, an increase of 11.3 percent compared to net sales of $84.4 billion last year.

For the 52-week fiscal year ended August 30, 2026, the Company reported net sales of $297.3 billion, an increase of 10.2 percent from $269.9 billion last year.

Labor Day in the U.S. and Canada will occur one week later this year. The shift negatively impacted August total and comparable sales by a little less than 75 bps.

Additional discussion of these results is available in a pre-recorded message. It can be accessed by visiting investor.costco.com. This message will be available through 4:00 p.m. (PT) on Wednesday, September 9, 2026.

Costco currently operates 939 warehouses, including 647 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 115 in Canada, 43 in Mexico, 37 in Japan, 29 in the United Kingdom, 20 in Korea, 15 in Australia, 14 in Taiwan, seven in China, five in Spain, three in France, two in Sweden, and one each in Iceland and New Zealand. Costco also operates e-commerce sites in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Mexico, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, and China.