BAKERSFIELD, CA - Few produce events are as family-centric as the Southeast Produce Council’s (SEPC) Southern Innovations, an ethos that aligns perfectly with Pandol Brothers.

“Family has always been at the heart of Pandol Brothers. From our earliest days in the fields to today’s boardroom, our decisions have been guided by the values my great-grandparents instilled: trust, respect, and a commitment to one another,” Stefanie Pandol, Marketing and Sustainability Specialist, recently told me. “This sense of family extends beyond bloodlines—it thrives in the generations of employees, growers, and partners who have stood alongside us. We celebrate milestones and achievements, fostering long-term employee retention and a culture where people feel valued. Their loyalty, hard work, and belief in the Pandol name have shaped who we are and will continue to guide us for generations to come.”

At its core, Pandol Brothers is about people, from the family that founded it to the employees, growers, and communities it continues to serve. While operations may look different today than when it was first founded, Stefanie shared that the heart of the company remains unchanged.

“We believe in respecting one another, acting ethically, and building relationships rooted in trust. With over 75 years of farming in the California Central Valley and nearly 70 years of Pandol Brothers, every harvest reminds us why we do this: to share something delicious, honest, and grown with pride, from our family to yours—and to honor the support of the community that has helped us thrive and grow to where we are today,” she said.

It is this guidance Stefanie observed as the way the company has provided quality both then and now.

“Quality is our legacy. For decades, we’ve walked the fields, tasting fruit to ensure every grape reflects the care we put into growing it. As fourth-generation stewards, my brother and I have walked the same vineyards with our father and uncles that they once walked with their parents. Our dedicated and experienced quality and operations teams work year-round to ensure that, no matter the growing region, all fruit meets the Pandol standard,” she reflected.

While farming techniques and practical know-how are passed down, Stefanie said the passion and love for the tradition that came before her is something that can only be shared, not taught.

“We take pride in the fruit that comes out of our fields and into the hands of people around the world, carrying forward a standard that has defined the Pandol name for decades,” she commented.

But of course, carrying forward also means evolving. And with SEPC’s upcoming show centered around innovations, Stefanie takes time to tell me that it is a critical balance.

“At Pandol Brothers, tradition and innovation work hand in hand. The wisdom of past generations—patience, land stewardship, and respect for relationships—guides us, while innovation allows us to serve customers better and adapt to new markets. We are constantly exploring new technology to create efficiency in our processes and implementing sustainable packaging solutions to support the industry. Innovation is exciting, but every step is thoughtfully considered, not just for today, but for decades to come,” she concluded.

You can shake Stefanie’s hand and meet some of the family that has made this legacy brand at booth #203 in Charlotte, North Carolina, when the show floor opens on Friday, September 12. Hope to see you there!

DALLAS, TX - Logile, Inc., a global leader in AI-powered Connected Workforce solutions, announces the successful implementation of its Fresh Item Management suite at Vallarta Supermarkets, bringing intelligent automation and streamlined execution to its store locations. As one of the first retailers to adopt Logile’s fresh production technology, Vallarta played an instrumental role in shaping and refining these solutions to meet the needs of a high-volume grocery environment in one centralized platform.

These fully integrated solutions are part of Logile’s Connected Workforce Platform and align fresh food operations with store execution management for a seamless in-store experience. Automated workflows and real-time data minimize guesswork and empower store associates to improve execution and customer service.

Vallarta’s transition to Logile’s Fresh Item Management Solutions for fresh food production has helped replace fragmented processes with a data-driven, automated approach. By improving forecasting accuracy and providing real-time insights, Vallarta can better align production with true demand.

“Delivering fresh, high-quality products is at the heart of our operations, and we needed a smarter way to manage production and inventory," said Steve Netherton, Chief Information Officer and VP of Continuous Improvement at Vallarta, in the recent release. "Logile’s technology has helped us modernize our approach, bringing centralization, better structure, and visibility to fresh food management. Vallarta has seen a significant reduction in pitch and donation and now has enterprise visibility into performance compliance. Our associates can work more efficiently within a single seamless platform to reduce waste and ensure customers always find the fresh items they expect."

The solutions behind Vallarta’s fresh production transformation include:

• AI and Machine Learning (ML)-Based Item-Level Forecasting: Logile’s forecasting is comprehensive, including sellable items, production items sold under the same UPC, ingredients, and supplies. Its advanced forecasting models leverage AI and ML to predict demand with unparalleled accuracy of up to 97% by analyzing historical data, seasonality, weather, events, and market trends. These intelligent models continuously learn and adapt, optimizing inventory management, minimizing stockouts, and reducing excess inventory, all while providing real-time insights for more efficient decision making and supply chain management.
• Production Planning: Logile produces production plans for all fresh departments based on item-specific production schedules, on-hand inventory, and minimum display parameters in conjunction with AI-generated forecasts. Both recipe and yield process production are supported. Batch sizes are optimized to consolidate like-items, and plans are tailored by role to guide production efficiency.
• Recipe and Nutrition Management: Logile’s system records ingredient formulations for all recipes and sub-recipes, with step-by-step production process documentation and associated food safety controls, pictures, videos, and training guides. The ability to integrate with the FDC and other nutritional data sources supports the creation of all nutritional labeling content and allergen declarations. The system also supports cost calculation and gross profit management. Multiple costs can be defined, including ingredients, labor, supplies, overhead, transportation, etc. Extensive alerts are supported for merchandising, food safety, nutritional content, or gross profit management.
• Grind Management: Logile provides systematic capture of all grind production batches and grinder cleaning events to comply with USDA regulations. Mobile device interaction is supported by Logile's store execution management system with the same devices used for task management and communications. The system also provides dashboard visibility to monitor compliance across a retail enterprise.
• Yield Management: Logile supports yield-based production where sellable products are created from base ingredients, as seen in meat cutting or fresh-cut fruit and vegetable offerings. The system supports cutting test samples and yield test creation specific to seasonal products (e.g., steaks vs. roasts), special ad/promo mix, and yield % by packer to support accurate product yield and gross profit management.
• Scale Management: Logile's enterprise scale management system allows for efficient host updates to all scale and labeling equipment. It automates the timely synchronization of all devices and provides system alerting and process resolution for efficient corporate oversight. Logile supports host integration with all scale and labeling hardware providers.
• Cookbook: The next phase of Vallarta’s fresh food journey is the planned Q3 implementation of Cookbook. This tablet-based app guides users step by step through food production with full recipe visibility, including ingredients, batch sizes, process steps with visuals, and nutritional info. It replaces paper recipe books to ensure up-to-date, accessible instructions, improving accuracy, efficiency, and consistency across operations.

“Food retailers need more than just a production planning system. They need a holistic, connected approach to fresh food operations," said Purna Mishra, Founder and CEO at Logile. "Integrating accurate forecasting and fresh food management into a single, intelligent platform enables effective planning, enhanced visibility, and simplified execution. Vallarta is a leader in fresh and prepared food innovation, and their pioneering implementation shows how automation and AI-driven insights can help ensure product consistency, quality, and profitability across all store locations while earning customer loyalty.”

With the chain-wide rollout pending, Cookbook now complete, Logile continues to support Vallarta in optimizing fresh food operations, delivering innovative tools that drive more efficient inventory management and production in support of fresher products, improved customer satisfaction, higher sales, and lower shrinkage.

For more information about Logile’s Fresh Item Management Solutions, visit www.logile.com.

BENGALURU, INDIA - Albertsons® Companies, Inc., a leading food and drug retailer in the United States, announced the appointment of Sunil Gopinath as Chief Executive Officer of Albertsons Companies India, the company’s new global technology and innovation center located in Bengaluru.

Albertsons Cos. India marks a strategic investment in developing scalable technology solutions aimed at modernizing core systems; integrating data science and artificial intelligence (AI); and accelerating enterprise-wide retail transformation. As a global innovation hub, the center will enhance Albertsons Cos.’ global technology leadership by collaborating with teams in the U.S. and Manila to deliver impactful solutions that elevate the shopping experience for over 40 million customers each week.

“We’re building the technology solutions and digital products needed for Albertsons Cos.’ growth, and Sunil’s appointment as CEO of Albertsons Cos. India will enable us to extend our global team’s capabilities to support this pivotal moment in our technology strategy,” said Anuj Dhanda, EVP and Chief Technology and Transformation Officer at Albertsons Cos, in a recent release. “His deep expertise in scaling innovation hubs and leading transformative digital initiatives makes him the ideal leader to shape our Bengaluru global capability center into a powerhouse of retail technology. Sunil is not just building a team. He’s cultivating a culture of innovation that will drive our enterprise forward and redefine the grocery experience for millions of customers worldwide.”

As CEO, Gopinath will lead the development of the Bengaluru center, which is expected to onboard associates over the next 18 months. Key areas of focus will include customer experience, e-commerce, merchandising, cloud engineering, security, and advanced data and AI-driven roles.

The strategic investment in India underscores the company’s commitment to modernizing and owning its core technology platforms; building enterprise-grade data and AI capabilities; and leveraging Bengaluru’s robust retail tech talent and vibrant innovation ecosystem.

“Albertsons Cos. India is a strategic investment focused on developing and transforming how technology enhances the customer experience at Albertsons Cos., through the creation of proprietary, AI- and data-driven solutions,” said Gopinath. “Bengaluru’s rich talent pool in retail technology and thriving innovation ecosystem make it an ideal location for this journey. I’m honored to lead our teams in shaping the future of grocery retail.”

Gopinath brings over 25 years of experience in building and scaling global technology operations. Prior to joining Albertsons Cos., he served as CEO of Rakuten India, where he led high-performing technology teams and spearheaded large-scale digital transformation initiatives. His career spans global enterprises and technology innovators, with a strong focus on retail, eCommerce and digital platforms, uniquely positioning him to lead Albertsons Cos. India as a strategic center for innovation and capability development.

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - Westfalia Fruit, a global leader in the avocado industry, is proud to exhibit at Asia Fruit Logistica 2025.

“The appetite for avocados in Asia is growing rapidly, making this an exciting time to collaborate with customers and partners to develop the category,” says Hans Boyum, Customer Director, Developing Markets, in the recent release. “Our diverse production footprint across Africa and South America gives customers confidence in our ability to deliver consistently high-quality avocados year-round.”

Westfalia Fruit has been supplying avocados from Chile, Peru, and Colombia into Asian markets for over eight years. Peru, in particular, has seen strong growth in Japan, South Korea, and China. More recently, market access has expanded to include African origins such as South Africa and Tanzania—an exciting development that enhances supply flexibility and complements existing sources.

“Over time, we’ve gained valuable insights and a deep appreciation for the region,” Hans adds. “We’re eager to share our learnings and firsthand experience with customers and demonstrate how we can support growth in this dynamic category.”

Combining global expertise with strong regional partnerships and local insights, Westfalia Fruit delivers sustainably sourced, premium avocados. The company’s commitment to quality and innovation is reflected in a diverse offering, from fresh avocados to convenient formats including frozen avocado and guacamole, designed to meet the evolving needs of Asian consumers.

At Asia Fruit Logistica, visitors will have the opportunity to meet Westfalia Fruit colleagues from South America and South Africa and explore the extended product range. In addition to avocados and avocado-based convenience products ideal for the foodservice market, Westfalia also offers cherries, citrus, blueberries, and mangos.

Visit Westfalia Fruit in Hall 5, Stand 5R45.

DENVER, CO - U.S. retail sales of potatoes remained strong from July 2024 to June 2025, with total volume increasing 2.3%, reflecting sustained consumer demand for this versatile, nutrient-dense vegetable. Notably, volume sales were 13% higher than the comparable period from July 2018 to June 2019, indicating greater demand than before the pandemic. Dollar sales remained relatively stable during July 2024–June 2025, dipping just 0.5% to $19.86 billion, according to the organization's recent report.

Sales volume increases were driven by fresh (2.6%), frozen (3.7%), and deli-prepared sides (1.6%). At the same time, potato chip volume sales were stable (0.2%), and volume sales modestly declined for dehydrated (-2.0%), refrigerated (-0.4%), and canned potatoes (-1.1%).

The modest decrease in dollar sales (-0.5%) was driven by a 2.7% decrease in the average consumer price per pound of all potatoes compared to last year. Only refrigerated potatoes (1.6%), deli-prepared sides (2.8%), and canned potatoes (0.4%) saw consumer price increases. As a result, most potato categories saw a modest decrease in dollar sales except for refrigerated potatoes (1.2%) and deli-prepared sides (4.4%).

Among fresh potatoes, volume sales increased from the prior year for russets (4.0%), yellow (5.5%), petite (7.8%), and fingerling potatoes (1.5%). Sales volume fell for red (-11%), white (-4%), and purple potatoes (-5.5%). The average consumer price per pound of fresh potatoes decreased 5.6% compared to the year prior, driving a modest decrease in all fresh potato dollar sales by 3.2%. Russets saw the largest price drop (-11.8%), followed by white potatoes (-7.6%) and petite potatoes (-3.2%).

Volume sales increased for fresh potatoes sold in bulk, bags (representing 87% of fresh potato sales), and trays. Within the bagged category, the following pack sizes increased in volume sales: under one to under two pounds (7.2%), two to four pounds (10.5%), eight pounds (17.8%), and 10 pounds (3.6%).

Circana (IRI) compiles these figures by working directly with retailers. Potatoes USA accepts no liability for the content of these reports or the consequences of any actions taken based on any information contained herein. Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions.

ORANGE COUNTY, CA - Zespri has released its first full forecast for the 2025/26 season, with it on track to deliver strong value back to growers.

Zespri CEO Jason Te Brake says in a recent release that the forecast reflects the strong start to the season, with average per-hectare returns forecast to reach record levels for all categories other than SunGold and Organic Green.

“Our latest forecast is positive news for growers in a season with even more fruit to sell, with sales tracking well across our key markets, including through the traditionally more competitive summer fruit season.

“It’s been encouraging to see Europe and North America performing strongly, with Europe a particular standout with more than two million trays sold each week for the past 13 weeks. To support this demand, additional fruit has been reallocated to these markets from Asia, where local economic conditions have been more challenging.”

“We’re also closely monitoring our progress in China, where macroeconomic conditions and sales rates are softer and where we have around 20% more inventory than preferred, with our team focused on selling fruit quickly with less summer fruit in the market.”

At a per tray level, forecast returns have lifted from the June forecast for all categories other than SunGold and Sweet Green, which remain within the indicative ranges provided in June.

Mr Te Brake says as Zespri moves through the summer fruit period and into the second half of the sales season, it remains focused on finishing the season strongly and maximising value returned to growers.

Mr Te Brake noted the industry’s results gave it a strong platform for the future, with work underway on resetting Zespri’s 10-year plan to deliver ongoing value to growers.

“Our previous 10-year plan saw us targeting $4.5 billion in sales by 2025. With that fulfilled, our focus now shifts to how we remain future-fit in a global environment that will be more competitive and more complex than the environment we have been operating in previously.

“With this in mind, our 2035 ambition is focused on being the world’s healthiest fruit brand with our approach to be built around three key priorities – unleashing brand-led demand, transforming our global supply, and creating the product portfolio of the future and executing them well. We’re in the process of finalising that strategy and setting ourselves up for the future to continue to deliver leading value back to our growers.”

See the full release here.