MONTEREY, CA - A bittersweet celebration is taking place at PRO*ACT, as the company recently announced that Lloyd Ligier will be retiring on March 31, following 20 years of dedicated service with the company.
Affectionately referred to by many as “POPS,” Ligier is a 57-year industry veteran who began working in the fresh produce space at the ripe age of eight when he joined his father’s Los Angeles-based produce distribution company G&G Produce.
During his three decades spent at G&G, Ligier did everything from driving delivery trucks to working in the sales department, before being named President in 1980.
In 1993, Ligier joined the PRO*ACT team, serving as Director of Business Development until 1997. In 2002, the industry luminary made his return to PRO*ACT and took on the position of Vice President of Business Development. In this role, as noted in a press release, Ligier was responsible for developing distributor initiatives, growth strategies, and programs that bolstered the distribution network.
In recent years, Ligier has focused on cultivating and maintaining these strong relationships, as well as serving as a mentor to many.
“Thank you, Lloyd, ‘POPS,’ for your 20 years of service at PRO*ACT. Your encouraging personality, dedication, and selfless hard work are an example for everyone to follow,” the company stated in the release. “On behalf of everyone at PRO*ACT, we wish you the best of luck!”
We here at ANUK extend congratulations to Lloyd Ligier on such a successful and influential career!
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - As we look toward the future of retail, sustainability as both practice and program will undoubtedly drive decision making. One company standing out in this arena is Target, which recently announced its most sustainable store to date. The Vista, California, location will generate more renewable energy than it needs annually to operate. It will also test multiple innovations to reduce the building’s emissions.
“We’ve been working for years at Target to shift toward sourcing more renewable energy and further reducing our carbon footprint, and our Vista store’s retrofit is the next step in our sustainability journey and a glimpse of the future we’re working toward,” said John Conlin, Senior Vice President of Properties. “Our new stores and remodel programs are designed to help achieve our sustainability goals as we test, learn, and scale our innovations over time across our operations.”
According to a release, the site is expected to produce up to a 10 percent energy surplus each year.
With this new store in place, Target is taking notes on the retrofit and new features to inform the chain’s future investments in new stores and remodel programs.
News of this new store followed after the retailer revealed its $5 billion investment plan to scale its operations.
“Years of investment in our team and business have driven our sales beyond $100 billion and positioned Target to meet the needs of our guests no matter how they choose to shop,” said Michael Fiddelke, Chief Financial Officer. “We see substantial opportunities to build on our core capabilities to drive deeper guest engagement and long-term growth.”
As Target continues working toward renewable energy and sustainable programs, this trade news writer can’t help but think what else the chain has planned to elevate the produce aisle in the future.
Click here to learn more about Target’s first net-zero energy store, and here to learn more about the retailer’s investment strategy. And keep an eye out for ANUK to report on the latest.
LOS ANGELES, CA - At its core, a vital part of the produce industry is relationships. Whether it be the connection between suppliers and retailers, or retailers and consumers, each relationship plays a crucial role in keeping fresh produce thriving. ProducePay, an AgTech startup founded by growers for growers, is strengthening the partnerships between growers and buyers. Currently, the company is focused on offering unique services to build a better avocado supply chain in 2022.
“The avocado supply chain has had many challenges over the last few months, not only because of the temporary cease of imports from Mexico, but also caused by an increased consumption of this product in the American homes,” says Pablo Borquez, Chief Executive Officer and Founder. “U.S. buyers will need a better grower sourcing to have the appropriate quota of avocado to supply the demand of the next eight years.”
According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the per capita consumption of avocados in the U.S. is anticipated to reach 11 lbs by 2026. Based on an average annual increase of 8 percent, ProducePay forecasts consumption to reach 18 lbs by 2030. While domestic production of avocados provides enough volume to meet this demand from April to September, imports are necessary between October and March.
For these reasons, ProducePay is redirecting its efforts to attract more avocado producers to its Marketplace, providing American buyers with access to a larger pool of pre-vetted growers.
“Our mission has always been to find, finance, and fulfill grower supply for importers of fresh produce,” adds Olmo Bastida, Agricultural Exports Specialist. “What we have seen in the fresh produce industry nowadays is that younger generations will increase the American consumption of avocado since they consider it as a part of a healthy lifestyle.”
ProducePay’s Marketplace is a first-of-its-kind digital platform that connects pre-vetted growers and buyers, simplifying the sourcing process. Members of Marketplace have access to benefits like its recently launched Quick-Pay+ financing, which will enable avocado growers to get 96 percent of their shipment's value 24 hours after their buyer confirms its reception. This will also lighten the burden of buyers when it comes to payment, allowing them to focus on selling products.
Further bolstering its support of the avocado supply chain, ProducePay sends Business Insights, and Daily Market Reports detailing pricing and commodity trends and is free to subscribe. Through its Avocado Analysis and avocado whitepaper, the company can share information on how the market has behaved the last few years and its future outlook.
If you would like to sign up for these Daily Market Reports, click here.
Are you interested in strengthening your avocado category relationships or forming new ones? Reach out to ProducePay today.
LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE, CA - The Allen Lund Company’s (ALC) Portland, Oregon, office got a boost to its leadership team recently. The company has announced an impressive promotion as Lisa Towner steps into the role of Manager of the ALC Portland office.
“I am grateful to the executive team for placing their confidence and trust in me,” Towner stated. “I am excited to take on this challenge, and I look forward to leading our office to new heights. I am honored to accept the promotion to Manager of the Portland office.”
Towner first joined the ALC team in 2002, gaining extensive experience in dry and reefer accounts for the Portland office. According to a press release, she is well-recognized for her hard work and desire to provide the highest level of customer service.
Tracey Lewin, Vice President of Sales and Operations, commented on this exciting promotion.
“We are very excited for Lisa to take on this new role for the Portland office and ALC. With her many years of experience and superb operational excellence, she has much to offer to the team, and she already has many great ideas for leading the office to bigger and better things. The trust that her team already has in her will bode very well as she takes on this new endeavor. I look forward to working closely with Lisa and watching the office grow and prosper under her leadership!” said Lewin.
Congratulations to Lisa Towner on this well-deserved promotion!
SALINAS, CA - I know that our industry grows year-round, but there’s something transformative about new growth as we head into spring here in the Northern Hemisphere. Pacific International Marketing recently added two new folks to its team: Sara Hansen-Eaton, Sales Executive, and Matt Cava, Sales Executive and Commodity Manager.
“We are happy to have Sara and Matt join our Sales Department—both bring key industry knowledge and relationships to Pacific,” Dave Johnson, President and Owner, remarked on the addition. “They have already become important pieces to our team, fit in great, and we look forward to their contribution and growth here.”
In her new role, Sara will assist with accounts, where she will be deep in the day-to-day tasks of the fast-paced environment. When asked about what she most looks forward to in this position, she noted that she can't wait to learn more and grow her career in produce sales.
Her entry into the fresh produce world began when she was just 17, when her father hired her to help file at Cool Pacific. She quickly learned to dispatch and eventually found herself filling in the Sales Department at Pacific when others were out of the office. She would then go on to a full-time position as an Assistant and remained with the company for 13 years before furthering her career at another local grower/shipper in 2017.
When Sara was approached to come back to Pacific this February, it was an easy yes for her. She always felt she would come back “home” to work with a team that already felt like family.
In Matt’s new role, he will be working closely with the field team to manage information regarding yields, quality, and Pacific’s conventional celery program. In addition to these tasks, he will be taking on various sales responsibilities. Matt is most looking forward to taking the torch and continuing to run with the program laid before him.
Matt was born and raised in Salinas, California, and has produce in his blood. He interned with Tanimura & Antle while studying Agribusiness at California Polytechnic State University.
From there, Matt moved on to work for Sun World in Coachella. His most recent position was with Mann Packing before he took up this role with Pacific.
Congratulations to both Sara and Matt on these new roles! We can’t wait to hear what’s next for the team.
LOS ANGELES, CA - I adore a good blackberry, and so do consumers flocking to the berry case at retail. Berry Fresh’s limited-edition Sweet Karoline® blackberries put a shiny stamp on the category, dazzling all who dare to take a bite.
“Our commitment to finding the best varietal genetics has led to a blackberry that’s juicy and absolutely unforgettable,” stated Carlos Correa, Chief Executive Officer. “As part of the Agroberries group, we’re deeply committed to investing in proprietary varieties that improve the eating experience and delight our consumers. We believe the blackberry category has tremendous untapped growth potential. Sweet Karoline blackberries are giving people an indulgent new way to experience this commodity, which generates increased consumer demand.”
The Sweet Karoline blackberry, a press release explained, is a proprietary variety that was developed in the breeding program on blackberry farms at Expoberries Mexico, which is owned in partnership by Berry Fresh.
These blackberries, known for their sweet flavor and quality characteristics, have an outstanding shelf-life and high brix.
“Sweet Karoline blackberries continue to delight consumers and change their expectations of the blackberry flavor profile,” remarked Jyoti Bhogal, Vice President of Sales. “After several years in the market, we are pleased with the overwhelmingly positive feedback on this proprietary variety. We believe Sweet Karoline is the best blackberry eating experience in the market today."
Responding to the demand, Agroberries—another grower partner of Berry Fresh—is investing in additional plantings of Sweet Karoline. These new plantings will be spread across several regions of Mexico.
The peak season is now through April, so retailers, act fast!
SANTA MARIA, CA - Mirepoix, stews, desserts, and juices, what is a common factor across these dominating categories in the kitchen? If you guessed a bright root veg, then you are right on the carrot nose. Carrots play a major role in the produce aisle, which is unsurprising seeing that the category is as colorful as it is vast. Matt Hiltner, Marketing Coordinator, gives me the lowdown on Babé Farms’ harvest and how these specialty supplies can drive upcoming holiday promotions.
“Santa Maria Valley’s coastal growing climates allow us to plant each of our six varieties throughout the year in California, making carrot season year-round at Babé Farms! We’re your one-stop shop when it comes to colorful carrots, for retail and foodservice alike,” Matt shares. “Luckily, the weather has not been much of a factor so far this season, so we have seen excellent supplies and quality compared to last year—which was already a good year for carrots in its own right! We hope these trends remain consistent and carry us through the spring.”
Spring-like weather is already in full swing here in California, and warm meals outside are in our futures, especially with holidays such as Easter, Cinco de Mayo, and Mother’s Day just over the bend. Currently, Matt shares that the carrot market is steady, and the grower expects this to pick up as we count down until the holidays.
“Colorful carrots are a popular item during the spring months, particularly for Easter. Foodservice and home chefs are looking to add pinks, purples, and yellows to their plates, and there is no better way to do it than with our colorful assortment of carrots,” continues Matt. “We have French (orange), yellow, purple, white, and Thumbelina (or round) varieties, and we offer a range of pack sizes and mixes to fit every need.”
Babé Farms provides 5 lb “ZIP” bags of its hand-peeled carrots in French and two mixed color options. Bulk options are also available in 25 lb sacks of large carrots with no tops in all the colors of the rainbow.
While transportation and labor costs have gone up across all industries, prices for the specialty carrots have also slightly increased over last year. However, Matt ensures Babé Farms is working with retail partners to meet demands, as the grower has kept prices manageable without having any drastic increases.
The grower is also keeping a keen eye on social media and consumer trends, as root veg continue to be a versatile ingredient shoppers and foodservice operators can’t get enough of.
“We are very active on social media, and we love to monitor trending applications for our vegetables,” Matt explains. “Sustainability and trendy ways to serve—for entertainment or personal enjoyment—are on our radar, and consumers continue to turn to carrots as a main ingredient.”
As challenges and trends spring up, keep calm, and carrot on with ANUK.
GLENNVILLE, GA - A recent partnership with Bland Farms® puts the “pitch” in pitch perfect. The onion purveyor has teamed up with Atlanta Braves pitcher Will Smith to usher in the Vidalia® onion season with a new marketing campaign.
“We have always liked the association with our Vidalia onions ‘Opening Day’ and the beginning of the baseball season, and so what better time to celebrate this than after the Braves just won the World Series,” said Delbert Bland, Owner and President. “Plus, we discovered that Will Smith is truly a product of Georgia who was born in Georgia, went to high school in Georgia, plays for the Braves, and lives in Georgia now, so that’s our kind of Georgia guy!”
The Vidalia onion marketing campaign focuses on “World Champion Taste,” featuring a series of social media giveaways of autographed Will Smith baseballs and game tickets. Beginning in April, the giveaways will kick off on the Bland Farms Facebook and Instagram pages, taking place each Friday starting on April 15.
The campaign will be supported by point-of-sale materials in retail stores featuring Will Smith, in addition to extensive social media and website support, a press release explained. Smith will show off his expertise while promoting the beloved onion by gripping a Vidalia like he would a fastball, slider, and curveball.
“I live on a farm south of Atlanta, and I’ve always had an appreciation for Georgia’s agriculture, so helping promote Vidalia onions and Bland Farms is truly special,” said Smith. Most recently, Smith recorded the final out in the 2021 World Series won by the Braves. During the entire World Series, he did not allow a run and served as the Braves’ closer for each victory.
With the Vidalia onion season officially starting in April, a tie-in with baseball is natural. These incredible onions are sold nationwide by Bland Farms.
Get in on this exciting campaign by bringing marketing materials and fresh onions to your own store shelves.
ORLANDO, FL - I have to be a little nostalgic here, since it has been so long since I've interviewed industry members in person. Getting back to in-person events made for some incredible face-to-face time with produce companies making key advancements in the industry. One such company was none other than Mastronardi Produce®, which clued me into the greenhouse grower's innovative lines showcased at this year's Southeast Produce Council's (SEPC) Southern Exposure.
I spoke with Julia Shreve, Marketing Director of Brand and Innovation, to learn more.
"We're so excited to be sharing our Queen of Greens line of lettuce," Julia began as the crowd around the company's booth surged. "It's the first scaled, washed, and ready-to-eat, greenhouse grown lettuce. We really think it's going to shake up the category."
Focusing on flavor is a key component of Mastronardi Produce's approach to the Queen of Greens line.
"We really think that's a differentiating factor for us," Julia continued. "Our Queen of Greens lettuce comes in six SKUs. And we're launching with Kentucky-grown lettuce."
The company also highlighted its WOW™ Berries, which, as Julia pointed out to me, continue to wow both retailers and consumers. Want to change the way people think a berry should taste? WOW Berries will do the trick, and they also boast a longer shelf-life. Everyone wins!
To learn more about both lines, watch the entirety of our video above.
As always, stick around for the latest from AndNowUKnow—and hey, don't hesitate to flag us down when you see us at a show next time! We're raring to go for more face-to-face contact.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Adding on to a string of recent changes within its executive ring, SpartanNash has announced it has promoted David Sisk to Chief Customer Officer, a new position at the company in which he will oversee customer engagements for all national accounts, independent and chain grocers, e-commerce retailers, and the United States military commissaries and exchanges.
Sisk was hired in February 2020 as President of SpartanNash’s military division, according to a press release. Since joining the retailer he has led the strategic policies, goals, and objectives of the military division, credited for growing the Defense Commissary Agency’s private label product offerings which are primarily distributed by SpartanNash. Last year, under Sisk’s leadership, the military division achieved substantial efficiencies within its network, improved its gross margin rates, and delivered over 70,000 loads to domestic military families, as well as 7,800 containers and 16 emergency airlifts to troops stationed overseas.
Before joining the team at SpartanNash, Sisk served as President and Chief Operating Officer for OSC-WEBco, overseeing worldwide strategic plans, profit and loss accountability, personnel and global operations across all military divisions, and more than 100 retail categories. Throughout his 30-year career as an executive with Procter & Gamble, he held increasing responsibilities, including leading U.S. and global shopper-based design and conceptual platform innovation across all Procter & Gamble global regions.
In his new role, Sisk will report to President and Chief Executive Officer Tony Sarsam.
“As part of our new corporate identity that we call Our Winning Recipe™, we are focused on customer-centric innovation and creating solutions that support the diverse needs of the food retailers we serve,” said Sarsam. “David will be critical in elevating the role of the customer in our organization and driving the success and growth of these relationships.”
Sisk is a Board member for the non-profit organization Honor and Remember. He previously served as Chair of the American Logistics Association (ALA) Board of Directors and is a recipient of the ALA’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
AndNowUKnow extends our biggest congratulations to David Sisk on this exciting promotion!