BRENTWOOD, MO - One key takeaway from the pandemic as it relates to our industry is the health benefits that fresh fruits and vegetables have. As consumers have searched the grocery shelves for immunity-boosting products, their produce consumption has increased, and Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) wants to continue this trend. Therefore, the organization has announced the reconvening of its annual Consumer Connection Conference in person, April 18–20 in Scottsdale, Arizona.
“We’re looking forward to gathering our community safely in-person this spring for this powerful business event,” said Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Consumption behaviors have changed drastically over the course of the pandemic. Coming together and staying the course to improve fruit and vegetable consumption is imperative. America needs fruits and vegetables now more than ever.”
At this industry marketing event, being held at the Omni Resort & Spa at Montelucia, attendees will find new inspiration to engage shoppers with daily plant-forward culinary explorations. As noted in a release, there will also be networking events over the course of the several days that will give attendees the chance to interact in intimate, high-caliber conversations with influencers, retailers, foodservice leaders, and marketers.
Additionally, industry stakeholders, food system leaders, and top-tier influencers at the event will have access to business insights shared on stage, inspiring action when it comes to elevating produce consumption. At this year’s conference, speakers will deep dive into the power of habit and how we can harness new consumer behaviors. PBH’s Have a Plant® Ambassadors will also address ways to create inclusive culture through food, among other sessions.
The Consumer Connection Conference will conclude with 1:1 VIP CONNECT appointments in which retailers, foodservice and culinary leaders, as well as lifestyle and nutrition influencers, will meet with event sponsors to network, learn, and collaborate on ways to boost fruit and vegetable sales and consumption.
“While PBH will continue to provide online content throughout the year, nothing beats the power of in-person collaboration,” said Sharese Roper, Senior Director, Industry and Partner Engagement. “Consumers need us more than ever to continue to guide their consumption habits. Join us to discover the best avenues for engagement through our community this spring in Scottsdale.”
Registration for this wonderful event is open now, so click here to sign up to attend.
For more industry-wide event updates, AndNowUKnow has you covered.
NEWARK, DE & WASHINGTON, DC - The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) would begin enforcing a vaccine requirement to allow essential workers entry into the U.S. The new mandate, made effective January 22, 2022, requires all non-U.S. individuals crossing at points of entry along the Mexico and Canada borders will have to verbally attest that they are fully vaccinated, as well as provide proof of vaccination to CBP officers upon request.
In a recent release, the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) outlined the impacts this move could have on the entire food supply chain.
“The fresh produce industry has been proactively encouraging our employers and employees to comply with federal, state, and local requirements regarding COVID-19 testing and vaccinations with significant success,” stated IFPA Chief Public Policy Officer Robert Guenther, who has already shared the association’s concerns with DHS Assistant Secretary Eva A. Millona. “We’ve continued to deliver fresh fruits and vegetables to the global food supply chain despite disruptions caused by health and labor challenges. Part of prioritizing public health and safety is ensuring access to a safe, abundant food supply remains uninterrupted,” he noted.
As this move directly impacts the produce industry at large, IFPA will continue to work with allied associations and regulatory stakeholders to aid in this issue. As noted in the release, these focuses include the availability of acceptable vaccines, the clarity of what is acceptable for travel and work in the U.S., and the continued discussions over exemptions for essential workers and who may qualify.
“While we have been proactively supporting the public health guidelines since the first reports of this policy in November, we are concerned that this final declaration is being finalized 24 hours from its required implementation,” IFPA Vice President of Supply Chain and Sustainability Ed Treacy added. “In turn, this will cause great concerns for those responsible for adhering to this requirement as well as officials at the border who have to implement this new order starting [January 22].”
To view the details of the vaccine mandate, click here.
To further aid companies within the supply chain, IFPA also recently launched a resource page for the produce and floral industries that includes data, recommended actions, and information on the association’s moves to mitigate the challenges caused by supply chain disruptions.
AndNowUKnow will continue to report as our industry works to overcome the current supply chain pressures and other industry challenges.
MIAMI, FL - Crystal Valley Foods is expanding its hold on the Los Angeles Wholesale Terminal Market. Adjacent to its current location, the grower finalized the acquisition of additional bays, thereby doubling the facility’s space and creating additional cold storage capacity and room for increased inventory and products.
“Since we opened Crystal Valley West 10 years ago, the facility has been essential in allowing us to better serve our customers on a national level,” said Jay Rodriguez, President. “With the increased storage capacity and offerings, this expansion will help position us for additional growth in the region.”
In Crystal Valley’s efforts to be bicoastal with its nationwide distribution, the grower opened Crystal Valley West in 2012. The grower operates on the Los Angeles Wholesale Terminal Market, which opens up avenues for additional receiving and shipping, serving as a daily access point to Crystal Valley’s local inventory of products.
With this latest acquisition, noted the release, the company’s West Coast shipping and cross docking point further enhances Crystal Valley’s commitment to serving customers across the country with a fresh, premium, and diverse line of specialty products, as it is strategically located to allow for sourcing supplementary products from Mexico and Western states for distribution in the region and for shipment back East.
Stick around with AndNowUKnow as we report on the latest expansions and updates in our industry.
WASHINGTON, DC - Shining a light on the trials and tribulations of the foodservice sector, as well as those that work to maintain it, the National Restaurant Association has rolled out a distinctive new initiative, People Behind the Plate, highlighting the stories of those who play a key role in the restaurant industry. The People Behind the Plate initiative takes people behind the scenes of the personal stories of six restaurant owners, operators, and chefs from Michigan, Oregon, and Texas who persevered to keep their doors open through the pandemic.
“When you hear the word community, you think of the people, places, and experiences that make your town feel like home,” said Tia Mattson, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Communications, National Restaurant Association. “By creating good jobs, welcoming customers, and helping to feed the less fortunate, community is at the heart of the people in the restaurant industry. The People Behind the Plate initiative puts names and faces to the restaurant owners, operators, and employees who serve their communities every day.”
The first six videos of the inventive new series will showcase the personal accounts of restaurant owners and operators, and the impact their restaurants have on those around them. Each of the stories provides a unique snapshot of what the people in the restaurant industry are doing to help others, from supporting deployed troops to providing free meals for those in need and serving meals to exhausted frontline workers during the pandemic, as noted in a press release.
Foodservice experts to be featured in the series include:
- Lance Trenary, President and Chief Executive Officer, Golden Corral
- Chef Petro Drakopoulos, Owner and Chef of Republica Gastro Pub in Berkley, Michigan
- Katherine Lam and Daniel Nguyen, Owners of Bambuza Vietnam Kitchen in Portland, Oregon
- Kelsey Yoho, Co-Owner of Weekend Beer Company in Grants Pass, Oregon
- Jerry Maddox, Owner of Fazoli’s in Pharr, Texas
- CaSarah Pine, Staff Sergeant, United States Air Force
Click here to view the videos and learn more about each of the dedicated restaurant owners and operators.
In recent months, the devastating reach of the pandemic, labor shortages, rising costs, and supply chain delays have caused economic challenges across the foodservice industry. The People Behind the Plate initiative brings to light the many ways these small business owners have addressed their challenges while continuing to make a difference in their communities, as explained in the release.
For the latest in foodservice news, leave a tab open for ANUK!
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Challenge is unavoidable in our industry. In fact, it is the very root of the many successes and innovations that contribute to the achievement of the fresh produce sector today. Reflecting on the hurdles presented in 2021, The Produce Moms® (TPM) Founder and Chief Executive Officer Lori Taylor recently offered some insight on how to keep business evolving amongst these pressures.
“It may be shocking to hear, but 2021 was actually a more difficult year for The Produce Moms (TPM) than 2020. We were more successful from a business standpoint, which made it tougher to make ends meet,” Taylor explained in a recent article on LinkedIn. “That being said, I 100 percent believe that challenges in entrepreneurship make us stronger.”
These challenges surely did not hinder the growth of TPM, as the organization will be announcing its B Corporation certification in the coming weeks; was recently featured in Forbes Women; launched two co-branded retail items; and continues to grow in reach with its website, podcasts, and social media channels.
“The advice I would give to anyone—entrepreneur or not—is that you have to be able to acknowledge that you don’t know everything,” Taylor noted. “I know our egos can get in the way of that and we want to believe we don’t need other people, but we don’t know everything. By opening ourselves up to what others have to say, we gain knowledge and build trust with colleagues that can often become our mentors, too.”
Taking that methodology one step further, the industry experts also shone a light on the importance of planning ahead.
“Sometimes that means planning for something new and innovative. Other times it means setting a bigger goal for the business. Each year, I choose one big goal. [...] You constantly have to be thinking about what’s next," Taylor explained.
Last, but definitely not least, Taylor offered one more piece of advice that speaks to the perfectionist that is rooted deep within so many of us: Don’t be afraid to be wrong.
To see what Lori means by this, read the full deep-dive here. And keep clicking on AndNowUKnow for all your fresh produce industry updates.
CHICAGO, IL - Hazel Technologies is building upon its global footprint, announcing a significant expansion and a strategic investment this week. The company is strengthening its foothold in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) as Singapore-based global investor EDBI has announced a significant investment in the solutions provider.
“It is estimated that food waste is responsible for at least 8 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, which is an absolutely startling number,” said Aidan Mouat, Chief Executive Officer at Hazel Technologies. “APAC is home to the largest population and largest food system of any region in the world. By integrating our waste-reducing technologies into more global supply chains, we will continue to dramatically reduce those harmful impacts, and this APAC expansion is a critical step in that direction.”
Some of Hazel’s product lines are already fully commercial in APAC countries such as New Zealand, and its new planned presence in Singapore gives the company a foothold in one of the region’s most strategic supply locations. Hazel recently began hiring APAC-based employees full time to lay the foundation for successful R&D, manufacturing, marketing, sales, and distribution.
The news comes in addition to a Series C investment round that closed in 2021. The $70 million round was co-led by Pontifax Global Food and Agriculture Technology Fund, and Temasek, a global investment company headquartered in Singapore. This joint support will be key to APAC regional expansion, a press release noted.
“The fragmented, cross-border nature of fresh produce supply chains across Southeast Asia is a key contributor to food waste from spoilage, and Hazel Technologies’ innovative drop-in solutions for shelf-life extension are a game-changer for the industry,” Chu Swee Yeok, Chief Executive Officer and President of EDBI said. “EDBI’s partnership with the company will drive expansion of its suite of solutions to new, high-growth markets in Asia, while developing capabilities in Singapore and contributing to our 30-by-30 food security and zero waste goals.”
By the end of 2022, Hazel estimates its products will be used with over 5.7 billion pounds of fresh produce in the global supply chain, preventing more than 460 million pounds from going to waste.
We at ANUK cannot wait to see this ambitious goal be met.
CULIACÁN, SINALOA, MEXICO - If you look closely at the building blocks of nearly any success story, you will see the community of people who supported it. Such can be said for Veggies From Mexico, a community of 13 Sinaloa, Mexico-based growers who supply staple crops including tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, string beans, and more.
With a heightened focus on social responsibility, food safety, and sustainability, the grower community takes a unique approach to maximizing benefits for both the buy- and supply-sides.
“Food safety and social responsibility are important to us because it demonstrates our core values, and that's what ultimately can set us apart in an industry of commodities," President of the Board Antonio Beltrán Ochoa tells me.
Veggies From Mexico has a number of strategies in place to ensure its grower partners maintain the highest level of food safety and social responsibility. Each of the suppliers is required to have an official food safety and social responsibility certificate before they can join the community and are assigned a compliance tier. From there, a team of experts from Veggies From Mexico will conduct weekly audit visits to each of the companies throughout the season, ensuring they are maintaining these high standards. If any of the growers lack compliance with the certifications’ criteria during any of these visits, they are suspended from the community.
“Our growers are certified with the most strict food safety and social responsibility certificates in the world such as PrimusGFS, SMETA, GLOBALG.A.P., and more,” Antonio adds. “They have high quality control standards and processes both at the farming and packing level and utilize the latest technology and supplies from all over the world to make sure they provide nothing but the best. It's all about what we believe in and how that translates into particular behaviors and practices across the farming operation. We genuinely care for our workers and their well-being."
With a dynamic team of Sinaloa-based growers—some of which have farming operations in other states such as Jalisco, Baja California, and more—Veggies From Mexico works to ensure Mexican-grown produce is well-positioned for success at the retail level. This includes exporting over 25,000,000 boxes of produce every winter to guarantee that its brands are widely available to consumers.
“We have the commitment to provide safe, nutritious, and delicious vegetables,” says Antonio. “The same vegetables we export week after week are the ones that our children and grandchildren put in their salads every day.”
Beyond elevating products at retail, Veggies From Mexico also supports the success of its grower allies by pulling back the curtain on their farming operations, exposing a more personal side of the industry.
“Behind every tomato, pepper, and cucumber from our community, there’s a person or a family, not a big corporation,” Antonio explains. “Some of these families have been in agriculture for almost a century. We want to showcase the fact that somewhere there is a grower that wakes up before dawn and finishes sometime later at night just to make sure their produce is exactly what the consumer wants.”
The produce business is always personal, and Veggies From Mexico upholds these high standards as part of its commitment to both the person eating the fruit and the one growing it. For the latest news in the industry, keep reading ANUK.
SCHENECTADY, NY - The end of a successful journey is just as celebratory as the beginning, and Northeast Grocery is currently celebrating both. It was recently announced that Scott Grimmett, Chief Executive Officer of the parent company of Price Chopper/Market 32, will be retiring, and Frank Curci, the former Tops Markets Chairman and CEO, will be taking on his role.
Curci was CEO of Tops Markets for 14 years, according to Albany Business Review. As Grimmett’s retirement becomes effective in February, Curci will become CEO of Northeast Grocery, Blaine Bringhurst will continue as President of Price Chopper/Market 32, and John Persons will continue serving as President of the Tops Markets.
According to a company release, Grimmett announced it was time to retire from the role of CEO so he could spend more time with his family in Arizona.
Grimmett was appointed as CEO of Northeast Grocery following the merger of Price Chopper/Market 32 with Tops Markets this past November, having served the Schenectady-based supermarket company for a decade. Prior to that, he served as President and CEO of Golub Corp.
Jerry Golub, Co-Chair of the Northeast Grocery Board, commented on Grimmett's legacy with the company.
“We have been extraordinarily fortunate to have Scott Grimmett lead us through the merger process and develop the strategies and plans to move the company forward,” said Golub. “First at Price Chopper/Market 32 and most recently at NGI, Scott has shown exceptional leadership qualities and vision. We wish him the best as he retires.”
Price Chopper/Market 32 currently operates a 163-store footprint in New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, while Tops Markets has 160 locations in the New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont markets.
As more executive transitions take place within the retail sector, keep a close watch for the next update from AndNowUKnow.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - As evidenced by a slew of key acquisitions in 2021 influenced by an ambitious growth strategy, GrubMarket is a company that seemingly never sleeps. Starting off 2022 in typical GrubMarket fashion, the wholesaler has announced its acquisition of Terra Exports, a global fresh produce provider specializing in imports and exports, giving the company the leverage to stretch its footprint into Nevada.
“Terra Exports has such a strong distribution network across the world and offers a catalogue of high-quality specialty produce. Nils and the top-notch team at Terra have grown the company to do hundreds of millions in sales, which shows how capable the team is and how valuable the company is to their customers and partners,” said Mike Xu, Chief Executive Officer of GrubMarket. “In addition, it has been great to see Terra think outside the box with their Avolicious in-house avocado brand. They’ve also been recognized by INC 5000 several times as a fast-growing company, so we’re thrilled to welcome Terra Exports to the GrubMarket family and achieve rapid sustainable growth together.”
Terra Exports was founded in 2012 by Nils Goldschmidt. Now, the company imports and exports fresh fruits and vegetables across more than 65 countries and has team members stationed throughout 13 of these countries. According to a release, the company has seen tremendous growth over the years, having been featured four times on the INC 5000 list of fastest growing United States private companies.
Through Terra Exports’ diverse team made up of people from a multitude of backgrounds, the company is able to handle more than 50 different products. However, the provider specializes in avocados, cherries, apples, table grapes, and berries. Following GrubMarket’s acquisition of the company, the business will continue to be managed by its current successful leadership team.
“We are excited to join the GrubMarket team and welcome the opportunities brought forth by GrubMarket’s robust technology platform and strong e-commerce supply and demand network,” added Goldschmidt, Chief Executive Officer of Terra Exports. “We want to continue being one of the most high-quality and reliable fresh food distributors for our global customers and are thrilled that GrubMarket shares this goal. We sincerely look forward to joining the GrubMarket team and bringing more grower-direct and premium quality goods to GrubMarket’s suppliers and end customers.”
As GrubMarket acquires Terra Exports, the company will be able to utilize the wholesaler’s proprietary WholesaleWare software suite. The software-as-a-service platform provides food industry wholesalers and distributors with financial management, easy-to-use sales and online ordering features, precise inventory management, lot traceability and tracking, grower accounting, and automated routing and logistics tools.
Reinforcing its already sweeping growth strategy, what will be GrubMarket’s next move? AndNowUKnow will keep you in the know.
ELGIN, MN - February is not only the month of red hearts and valentines. It also marks the beginning of National Cancer Prevention Month, and Honeybear Brands has formed a unique new partnership with Chef Elle Simone Scott, as well as linking with the American Insitute for Cancer Research (AICR) to show consumers how to better care for their health.
“We are so fortunate to partner with AICR and Chef Elle Simone Scott this February. Raising awareness about the impact of what we eat on our health and wellness has never been more important,” said Kristi Harris, Honeybear Brands Brand Manager. “Apples have powerful health benefits. Chef Elle’s Pazazz apple recipes are proof that food can taste good and be good for you.”
The partnership is a unique opportunity for retailers to highlight the category—and Chef Scott’s recipes are sure to be of help.
Chef Elle Simone Scott is of “America’s Test Kitchen” fame, and she will be inspiring consumers to use the company’s beloved Pazazz® apples with enticing recipes. As a cancer surviver, Chef Elle will be utilizing her position and experience to spread the word about the health benefits of eating apples.
Come February 1, Chef Elle, an Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance Board member, will be curating a series of delicious, apple-centric recipes sure to inspire shoppers’ home menus.
As previously mentioned, Honeybear Brands is inviting shoppers to also visit the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) online tool to take the cancer health check and view current recommendations for cancer prevention.
“Our food choices, along with other lifestyle behaviors such as physical activity, play a critical role in our overall health and wellbeing. AICR’s Cancer Health Check is a fun and interactive tool to help people assess their current lifestyle choices and how and where they can improve to stack the odds in their favor,” said Sheena Patel Swanner AICR’s Director of Nutrition Programs.
Honeybear Brands continues to bring benefits to both retailers and consumers with innovative campaigns like this one—after all, we all know that an apple a day keeps the doctor away.