BOISE, ID - Albertsons® Companies, Inc. announced that Meg Whitman has been appointed to the newly created role of Executive Chair of the company’s Board of Directors. With Whitman’s appointment, Kim Fennebresque has transitioned from Chair to Lead Independent Director, and the board has expanded from 10 to 11 members. Whitman will work to support Susan Morris, CEO of Albertsons Cos., and her entire senior team.

“Meg is an ideal leader to join Albertsons’ Board of Directors,” said Fennebresque in the recent release. “Her appointment underscores the board’s commitment to bring proven technology expertise and transformation leadership to all aspects of the business. Meg’s role as Executive Chair complements Susan’s leadership abilities as the company accelerates plans to compete and win.”

Whitman has been building and reimagining companies for more than 40 years. She served as President and Chief Executive Officer of eBay, Inc. from 1998 to 2008, as the company grew from $30 million to more than $8 billion in annual revenue and defined personal e-commerce. From 2011 to 2018, Whitman led Hewlett-Packard (HP) and transformed the company’s performance in computing and information technology services. During her tenure at HP, Whitman reconnected the company to its customers, unlocked significant shareholder value, and ensured that the HP brand would thrive well into the future.

Whitman also has extensive director experience, having served on several corporate boards over the years, including Procter & Gamble and General Motors. She is currently on the corporate boards of CoreWeave, Inc., Motive Technologies, and Fervo Energy.

In addition to leading the Albertsons Cos. board, Whitman will serve as an operations and strategic advisor to Morris and her senior team. Whitman will provide support as Morris sharpens strategy, strengthens execution, and increases profitable growth throughout all parts of the business. Whitman’s experience will be particularly relevant as Morris continues to streamline the operating structure around AI technologies and a more consistent customer experience across stores and digital channels. Whitman will also work with Morris to refine the company’s long-term strategy.

“At this pivotal moment, I’m thrilled Meg is joining our board as Executive Chair,” said Morris. “Meg has a remarkable track record of helping companies strengthen execution, accelerate growth, and create long-term value. As we focus on moving faster and competing more effectively, Meg’s strategic judgment, operating discipline and technology expertise will be invaluable. I look forward to partnering closely in the months and years ahead. I’m also grateful to Kim Fennebresque for his leadership as Chair and pleased we will continue to benefit from his experience as Lead Independent Director.”

“Albertsons has a rich history serving customers and communities across the country,” said Whitman. “Susan is a talented leader who has dedicated her career to the company. I am honored to work with her, the entire management team and my fellow directors as we build on the company’s strengths and deliver meaningful value for customers, associates, communities and shareholders.”

Meg Whitman Biography

Meg Whitman served as United States Ambassador to Kenya from July 2022 until November 2024. From March 2018 until February 2021, Whitman served as the Chief Executive Officer of Quibi, a Los Angeles-based entertainment startup.

From June 2017 to February 2018, Whitman was Chief Executive Officer for Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), a multinational enterprise information technology company. She was the company’s President and Chief Executive Officer from November 2015 to June 2017. From July 2014 to November 2015, Whitman served as President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chair for Hewlett-Packard Company (HP), the former parent of HPE. Beginning in September 2011, as President and Chief Executive Officer of HP, Whitman engineered the groundbreaking and successful turnaround of the company. HPE and HP, Inc., the standalone companies created from that transformation, continue to thrive today.

Prior to joining HP Inc., Whitman was the Republican Party’s nominee for governor of California in 2010.

From 1998 to 2008, Whitman was President and Chief Executive Officer of eBay, Inc., the online marketplace, and at the time, a payments company through its acquisition of PayPal. Whitman led eBay through its IPO and a period of spectacular growth.

Whitman holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and an A.B. in Economics from Princeton University.

EMERYVILLE, CA - The first time Scot Olson walked me through a Grocery Outlet produce department, I distinctly remember how comfortable he was on the floor. The way he maneuvered through the displays, talking about the brands, familiarity, buying strategies, and how each owner-operator had a rich story to tell. Like it was his second home. Scot’s desire to be close to the heartbeat of the industry is what took him to FreshSource, where he joined an incredible team of some of our industry’s most knowledgeable and well-connected fresh produce professionals, and what now brings him back to Grocery Outlet as the company’s Vice President, Merchandising - Fresh.

“It is a wonderful opportunity to rejoin a dynamic company committed to delivering extreme value offerings to underserved communities and making affordable fresh products accessible to those who need them most,” Scot shares. “After eight incredibly meaningful years with FreshSource, I want to express my deepest gratitude to Robert Thompson and his wife, Clarissa, for the trust, confidence, and—most importantly—the friendship they extended to me.”

As Scot says, their belief in his leadership placed him in a position of tremendous growth, added experience, and personal fulfillment.

“It has been an honor to stand alongside FreshSource. I will always carry immense respect and appreciation for the organization and the people who make it special,” Scot reflects. “I leave FreshSource feeling grateful, enriched, and proud of the work we accomplished together,” Scot expresses. “I am excited, energized, and honored to be returning to Grocery Outlet as VP, Merchandising – Fresh.”

Scot officially assumes his position on Monday, September 28, and he looks forward to supporting Grocery Outlet’s Independent Operators in elevating the fresh offerings for their customers.

For someone who has always seemed most at home close to the product, the people, and the pulse of the produce department, the return feels fitting, and he brings immense wisdom and experience to the new role.

“What a privilege it has been to work alongside such a tremendous professional. Even more meaningful has been the opportunity to grow the business at FreshSource together while building a friendship and bond with Mr. Olson that will last a lifetime,” Robert Thompson, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, FreshSource, LLC, shares with me. "I’m incredibly grateful for our time together and excited to see what this next chapter holds for him.”

Congratulations to Scot on this next path, and to Grocery Outlet on welcoming back a leader who knows its stores, its operators, and the fresh produce industry so well.

QUEBEC, CANADA - Simplified harvesting and in-depth category insights in one fell swoop? This is exactly what Sami Robotics is bringing to its grower partners with its cutting-edge platform.

“Sami Robotics is building the farmworkers of the future through a multifunctional robotics platform designed for modern agriculture,” explains Teodora Toteva, Head of Operations. “For the beginning, we've been focused on specialty crops such as broccoli and leafy greens, because they require selective harvesting. It's not as simple or straightforward as harvesting corn, for example; specialty crops require a high level of selectivity.”

The SAMI platform combines robotics, artificial intelligence, machine vision, and cloud-connected analytics to automate some of the most labor-intensive tasks in fresh produce production.

The first application is selective harvesting, where robotic arms identify and harvest only market-ready vegetables while discarding defective crops or leaving immature crops for future passes. Sami Robotics has developed advanced AI algorithms utilizing over 25 cameras that enable it to detect different crops, analyze different characteristics such as size and color, and make an intelligent decision about harvesting them or skipping them until the next pass.

“What makes our approach unique is that the machine does more than harvest,” Teodora shares. ”As it moves through the field, it continuously collects and analyzes crop data at the plant level, which can be used for actionable intelligence for growers. This could allow growers to make more informed decisions about harvest timing, labor planning, and marketing opportunities. Our goal is to help growers maintain production capacity while improving efficiency, reliability, and long-term sustainability.”

This could result in a variety of benefits for growers:

• Reduced dependence on increasingly scarce labor
• More consistent harvest timing and quality
• Improved operational predictability
• Greater harvesting capacity during critical harvest windows
• Access to field-level insights that can improve decision-making and profitability

The unique farming solution was designed as a platform rather than a single-purpose machine, with each crop application adding a new capability. This allows growers to benefit from expanding functionality without needing to adopt an entirely new machine.

“Today, our focus is selective harvesting for broccoli and Romaine lettuce, but the same core platform is being developed to support additional crops and applications over time,” Teodora says. “Future opportunities include Iceberg lettuce, cauliflower, artichokes, and other specialty vegetables, as well as field operations such as crop scouting, yield forecasting, pest monitoring, thinning, and weeding.”

The system is also designed to adapt to different farming environments. Machine configurations can be adjusted for various bed layouts, field conditions, and production systems. As growers provide feedback and their operational priorities evolve, new software capabilities and crop-specific models can be deployed to meet those needs.

The platform itself becomes more valuable over time as it continuously learns, improves, and gains new skills through usage.

“Because the machine interacts directly with individual plants, it captures information that traditional scouting methods, drones, or satellite imagery may not capture with the same level of granularity,” Teodora tells me. “Each plant observed becomes another data point, helping build a more complete picture of field conditions. This information can be used to map crop readiness across the field, forecast what areas will be ready for harvest in the coming days, estimate future yields, and improve harvest planning and logistics.”

The idea is to have growers use these kinds of insights to make more informed decisions about labor allocation, harvesting schedules, and market commitments. The same vision and AI systems that identify harvest-ready crops can also detect visual indicators of plant health, including potential signs of disease, pest pressure, or other agronomic issues. Over time, this would create opportunities for earlier intervention and more proactive crop management.

As the company continues to explore these capabilities, its field analytics and insights feature is not expected to be commercially available before 2027.

With this innovative harvesting solution, Sami Robotics is aiming to simplify a labor-intensive production process while arming growers with the data to make further operational improvements.

For more industry news, leave a tab open to ANUK.

BAKERSFIELD, CA - Organic produce has reached a new milestone: $12 billion in annual sales. For Creekside Organics, the next opportunity is a move beyond the organic label alone. As organic becomes an increasingly familiar choice for shoppers, it’s working to give consumers more reasons to choose one fruit or vegetable over another.

For the third year in a row, organic produce sales and volume grew at nearly double the pace of conventional produce. According to The Packer’s late July report on recent Circana data, that growth delivered $12 billion in sales last year. The big sales number is something to celebrate, but organic’s three-year trend is the real story. Organic produce is now an everyday eating decision for millions of people.

“Organic has moved beyond being a niche or special-occasion purchase,” said Bianca Kaprielian, co-CEO of Creekside Organics, in the recent release. “That’s an incredible win for our industry, but it also changes the conversation. Organic can get a shopper’s attention, but increasingly, we need to give them another reason to fall in love with the product by sharing who grew it, how it was grown, how it tastes and what makes it special.”

Organic momentum comes from younger buyers pursuing healthier lifestyles and environmentally friendly products. They see organic produce as a given. The Circana numbers show demand that’s already here, but how much further can it go? Creekside sees some of the greatest opportunities in helping shoppers understand what makes individual products worth seeking out.

The company is already providing information and infrastructure to support organic produce growth. The trick is leveraging it fully and promoting it well.

The connection between grower and consumer is more important than ever.

The more consumers know about the produce in front of them, the more they want to try it. A lot of the growth potential comes from growers who stand behind the fruits and vegetables at retail. Stories of who grew the product, along with how and why it was grown, make organic farming more accessible and real for consumers. Those connections lead to purchase preference.

Creekside provides point-of-sale grower content and graphics that help to differentiate products when the word “organic” no longer does. Stores can add Creekside’s grower stories, product information, imagery, and other content into their own point-of-sale materials for a seamless store experience.

A dry-farmed tomato, for example, offers a story that goes well beyond its organic certification. Grown with little to no supplemental irrigation once established, the fruit develops concentrated sugars and acids that create the intense flavor that dry-farmed tomatoes are known for. Helping shoppers understand that difference can turn an unfamiliar farming practice into a reason to seek out the product.

Programs like Thomcord Tales create a customer dialogue between Creekside’s Fruit World brand and shoppers. Each retail pack includes a note inviting shoppers to text the team directly, creating a conversation around the growers, the fruit, and the short Thomcord season. Every text gets a response from the Fruit World team. The program began as a way to tell the story of a unique grape, and has become a direct line to enthusiastic shoppers who ask things like how long the grapes will be in season, where they can find them, and what are other ways they can support the brand. The program turned a piece of packaging into an ongoing connection between Creekside’s Fruit World brand and the people eating their grapes.

More choice brings more people in.

Most organic buyers don’t mind paying a premium, but everyone loves a good deal. Creekside sells multiple grades of produce to bring value-driven shoppers into an organic produce habit. The FlipSide label from Fruit World, for example, offers a recognizable brand for choice-grade fruit. The company also supplies to juicers and foodservice buyers, which reduces waste while building promotable pathways into the organic category.

Buyer belief matters, too.

Consumer connections come easier when the buyer really believes in the products, and Creekside loves to host buyers. It gives the retail side of the business a well-rounded understanding of the grower and the product. Those experiences help category managers merchandise organic produce clearly and creatively when they return to work.

Growing organic means growing talent.

Before you can have future growth, you need future growers. From the fields to the back office, Creekside mentors young people to show them what a career in organic produce looks like, and ultimately, show them how to bring the next $12B to the category.

Creekside also works with the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association, ALBA, whose three-year program helps first-generation farmers learn to farm organically and build viable farm businesses. Creekside works with participating farmers to plan crops and markets the produce they grow, helping them establish a sales relationship they can carry forward after graduation. The company also meets with ALBA students annually to share insights into the different markets available to organic growers, from retail and wholesale to foodservice, home delivery and farmers markets.

“There’s endless potential for organic produce, as long as there is a plan for its future leaders,” said Brenda Haught, Creekside Organics co-CEO. “From sustainable standards and transparency to women leaders, organic produce does a lot of good beyond generating profit. Mentoring people and building good career paths keep it going.”

Retailers and operators are encouraged to contact Creekside Organics to collaborate on grower story merchandising and organic category growth.

LEAMINGTON, ON - Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG) is proud to celebrate the achievements of Ontario’s greenhouse vegetable sector following a strong showing at the Leamington District Chamber of Commerce’s 2026 Business Excellence Awards.

Held September 9 at the Roma Club, the annual awards recognize businesses, organizations and individuals making a positive impact throughout the region. This year’s event also marked the Chamber’s 90th anniversary and 32 years of celebrating local business excellence.

OGVG was honored to receive the Innovation Award, recognizing the organization’s leadership in advancing Ontario’s greenhouse vegetable sector through research, advocacy, market development, and support for new technologies. The nomination also highlighted OGVG’s role in strengthening competitiveness, sustainability, and long-term growth while helping ensure Ontario greenhouse growers continue to produce safe, sustainable, locally grown food year-round.

“This recognition reflects the innovative spirit that exists throughout Ontario’s greenhouse sector,” said Daniel Terlizzese, Research, Innovation & Plant Protection Lead for OGVG, in the recent release. “Across Ontario, greenhouse growers are investing in new technologies, research, environmental stewardship, and production practices that help improve efficiency, sustainability, and food security. OGVG is proud to support that work, and we are honored to have our collective efforts recognized by the business community.”

Rick Mastronardi, President of IPR Farms, Vice-Chair of OGVG, and Chair of OGVG's Research Committee, said the award reflects the dedication of growers who continually adapt to meet new challenges and opportunities.

Innovation has always been at the heart of Ontario's greenhouse vegetable sector," said Rick Mastronardi. "Our growers are committed to finding new ways to improve crop production, address labor and environmental challenges, and remain competitive in a rapidly changing marketplace. The research investments made by growers, along with their willingness to adopt new technologies and best practices, have helped build one of the most resilient and successful greenhouse sectors in the world. This award is a testament to the commitment and vision of our members."

Several OGVG members were also recognized during the evening. Nature Fresh Farms received the Grow South Essex Award and was a finalist for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Del Fresco Pure received the Environmental, Social & Governance Impact Award and was a finalist for Grow South Essex; and Mucci Farms was a finalist for Business Excellence – 50+ Employees.

“The recognition of so many greenhouse businesses across a diverse range of categories speaks to the strength, leadership, and innovation of the sector,” added Mastronardi. “Our members continue to drive economic growth, create employment opportunities, invest in their communities, and advance sustainable food production. We are incredibly proud to see their contributions acknowledged.”

OGVG extends its congratulations not only to this year’s award recipients and finalists, but also to every business, organization, and individual nominated for a 2026 Business Excellence Award. The caliber of nominees demonstrates the entrepreneurial spirit, community leadership, and commitment to excellence that continue to make Leamington and Essex County one of Canada's most dynamic regions.

OGVG also thanks the Leamington District Chamber of Commerce for its ongoing commitment to recognizing and celebrating the businesses and organizations that contribute to the region's prosperity and success.

PROVIDENCE, RI - United Natural Foods, Inc. reported financial results for the fourth quarter (13 weeks) and fiscal year (52 weeks) ended August 1, 2026.

Full Year Fiscal 2026

• Net sales decreased 0.7% to $7.6 billion
• Net income of $35 million; Net income per diluted share (EPS) of $0.57
• Adjusted EBITDA increased 48.3% to $172 million
• Adjusted EPS increased to $0.69
• Net cash provided by operating activities of $197 million; Free cash flow of $80 million

Fourth Quarter Fiscal 2026

• Net sales decreased 2.0% to $31.2 billion
• Net income of $84 million; Net income per diluted share (EPS) of $1.34
• Adjusted EBITDA increased 27.0% to $701 million
• Adjusted EPS increased to $2.65
• Net cash provided by operating activities was $540 million; Free cash flow was $323 million

Recent Financial and Operational Summary

• Net sales in the quarter included about a 500 basis point adverse impact from planned optimization actions and a 150 basis point impact of short-term project work, which were partially offset by lapping last year’s cybersecurity event
• Delivered on updated fiscal 2026 outlook, with full-year net income increasing to $84 million, Adjusted EBITDA growth of 27%, Free cash flow growth of $84 million, and year-end net leverage ratio of 2.2x
• Completed initial deployment phase of Lean daily management to 44 distribution centers, supporting fourth consecutive quarter of year-over-year improvement in fill rates, on-time deliveries, and throughput
• Began onboarding additional business from new and existing customers expected to produce revenue growth in fiscal 2027 after cycling larger optimization actions
• Fiscal 2027 guidance reflects high single-digit growth for Adjusted EBITDA; midpoint $25 million higher than guidance provided at December 2025 Investor Day

“UNFI delivered a strong fiscal year through disciplined execution of our strategy to add value for customers and suppliers while becoming a more effective and efficient company. We continued strengthening commercial and supply chain capabilities to better serve our partners, while generating solid growth in Adjusted EBITDA and Free cash flow, enabling us to further reduce net debt,” said Sandy Douglas, UNFI’s Chief Executive Officer, in the recent release.

“Our progress demonstrates the strength of our customer base and our commitment to creating long-term, shared value for all stakeholders. In fiscal 2027, we remain focused on helping our partners execute their growth strategies, accelerating our operating momentum, and returning to revenue growth.”

See the full release here.