MINNEAPOLIS, MN - Target Corporation announced it has established a multi-year Enterprise Acceleration Office to drive even greater speed and agility across the company, positioning Target to deliver faster progress on its roadmap for growth. Michael Fiddelke, chief operating officer, will oversee this effort to improve how functions work together to advance key priorities, ranging from simplifying cross-company processes to using technology and data in new ways to power the team.

"The Enterprise Acceleration Office represents a strategic commitment to operating more nimbly across the organization, creating conditions for speed, adaptability, innovation, and resilience. It goes beyond improving efficiency to build operational muscles that clear the way for our talented team to deliver for our guests while accelerating our performance and growth," said Brian Cornell, chair and chief executive officer. "This effort is a natural extension of our roadmap for growth, and the work will benefit greatly from Michael's leadership and his track record of simplifying complexity and championing cross-functional collaboration."

In addition to establishing the Enterprise Acceleration Office, the company shared a number of changes across its executive leadership team to more closely align key capabilities that will support further speed and connection across the organization.

• Prat Vemana, chief information and product officer, will report directly to Brian Cornell and take on leadership of the Target in India global capability center.
• Jim Lee, chief financial officer, will take on leadership of Target's enterprise strategy and partnerships.
• Rick Gomez, chief commercial officer, will oversee Target's enterprise insights team.
• With these changes, Christina Hennington, chief strategy and growth officer, will depart Target and move into a strategic advisor role through Sept. 7, 2025.

"During her time with Target, Christina applied her merchant's eye and strategic mindset to grow our multicategory commercial business by billions of dollars, and we are grateful for her leadership, vision and impact," said Cornell.

Target also announced the departure of Amy Tu, chief legal and compliance officer. In the near term, Melissa Kremer, chief human resources officer, will oversee the function while the company conducts a comprehensive external search.

EWING, NJ - The GS1 US Board of Governors has elected four industry leaders to join the GS1 US Board: Benjamin Hamilton, vice president, supply chain planning, Kroger; Brad Oliver, senior vice president of product business development, Publix Super Markets, Inc.; Greg Keller, senior vice president, national accounts, Sysco, SYGMA, and Guest Worldwide; and Greg Cathey, senior vice president, transformation and innovation, Walmart. Additionally, Brian Dick, president and CEO, Golden State Foods, has been appointed vice chairman.

These executives comprise a cross-industry Board of Governors that guides the GS1 US strategy to drive greater adoption and use of GS1 Standards to increase supply chain efficiency and visibility across apparel, general merchandise, retail grocery, foodservice, and healthcare sectors.

"As supply chains continue rapid transformation to meet rising consumer expectations, our Board's leadership is vital in shaping how industries work together to improve operations, transparency and customer experiences," said Bob Carpenter, president and CEO, GS1 US, in a recent press release. "Each of these esteemed individuals brings valuable insight and proven leadership that will help strengthen GS1 US initiatives, leading to shared value for all the industries we serve."

Hamilton leads supply chain planning at Kroger and is responsible for aligning merchandising and distribution center operations through integrated business planning, forecasting, and supply execution. With nearly two decades of global supply chain expertise, he serves as a critical link between merchandising and distribution center operations, overseeing integrated business planning, demand planning, supply planning, and execution.

At Publix Super Markets, Inc., Oliver leads purchasing and replenishment for grocery and fresh products at the largest employee-owned supermarket chain in the United States. With more than three decades at Publix, he has extensive experience that spans retail operations and product development across the company's expansive store network.

With a career spanning more than 25 years at Sysco, Keller is responsible for leading Sysco's National Account business in the U.S. across the restaurant, hospitality, entertainment, healthcare and foodservice management segments. Additionally, Keller is responsible for leading the SYGMA and Guest Worldwide organizations, wholly owned subsidiaries of Sysco that specialize in distribution and products for the chain restaurant and hospitality segments.

At Walmart, Cathey oversees the strategic transformation of the retailer's supply chain, store operations and last-mile delivery network. In his 30-plus-year tenure with the company, he has held diverse leadership roles across Sam's Club, Walmart International and Walmart US, including serving as CEO of Sam's Club Mexico.

Dick oversees all global operations and functions for Golden State Foods, including manufacturing, logistics and administrative groups. He also leads all worldwide activities to ensure the achievement of the organization's multi-year strategic and annual plans. Dick has served on the GS1 US Board of Governors since 2022.

The GS1 US Board of Governors comprises senior executives from leading organizations including Amazon; The Coca-Cola Company; Dot Foods, Inc.; eBay, Inc.; Golden State Foods; Google; Johnson & Johnson; Kroger; PepsiCo; The Procter & Gamble Company; Publix Super Markets, Inc.; PVH Corp.; Sysco; Target; Topco Associates LLC; Wakefern Food Corp.; Walmart; and Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. The full list is available at: www.gs1us.org/bog.

For more information about GS1 US, visit www.gs1us.org.

THE DALLES, OR - As cherry lovers anticipate the arrival of summer, Orchard View Cherries is preparing to kick off what promises to be a strong season on June 12. With more than a century of expertise growing cherries on the banks of Oregon’s Columbia River, Orchard View is forecasting excellent quality, consistent large sizing and mature sugars, and a 30% increase in volume over last year.

“This season is progressing beautifully,” shared Brenda Thomas, president of Orchard View, in a recent press release. “Our trees came through a mild winter looking strong, and after an exceptional pollination period, they’re now bursting with more cherries than we saw in 2024. We’re thrilled to be entering this season with moderate conditions that are ideal for producing high-quality fruit.”

With promotable volumes beginning the last week of June, ample supply will be ready for July 4 celebrations and continue through the season. The team expects a smooth transition from California to Northwest fruit, ensuring uninterrupted availability for retailers and consumers during the peak summer season.

Oppy’s Senior Vice President of Categories and Chief Marketing Officer, James Milne shared that this is one of the most extended harvest periods seen in recent years. “With particularly rich volcanic soil, ample sunshine and a moderate climate that’s only graced in The Dalles, Orchard View continues to deliver cherries that meet the highest specifications in appearance, taste, and texture. With the wide spread of bloom between varieties and regions we’re seeing this season, we’ll have an extra five to seven days of fruit which is exciting.”

Backed by four generations of expertise, Orchard View is a powerhouse in cherry production — delivering consistent quality and high volume at the height of the season. The company focuses exclusively on cherries, with over 90% of fruit shipped raised on the 3,500 acres it grows on. Each variety — Chelan®, Bing, Kordia, Rainier, Lapins, Regina, Skeena and Sweetheart — is carefully matched to its optimal microclimate and elevation for peak performance.

“Every cherry is hand-picked in the cool early morning hours to preserve firmness and flavor. Because cherries are all we grow, we’re able to focus entirely on producing the very best — picked, packed and shipped the same day for unmatched freshness and quality,” added Thomas.

Orchard View is also deeply committed to food safety, environmental sustainability, and worker well-being. This dedication is evident beyond the orchard, as the company offers free housing to pickers and their families — including newly built facilities, children’s play structures and even a full-size soccer field which were added in 2022.

“It’s a wonderful thing to see how important quality of life is to Brenda and her team,” said Milne. “They want people to leave with good memories and look forward to coming back season after season.”

As summer nears, Orchard View invites retailers and its shoppers to experience the difference that comes from over 100 years of passion and precision.

Orchard View Cherries are available in high-graphic pouch bags and top seal.

NEW ZEALAND - Strong demand and market return from Zespri’s largest-ever crop has seen the kiwifruit marketer top $5 billion in global sales in the 2024/25 season, exceeding the goal set in 2015 of $4.5 billion by 2025.

Zespri sold a record 220.9 million trays of kiwifruit in 2024/25, an increase from 164.2 million trays in 2023/24.

Direct returns to the New Zealand industry reached more than $3 billion for the first time in 2024/25, with Total Fruit and Service Payments spread across New Zealand’s growing regions, including the Bay of Plenty, Northland, the East Coast, Nelson and the Waikato.

Zespri’s net profit after tax was $155.2 million, down from $173.3 million in 2023/24, mainly driven by reduced licence revenue from a reduction in available hectares. Excluding licence, the company’s net corporate profit is a record $79.8 million, up from $20.4 million in 2023/24. The expected total net dividend is $0.77 cents per share.

Zespri CEO Jason Te Brake says it’s pleasing to deliver such a strong result for growers and shareholders which reflects an industry wide effort to deliver a record crop and strong sales in key markets.

“We’ve increased both volume and value in our key markets despite downward pressure in the category and surpassed a significant milestone in reaching $5 billion in global fruit sales, exceeding our longstanding sales goal set a decade ago.

“That’s a mark of pride for our industry, and reflects the strong demand we continue to see for our fruit and the efforts the whole industry has put in to focus on providing another high-quality fruit crop.

“We’re returning really strong value to our growers, with our highest ever recorded direct returns to the New Zealand industry, breaking the $3 billion threshold in 2024/25.

“At a per hectare level, returns are up and at record levels for Green, Organic Green and Sweet Green off the back of the season’s improved yields following a challenging few years for growers and we’ve been able to return strong value at a per tray level for all categories in a record crop year, with final average per tray returns above our February forecast.

“Our corporate results are also positive, with our net profit after tax excluding licence revenue reaching a record $79.8 million, and our New Zealand Supply segment delivering a profit of $56.4 million in 2024/25, up from the $10.2 million loss in 2023/24 on the back of the larger crop, strong value in market and a focus on greater overhead efficiencies.

Zespri’s Non-New Zealand Supply sales have also performed well, with sales of $652.4 million, with 26.5 million trays sold.

Mr Te Brake says in the recent release, “ZGS plays a critical role in supporting the launch of our New Zealand sales season and we’ll see offshore volumes increase in the coming years following last year’s successful Producer Vote to expand production, helping to deliver stronger returns to growers in New Zealand and around the world.

“2024/25 was a really positive year for the industry, and we’re excited to build on this momentum as we progress further into our 2025/26 season. Our focus remains on delivering another strong season and maximising the value we return to growers with even more fruit to sell. Our sales have started well, particularly in Europe and the US, and we’ve made a strong start in Asia despite generally softer market conditions.

“At the same time, we’re looking ahead to the next 10 years, and how we can continue to deliver value for growers together, built around creating brand-led demand, transforming our global supply chain and our innovation programme to create the leading product portfolio.”