NORTHFIELD, WI - In Part One, I broke down how Superior Fresh, the futuristic aquaponics company, is changing the way food is grown—particularly certified organic leafy greens. The conversation between myself and President Brandon Gottsacker amplified many points of interest about which categories this innovative company is breaking into and where the company is headed next.
“We have a mission to feed the world with healthy, reliable, and high-value food products, raised using sound USDA certified organic practices in a safe environment,” said Brandon. It’s little wonder then that the Superior Fresh team has always worked with regenerative ag in mind.
“Every product in our facility is being used in some way to rehabilitate the land that it sits on,” Brandon explained to me. “Because of the steps we’ve taken to actively restore and enhance the land, there has been a resurgence of plants and other wildlife that haven’t been seen in this area for decades. Our team has purposefully planted hundreds of thousands of native starts, removed invasive species, and watched as the native vegetation and animals have returned. For example, some of the other projects that we have on-site include tapping our own maple trees for maple syrup and keeping bees. It just all ties into our desire and belief that organic always ‘gives back’.”
In an effort to follow its mission, Superior Fresh practices the mindset of thinking globally while acting locally. Always conscious of and sensitive towards the world’s limited natural resources, the fish and the produce grow symbiotically to create an amazing organic ecosystem.
“Food is such a morals and values decision. When you’re buying produce, you want it to come from a company or farm that you can personally feel good about and connect with,” Brandon remarked. “For us, it’s all about the health of the food, which innately drives the sustainability aspect forward.”
Regenerative ag is slowly taking over the supply-side’s consciousness, but it also weighs on the buyer’s mind as well. Consumers back moral decisions with their wallets. As a millennial, I can attest to the importance of values in my shopping decisions. Couple that with a product with an unsurpassed taste? I’ll be hard-pressed to look elsewhere.
And as Superior Fresh expands its category portfolio, it’s high-time retailers take note, too.
“We've got microgreens in the facility right now and many varieties of different herbs. We plan to grow or at least try every different herb there is,” Brandon shared. “We've got a lot of different products that will be rolled out with our Phase Three expansion. We’re also growing berries and other surprises in the greenhouse right now. But the bottom line is, we’re trying all kinds of different and exciting things.”
Is it too much to ask them to try it all? Perhaps, but this writer can dream nonetheless! Keep reading AndNowUKnow as we bring the latest in innovation.
LEAMINGTON, ON - In this industry, innovation is ripe for the picking, and Nature Fresh Farms recently rolled out its latest innovation aimed at bolstering its workforce. To make banking more accessible for its employees, the company is partnering with BMO to provide on-site ATMs so that its workforce can access cash or complete simple, every-day banking transactions.
“Throughout this pandemic, we have been looking for ways to make things more convenient for our workers—to give them the option to avoid travel to town for necessities,” shared Vice President of Nature Fresh, John Ketler. “This has included bringing vendors on-site, some of whom, due to the rapid onset of restrictions, are not set up for debit transactions. We are providing a means for our employees to support these vendors.”
With current social distancing and business restrictions still in place, individuals are primarily leaving their residences for essential errands only. Nature Fresh Farms’ collaboration with BMO allows employees access to an on-site ATM at its farm location, helping to reduce or eliminate employees’ essential trips to the bank.
According to a press release, the new ATM has been very well received, with employees happy to have a more convenient means of completing financial transactions.
The installation of an ATM is just one of many measures taken by the company to make essential services more accessible to its employees and minimize any additional risks from off-site traveling. In addition, it has made groceries and prepared food easily accessible by bringing approved vendors on-site and allowing representatives from financial institutions to come to the facilities to help workers complete money transfers home.
“Agriculture is a vital part of the Canadian economy, and part of our purpose as an organization is to drive positive change,” said Roy Dias, Head of Specialized Industries, BMO Bank of Montreal. “We saw an opportunity to help Nature Fresh Farms bring everyday banking services to its team members—helping both its employees and the community. We will always look for ways to help as we navigate this environment together.”
As innovation continues to sprout across the industry, keep a tab open for us at AndNowUKnow.
SACRAMENTO, CA - Eureka! The missing ANUK apple logo has been spotted! And by two of the supply-side's finest no less. Another round of the Find the Apple Logo Contest has come to a close, but never fear, for our next contest will be here in no time! The industry’s best and brightest came and saw, but these two supply-side reps conquered.
First up to claim the prize from the May issue of our beloved magazine was Luci Faas, Product Development Specialist at Nature Fresh Farms. She came into our inboxes promptly, sporting a proud smile alongside her issue of the magazine.
“I am going to buy a cup of coffee for each of the members in the amazing marketing team,” Luci told us. “They are so creative and always remember how to keep their spirits up even during this challenging time.”
Next to nab the $100 cash prize was Wylie Bird, Marketing Coordinator at Jacobs Farm del Cabo. She gave us her best work-from-home look accompanied by the ever-sneaky apple logo displayed on her laptop screen.
“I'm moving from California to Seattle and this money will pay for my gas to get there! Not exactly fun, but very appreciated!” Wylie said. “Not just ‘another trade publication,’ The Snack brings an element of fun—I mean what could be more fun than an easy 100 bucks! We could all use a bit of fun during these crazy times...thanks ANUK for making my week!”
Like I said folks, there will be plenty more chances to strike gold in the Find the Apple Logo Contest. Subscribe to The Snack Magazine here (subscription is valued at $129 per year) and keep an eye out for future contest announcements on ANUK for another chance at winning our cash prize.
May 2020 Snack Magazine-Volume 49
Remember that contest rules require submissions include a person pointing out the logo on the cover of The Snack Magazine, and the countdown only begins once we announce the contest in AndNowUKnow’s newsletter. Until next time, stay fresh!
HACKENSACK, NJ - Alberto Obregon is joining Vision Import Group’s stand-out team as its new Director of Global Procurement. In his new role, Obregon will oversee all aspects of sourcing product, while also managing and maintaining the company’s relationships with its grower partners.
“I’m very excited to be part of the Vision Import Group team now. This is a great company full of very talented and professional people in every area. The human side of the company is something very attractive to all involved,” Obregon said. “It is exciting to have this opportunity to work alongside old friends within the company and on the growers’ side. All this meets my values and makes me enjoy what I do every day; it is a great feeling to be part of this great team."
Obregon brings a wealth of experience to the Director of Global Procurement position. According to a press release, his field, packing house, post-harvest process, food safety, and import/export experience spanning more than 20 years will complement what Vision Import Group already provides while also creating more efficiencies.
Over the course of his career, Obregon has spent 10 years (1997-2007) working for Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture in Mexico, Chile, South Africa, and the U.S. and coordinating, developing, and consulting on bilateral international agreements for fresh fruit export programs. In addition, Obregon spent 13 years (2007-2019) directing the general operation, coordinating production fields, developing and operating packing plans, and managing export and domestic programs at a private citrus company in Mexico.
“We feel privileged to have Alberto join our company. His addition will galvanize our grower relationships while complementing our companies’ values and goals,” said Ronnie Cohen, Principal.
Obregon has a degree in Agronomy from Antonio Narro University in Mexico and a master’s in Environmental Technology.
Congratulations to Alberto Obregon on his new position!
SANTA BARBARA, CA - Apeel Sciences all-star investor roster just became even more starstruck. In addition to Oprah Winfrey and Katy Perry—fellow Santa Barbara natives—GIC has stepped up to back the burgeoning food pioneer after leading a $250 million funding round in new financing.
“We are proud to team up with GIC to help create a better future with less waste,” said James Rogers, Founder and CEO of Apeel Sciences. “Food waste is an invisible tax imposed on everyone that participates in the food system. Eliminating global food waste can free up $2.6 trillion annually, allowing us to make the food ecosystem better for growers, distributors, retailers, consumers, and our planet. Together, we’re putting time back on the industry’s side to help deal with the food waste crisis and the challenges it poses to food businesses.”
The raised capital will further enable Apeel to continue tackling the food waste problem on a global scale, helping the innovator hurtle toward its goal of saving 20 million pieces of fruit from going to waste at retail stores in 2020. In addition, the funding round will also keep Apeel on track to extend the shelf-life of more fresh produce categories in order to solve the problem of food waste in consumers’ homes and create a more sustainable supply chain.
Additional participant investors in Apeel’s recent funding round also included Viking Global Investors, Upfront Ventures, Tao Capital Partners, and Rock Creek Group, with Oprah Winfrey and Katy Perry serving as minority, non-participatory investors.
“I hate to see food wasted, when there are so many people in the world who are going without,” said Winfrey. “Apeel can extend the life of fresh produce, which is critical to our food supply and our planet, too.”
And, in this new COVID-19-shaped world, Apeel’s groundbreaking technology is also helping to extend value and increase operational flexibility for suppliers and retailers by safeguarding the food supply and introducing more time, access, and freshness across the supply chain, according to a press release.
For more information on Apeel’s latest funding round and its global plans, click here. And for more exciting fresh produce news like this, stick with us at ANUK.
WASHINGTON, DC - Ira Kress, a longtime Giant Food leader, is moving up the ranks to officially man the grocer’s helm as its new President, after serving as its Interim President since July of 2019. Kress brings over 36 years of retail experience to his new role, laying the groundwork for more growth for the regional grocery chain.
“It’s been an honor and privilege to lead Giant Food, especially during this time when our customers and communities have never needed us more. I’m honored to continue in the role and am incredibly appreciative of our associates who serve our customers with excellence every day,” Kress stated. “I look forward to continuing to grow the Giant Food brand in our communities.”
Kress has served on Giant Food’s team since 1984, where he started in store operations management and served in a variety of leadership roles in retail operations, human resources, training, and labor relations, according to a press release. His resume also includes a leadership role in the human resources department with Ahold USA.
In addition to playing an integral role with Giant Food, Kress is also active in the community and serves as a Board member on Johns Hopkins Pediatric Oncology Advisory Council and the Ahold Delhaize USA Family Foundation.
Kress’s new role appointment is effective immediately.
Congratulations to Ira Kress on this new role!
SELAH, WA - Cherries signal the beginning of summer—there is truly (for me, at least) no other fruit that thrills the palate the way cherries do. Consumers have a similar obsession, if we can go off of basket rings alone. To learn more about how the beginning of summer’s cherry season positions retailers for a sales boom, I spoke with Blaine Markley, Rainier Fruit Company’s Director of Domestic Sales.
"Despite a shift in consumer shopping behavior cherries are still a season favorite consumers seek out," she began, "and in this currently chaotic 'norm,' cherries bring on a sense of normalcy to the table—whether it be to have a healthy snacking option or simply because they have more time on their hands to experiment with new recipes. It can’t be understated how important cherries are to summer produce sales.”
Rainier referenced category data that shows that typical cherry buyers spend $28 more per grocery trip than non-buyers and $42 more per trip when they purchase Rainier variety cherries. This trend continues throughout the entirety of the cherry season as consumers hang onto the flavors of summer.
"With changing shopping behaviors, we know that more consumers are shopping online and retailers will need to leverage their digital platforms to help trigger those impulse purchases and incentivize the online shoppers,” Blaine urged. “Despite the growth of online shopping during the past two months, many states around the U.S. are beginning to reopen and consumers are getting into a normal routine that include heading back to the store. Take this opportunity to maximize in-store displays and seasonal flavor of cherries because consumers are ready for some shiny bright spots in their day-to-day experiences.”
AndNowUKnow will be the first to report on the latest in all things cherry, so stay tuned.
YAKIMA, WA - They often say that bigger is better, and Superfresh Growers® has certainly taken this sentiment to heart with its latest launch. The company recently announced the arrival of the Super Cherry™ brand, one of the biggest cherries on the tree. The 2020 line-up includes both Dark Sweet and Rainier cherries in pouch bags and clamshells. Exclusively grown and shipped by Superfresh Growers, these jumbo northwest cherries will deliver a premium, special cherry offering that complements retailers’ “every day” cherry programs.
“This summer, we are expecting a sensational crop of jumbo sized Rainier and Dark Sweet cherries,” describes Catherine Gipe-Stewart, Communications Manager. “As normal summer plans are changing, and consumers spend more time at home, they are treasure-hunting groceries stores for cool food to elevate backyard cookouts. Super Cherry is ideal for delighting family members with an exclusive-feeling produce item.”
During the past decade, Superfresh Growers has continually invested in farming with the objective of creating large, delicious fruit, while extending the cherry season. According to a press release, as the demand for larger fruit increases, the Superfresh farm team continues to prune and train trees to create larger fruit size.
“Cherries are one of the produce department’s top-dollar items, and we recognize the importance of helping retailers creatively optimize their cherry sales outside of the traditional Fourth of July and Canada Day promotional period,” says Gipe-Stewart. “We expect families to forego traditional vacations this summer and stay close to home with small groups of family and friends. Cherries will be a popular way to add excitement to backyard picnics and grilling. We are happy to have a good-sized crop to support these backyard adventures!”
To get ahead of this massively sweet variety, be sure to get in touch with Superfresh Growers today!
MURRIETA, CA - In order to keep its competitive edge, West Pak Avocado recently announced plans to expand the capabilities of its various facilities.
"West Pak is committed to our employee's health and safety while continuing to grow our business," explained CEO Mario Pacheco. "With the completion of our recent expansion, we are well-positioned not only to support our customer's growth in the years ahead but also to ensure the health and safety of our workers. We see it as part of our job to help keep Americans healthy. That's why our commitment to supplying fresh avocados to our customers is as strong as ever."
A large portion of the expansion and transformation efforts have been centered around the company's cold chain management systems. For example, West Pak installed new cold docks and preconditioning rooms. It also made sure that its infrastructure and systems had the proper backups necessary.
"Continuous improvement through innovation and integrated systems are core to operating safely, efficiently, and within safe increases in anticipated volume here at West Pak," Vice President of Operations, Trevor Newhouse, remarked in a statement. "Between effectively processing year-round fruit and anticipating increased capacity at the height of the California season, last fiscal year, we identified critical opportunities to address our facilities to accommodate such needs.
According to a press release, West Pak also developed additional online services providing a data-driven platform to not only manage its new internal environmental needs but also highlight the company's abilities to evaluate its performance in meeting both grower and customer requirements.
"The original Cap-Ex (capital expenditure) plans were all pre-pandemic, but upon news of the international outbreak earlier this year, we stepped back to reevaluate our workflow, infrastructure, and additional safety measures,” Newhouse continued. “Understanding that our employees' safety was at the forefront of every decision, we intensified all levels of sanitation programs, including handwashing and hygiene stations across all West Pak facilities. We also added protective dividers to separate employees along the packing line and installed newly designed HID based door systems, which require less human-to-human contact points. In addition, thermal detection camera systems and facial recognition software alert our internal staff of possible risk detection.”
He went on to note that the strength of West Pak’s operations lies in its ability to see challenges and work efficiently to solve them.
“Yet, at the heart of our Operations department is always efficacy. We needed to ensure efficiencies were met, which could be costly to the company and, in turn, create potential slowdowns and possible food waste. Running additional shifts, adding automation, and updating equipment to further reduce unwarranted bottlenecks did the trick. Our continued expansion in new ripening rooms and cold storage capacities addressed safety, growth, and allowed Operations to continually meet key KPI indicators,” he stated.
Other West Pak operational upgrades included refrigerant conversions and migrating forklifts from lead-acid batteries to lithium-ion batteries. Newhouse shared in the press release that this continues to be a core strategic area as West Pak enhances it operations.
Keep reading AndNowUKnow as we cover the latest in produce.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - The one-of-a-kind grocery service Imperfect Foods recently announced a monumental move that builds off of its expansion to Pittsburgh that took place earlier this year. As a result of significant momentum in the business and continued dedication to improving the food supply chain, Imperfect Foods has now closed a Series C funding round of $72 million, led by Insight Partners. The investment will fuel continued expansion of the service across the country, increase capacity in new and existing fulfillment centers, expand assortment, and enhance technology to better connect producers, farmers, and customers to the brand's mission.
"We're energized by the continued support from investors as we eliminate food waste and build a better food system for everyone," said CEO Philip Behn. "We're illuminating vast vulnerabilities within our food supply chain and increasing access to fresh and affordable groceries. The partnership with Insight Partners comes at a unique moment—our model has not wavered in the time of COVID-19, and we've accelerated our roadmap as a result. This highlights how, even during times of unfathomable global hardship, we are an essential part of the safety net for hundreds of thousands of customers across the country."
Since launching in 2015, Imperfect Foods has remained hyper focused on eliminating food waste and supporting farmers and producers when it comes to excess and imperfect products. According to a press release, the company now rescues and redistributes food across multiple grocery categories, including produce, shelf-stable goods, dairy, meat, and seafood. Its performance and agility during the COVID-19 pandemic illustrates that this mission-driven model is poised for success in the long term.
Over the past year, Imperfect Foods has seen impressive growth across key areas of the business. Specifically, average order sizes have doubled year over year and weekly order volumes have doubled since January, with more customers taking advantage of the convenient service and expanded product assortment. Tying back to its mission, Imperfect Foods is on track to save more than 200 million pounds of food from going to waste in 2020.
"The grocery industry has been evolving for years, yet this particular moment highlights an urgent need to reinvent our food supply chain with innovative technology, and keep people safe," said Adam Berger, Managing Director at Insight Partners, who will be joining the Board of Directors at Imperfect Foods. "Imperfect Foods plays an integral role in this industry, merging a clear social mission with affordability and convenience. We're excited to work closely with the team as they enter this monumental phase of growth, and push the industry toward a more intentional and efficient food system."
Prior to this round, Imperfect Foods raised $47 million from investors including Norwest Venture Partners, Maveron, Shasta Ventures, Flybridge, Corigin Ventures, and Kevin Durant. The new funds bring Imperfect Foods' total dollars raised to $119 million. Cowen served as Imperfect Foods' exclusive financial advisor on this transaction.
Does this massive investment mean we will soon hear of more explosive growth from Imperfect Foods? Stick around AndNowUKnow as we continue to report.