NOGALES, AZ - This time of year marks a turning point in our lives—changes in the weather, in our daily lives, and in produce growing seasons. The Fresh Produce Association of the Americas (FPAA) will celebrate this change in the season with its 51^st Annual Fall Nogales Fresh Produce Convention and Golf Tournament. Slated for November 7-9, the event will take place at the Tubac Golf Resort in Arizona. One of the event’s highlights will be Keynote Speaker Rick Stein, Vice President of Fresh Foods at the Food Marketing Institute, who will speak to the Power of Produce.

“If you’ve never seen Rick Stein talk about the Power of Produce, you are missing a fascinating and enlightening discussion,” said Lance Jungmeyer, President. “Rick brings so much passion to the data, and he really helps people understand the trends that are about to impact the produce department. If you are wondering how to position your company and your products, this presentation will be very insightful.”

According to a press release, Stein has worked as an executive in retail for over 20 years, leading marketing, merchandising, and operating sectors for several companies. He will kick off the FPAA’s Convention with his speech on the Power of Produce, which will touch on new and evolving issues in the industry. The event celebrates another season of fresh produce traveling from Mexico to the U.S. via the port of Nogales.

In addition to Stein’s speech, the event will feature a segment called Fresh Produce Story Teller, which touches on the lives of three industry leaders. There will also be a hot topics panel moderated by Chris Ciruli of Ciruli Brothers, featuring Tom Stenzel of United Fresh, Ron LeMaire of CPMA, and many more. On the second day, attendees will celebrate the Pillars of the FPAA awards ceremony, in which industry volunteers and innovators will be honored by the association. This segment will take place during the Convention Gala featuring a sit-down dinner, dancing, and a presentation from the Salad Bar Program. The golf tournament will be split between the second and third days of the event, wrapped up by lunch and an award presentation.

The 2019 Fresh Produce Convention and Golf Tournament is already looking to exceed everyone’s expectations. For more of the latest news in produce, keep reading us at ANUK.

Fresh Produce Association of the Americas

SANTA MARIA, CA - Bonipak Produce, the family-owned, California-based grower, packer, and shipper of fresh produce, took this year’s PMA Fresh Summit as an opportunity to launch its new branding. At the show, attendees got a first-hand look at the grower’s refreshed logo and new organic logo, as well as new brand taglines.

“For more than 87 years, Bonipak has been proud to offer the best in quality and freshness from seed to sale,” said Joe Leonard, CEO. “As we continue to celebrate our history and welcome our fourth generation into the company, we felt it was time to refresh our branding. Bonipak is proud to continue our tradition of providing top-quality produce to our customers and their consumers. Our new look will not change our long-standing commitment to growing fresh, nutritious produce for many years to come.”

According to a press release, Bonipak’s new logo has been updated and modernized to reflect its continued dedication to providing nutritious, fresh produce for many generations to come, while still honoring the company’s rich 87-year history.

Bonipak has also been growing its line of organic products, and has introduced a new organic logo that features a complementary purple and teal combination, and the tagline, “freshness you deserve.”

The new branding is already being implemented, so consumers can soon expect to start seeing the new logos, color palettes, and taglines on all of Bonipak’s packaging, signage, and communications.

For four generations, the company has been committed to sustainable growing practices and ensuring the best quality for its customers through its seed-to-sale approach. Bonipak grows, harvests, cools, processes, and ships millions of cartons of fresh vegetables to retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice customers across the globe.

AndNowUKnow will continue to bring you the latest in produce news.

Bonipak Produce Inc.

SANTA MONICA, CA - A recent announcement revealed that the industrial-focused private equity firm, Sole Source Capital (SSC), acquired a majority interest in the Southern California-based produce distributor Worldwide Produce (WWP). The company has experienced continuous revenue growth since its founding in 1989, allowing it to maintain a reputation for providing high-quality produce and superior service levels to its customers. Details of this transaction have not been revealed to the general public.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Sole Source as we further solidify our market leadership in the Southern California market and expand into additional geographies,” said Abbas Ghulam, Co-Founder of WWP. “Sole Source’s wealth of experience investing in founder-owned companies will be invaluable as we expand our company’s footprint while maintaining WWP’s uncompromising commitment to product quality and customer service. I am excited to work closely with the Sole Source team to achieve our strategic objectives.”

With significant experience investing in companies that can benefit from its M&A capabilities, SSC plans to continue making meaningful investments in technology. According to a press release, it plans to use its acquisition of WWP as a platform to scoop up other regional distribution companies, leveraging its positive reputation and industry relationships that run deep.

“Worldwide Produce represents a compelling opportunity to invest in a premium business with an established reputation for high-quality service,” said David Fredston, Managing Partner of SSC. “We are impressed with WWP’s strong track record, which includes sustained revenue growth through the Great Recession, and look forward to leveraging the company as a platform for consolidation in the space.”

Congratulations to Sole Source Capital and Worldwide Produce on this exciting team-up! For more of the industry’s latest, keep reading AndNowUKnow.

Sole Source Capital

Worldwide Produce

SALINAS, CA - Muzzi Family Farms is extending its sales family with the addition of two new members. Max Hoularis will take on a Sales position, while Bryan Fregoso will be joining the team as Sales Coordinator.

“We are excited to add these two very talented individuals to the Muzzi Family Farms Sales Team. I look forward to working with them both as we continue to grow the business,” Paul Mocettini, VP of Sales and Marketing, said in a press release.

Hoularis has eight years of produce industry experience under his belt. He first started his career with Kroger as a Fresh Produce Inspector. He then went on to work for Tradin Organics as a Vegetable Trader and then Dole, where he spent the past four years. Hoularis is a Salinas native and a graduate from Cal State Monterey Bay.

Fregoso is also a Salinas native. A recent graduate from North Salinas High School, Fregoso is kicking off his produce career by joining Muzzi Family Farms. As Sales Coordinator, he will assist in customer relations and the daily responsibilities of the sales team.

While the Muzzi family has grown, harvested, processed, and shipped fresh, frozen, organic, and conventional vegetable products for more than 50 years, it wasn’t until 2012 that the family opened Muzzi Family Farm to handle the sales of its produce items. Today, the grower’s offerings include fresh, washed, and bagged leafy greens, such as spinach, arugula, kale, and spring mix and IQF frozen spinach, kale, swiss chard, bell peppers, and Brussels sprouts.

Congratulations to Hoularis and Fregoso on their new positions!

Muzzi Family Farms

WESTBOROUGH, MA - Alongside its plans to expand along the East Coast, announced in August of this year, BJ’s Wholesale Club is leaning into furthering its expansion strategy in Michigan.

According to a report from Crain's Detroit Business, the retailer announced it will be opening three new operations in the state: two new storefronts in metro Detroit, as well as a warehouse in Chesterfield.

BJ's Wholesale Club will open a warehouse club in Madison Heights, at the former site of a Super Kmart at 29101 John R Road on November 2. On November 19, it will open a Taylor location at Eureka Road and Racho Boulevard. The two clubs, which come with gas stations, are expected to generate 300 jobs.

With two wholesale clubs in the works in the Detroit area, BJ's will also outfit a third location in Chesterfield Town Center, a 200-acre development, next year.

Other retailers in the area include grocery giant Kroger, whose recent spate of store openings rocked the industry newswire earlier this year. Will BJ's give the company a run for its money? Stay with us at AndNowUKnow as we cover the latest in retail.

BJ's Wholesale Club

NEW YORK CITY, NY - When it comes to building business, sometimes you’re only as strong as your partners. For Fabric, a startup company with aims to make automated logistics available to retailers big and small, it’s shooting to be a top partner within the industry. TechCrunch reported that the company recently raised $110 million in Series B funding, bringing the total funding raised to $136 million.

“When Amazon announces it’s providing free same-day deliveries of $1 items, that becomes the consumer expectation—and the faster the delivery, the more complicated and expensive it is,” Steve Hornyak, Chief Commercial Officer, recounted to TechCrunch. “Our aim is to enable all other retailers to stay relevant and competitive in this world that Amazon has created, providing the operational, strategic, and financial infrastructure they need to meet consumer expectations profitably, sustainably, and at scale in an on-demand world.”

In October of last year, Fabric opened its first micro-fulfillment center in Tel Aviv. Inside, robots pick up inventory so human workers can stay busy at a scanning station. Each station can process up to 600 orders a day, including one-hour deliveries.

Currently, the company has 14 sites under contract, including three being built in New York City. One of those is scheduled to open by the first quarter of next year and will be available to retailers who want to make on-demand fulfillment, including one-hour deliveries, available to their customers, the news source reported.

This platform model, Hornyak added, ideally would expand into other U.S. cities by next year. Deals with certain retailers are currently in talks and will be reported in the coming months.

As retailers seek to crank out online orders as fast as possible, who will be the first to get involved with Fabric? AndNowUKnow will continue to report the latest.

Fabric

SEATTLE, WA - If Amazon is in its feelings over its split from Fed-Ex earlier this year, the e-tail giant isn’t showing it. Instead, Amazon is plowing forward with more strategic moves to bolster its delivery network and operation. This week, the company announced it is teaming up with new partners GNC, Health Mart, and Stage Stores in order to expand its Counter service (a network of staffed pickup points where shoppers can recieve their Amazon packages) to thousands of Amazon Hub locations.

“The response we’ve heard from our customers and partners after the launch of Counter earlier this year has been tremendous,” said Patrick Supanc, Worldwide Director of Amazon Hub. “This new network of pickup points gives customers a pickup experience that is fast, flexible, and convenient, and partners are thrilled with the strong engagement and additional foot traffic Counter is driving for their stores.”

According to a press release, Counter—which is part of the Amazon Hub family, including Locker, Locker+, and Apartment Locker, and designed to bring the ultimate convenience to customers via pickup and return points—easily turns a store of any size into a pickup location available to millions of Amazon customers. Now, with GNC, Health Mart, and Stage Stores in its ranks, Amazon is speeding up the delivery process with new Counter locations, furthering the growth of its logistics network.

The success and uniqueness of Amazon Counter has also drawn quite a bit of industry interest, with retailers, convenience stores, and small businesses clamoring to partner with Amazon on this service, as noted in the retailer’s press release.

What other strategies is Amazon rolling out to continue to strengthen its delivery operation and network? AndNowUKnow will continue to keep you covered on the latest grocery retail news.

Amazon Counter

Fresno, CA - It’s not all about beef with Black Angus Steakhouse this fall, as the restaurant introduces a new Baby Kale Salad with grapes being tested in select locations for the season. The restaurant is one of several menus to “Go with Grapes” in partnership with California table grapes.

“Chefs continue to create exciting new menu items with fresh grapes,” said Courtney Romano, Foodservice Consultant to the California Table Grape Commission. “Grapes offer versatility, great flavor, and visual appeal, and deliver desirable acidity and sweetness that can make the dish.”

The promotion theme of “Go with Grapes” presents California grapes in snack boxes, as grab ‘n go options, and smoothies, the Commission said.

In addition to Black Angus, Morrison Healthcare, Nordstrom Restaurants, and Restaurant Associates have also joined the grape train.

“Exploring the culinary possibilities with grapes resulted in a flood of creativity from the team and some really great new concepts,” said Corporate Chef Keith Brunell.

At Nordstrom Restaurants, the culinary team created eight new fall menu specials with California grapes offered in all 128 company units. The option kicked off in September and is running through October. The new grape offerings include, among other items:

• A smoothie
• Risotto
• Pizza
• Entrée salad

Morrison Healthcare featured California grapes in its 800 healthcare units during the month of September, according to a press release, offering them as an add-on side option for burgers and sandwiches at the grilling stations, in grab ‘n go grape-only cups, and snack boxes. Grapes were also featured as a signature ingredient in seven recipes, including a flatbread, a pasta, and a new sandwich.

Restaurant Associates has 150 corporate dining and education facilities throughout which it will promote California grapes.

Company chefs have developed new, unique recipes featuring grapes as part of the Chef’s Table throughout operations, including new appetizers, a sandwich, and entrée dishes.

As the Commission and those it partners with look to widen the grape gaze of consumers, AndNowUKnow will continue to bring you the latest in strategies, campaigns, and more.

California Table Grape Commission

ANAHEIM, CA - This particular edition of Picks is a little close to home for me, literally. Because the big shows tend to be a timezone or two away, with the days seemingly on hyperdrive, it can be a bit blurry what was seen, heard, smelled, and tasted. This year, though, I was able to see 24,000-plus industry members come together in my home state. While I am grateful not to be jet-lagged, I can appreciate many of you were and thank you for making the trek to the West Coast to treat all of our senses to the innovations everyone has been working on.

So without further ado, here are but a few of the many impressive introductions unveiled at this year’s PMA Fresh Summit.

Ocean Mist® Farms Organic Artichokes Sustainable Packaging

This item first grabbed my attention while perusing PMA’s Fresh Ideas Showcase. Artichokes are beautifully floral in appearance, and it was eye-catching to see them shown off in an open, recyclable container the way Ocean Mist Farms had them displayed at Fresh Summit. Sustainable and organic, you might even say they had a lot of heart.

Highline Mushrooms Simple Sides Sauté Kits Line

My fiancé and I sit on opposite sides of the millennial spectrum (yes, there is a difference between those born in the 80s versus the 90s) in that I am likely to prepare something one way until Instagram, Pinterest, or an industry insider tells me otherwise. He, on the other hand, is not afraid of culinary experimentation. The result? He will love the new flavor ideas Highline Mushrooms brings to its sautéed mushrooms, while I am going to dig applying my critical thinking skills to work rather than dinner. As the mushroom category continues to rise, I imagine many other consumers will feel the same.

Mastronardi Produce (SUNSET®) KABOOM!™ Black Jalapeño Pepper

It is the spooky season, so what better time to try a dark spin on this flavor favorite? California-born with Latin blood pumping, I was thrilled to see a new spin on this hot item that I’m sure will open new, obsidian-esque doors to favorites like nachos, french fries, and all the other jalapeño possibilities. Morticia Addams, eat your heart out.

Little Potato Company New Easy Sides Line

Being quick, convenient, and providing multiple new flavors for a traditional favorite were definitely all top of mind this year, and this line checked off all three. Potatoes take too long, your shoppers say? Pre-cut, pre-seasoned, and ready in minutes, I wouldn’t be surprised if attendees of all badge colors grabbed a bag of Little Potato Company’s Easy Sides, along with one of Highline’s Simple Sides Sauté Kits, and celebrated being halfway done with a quick, fresh, healthy dinner after a long flight home from Fresh Summit.

Owyhee’s New Sustainable Hemp Bags

Another key phrase not to be forgotten was sustainability, especially in terms of packaging. In addition to Ocean Mist Farms’ attractive take on this rising necessity, Owyhee stood out to me with its self-supplied hemp bags to package onions and potatoes with both sustainability and style. Though I think consumers might want to recycle them by using them over and over until they disintegrate, rather than directly disposing of them for reprocessing as the grower might have intended.

One of my favorite parts of PMA Fresh Summit is how everyone turns up with some amazing new items from deep in the R&D vaults, but this brings with it the caveat of a limited word count when it comes time to write about them. Suffice it to say, our industry definitely raised the bar another notch or two this year, making everyone hungry for what’s to come in 2020.

ATLANTA, GA - Girard’s Dressings is known for its bold and flavorful dressings that incorporate flavors from around the globe, but now it has received full honors for its inventive products, recently winning the 2019 Dressing of the Year and Sauce of the Year. The Association for Dressings and Sauces (ADS) gave honors to GFF, Inc.’s imaginative Mango Gochujang Sauté Sauce and Mint Lime with Tequila Dressing.

"On behalf of GFF, we are happy to accept these distinguished industry awards from the Association for Dressings and Sauces," said Dave Nicholson, CEO of HACO US, parent company of GFF, Inc.

The Dressing of the Year and Sauce of the Year awards are intended to recognize and celebrate truly innovative and delicious products, and winners are determined through blind taste tests. Of course, GFF, Inc. was more than up for the challenge, and proceeded to wow the judges with two of its mouth-watering products.

The Mango Gochujang Sauté Sauce and Mint Lime with Tequila Dressing were the company’s winning entries, with the awards presented at the ADS Annual Meeting “Playing an Instrumental Role.” This is the first year that GFF, Inc. has won both Sauce of the Year and Dressing of the Year, though it is no stranger to the winner’s circle, as this is the second time the company has won Dressing of the Year—and it’s not hard to see why.

“Our Korean-style Mango Gochujang Sauté Sauce gets its unique flavor from the combination of various red peppers with roasted and fermented soybean. The savory sauce is balanced with sweet mango and cilantro highlighted with specks of black sesame,” said Mary dela Peña, VP of Research, Development and Quality at GFF, Inc., in a press release.

The Mint Lime with Tequila Dressing offers a delicate blend of aromatic lime, citrus, and spearmint notes, complemented with chipotle pepper and a dash of tequila, with a sweet hint. Though it’s called a dressing, the Mint Lime with Tequila Dressing works equally well as a sauce to add flavor without excessive calories, sodium, or sugar.

Congratulations to Girard’s Dressings for its well-deserved wins. AndNowUKnow will continue to report on award-winning products.

Girard's Dressings