HOUSTON, TX – Foodservice giant Sysco has named its 2016 Sysco Supplier Excellence Awards, selecting several recognizable produce companies for some of its top spots. Just a few winners were picked from the more than 1,300 suppliers worldwide, and announced at the company’s annual industry dinner in Houston. 

So who walked away with the top spot? Sysco named foodservice company Michael Foods Inc. as its 2016 Supplier of the Year. The Minnetonka, Minnesota-based company is a provider of potatoes and eggs, among other foodservice solutions. 

Mann Packing was another of the produce industry’s big winners for the night. Not only did the Salinas, CA, company walk away with a Silver Supplier Award, but it also was selected for the Heritage Award for Diversity. The winner of this award is selected for meeting and exceeding Sysco’s expectations set forth for minority, women-owned, and diverse supplier partners.

Other winners in Sysco’s produce category included the following companies:

Produce Gold Supplier Award recipients

• The Garlic Company

Produce Bronze Supplier Award recipients

• Tanimura & Antle
• Potandon Produce
• Church Brothers Farms

According to a press release, the awards are designed to recognize the commitment, support, and partnership of suppliers by category and area of accomplishment. Sysco says winners were selected based on key business performance measures as prescribed by Sysco's U.S.-based distribution companies and the company’s corporate Merchandising, Quality Assurance, and Supply Chain departments.

To view the full list of winners, visit Sysco’s website here.

Sysco

SEATTLE, WA - Amazon continues to kick up its interest in fresh while venturing further outside its cyber kingdom. The e-commerce giant is reported to be planning a grocery expansion in the form of a new line of convenience stores, available to to AmazonFresh subscribers, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The news source reports that this latest extension to Amazon’s business would offer fresh produce, milk, and other perishable items, items that have previously been touch-and-go for the provider.

The retailer continues to operate this new offering with its cyber roots in place however, with plans for online ordering and purchasing items via phones or other touchscreen devices.

The rollout is also said to include curbside pick-up, another service that continues to sweep the buy-side as consumers become more and more driven by convenience.

While locations and a timeline for these stores were not included in the report, AmazonFresh is currently available to users in:

• California
• New York City, NY
• Philadelphia, PA
• New Jersey
• Boston, MA
• Washington

This latest announcement comes just after a change to the membership terms of the growing banner. Once an annual fee of $299, Amazon announced last week that is changing the terms of its AmazonFresh subscription: a $15 monthly fee for Fresh, on top of the $99 Amazon charges for Prime alone.

What next move does Amazon have up its sleeve as it continues to delve further into fresh? AndNowUKnow will keep you up to date on this and others in the retail circuit.

AmazonFresh

ORLANDO, FL - Fresh products and bold flavors continue to be on the forefront of consumers' brains as we move ever closer to PMA Fresh Summit, keeping citrus in high demand. With IRI Worldwide Data reporting that citrus category growth has out-performed fruit and produce category growth in both volume and dollar sales over the past year, Sunkist Growers is in prime position to preview this year’s wide crop selections on the show floor. 

“PMA marks the beginning of a new citrus season, so this is a great time for us to connect with our customers and discuss opportunities to capitalize on demand,” explained Joan Wickham, Sunkist’s Director of Communications. “We are excited to kick off the season, and showcase trends and marketing initiatives.” 

Navel Oranges

Mid-October, known affectionately as PMA season by many in our industry, is also the kick off of Sunkist Navel orange season. Refreshingly sweet and juicy, Sunkist says that Navel oranges are the most popular and widely known citrus fruit in the world. The popular treat is also both seedless and easy-to-peel, making it an excellent choice for either a tasty and nutritious snack, or an ingredient for fresh, seasonal recipes. 

Satsuma Mandarins

Sunkist will also be showcasing its Satsuma mandarins at its booth come this weekend. Also sweet, seedless, and easy-peel mandarins are often a consumer favorite. Satsuma mandarins are packed with both flavor and vitamin C, with just one Satsuma mandarin providing you with a full day's supply, according to a press release.

Meyer Lemons

Sunkist describes this increasingly popular variety as a cross between a regular lemon and a mandarin. PMA attendees can see these sweeter and less acidic lemons for themselves this weekend, smelling their notably herbal scent. Perfect for cooking, baking, and beverages, Sunkist offers these, conventional, and speciality lemons such as Seedless and Zebra_® brand (pink variegated) year-round to meet growing demand for this versatile household staple. 

Along with the company’s focus on the aforementioned varieties, Sunkist growers are increasing production of organic citrus varieties as consumer demand for organics continue to increase. The cooperative is currently offering a broad portfolio of organics, including Navel, Cara Cara Navel, and Valencia oranges, mandarins, Minneola tangelos, grapefruit, lemons, and limes. 

“Consumers are looking for seasonal items in the produce department,” added Sunkist’s Director of Retail Marketing, Julie DeWolf. “Retailers can generate excitement around citrus season by leveraging point of sale materials such as posters and secondary display units, coupled with sampling, to educate consumers about seasonality, nutrition information, and flavor profiles of seasonal varieties.” 

At PMA, Sunkist will be sampling citrus recipes by the always talented Chef Jill Davie, including an Orange Chorizo-Spiced Burger Bowl and a Lemon-Coconut Soup with butternut squash, tomatoes, and basil shrimp. Chef Kathy Casey will also be on hand serving refreshing beverages, including a Lemon Lavender Soda in the morning, and a California Mai Tai made with freshly squeezed oranges, lemons, and limes, in the afternoon. 

Be sure to stop by booth #2643 to try all these tasty treats and see the wide array of citrus firsthand, or if you can’t attend, do a little exploring on www.sunkist.com.

Sunkist Growers 

LOXAHATCHEE, FL  - An industry vet is joining the ranks of J&J Family of Farms. Operations and logistics expert Michael Butler will now be the company’s Senior Vice President of Operations.

“I am excited and honored to take on this role; I look forward to contributing to the growth of J&J,” said Butler upon receiving his new position. “I am looking to further our customer driven mission and help the business achieve its goals in this very competitive industry sector.”

Butler holds over 25 years of industry experience, having previously served as Vice President of Group Operations for Castellini Group of Companies. His previous positions include leadership roles with Hexion Specialty Chemical, Reynolds Consumer Products, Old Dominion Freight Lines, and United Parcel Service.

In addition to roles with PMA and United Fresh, Butler also hold Six Sigma Green Belt and APCIS (CPIM) certifications. Michael will report directly to J&J's Chairman and CEO, Lynn Rundle, providing firsthand leadership, according to a press release. 

“We are proud of the amazing talent we are bringing on board at J&J,” shared Rundle. “I see Michael as an integral piece to realize the vision and mission of J&J as we continue to establish ourselves as leaders of the fresh produce industry.” 

Butler holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from The Ohio State University, and in addition to exploring the great outdoors, he enjoys spending time with his three children, and fiancée Dr. Sarah Zimmerman.

J&J Family of Farms

PLANT CITY, FL - Wish Farms is growing its year-round offerings. The company announced that it will now offer blackberries, available in an all-new elongated blackberry clamshell.

“Blackberries are the perfect complement to our year-round berry program,” said Gary Wishnatzki, Owner of Wish Farms. “In just one phone call, customers can now choose to order an assortment of berries.”

The newest addition will be available both in organic and conventional, according to a press release, as the company responds to common customer requests to extend the berry program.

“Growers are excited to work with the Wish Farms brand,” said Jose Saca, Director of Blackberry and Raspberry Operations at Wish Farms. Saca brings experience and connections necessary to kicking off the company’s new program, with more than ten years of experience in the industry. “We are partnering with the best growers for quality, and we hold ourselves to the highest food safety standards with all fruit coming through one of our Wish Farms facilities to be inspected by our quality control team.”

The Mexico blackberry season kicked off this month, and will extend to the end of May. The domestic blackberry season gets underway mid-May in Georgia, North Carolina, and California, and will continue through September.

As for the new packaging, Wish Farms reported that, similar to raspberry 12-ounce flat packs, this elongated clamshell will provide a cleaner look across the berry case. To see for yourself, and to learn about continued strategic growth as the company looks to establishing a year-round raspberry program, you can visit the team at booth #1507 at PMA Fresh Summit this upcoming weekend.

Wish Farms

EDEN PRAIRIE, MN – As the SuperValu chain looks to further position its Save-A-Lot banner for a possible sale or spinoff, it looks as though the discount retail chain has new strategies to bolster its buy-side presence; remodels and new locations. 

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Save-A-Lot filed a regulatory filing in which it listed plans to remodel its current store plan to focus on fresh offerings, add new stores, and boost the number of national brands on its shelves.

Save-A-Lot, a subsidiary of SuperValu, is looking to put fruits and vegetables at the head of its remodel, remapping its interior to move fresh produce departments to closer to the front of each store. The chain also expects to expand its offerings of meats, ethnic foods, and frozen departments.

As eyes in the segment remain on the chain and a prospective new owner or spin-off, Save-A-Lot is also looking to up its value by the addition of 75 new stores in fiscal 2017. 

“We believe the United States can support more than 3,500 Save-A-Lot stores under our existing store concept and layout,” the company stated in the filing, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 

The company also stated that it's looking to secure heightened consumer loyalty by carrying more national brands and consolidating its private label offerings to just the America’s Choice brand, which was acquired by the chain earlier.

Reuters speculated that SuperValu will announce the future of Save-A-Lot soon. As we recently reported, private equity firm Onex has reportedly led the pack in offers for the chain as of now. SuperValu has yet to comment on the sale or possible spin-off of the chain. 

Save-A-Lot has not yet released which locations will be privy to its revamped look, or where the new locations will be located.

As SuperValu moves closer to an announcement regarding Save-A-Lot's fate, AndNowUKnow will continue to report on updates as they roll in.

SuperValu Save-A-Lot

FLORIDA - Matthew has at last dialed back, no longer being called a hurricane, but continuing to make its presence known across the industry as ripples of transportation, shipping, and closure impacts remain.

Thousands of flights were delayed or canceled late last week, Yahoo News reports, with a number of airlines responding with suspended calendars as the system peaked for the U.S. on Thursday.

According to the report:

• American Airlines Group Inc. canceled 590 flights on Thursday, 580 on Friday, and 160 on Saturday.
• Delta Air Lines Inc. canceled 240 flights for Friday, and about 80 on Saturday for northeastern Florida, coastal Georgia, and South Carolina.
• Southwest Airlines Co. canceled 130 flights for Friday and 95 for Saturday.
• United Airlines canceled 270 flights Wednesday through Saturday, affecting Georgia and South Carolina.

The amount of delays were even higher, and coastal ports from Florida to Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina, suspended operations.

While Matthew is now being called a “post-tropical cyclone” instead of a hurricane, CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar remained wary in a report.

"It's still packing the same hurricane-force winds and potential for flooding and is still as deadly as a hurricane," Chinchar said.

As we reported previously, PMA President Cathy Burns commented on the priority being first and foremost the safety of residents and members, and all who are a part of the Fresh Summit, which is scheduled to take place in Orlando, Florida this weekend, Oct. 14-16.

“We are focusing in particular right now on exhibitors, because they have freight en route to Orlando that could be disrupted over the next couple of days,” Cathy previously commented. “GES, our expo vendor, is doing everything it can to move the show in with as little disruption as possible, including adding extra staff and waiving overtime fees for Saturday and Sunday deliveries once the storm has passed.”

While it is good news for the industry that the storm has moved away from the Orlando location, the AndNowUKnow team will continue to hope for a story of triumph after such a test from Mother Nature in the days leading up to one of the year’s biggest industry events. We will continue to keep you in the know on any relevant updates as they are reported.

REIDSVILLE, GA – Shuman Produce is ramping up for an eventful booth at PMA Fresh Summit with more than its planned displays and samples of RealSweet® Peruvian sweet onions. The company announced that it is also planning a Big Green Egg Giveaway, cooking demonstrations, and hosting the celebrity presence of Miss America 2017, Savvy Shields.

"We encourage everyone to come check out this season's RealSweet Peruvian sweet onions at our PMA booth this year and learn about our premium sweet onions," said John Shuman, President of Shuman Produce. "We take great pride in offering the consumer a consistent sweet onion taste year-round and are sure we have what retailers and food service need to satisfy their customers."

The noted Miss America winner will be signing autographs and taking photos at the Shuman Produce’s booth on Saturday, from 10:30 am – 4:00 pm. Savvy herself is an advocate of healthy eating, and will promote her platform “Eat Better, Live Better.” Savvy aims to use her title to education consumers on healty lifestyles and improving health.

Additionally, attendees can attend live cooking demos starring RealSweet® Peruvian sweet onions at the company’s booth hosted by personality Kevin Jenkins, The Fat Man, according to a press release.

Kevin will also be joined by Chef Francine Bryson, who authored Blue Ribbon Baking from a Redneck Kitchen, and Country Cooking from a Redneck Kitchen. Bryson has won more than 200 baking competitions, both local and national, in addition to being the runner-up on CBS’s The American Baking Competition. 

Shuman Produce is livening up its booth even more by giving Fresh Summit attendees a chance to win a Big Green Egg charcoal grill, simply by visiting the company’s booth. The ceramic kamado-style charcoal grill can be used as a smoker, oven, or grill, and offers a multitude of ways to use RealSweet® Peruvian sweet onions. 

The company’s booth is showcasing its RealSweet® Peruvian sweet onions to retailers during the event to emphasize their availability from September through February. Shuman Produce stated that Peru offers the ideal combination of weather and sandy soils to provide for a truly sweet onions. RealSweet® Peruvian sweet onions maintain the taste, sweetness, and color found in RealSweet® Vidalia onions.

Get in on the Shuman Produce fun yourself by visiting the company’s booth at PMA Fresh Summit at booth #3213.

Shuman Produce

IDAHO FALLS, ID ­– This year’s PMA Fresh Summit is promising to be full of innovation and new product launches, with Potandon Produce delivering its own unveiling of cutting-edge technology with its new Light-Blocker Half-N-Half® potato bags.

“This is truly a quantum leap for potato packaging. This initiative was undertaken solely to create value for the retail community as it improves shelf life of poly bagged potatoes by blocking the potential greening effects of florescent lighting,” stated Ralph Schwartz, Vice President of Sales.

The company stated in a press release that the Light-Blocker bags have been proven to extend shelf life due to the following benefits: 

• Blocks 99.5% of all visible and ultraviolet light rays
• Virtually eliminates product greening
• Reduces dehydration/weight loss
• Reduces sprouting incidents 

The innovative bags will be available for the company’s national retail potato brand, Green Giant™. The technology behind the bags was developed at Michigan State University’s School of Packaging which has a reputation for its contributions to protective packaging solutions, shelf-life, product/packaging compatibility, and tamper evidence.

The company stated that the Light-Blocker bags will be launched into the retail sector following PMA Fresh Summit, in the following initial sizes:

• Green Giant™ yellow potatoes: 3 lb and 5 lb
• Green Giant™ white potatoes: 5 lb
• Green Giant™ red potatoes: 3 lb and 5lb
• Green Giant™ russets, both Idaho and non-Idaho bags: 5 lb and 10 lb
• Klondike Goldust™: 5 lb 

Potandon Produce stated that as most light exposure to fresh produce comes at the retail level, or in a consumer’s home, these improvements from its new packaging will dramatically increase consumer satisfaction. 

Want to see more of these bags yourself? Stop by Potandon Produce’s booth #801.

Potandon Produce

CINCINNATI, OH - The industry mill is stirring with speculation on where Kroger is looking to make its next big buy. And recent reports have come back that the Cincinnati, Ohio-based retailer is looking at produce-powered Whole Foods.

Kroger and Whole Foods officials declined to discuss what news source Cincinnati.com called "rumors and speculation" regarding a potential deal, but the whispers boosted a reaction for both sides’ stock yesterday.  

Whole Foods’ shares jumped 4.9 percent to close at $29.33 Thursday, Oct. 7, while Kroger’s own numbers saw a 1.8 percent boost, closing at $29.37.

Kroger has made a few sweeping purchases in the last couple of years, namely Roundy's and Harris Teeter, as well as Market6 and DunnhumbyUSA, and has been on the list of interested buyers for both The Fresh Market and SuperValu. The retailer has also moved more actively to enhance its organic and natural foods offerings, which the report notes as a reason for its potential interest in Whole Foods.

Whole Foods has been associated with helping to grow and pioneer organic foods, and despite some bumps has reported positive feedback on the newly-launched 365 chain.

Cincinnati.com reported that, if the deal has merit, the price tag for Whole Foods could be about $9.7 billion based off Kroger’s having paid about seven times the cash flow of previous chains.

AndNowUKnow will continue to follow and report on this story as it develops further.

Kroger Co. Whole Foods