ROSEMONT, IL – In a leadership shakeup to its Board of Directors, US Foods Holding Corp. has announced that Timothy R. McLevish is stepping down from his position on the Board, with Court Carruthers and David Tehle newly appointed. 

“We wish Tim all of the best in his new endeavor,” said Pietro Satriano, President and Chief Executive Officer of US Foods. “I’m pleased to welcome David and Court to the Board. Both bring public company and audit experience, as well as a wealth of business and finance expertise.”

The company stated in a recent press release that McLevish has accepted a position as Executive Chairman of Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc., following the company’s completion of its planned spinoff. As Lamb Weston is a significant supplier to US Foods, McLevish can no longer qualify as an independent director to the foodservice distributor. McLevish will vacate his position effective immediately.

In his new appointment to the US Foods Board of Directors, David Tehle will serve as the new Chairman of the Audit Committee for US Foods. Tehle retired from his position as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Dollar General Corporation in 2015 after being appointed to the role in 2004. Tehle has also served as Chief Financial Officer for Haggar Corporation. 

Currently, Tehle serves on the Board of Directors for Genesco, and on the Board of Directors for Jack in the Box as an Audit Committee member and Finance Committee Chair. 

Court Carruthers brings 13 years of experience in senior leadership roles to the US Foods Board of Directors with roles held at W. W. Grainger, Inc. Most recently, Carruthers functioned in W. W. Grainger as Group President, Americas, where he was responsible for American operations, and global ecommerce and innovative technologies. 

Carruthers currently serves as a Direction and Audit Committee Member of Ryerson Holding Corporation, and also serves on the board of multiple private companies such as Follett Corporation. Carruthers is a CPA, CMA in Canada.

As foodservice and retail companies continue to hone in their leadership appointments and executive strategies, count on AndNowUKnow for the latest.

US Foods

SACRAMENTO, CA - I know this is far fetched, but just hear me out: If you are like me, a Gen Xer or older, you may have rolled your eyes when you heard about Pokémon Go. In my opinion, I’m not a fan of Pokémon and wanted nothing to do with this latest fad.

But then I saw the numbers.

According to DMR digital stats, since the game launched on July 6th:

• It’s collected 26 million daily users, as of last Friday, July 15th
• Estimated to have made $3.9-$4.9 million its first day
• It’s seen more than 10 million Android downloads since the launch
• More than 10% of Android owners use the app daily, 10.81% as of July 13th
• Daily users spend up to 43 minutes a day on the ap
• As of July 9th, it was making $1.6 million daily from the iOS Apple store

Nintendo’s stock has skyrocketed this month, with many calling the game the company’s “comeback.” And while the game is still struggling with its technology due to its overnight success, people continue to download and play.

Even with all of this in front of me, I still had my doubts. But then I went to lunch, seeing everyone with their phones and at play. Finally my employee, Shane, showed me the game, and I saw how, maybe, this fad could benefit the produce industry.

In the weeks it's been available, Pokémon Go has surpassed some of the leading applications in daily time spent, including Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter.

This game is taking a Millennial brand, like Pokémon, and opening people’s eyes to the application of Augmented Reality (AR). For those of you who don’t remember, read about AR as opposed to Virtual Reality (VR) in our sister publication, The Snack Magazine, by clicking here. To get an idea of how IKEA is using AR, see the video below.

In my opinion, the first retailer to use AR the right way in its produce aisles stands to gain a foothold in the sought-after millennial market.

Imagine this: standing in the produce aisle and waving your phone over a mango display and a recipe appears. 

I’m not saying that Pokémon Go will bring millions of AR users into your produce aisle just yet, only to be open to the possibility and the potential it has to help effectively increase the ring at the register.

OMAHA, NE - SpartanNash is in full celebration mode in its Omaha and Bellevue Nebraska stores. The company has completed its $14.5 million remodels from No Frills and Bag ‘N Save stores to its freshness-focused banner, Family Fare Supermarkets.

“As we renovated these eight Family Fare Supermarkets, we focused on what our customers expect in a grocery shopping experience – selection, quality, and freshness,” explained Ted Adornato, SpartanNash Executive Vice President of Retail Operations. “We remain committed to delivering these to our store guests, along with everyday low prices and outstanding customer service from the nearly 1,000 associates who work at these new and improved locations.”

The grand reopening of the eight locations will take place this Wednesday, July 20, with simultaneous ribbon-cutting ceremonies that feature President and CEO Dennis Eidson, Adornato, COO Dave Staples, EVP/CFO Chris Meyers, EVP of Merchandising and Marketing Larry Pierce, Center Road Location Store Director Sara Ferris, and other community leaders and partners.

The newly-rebranded locations are located as follows, according to a press release:

• 4444 W. Center Road, Omaha, NE 68144
• 5110 S. 108th St., Omaha, NE 68137
• 2650 N. 90th St., Omaha, NE 68134
• 3003 108th St., Omaha, NE 68164
• 3026 S. 24th St., Omaha, NE 68106
• 7402 N. 30th St., Omaha, NE 68112
• 1510 Harlan Drive, Bellevue, NE 68005
• 1801 Valley View Drive, Council Bluffs, IA 51503

“Omaha and its surrounding communities are wonderful places to live, work, and raise a family, and we are excited to reinvest in these stores and communities in this way,” added Tom Swanson, SpartanNash Vice President, Retail – West Division. “None of this would have been possible without the hard work of our store associates or the understanding of our store guests, and we can’t wait to introduce them both to the new and improved shopping experience at our newest Family Fare locations.”

These grand re-opening celebrations will span the following eight days after the ribbon cutting (July 20-27), and will include daily giveaways, food samples, and surprise offerings, all while emphasizing summer produce, the company explained. Rewards Card users between July 20 and the end of August will automatically be entered into the Super Sweepstakes, with one lucky winner winning a grand prize of a four-night getaway and two tickets to the 2017 Pro Football Championship in Houston, Texas. Two first-prize winners will receive free groceries for a year.

SpartanNash Family Fare Supermarkets

LOS ANGELES, CA - Fusion Marketing has expanded its partnership with global information company The NPD Group.

“Fusion Marketing’s alliance with the NPD Group will help strengthen the produce industry’s understanding of consumers’ shopping patterns,” states Steven Muro, President of Fusion Marketing, according to a press release. “Through careful analysis, Fusion uncovers potential sales opportunities and provides actionable strategic direction. NPD will provide their unmatched expertise on consumer behavior, and together we will have greater insight into the motivating behaviors driving purchase decisions and ultimately driving sales.”

Combining NPD’s extensive consumption behavior research with Fusion’s retail expertise and related retail sales analysis, the companies stated that they will strive to deepen the produce industry’s understanding of: 

• Consumer consumption
• Shopping behavior
• Market Trends

In turn, the two hope to benefit produce companies and commissions by providing market intelligence, consumer insights, and retail trends.

“Our alliance with Fusion Marketing offers the produce industry the insights and knowledge to make smarter business decisions to drive stronger marketplace results,” said Diane Tielbur, President of Food and Beverage Consumption at NPD Group. “With NPD and Fusion providing the business insights, implications, and guidance for actions, we can help all the players in the produce supply chain achieve their core business goals.”

Continue to read AndNowUKnow for all the latest in marketing and innovations to promote consumption for the produce industry.

Fusion Marketing The NPD Group

FRESNO, CA – As the industry gears up for the fast-approaching event, Fresno Food Expo has announced that it will host opportunities for western produce growers to connect one-on-one with international buyers, due to cooperation from the Center for International Trade Development (CITD), and the Western United States Agricultural Trade Association (WUSATA). 

“The novelty of an exclusively regional food show hosted in the undisputed food capital of the world – Central California – has afforded the Fresno Food Expo international attention from buyers around the world because of the integral role the region plays in the global food supply chain. In an effort to further aid individual business growth and economic development for not only Central California, but the entire western region’s food industry, the Fresno Food Expo, CITD, and WUSATA have partnered once again to provide an unprecedented impact to an already successful economic development venture,” stated Amy Fuentes, Fresno Food Expo Manager. 

This announcement will pair Central California and the 13-state region of the Western U.S. with international buyers from the following places, according to a recent press release: 

• Vietnam
• Indonesia
• Singapore
• Philippines
• Malaysia
• Thailand
• Mexico
• Guatemala
• Costa Rica
• Ecuador 

Fresh produce companies who wish to participate in the opportunity must register by July 18 with WUSATA, a non-profit working together with the western states and the USDA to help businesses export overseas. Businesses also have the resources to take their exporting to the next step in exporting with consultation and export training, buying missions, and one-on-one matchmaking through the Fresno Food Expo’s partnership with CITD.

“The California Center for International Trade Development is focused on guiding local food and beverage producers, growers and manufacturers for success in the International market by providing the resources needed to foster strong relationships between foreign buyers and local food producers to benefit not only Central California companies, but the entire International marketplace. According to statistics presented today, less than one percent of United States’ companies are currently exporting and 58% of those companies are only exporting to one country – something we seek to change,” said Alicia Rios, Director, CITD. 

The Fresno Food Expo stated the event, and its partnerships with WUSATA and CITD, aims to support the needs of international buyers who attend the event in search of quality, diverse fresh produce which is not available in their own countries, while expanding the portfolios of businesses in the western regions. Through these opportunities, the event also looks to spur even greater economic growth in Central California.

Since the event’s launch in 2011, the Fresno Food Expo’s attendance has grown every year with more than 950 buyers expected for this year’s instance. 2015 saw over 917 buyers, some from a wide selection of countries as part of CITD’s organized buying mission. Fresno Food Expo said that this increase in attendance is due to buyers traveling greater distances to see what the San Joaquin Valley and Central California have to offer. 

This year’s event will be held on Thursday, July 28, 2016, at the Fresno Convention & Entertainment Center, Hall I. A closed business-to-business trade show will begin at 9 am for qualified buyers, and the international one-on-one meetings will be held from 1 – 5 pm. The Expo’s public event, Expolicious, will take place from 5 – 8 pm. 

Fresno Food Expo

HAYMARKET, VA – Though the occurrence is, hopefully, somewhat rare, a supply truck filled with tomatoes found itself in quite the predicament yesterday morning after crashing into a guardrail and then bursting into flames. 

With its inventory of tomatoes sent flying, Potomac Local reported that the pulpy mess closed down Interstate 66 when the truck rolled to a fiery stop underneath a new and busy bridge called the Diverging Diamond Interchange.

Authorities say that there were no major injuries sustained during the crash. The driver of the truck suffered minor injuries and will face reckless driving charges. The man reportedly drove off the left side of the road going east before eventually hitting a guardrail. The Virginia State Police cited fatigue as a factor in the crash. 

Continued closures and delays are expected in the area as authorities continue to clean up the scattered tomato treasures of the wreck. 

No word has been given on the survival rate of the tomato crop inside of the trailer, but odds are, that the load has now become a permanent stain of highway salsa.

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE, CA – Continuing its commitment to perform 40 Acts of Kindness by year’s end, the Allen Lund Company has announced that its latest deed was a barbecue for the C5 Georgia Youth Foundation.

"We cooked lunch for them and supplied desserts. During lunch we set up a photobooth for the kids, which was a huge success. Overall, everyone was so appreciative. We were really honored to be a part of this event. We learned a lot and hope we can do it again next year," stated Silvia McCusker, Transportation Broker at ALC’s Flatbed Office. 

The barbecue, held at ALC’s Flatbed office in Atlanta, GA, fed around 72 teens with food cooked by ALC employees. The event also featured a giveaway and raffle prizes for attendees, with games planned by the Flatbed office. 

According to a press release, the event was held to benefit C5, an organization devoted to helping teens in challenging environments graduate from high school by teaching them to be motivated, character-driven, and focused on the future.

This latest act marks ALC’s 19th act of kindness in the year, with more to follow. ALC previously declared that it would perform 40 acts by the end of 2016 to celebrate its 40th year in business. 

As ALC and other industry leaders continue to invest in their communities and future generations, keep your cursor hovered over AndNowUKnow for the latest.

Allen Lund Company

GREENSBORO, NC – As the company continues to calibrate its strategies in a competitive retail market, several reports have begun surfacing that The Fresh Market has delayed the opening of three of its new locations in Missouri, Florida, and Pennsylvania, signaling a possible revamp to its operations. 

Although the company has not given new opening dates for the locations, several news sources have reported that the company cited reorganization and reprioritization within The Fresh Market as its reason for delay. These strategic reorderings come after the company was purchased by Apollo Global Management in April for $1.36 billion. 

The Fresh Market’s first location in Clay County, Florida, has been delayed, although the shopping center it's being built in is still slated to open on time.

“They can’t tell us when they’re opening because they don’t know,” stated John O’Connor of O’Connor Development Corporation to The Florida Times-Union. “But this is a $10 million project. We’re still counting on them doing it. They’ve got a legal obligation.” 

O’Connor also told the news source that although the rest of the shopping center in Fleming Island will open at the end of the month, The Fresh Market has yet to start its interior build-out. This could represent a prolonged delay in the store’s opening. 

In this vein, The Fresh Market has also pushed back the opening of its location in Springfield, Missouri, originally planned to open this fall. News-Leader.com reported that the shopping center intended to house the store is still a bare lot. 

"The development of the shopping center has not progressed as quickly as we had originally planned, so we have prioritized other projects in our pipeline, and have not finitely determined when we might open," The Fresh Market stated, according to News-Leader. 

These delays are also matched by an announcement from the company in regards to a new location planned for West Manchester Township, Pennsylvania. The location was originally intended to open this summer, according to Ydr.com. 

"We have put our York location temporarily on hold, and do not have a definitive time frame for completing the project," Fresh Market said in an email provided by Carly Dennis at Brave Public Relations, as reported by Ydr.com. "For the time being, we are focused on building our business with other investments in our existing stores." 

One of the developers for the location’s town center, Frank Mihalopoulos, stated that officials at The Fresh Market have indicated that the store is still planned to open before the holiday season, but was delayed so it could redesign the interior to reflect merchandise changes. 

With no definitive time frame stated for the openings of these new locations, paired with the chain's announcement that it would close 13 stores in three states, it's unclear whether consumers can expect even bigger changes or delays from The Fresh Market as the company restructures its business model.

At the time of this writing, The Fresh Market had no stores listed under the Coming Soon section of its website. 

What could these strategies, delays, and shifts mean for the retailer in the face of an ever-competitive market? Stay with AndNowUKnow as we continue to report on the latest.

The Fresh Market

PORTERVILLE, CA - As sustainability and energy efficiency continues to be a rising prerogative for the industry, Homegrown Organic Farms has announced that almost four acres of unused land will be dedicated to producing cleaner power through a new solar energy system.

“There is no denying the rising costs of doing business in our industry,” said Homegrown CEO, Scott Mabs, in a press release. “Implementing this solar energy system in Kingsburg will allow us to control production costs for our growers which in turn means better pricing to our retail and wholesale partners.”

The new system will be located at the company’s master facility, located in Kingsburg, CA, providing significant cost savings for Homegrown Organic as it continues to grow.

“The implementation of the solar energy system is yet another way we’re continuing to build on our Committed to Caring program in caring for the land, its people, and environment,” Cherie France, Homegrown’s Marketing Manager, said. “We are excited about this project and the benefit it will bring for growers and consumers alike.”

Among those benefits will be: 

• Over 1.5 million kW hours per year produced by the 1,050 kW system
• Help in offsetting a portion of the facility’s energy needs to pack and store fruit
• Producing enough energy to equate eliminating 65 million pounds of CO2 emissions over its 25-year lifetime

The company noted that that elimination of CO2 emissions is equivalent to taking 346 cars off the road.

The Committed to Caring initiative, which Homegrown Organic launched last year, is the company’s way of showing its efforts in maintaining its pledge of stewardship and properly caring for the land, according to its mission. As we reported previously, the company has reported outstanding response from its customers.

Keep checking in with AndNowUKnow for all the latest move in innovation and sustainability within the produce industry.

Homegrown Organic Farms

SALINAS, CA - In keeping up with the legacy of standards left by its founder, Dave Thomas, notable restaurant chain Wendy’s has released the first in a series of videos titled Profiles in Quality, meant to champion its fresh produce suppliers. The star of the chain’s first video Lettuce… From Start to Fresh, is the team at Church Brothers Farms. 

“Growing up, I always wanted to be in the produce business. I always dreamed about it,” says Steve Church as the video pans across the broad fields of lettuce at one of the company’s farms.

Steve and Tom Church, and their dedicated team, continue to divulge in the video the decades-old standards of quality, commitment, and drive which have led not only to their success, but a solid partnership with the Wendy’s chain. 

From monthly water testing, micro testing, and other guidelines on quality growing from the chain, Church Brothers says that this partnership has helped them produce a product that they love, and also grow as a company. 

“This is my sport," asserts Tom Church, as the video sweeps in high-graphic images over workers, well-functioning machinery, and of course, beautiful lettuce. "I don’t want anyone to do a better job than us.”

Watch the Wendy’s-produced video above for a glimpse into the motivation and dedication of the Church Brothers team, and to learn more about its partnership with the restaurant chain… from start to fresh.

Church Brothers Wendy's