FRESNO & OAKLAND, CA - Welcome to What's In Store.

PET Tiger is revoutionizing the Ag Industry. Compatible with a wide range of wireless devices including Android, Apple, and Windows, PET Tiger can collect data from virtually any type ofdevice including a variety of biometrics. This allows it to provide innovative payroll solutions and real-time data collection, tracking, and monitoring.

With PET Tiger, managers can track productivity down to the field and individual worker. Ruggedized bluetooth or RFID scanners with smart devices measure worker productivity and transmits it back to the main office. Allowing for multiple states and accounting systems all within a single database, this all-inclusive system collects data from all areas of the operation, such as fields, packing houses, greenhouses, coolers, and offices.

PET Tiger can also keep you in compliance with worker rights regulations. Recording and monitoring break time, ensuring compliance with minimum wage laws are simplified with this system. Only when you measure piece-rate can you actually manage your labor force. By creating efficiency guidelines you can transform your management in ways you never realized before. By collecting piece-rate data in real-time, you can radically change your employee's performance, as well as your bottom line.

Since PET Tiger is a modular system, it allows users to purchase only the parts relevant to their needs, providing its users another tool to tailor the system to their policies, as well as government regulations.

The Training Module can record employee training including safety and breaks as required by law. This allows for easy employer verification and expedites the process to provide reports for OSHA auditors, as well as generating training certificates for employees.

The Bonus Module calculates bonus pay based on employee performance, additional hours for specific jobs, as well as Fair Food Premiums.

PET Tiger data mapping provides an interactive visual display of the status of a company’s labor force and the equipment in use. With this tool, managers can make informed decisions wherever they are.

Contract labor data can easily be incorporated as well using the Time Sheet Data Entry module. The PET Tiger Billing Module provides the ability to create customers' invoices each time they generate payroll, ensuring all billable time is included.

Orange Enterprises continues work closely with its individual clients to refine the PET Tiger from purchase to implementation.

With today's escalating labor prices, intense regulations, as well as the scarce accessibility of a trained labor force, an effective management tool is crucial. PET Tiger utilizes the latest technological innovations to optimize and manage the return from your employed labor crews. Via PET Tiger's scalability to your operation's size and unique needs, we will tailor for you the best possible software and hardware configuration. Scanners, smart devices, GPS, RFID, biometric, software modules, and options will be assembled to maximize the efficiency of your operation.

Thank you for watching What's In Store.

Orange Enterprises

LINCOLN, NE – After more than a year since being busted for transporting 730 pounds of marijuana in produce boxes, Julio Pena Sanchez and Marcel Bud have both been sentenced in a U.S. District Court.

The Lincoln Journal Star reports that Lancaster County District Judge Steven Burns sentenced both men to two to four years in prison. Bud, however, will be eligible for parole after one year.

According to court records, prosecutors lowered Bud’s charge and dropped another in exchange for a guilty plea to attempted possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.

On November 4, 2013, state troopers discovered Bud had a warrant for failing to appear in Lincoln County during an inspection of the J&J Transport truck he and Sanchez were co-driving, according to CBS Detroit.

Bud was then arrested and Sanchez was temporarily allowed to go on. The truck was later searched, and troopers found bundles of pot hidden in produce boxes with an estimated street value of $2.5 million. Sanchez was then taken into custody.

Sanchez could reportedly face deportation upon completion of his sentence.

CHARLOTTE, NC – Chiquita is presently undergoing several changes after the Cutrale-Safra Groups’ acquisition of the company, including a costly move out of its present headquarters currently located in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Progressing further with these changes, the company has now adopted two new chiefs to add to the team. Effective January 22, former Chief of Operations for Dole Andrew Biles is Chiquita’s Chief Executive Officer while Darcilo Santos became Chief Financial Officer, according to a company financial release.

Biles brings more than 16 years experience in juice and food companies, with a variety of companies including Gerber Emig Global Ltd., and Frigo-Pak Gıda Maddeleri San. ve Tic. A.S. He also served as President of the European Fruit Juice Association, as well as a Director of the international private investment group Hanover Acceptances Ltd.

Santos has over 25 years working in the financial and banking industries to bring to the company table. Holding an MBA in Global Banking from the University of Birmingham, UK, Santos worked most recently as Banco Safra’s Managing Director.

The company has yet to release further information on future plans for its current interim CEO, Brian Kocher, and how long he will remain in the position during Chiquita’s transition. Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as the story continues to develop.

Chiquita

CINCINNATI, OH - Kroger is on the move. That much has been clear since last October when CFO Michael Schlotman admitted that Kroger had plans to enter a “new market.”

“We’re going into a new market,” Schlotman explained. “We have a really good feel of exactly where that’s going to be. But we want to make sure the time’s right for the organization, because we have 2,650 stores that we don’t want to get distracted from every day just to say we’ve gone into a new market organically.”

His comments have given rise to rampant speculation that a Roundy's purchase could be high on Kroger's to-do list. As the Milwaukee Business Journal points out, Kroger could gain a valuable foothold in the Chicago and Milwaukee retail markets through Roundy's, points which are surely not lost on CEO Rodney McMullen.

Some analysts, however, wonder if Kroger would prefer to avoid the ultra-competitive Milwaukee retail market, in favor of greener pastures to the southeast.

"We all know how competitive Milwaukee is becoming," shared retail analyst and President of DSR Marketing Systems, David Rogers. "Do they want to get into that firefight?"

He explained to the Milwaukee Business Journal that while he believed Kroger could certainly hold its own in the Milwaukee market, “on balance, if I was Kroger, I'd be looking at the southeast."

As for Chicago, former Roundy's executive and current grocery consultant David Livingston shared that he thought a potential deal was unlikely at best. Furthermore, it would seem that without Chicago, a deal for the Milwaukee store base would be difficult to achieve.

"Kroger will not buy distressed stores just to get into a market," Livingston said. "They are slow and methodical about entering any new market. Just because they aren't [in a given market] doesn't mean they have to expand."

Earlier this month, AndNowUKnow covered rumors that Kroger could also be considering an acquisition of a portion of Bi-Lo's Florida store chain. As the 3rd most populous state in America, Florida could offer exciting possibilities for the retail chain.

Whether either of these rumored plans materialize into something concrete or remain in the realm of speculation is something that remains to be seen. Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to bring you the latest on the developing situation.  

Kroger

FIRESTONE, CO – The National Honey Board (NHB) has unanimously selected Margaret Lombard as Chief Executive Office (CEO), effective December 29, 2014.

“After a thorough selection process, the Board is delighted to announce Margaret will lead the NHB as we navigate through the evolving and expanding landscape of the honey industry,” said Brent Barkman, Chairman of the NHB.

According to a press release, Lombard has succeeded the NHB’s past CEO Bruce Boynton, who announced his desire to retire in early 2014 after nearly 26 years of service to the honey industry.

Barkman added, “Margaret has extensive experience in food marketing and a comprehensive understanding of the food industry. I have no doubt that she is the right person to take the helm at NHB.”

Margaret has almost 25 years in the food industry. She has held a variety of leadership positions, including VP of Marketing for Raley’s Supermarkets and VP of Shopper Marketing for a national advertising agency. Her clients include Mission Foods, Blue Diamond Almonds and Avocados from Mexico.

“I am honored to have been chosen by the Board to lead the NHB into the next exciting era,” said Margaret. “The NHB is doing some amazing work and is perfectly poised for growth as the trend towards natural ingredients continues to explode. I look forward to working with our Board and our staff in driving growth for the entire industry.”

She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Design from the University of California, Davis and a Master of Business Administration degree from California State University, Sacramento.

National Honey Board

GREENVILLE, SC - The search is over.

News has broken that Bi-Lo has named Ian McLeod its new President and CEO, effective March 2nd, 2015. He joins Bi-Lo after more than 7 years as Managing Director for the Australian retail group Coles. As Managing Director he lead the turnaround for the retail chain after its purchase by Wesfarmers Group, gaining experience that Bi-Lo valued highly during its search for a new chief executive.

“Ian is a proven leader with more than 30 years of expertise and a strong track record of driving profitable growth,” explained Bi-Lo Holdings' Board of Directors. “In his time running over 2,200 Coles food, liquor and convenience stores, which employs 100,000 associates across Australia and includes over 760 full-service supermarkets, he led a major turnaround in that business, improving the quality and value of products as well as the service and store standards offered to customers. Ian significantly increased sales from AUD$28.8 billion to AUD$37.4 billion (USD$23.2 billion to USD$35.2 billion), doubling profits (earnings before interest and tax) during six years and outperforming in the market for 20 consecutive quarters. We are confident he will be instrumental in driving continued growth and success at Bi-Lo Holdings as we execute our strategy and work to further enhance our customers’ shopping experience.”

"The BI-LO, Harveys and Winn-Dixie grocery store brands have a strong history and today serve our customers through the efforts of over 70,000 hardworking employees; I am excited to move to the U.S. and join the team at this important time,” McLeod replied. “I look forward to leveraging my experience to help build upon Bi-Lo Holdings’ reputation by serving our loyal customers even better, attracting new customers through great quality and value and further strengthening our competitive position within the industry.”

In addition to his experience with the Wesfarmers Group, McLeod has also served as CEO of Halfords Group Plc, as a key member of the U.K. Management Board for ASDA, and as a member of the Executive Board of Wal-Mart Germany.

According to a press release, McLeod received his education at the Harvard Business School, where he attended its AMP program in 1999. He was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Scotland in 2010 for services to Business and Retail.

Stay tuned AndNowUKnow as we continue to keep you updated on movers and shakers making news in the fresh produce and retail industires.

Bi-Lo

MEXICO - Fresh Farms is in the middle of another strong season. Soft squashes such as zucchini, yellow squash and gray squash are some of the grower's leading crops this time of year and quality on all three commodities looks to be robust heading into February.

“A cold blast earlier this season slowed down production a bit,” explained Jerry Havel, Director of Sales and Marketing for Fresh Farms. “Fortunately, warmer weather in mid-January has helped the soft squash plants in Mexico recover and supply should be more available going into late January and February. Of course, there is always a threat of the return of dangerously cold temperatures this time of year which could slow production. If the weather remains warm, however, we look to have promotable supplies going into February and continuing through April. The quality has been very good and if the volumes can remain steady it should lead to a lot of promotional opportunities for the retailers throughout the Spring season on zucchini, yellow straight neck and gray squash.”

Prices out of Mexico for Fresh Farms' full array of soft squash have been strong so far this season. According to Jerry, Fresh Farms is currently enjoying price points of:

• $12.95 to $8.95 for zucchini, dependent on quality and size.
• $20.95 to $16.95 for yellow straight neck, dependent on quality and size.
• $14.95 to $12.95 for gray squash, dependent on quality and size.

In addition to soft squash, Fresh Farms is also an important player in the hard squash category. While early January's cold weather in resulted in some volume loss, the market is currently very active on Acorn, Spaghetti, Butternut, and Kabocha. Due to reduced supply, prices are in the mid to upper teens on all of these varieties, prices which are expected to continue into Spring, according to Jerry.

In addition to squash, Fresh Farms is a large grower shipper of American and English cucumbers, green beans, eggplant, grape tomatoes, green bell peppers and fresh pickles. In April and May, Fresh Farms will begin its watermelon, mini melons, and table grapes harvest.

Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to bring you the latest fresh produce market news and analysis. 

Fresh Farms

ORLANDO, FL - The National Mango Board’s strategic combination of soccer, salsa and mango snacks are key to its Always Summer 2015 campaign.

According to a press release, “The overall theme in 2015 is Always Summer, in which the NMB will bring the spirit of summer to consumers through programs and events that incorporate soccer, snacks and salsa. The campaign year will have three elements: It’s Always Summer Here (January-April), Celebrate Summer (May-August), and Back to Summer (September-December).”

On the athletic front, the Board will engage as an official partner of the National Women’s Soccer League, incorporating web and social media outreach, athlete appearances and engaging directly with participants at select games to help promote mangos as a primary soccer snack. NMB is also participating as a sponsor of the U.S. Youth Soccer program, with concentrated promotions during U.S. Youth Soccer Month, targeting present and future competitive cravings.

Cooking classes providing chances for new snack and salsa recipes will continue focusing on bringing Summer to professional kitchens nationwide, as well as sending shipments to athletes and celebrities to spread positive mango chats.

Outreach work with chefs, operators, and foodservice media, will also continue, increasing the presence of fresh mangos in foodservice and continuing to educate culinary students and chefs on the benefits and uses of mango through NMB’s Fresh Mango Culinary Curriculum. These strategies will incorporate key influencers in the U.S. market and media to stir public passion for mangos.

National Mango Board

DALLAS, TX – The global mushroom market is currently valued at nearly $30 billion, but a new report from MarketsandMarkets suggests it could go much higher. 

According to the report entitled “Mushroom Market – Global Trends & Forecast to 2019,” the market is expected to reach more than $50 billion by 2019. 

It goes on to say that Europe dominated the market in 2013 and is projected to be the fastest-growing market for mushrooms between 2014 and 2019, followed by the Asia-Pacific region.

Of the more than 2,300 species of edible and medical fungi, the most commonly consumed and produced mushrooms are button, shiitake and oyster. Those combined accounted for almost 76% of the global mushroom market size in 2013.

According to the report, button mushrooms were the first mushrooms commercially exploited on an industrial scale, which is part of the reason they are so popular. The button mushroom segment totaled about 36.1% to the total mushroom market in 2013.

Shiitake mushrooms follow button in popularity and are the most popular specialty mushrooms in the United States and in Western European countries.

With the growing popularity of mushrooms coupled with increasing awareness of the health benefits that they offer, it is easy to see why this market would continue to grow.

Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for the latest on the mushroom market.

MCLEAN, VA – Gladstone Land Corporation is eyeing more farm acquisitions.

The company has added William “Bill” Hughes to its management team to seek potential acquisitions of farms in the Midwest.

“We welcome Bill to the Gladstone team. He has a long and outstanding career in the farming business in the Midwest. We expect Bill will add many years of experience to our team, which will help us grow even faster,” said David Gladstone, Chairman of the Company.

According to a press release, Bill has been in the farm business for more than 20 years. He will be responsible for originating and managing all new investment opportunities in the Midwestern United States.

He will be looking for farms that grow fresh produce like sweet corn, green beans, melons, potatoes, cabbage and other produce items. The company says that he may also seek out certain specialty crops down the line.

Prior to this new position, he was a manager at U.S. Trust, where he purchased and managed farms for individuals.

Gladstone Land Corporation