WASHINGTON, DC – Kevin McCarthy, who represents the 23^rd district in California, has been elected to Majority Leader in the House. With a district that includes the San Joaquin Valley and its large agricultural growing region, the produce industry celebrates this change in leadership.

Tom Nassif, Western Growers President and CEO, released a statement praising the election.  “Majority Leader-elect McCarthy has provided critical leadership on a number of issues impacting the produce industry, including ensuring passage of a farm bill that recognizes the importance of fresh fruits, vegetables and tree nuts, ongoing work to negotiate a solution to our water crisis, and of course working to address the immigration needs of agriculture,” said Nassif.  “We look forward to working this year with the new majority leader to bring relief to our drought stricken farmers and to finally fix our broken immigration system.”  

Nassif was not the only industry leader to respond.  Ray Gilmer, Vice President of Issues Management and Communication at the United Fresh Produce Association, also weighed in.  In a statement to Politico, Gilmer said McCarthy “understands the importance of the fresh produce industry to his state’s economy and of the nation.  We look forward to working closely with the new House Majority Leader to address produce priorities on immigration reform, nutrition and other issues.”

Immigration reform is going to be a key factor as McCarthy assumes his new position.  CNN reports that supporters and activists are both looking to McCarthy for action.  "We have spoken with Congressman McCarthy and his staff about immigration reform and its importance to our local and regional economy," Cynthia Pollard, president and CEO of the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce told CNN in a statement.

"As the person responsible for scheduling House votes, when it comes to immigration reform McCarthy will either be a hero or a zero," Frank Sherry, Executive Director of America's Voice, an immigration reform advocacy group, said in a statement.

“I have lived my entire life right here in our community.  It is where I met my wife, raised our children, all in the first house we ever bought, and it is where I learned my conservative values.  It is with great pride and humility that I have been entrusted to serve on your behalf every day. I believe strongly in our country’s ability to overcome any challenge, and I will continue to work in Congress fighting for solutions to help our neighbors and our communities,” McCarthy said in a statement on his website.

Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for more stories on McCarthy’s impact on the produce industry and the problems that it faces.

Western Growers

United Fresh

CORAL GABLES, FL - Del Monte Fresh Produce now offers Del Monte® Fresh Guac and Fresh Avocado. 

“We use only fresh ingredients such as veggies, creamy Hass avocados, and a dash of salt (for flavor) to create our delicious guacamole,” says Dionysios Christou, Vice President of Marketing for Del Monte Fresh Produce. “Del Monte® Fresh Guac comes in an assortment of flavors in convenient packaging, and since we are using Ultra High Pressure, it is preservative free, and always fresh tasting and ready-to-eat.”

The company offers an array of flavors including Classic, Spicy, Pico de Gallo, Baja, and 100% Fresh Avocado. The Del Monte® Fresh Guac blends are made with 100% fresh ingredients and provide no less than a 45-day shelf life from packing date.  Maintaining freshness and quality are two major factors when providing its customers with the best quality guacamole product on an everyday basis. 

Del Monte Fresh Produce

WENATCHEE, WA - Bryon McDougall, Vice President of McDougall & Sons, joins AndNowUKnow to discuss CMI’s new 445,000 square foot facility center in Wenatchee, Washington.

The new facility addresses the limitations of current packing facilities with increased capacity, more consistency, and the latest technology. The packing line can also double the capacity of the current packing line as well.

Versus last year, McDougall says that the company is up 25% and expects 10-15% growth year-over-year over the next five years.

Come join us as we take an inside look into this exciting new facility!

CMI

CHARLOTTE, NC - Chiquita is capitalizing on recent consumer trends with the launch of the company’s new Flavored Apple Bites in Cinnamon and Butterscotch.  These ready to eat apple slices come with flavored sprinkles in grab-and-go snack packs for kids and adults on the run. They’re available in single serve and multipack, which is a clamshell that includes four singles.  

Snacking is now a major part of daily life as the trend is now encompassing 53% of eating occasions – up from 49% in 2010. In addition, 46% of consumers snack every day.

Consumers are also seeking healthy and tasty options with 56% of consumers wanting something healthy for a snack (vs. indulgent). Note that 68% of consumers would be interested in trying healthy snacks that come in more exciting flavors.

Chiquita is also building on the model that variety is the key to growth. The company notes that 82% of consumers stated they would purchase these apples in addition to what they buy today.  In addition, these snacks would be eaten most often outside of lunch; the #1 time was as an afternoon snack and the #2 was between breakfast and lunch.

Source: Rogil, Fresh Appple Bites with Flavoring Product Test, April 2013

Chiquita

IRWINDALE, CA – Ready Pac Foods Inc. welcomes Stephanie Santiago as its Director of National Accounts – Costco Team Lead.

In this role, Stephanie will act as the primary account contact for Costco.  She will work with internal resources to develop and guide the implementation of business plans that achieve sales targets and profitability, according to a press release.  She will report directly to Alan Ediger, Sr. Vice President of Retail Sales West at Ready Pac.

“With over 14 years of selling experience, Stephanie brings a wealth of knowledge and insights making her the ideal fit to establish and maintain sustainable partnerships for Ready Pac,” said Ediger. “We are excited to utilize her background in both manufacturing and brokerage to further our mission and goals of our company.”

Stephanie comes to Ready Pac from ADW ACOSTA, where she was the Northwest Regional Business Manager and oversaw a $100 million sales budget.  Previous to that, she was a National Retail Account Representative for Aqua Star.

Congratulations, Stephanie!

Ready Pac

MANKATO, MN - The rivalry between Wal-Mart and Target heated up Tuesday with the groundbreaking of Wal-Mart's first Minnasota distribution center in the city of Mankato. The $75 million dollar investment in the home state of Minneapolis-based Target will allow Wal-Mart to both grow its market in the upper Midwest while putting pressure on one of its biggest competitors.

Echoing this sentiment, Wal-Mart's Director of Corporate Communication Della Garcia said, "The distribution center that we're opening in Mankato is a very visible signal of our growth in the upper Midwest."

As AndNowUKnow covered in an article last week, increasing U.S. growth is a top priority of Wal-Mart after a series of unimpressive fiscal quarters. For more on that story, click here. 

The new distribution center allows Wal-Mart to focus on these goals while simultaneously “[putting] pressure on their arch-enemy, which is Target,” stated Dave Brennan of the Institute for Retailing Excellence.

Analysts who spoke with reporters at the Mankato Free Press estimate that the new distribution center will bring at least 300 new jobs to Mankato, a number which could rise because of the truck maintenance facility Wal-Mart also intends to build in the region. There are also plans to expand the distribution center with a dry-goods facility, although these plans are not finalized.

Paul Vogel, the Mankato Community Development Director was excited about the project, saying that "it's about another opportunity for people to work."

According to sources at the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, the new distribution center is not the only plan Wal-Mart has in store for Minnesota. Della Garcia hinted that there are “a few more” undisclosed projects in mind for the future.

Wal-Mart already owns and operates 82 stores in the Minnesota region, 22 of which have been added since 2008. Target owns 75 Minnesota locations.

Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for further updates on this continued retail rivalry.  

Wal-Mart

WENATCHEE, WA - Columbia Marketing International seems to have hit one out of the park with their latest apricot harvest. Coming in ahead of schedule, great weather conditions have produced apricots with a particularly sweet and juicy flavor profile. The apricots measure in on average between 72' to 80', an ideal size for use in cooking or just eating out of one's hand.

“Apricots are roughly four days early this year, and will sell almost as quickly as they are picked off the tree,” said Mo Woodward, a sales representative at CMI.

Woodward further stated that he does not expect apricots of this quality to last past the end of July, and stresses the importance of early purchasing for both retailers and consumers.

In order to highlight the wide range of dishes that can be made from apricots, CMI has created posted a collection of apricot recipes to their Pinterest for consumers to enjoy. CMI will also be coordinating a “Summer Switch-Up”, advocating using apricots as a substitute for peaches in recipes.

CMI

BENTONVILLE, AR - Under the reins of new CEO Doug McMillon, Wal-Mart is making waves again with an announcement of a major personnel changes in its U.S. merchandising operations. 13 new executives, seven of whom are women, will be taking over a wide range of Wal-Mart departments.

A company memo obtained by Bloomberg written by Duncan Mac Naughton, U.S. Chief Merchandising Officer for Wal-Mart, reveals that leadership hopes the changes will boost growth and efficiency at Wal-Mart.

“We continue to talk about the changing customer, recognizing their needs and more efficiently serving them,” Mac Naughton said. “These moves provide a more specialized service to our customers, while also creating better alignment and a greater visibility across our business.”

According to reporters at The City Wire, among the new executives is 20 year company veteran Scott Huff who will be taking over as Executive Vice President in overseeing U.S. merchandising operations. Other promotions include the assignment of John Aden to Executive Vice President of Innovation and Michelle Gloeckler to Executive Vice President of Consumables and U.S. Manufacturing.

These promotions join a host of recent changes to Wal-Mart's leadership structure as McMillon works to revitalize U.S. growth. Sales and profit numbers failed to meet expectations last quarter and so far forecasts for next quarter's profits do the same.  While analysts project earnings to be $1.28/share for Q2, Wal-Mart's internal numbers have the figure closer to $1.15/share to $1.25/share. Altogether these poor metrics have led to a 3.7% decline in Wal-Mart stock this year. For more information on Wal-Mart's latest financials click here.

It is this trend that McMillon hopes to reverse with this shakeup of U.S. leadership.

Wal-Mart

WASHINGTON, D.C. - United Fresh has announced the Produce Industry Leadership Program Class of 2014. 

Let's meet these future industry leaders together:

Mike Anderson: Mr. Anderson has been working for Kingston Fresh since 2000. He is currently the Director of International Procurement, leading the Kingston's imports division, and focusing on product expansion and new market analysis.

Stephanie Barlow: Ms. Barlow is the Director of Public Relations and Social Media for the National Watermelon Promotion Board, where she used digital media to give the organization's public outreach program creative new tools.

Leah Brakke: Ms. Brakke works for Black Gold Farms as its Marketing Director and is the 4th generation of her family to lead the company. In addition to her duties as Marketing Director, she serves on the Marketing Committee for the Red River Valley Potato Growers. Before working for Black Gold Farms in 2011 she was an Account Manager with the AdFarm advertising agency.

Jeff Cady: Mr. Cady started his career working for Giant Eagle before moving on to Finast/Pick-n-Pay, and finally Tops Markets. He has held a wealth of positions throughout his career from Produce Supervisor, to Produce Buyer and Merchandiser, to Category Manager. 

Jacquie Ediger: Ms. Ediger was one of the principle founders of the Pro Citrus Network and today leads the Network's hiring, management, mentoring and continued development of staff in sales, marketing, new business, operations and accounting efforts.

Kim Flores: Ms. Flores serves as the Director of Marketing for Seald Sweet and travels frequently on behalf of the company. Ms. Flores also serves on the United’s Produce Marketing & Merchandising Council and PMA’s Women’s Fresh Perspective Committee.

Aaron Hunter: Mr. Hunter works at Caito Foods Service as a National Sales and Berry Commodity Buyer. He has worked his way up through the ranks of Caito, starting in the produce terminal in Indianapolis and afterward working in receiving, QA, warehouse management, and procurement of specialty and tropicals before being promoted to his current position.

Alex Jackson: Ms. Jackson is the 3rd generation of her family to be working at Los Angeles' Frieda's Specialty Produce. She started in the marketing department at Frieda's before taking a position in the sales team as an Account Manager.

Brian Knott: Mr. Knott serves as the President of Grow Farms. He manages the production of fresh fruits and vegetables, coordinates sales, consolidations, and repackaging, oversees product quality inspections, and manages the company's accounting department. He also ensures the proper implementation of food safety and traceability laws at Grow Farms.

Hilary Martin: Ms. Martin serves as the Business Development Director at her family business, Frey Farms. She has 15 years of experience at Frey in public relations, brand creation, and marketing. She also is a member of United’s Let’s Move Salad Bars to the Midwest Committee and works closely with the Hands On Nashville Read and Eat Produce Bagging Program.

Ryan Van Groningen: Mr. Van Groningen grew up surrounded by the business of Van Groningen & Sons and now serves as its Sales Manager. He has worked a variety of positions during his time at Van Groningen & Sons, ranging from packinghouse work to sales. He also serves as a board member of the Western Watermelon Association and the National Watermelon Promotion Board District 5.

Kami Weddle: Ms. Weddle works for the Rousseau Farming Company as Director of Food Safety. She is also a member of the Arizona Leafy Green Marketing Agreement Technical Sub-committee. 

Since 1995, the Produce Industry Leadership Program has been equipping rising members of the industry with the necessary knowledge base and tools to make them industry leaders. The four “core areas” of the program are: Leadership Development, Business Relationships, Governmental and Public Affairs, and finally Media and Public Communication. Limited to 12 members a year, the program offers customized educational opportunities that, taken together, provide an excellent understanding of the current state of the industry as a whole.

Congrats to United Fresh's Leadership Class 20! 

United Fresh Produce Industry Leadership Program