WENATCHEE, WA - In celebration of the start of cherry season, Stemilt Growers has launched its #CherrySweet Summer Sweepstakes this week on its website, blog, and social media networks.

The goal of the sweepstakes is to deliver new cherry recipes to consumers that highlight the flavor and nutritious qualities of the cherry.

“Our #Cherry Sweet Summer Sweeps is all about giving consumers what they’ve told us they want – healthy recipes for their favorite fruit of the summer – cherries,” said Brianna Shales, Stemilt communications manager. “We’ve partnered with two of our food blogger friends to serve up fresh cherry recipes and weekly prizes to consumers all summer long, in hopes of inspiring people to enjoy Stemilt cherries in new yet nutritious ways.”

For entering the sweepstakes, consumers will receive a weekly email throughout June and July from Stemilt, highlighting a healthy new cherry centric recipe created either by Carolyn Ketchum from All Day I Dream About Food, or Connie Ott from MiscFinds4U.   The recipes will highlight the natural sweetness and nutritional value of Stemilt cherries.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Carolyn and Connie, both of whom are well-known and well-loved by consumers. Tapping into their experience and expertise will be a great way for us to get more Stemilt cherries in people’s hands this summer, and educate consumers about the many great health benefits that cherries provide. Cherries are the prized fruit of the summer, and we want to encourage as many people as we can to enjoy them in new and healthy ways,” said Shale.

The Gluten Free Cherry Pavlova, a recipe created by Carolyn, will be the first of four recipes that Stemilt will share with customers through its #CherrySweet Summer Sweepstakes.

In addition to the sweepstakes, @Stemilt is putting on two #CherrySweet Twitter parties this summer. The first, hosted by Carolyn from @DreamAboutFood, is next Tuesday, June 24th at 9 PM EST /6 PM PST.

According to Shales, the #CherrySweet Summer Sweepstakes is just one of the avenues Stemilt plans on using to directly engage with customers about its apples, pears, cherries, and other summer fruits.

“We recently surpassed 50,000 likes on Facebook and continue to share fresh content from our farms and the table on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Stemilt.com, and our blog,The Stem. Consumers want to know who grew their food and we’re all about telling them our story by bringing the farm right to the places they spend their time, all the while offering up inspiration for enjoying our fruits in new ways,” said Shales.

The #CherrySweet Summer Sweepstakes will run through July 28th.

Stemilt

CORAL GABLES, FL - Turbana and Weber Grills are partnering together alongside ShopRite stores in New Jersey to raise awareness for a local cause while introducing a tropical twist to the 4^th of July.

The event is called “Grillin’ Goodness with Turbana and Weber” and features grilling and gardening tents outside of six ShopRite stores in the New Jersey Area.  Customers will get to see Weber grill masters at work and sample the summer flavors of grilled plantains while learning about Learning Through Gardening, according to a press release.

“Turbana is thrilled to be partnering with Weber and ShopRite on this initiative. Not only is this event fun and interactive, but it also benefits a community program that we have such a strong history of involvement with. Turbana has worked with Learning Through Gardening in the past to create an international garden exchange program between schools in New Jersey and Colombia, so it seems natural for us to tie a New Jersey grilling event to this organization and show the community what amazing things Learning Through Gardening is doing for their children,” stated Turbana’s Marketing Director, Marion Tabard.

Customers at ShopRite stores across the country who choose to purchase Turbana plantains using their Price Plus Club cards during the promotional period between June 20 to August 31 will be automatically entered to win a Weber Spirit E-310 LP gas grill. ShopRite will also donate a portion of the proceeds from these plantain sales to the Learning Through Gardening program, helping to provide more schools with materials and funds to build vegetable gardens and promote a healthy lifestyle for their students, according to a press release.

“Weber is excited to be involved with ‘Grillin Goodness with Turbana and Weber.’ This event encourages consumers to try something new and different on their grill – like plantains. ‘Growing Smiles, Sharing Goodness’ is an endeavor that Weber is happy to endorse as it encourages healthy eating and being part of a community,” commented Jeanine Thompson, Weber’s Events and Promotions Manager.

In support of the program, social media and online personalities, ranging from mommy bloggers to grill masters, will be working to host a Twitter party with the hashtag #GrillinGoodness, hoping to inspire consumers to integrate plantains into their 4^th of July festivities. The party will be hosted on Wednesday, June 18^th from 12 a.m. to 1 p.m. - two days before the program begins - and will provide ideas for recipes, grilling tips, and nutritional facts about plantains.

Additionally, the brands are extending an invitation for South Jersey bloggers and local media to participate in the in-store grilling events in New Jersey in order to garner the support of the local community.

Turbana

Weber 

EDEN PRAIRIE, MN – Supervalu has been making a wide range of efforts to improve its performance, as it is committed to invest in business growth and improve EBITDA. Financial news publication Seeking Alpha suggests that Supervalu holds a promising position among leading grocers with its dedicated efforts to grow in an already highly saturated U.S. supermarket industry.

For example, the company's promotional and sales programs successes and effective operations are continuously growing its sales base, Seeking Alpha reports. Efforts to grow Supervalu’s Save-A-Lot stores have been ongoing and are now showing signs of success.  The company reported +3.5% year-on-year growths in its Save-A-Lot sales.  So far Supervalu has added 40 new Save-A-Lot stores, and expects to open an additional 65 new stores in FY15.

Supervalu’s management is also optimistic about lowering its cost structure.  Many steps have been taken to get a leaner cost structure by the end of FY14.  The recent quarter’s 6.4% year-on-year decrease in SG&A expenses was achieved partly through its cost reduction initiatives, Seeking Alpha reports.

While the company’s recent quarter’s -0.6% year-on-year decline in supply chain revenue may affect revenues in the short term, Supervalu plans to invest in the supply chain segment to make it more efficient to help bolster it for long term success. 

With the company’s focused approach about cost reduction, margins are expected to scale up soon.  Its future earnings may also get a lift from investments in revenue generating business segments.

Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for more updates on its progress.

Supervalu

IMMOKALEE, FL - Lipman is expanding its footprint with its latest acquisition of grower and distributor The Produce Exchange (TPE). With operations in Washington, California, and Arizona, TPE joins Lipman’s national network of farming, packing, processing, and repacking, according to a press release. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

“We are thrilled to welcome The Produce Exchange team to Lipman,” said Kent Shoemaker, Lipman CEO. “We are confident that their close-to-the-customer services, in addition to their West Coast supply in tomatoes and vegetables, will enhance Lipman’s ability to create more success with our customers.”

TPE brings unique varieties of fresh produce that will now be offered to Lipman customers year-round with four locations along the West Coast. Sam Jones, TPE’s President, will maintain his leadership role.

“Joining the Lipman family of companies is exciting for all of us at The Produce Exchange,” said Jones. “We look forward to using Lipman’s national farming and repacking network to give our customers access to the acre.”

Shoemaker concluded, “Lipman and The Produce Exchange have a lot in common and it is summed up best by TPE’s mission statement: The relentless creation of extraordinary successes together with our partners. Strategically, our values are in alignment, our facilities and farms complement one another, and our seasoned people together bring experience that will give our customers what they need to be successful.”

Congrats on the successful acquisition, Lipman!

Lipman

The Produce Exchange

WENATCHEE, WA - Welcome to What’s in Store. World Famous Cherries from Stemilt are in season now with harvest going on daily through September in Washington State. Stemilt cherries come straight from beautiful locales like Stemilt Hill in Wenatchee, WA where warm days and cool nighttime temperatures create the best environment for producing cherries with world famous qualities.

Stemilt and the Mathison family are celebrating the company’s 50th year anniversary in 2014. To mark the occasion, Stemilt is packing cherries in its classic white box with the company’s 50 year logo. Proper merchandising of cherries is key to any store’s success and Stemilt’s grower-centric pop-up display bins are a great way to bring cherries front and center in the produce department during key promotional periods that include the 4^th of July.

Stemilt’s golden Rainier cherries are fresh off the tree and ready for promotion just after July 1st, with big promotions centered on National Rainier Cherry Day on July 11th. Also in early July, Stemilt starts packing Kyle’s Pick cherries. Named after 4th generation cherry grower Kyle Mathison, this premium cherry program puts the best cherries in pouch bags with the Kyle’s Pick logo in order to entice shoppers throughout the month of July and into August. Kyle’s Pick cherries showcase the best varieties and largest size fruits that are full of dessert flavors.  

The second item in the Kyle’s Pick program series, Half Mile Closer to the Moon cherries, begins in mid-August when Stemilt cherries come from high-elevation orchards – like Mathison’s Amigos Orchards in Wenatchee, WA. Grown between 2,500 and 3,200 feet above sea level these cherries are literally cultivated a half mile closer to the moon.  Stemilt’s cherry season is off and running in Washington state. With a range of merchandising support to increase impulse purchases, cherries are sure to delight shoppers throughout the summer season.

Thank you for watching What's In Store.

Stemilt

SANTA MARIA, CA – Kalettes, a new kale and brussels sprout hybrid developed by Tozer Seeds, are coming to stores soon.  Its flavor is a fusion of sweet and nutty, combining the best traits of its parent vegetables.

Kalettes are not genetically modified and were developed by cross-pollination, according to a press release.  Tozer developed the kale-brussels sprout hybrid after more than a decade of research and is working with several cooperators to grow and market Kalettes. 

“We started selling seed in the U.S. in 2012 and quickly realized that this new vegetable was going to be a huge hit with consumers due to the popularity of both vegetables,” stated Kraig Kuykendall, sales manager of Tozer Seeds, U.S. “The idea behind gathering cooperators to market under the Kalettes brand was to give consumers a consistent name and brand identity to look for in the produce department.”

Plans for the U.S. launch include consumer media engagement and a strong social media presence.  The Kalettes website includes recipes and high quality photography, which will be expanded through the summer.

Kalettes

Tozer Seeds

TULARE, CA - Sundale Vineyards has completed a solar project to power its cold storage facility with assistance from the renewable energy investment tax credit (ITC). Work began on a 1.13-megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic system at the vineyard in December of 2013.

This solar facility was built by Cenergy Power and is estimated to save Sundale $5.7 million in electricity costs over the next 25 years, the carbon equivalent of preserving 24,000 acres of forest and removing 30,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, according to the Novogradac Journal of Tax Credits.

“We’ve looked at solar for a very long time, but about five or six years ago, it didn’t make sense financially.  The prices have definitely come down,” said Todd Kinosian, Sundale Vineyards Owner. Sundale will receive the federal ITC for investing in the facility, which was another incentive for moving forward with the project.

Bill Pham, Cenergy Power’s CEO, said, “The investment tax credit played a significant role in this project because Sundale could effectively use 100 percent of the 30 percent ITC.  This fact, combined with Sundale’s strong financial performance, made the financing used for this project very cost-effective.”

Pham expects the solar system to produce 1.8 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of clean energy a year, which will offset 91% of Sundale’s electricity bill and deliver a simple payback of just four years, according to Novogradac.

“This solar project is a testament to our commitment to the environment and social responsibility,” said Kinosian.  “Sundale firmly believes that environmentally-conscious agriculture practices are vital to the sustainable growth of the industry.”

Pham added that the solar project should benefits Sundale in three main ways: reduced energy costs, advancement of the company’s environmental sustainability goals and improvement of its tax efficiency through the ITC.

Sundale Vineyards

Cenergy Power

MCLEAN, VA – Gladstone Land Corporation has acquired a 145-acre farm in Watsonville, California for $5.9 million. 

"We are pleased to add another first-rate farm in California to our portfolio and partner with the existing farmers on a long-term basis. Our objective is to be a strategic real estate partner for farmers so they can secure their land for the long haul," said Bill Frisbie, Director at the Company. "We now own 24 farms across the U.S. that produce a variety of high-value fruits and vegetables."

The property has been farmed for row crop fruits and vegetables for decades and comes with water on site, according to a press release. 

"We are excited when an opportunity arises to add prime strawberry land to our existing farmland in the Watsonville region, and we will always maximize our efforts in attempting to complete such deals.  We have great relationships with growers here, and we will always do what we can to provide our services to them in order to support a healthy industry," said Bill Reiman, Managing Director at the Company.

Gladstone Land invests in farmland located in major agricultural markets in the United States that it leases to corporate and independent farmers.  The Company currently owns 6,345 acres on 24 farms in 5 different states across the U.S., according to its website.

Through this acquisition, Gladstone has assumed a lease on the property with 28 months remaining with a large farming operation as the tenant.

Gladstone Land Corporation

NEW YORK, NY - Apax Partners is selling its majority ownership stake in Advantage Sales & Marketing (ASM) to private equity firms Leonard Green & Partners (LGP) and CVC Capital Partners for more than $4 billion, according to sources close to Reuters. Since purchasing controlling stake in 2010, Apax has helped ASM achieve substantial growth organically and through strategic acquisitions.  

“Apax Partners have added tremendous value to ASM over the past three-and-a-half years,” said ASM CEO Tanya Domier. “This partnership has been a textbook example of how a private equity firm and a management team can create value together through collaborating on strategy, growth, and vision, and being willing to work hard to take a good company to great! We set out with a clear vision, worked hard together, and focused on accelerating growth, and that is exactly what we accomplished.”

The sale comes at a time when private equity firms are increasingly targeting companies that are expected to benefit from a recovery in consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, according to Reuters.

ASM provides outsourced sales, marketing, and merchandising services to manufacturers, suppliers, and producers of consumer packaged goods in the U.S. The company serves groceries, drugstores, convenience stores, consumer electronics outlets, and sporting goods shops, according to Reuters. The company expects to achieve $1.6 billion in revenue in 2014.

“ASM is an exceptional company with an incredible track record, strong brand equity, and tremendous opportunities for growth,” said Jonathan Sokoloff, Managing Partner at LGP. “We are excited to partner with Tanya and the rest of ASM’s talented management team and look forward to supporting the next phase of the company’s growth.”

Christopher Stadler, Managing Partner at CVC, stated, “ASM has earned an exceptionally loyal and growing base of clients by continually finding new ways to help them win in the marketplace. We are delighted to have the rare opportunity to back a team that has accomplished so much, yet has many pathways to sustain significant future growth.”

Both LGC and CVC have worked together before to jointly acquire BJ’s Wholesale Club in 2011 for $2.8 billion.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, and is expected to close during the third quarter of 2014.

Advantage Sales & Marketing