CHICAGO, IL – The United Fresh Produce Association announced the donation of salad bars to 200 Midwest schools through its multi-year Let’s Move Salad Bars to Midwest Schools campaign at the United Fresh 2014 Convention in Chicago.  The schools spread across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.

“We are at a pivotal moment in school nutrition," said United Fresh CEO Tom Stenzel.  “Our industry is committed to helping schools serve a wide variety of fresh fruits and I’m thrilled to see so many produce industry leaders and businesses step forward to support the salad bar campaign.  This is truly a transformational program, making a difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of kids.”

It is estimated that 100,000 Midwest students in both urban and rural school districts will benefit from the access to a variety of fresh fruits and vegetable as school lunch every day, according to a press release. 

“Our philosophy is to provide our students with fresh produce every day. We believe salad bars are teaching our students about the importance of eating healthy, that fruits and vegetables are delicious and should be part of every meal,” said Bertrand Weber, Director, Culinary and Nutrition Services for the Minneapolis Public Schools.  “We currently have salad bars in 31 of our 62 Minneapolis Public Schools and our goal is to expand our salad bar program to more schools.  Let’s Move Salad Bars to MIDWEST Schools is helping us accomplish that goal.”

Sherri Matuszky, School Foodservice Director, Wethersfield Community Unified School District #230 in Kewanee, IL, said that the salad bars have become an important addition to their school meal program, and stated that she has received very positive feedback from students, staff and parents.

United Fresh

Mark Seguin, Sakata's Global Vegetative Marketing Manager, joins AndNowUKnow to discuss the company's All-Weather Petunia!® SuperCal®. The plant specialists at Sakata have combined the best qualities of petunias and calibrachoa into the unique SuperCal. Seguin tells us that this unique series delivers better heat tolerance than both petunia and calibrachoa, and is frost and rain resistant. 

This year, Sakata is introducing three new colors. Cherry has been improved for a fuller, more rounded habit; Grape; and Salmon Glow, whose colors react to different environments and changes accordingly to different temperatures. 

Check out this behind the scenes video to see how Sakata's SuperCal provides superior performance in the garden. 

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - At Target’s annual shareholders meeting on Wednesday, shareholders voted to re-elect all 10 board members, a move that continues the current search for a new CEO. Shareholders also supported the company in an advisory vote on executive pay.

The vote comes after a prominent advisory firm called on shareholders to throw out a majority of the candidates for their handling of last year’s data breach, according to Wall Street Journal.

In response to that breach, Target appointed Brad Maiorino as its first ever Chief Information Security Officer.  Maiorino comes from General Motors where he was that company's chief information security and information technology risk officer  Prior to that, he was the chief information security officer at General Electric. He will report to Bob DeRodes, executive vice president and chief information officer at Target.

"Having led this critical function at two of the country's largest companies, Brad is widely recognized as one of the nation's top leaders in the complex, evolving areas of information security and risk," said DeRodes. "As an organization, we have made a commitment to our guests and our team that Target will be a retail leader in information security and protection. We believe Brad is the right person to lead that charge."

Maiorino will join Target effective June 16^th and will be responsible for Target’s information security and technology risk strategy.  He will help ensure that the company, its guests and team member are protected from both external and internal information security threats.

During the meeting, John Mulligan, Target’s interim CEO, spoke of the challenges the company has faced, including the security breach, a money-losing expansion into Canada and a lack of new shoppers.  

"Fortunately, we have the resources and technology to move beyond these challenges," said Mulligan." Target is a great company, whose best days are ahead."

Roxanne Austin, the company’s interim chairwoman, added, “We need to aggressively move Target forward.”

Target did not meet its own expectations, but it did return a 53-cent dividend to shareholders, representing a 21% increase.  It also had a larger growth spurt and opened 19 U.S. stores and 24 in Canada, according to the Dallas Business Journal.  Target plans to improve its security, sales and customer experience.

At the meeting, the management team outlined the company's top priorities.  They plan to increase traffic by bringing in new merchandise and having more promotions and exclusive items from national brands, improve Canadian store performance and shift investment from square footage to technology and supply chain.

In after hours trading, Target shares went up $0.22 to $57.08, an approximate 0.39% increase.

Will Target rebuild its customer base?  When will it find a new CEO?  Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow to find out.

Target

SALINAS, CA - What do moms love most about Mann Packing’s new Family Favorites™ line? Gina Broccolini takes you inside the valley to find out…

Not only can Mann’s pre-packaged, ready-to-eat veggies save you time and money, they also have the power to turn you into a superhero! Okay, maybe not literally…but because they’re quick and easy, you might just feel like one. 

The company’s new package design also helps differentiate its full line of fresh-cut vegetables from the competition with distinct imagery, product photography, and colors, and they stand out on the shelf at store-level.

Check out this fun video from Mann Packing to see more on the company’s new Family Favorites™ line!

Mann Packing

LOS ANGELES, CA - Giumarra Nogales has successfully completed its first load of watermelons delivered by railroad by working with Nogales-based Pacific Brokerage. This marks the first time in decades produce grown in Mexico was shipped via train, according to a press release.

“Although our delivery had a few challenges, we feel the overall success of the trip demonstrates that watermelons are sturdy enough to handle rail shipment, and it may be a viable option for us in the future,” said Gil Munguia, Division Manager of Giumarra Nogales.Giumarra’s Cesar Pacheco, Sales Manager, worked with J.B. Manson of Pacific Brokerage for over three years to find a railroad company that expressed interest in the project. Their efforts found traction with the state of Arizona’s “Arizona/Mexico Commission” and the Port of Tucson. Subsequently, Union Pacific and CSX Corporation have agreed to participate in a pilot program with Giumarra.“With the success of our first run, we hope to push skepticism to the side and grab the attention of the railroads for future projects,” said Pacheco. “We can move one ton of cargo more than 500 miles on a single gallon of diesel using rail. We believe this will help minimize the carbon footprint of long-haul shipping.”

Currently, Giumarra is planning to ship honeydew melons, winter squash, and cucumbers within the rail pilot program. The next shipment planned is headed for Chicago, Illinois on a 64-foot railcar.

Giumarra

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Two PACA violators in Florida and Georgia have been restricted by the USDA from operating in the produce industry, according to a press release.

Sunkist Repackers LLC (not affiliated with Sunkist Growers Inc.), a Coconut Creek, Florida-based company, has failed to pay a $13,533 award in favor of a Michigan seller. William J. Nupp and Sunkist Products LLC were listed as members of the business.

All Points Produce Inc., a Sparks, Georgia-based company, has failed to pay a $75,288 award in favor of a Florida seller. Patti A. McMillan and Quentin C. McMillan were listed as the officers, directors, and/or major stockholders of the business.

In the past three years, the USDA resolved approximately 4,600 claims under the PACA involving more than $87 million. Individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors, or major stockholders may not be employed or affiliated with any PACA licensee without the approval of the USDA. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), PACA Division, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses operating subject to PACA.

Agricultural Marketing Service

RICHARDSON, TX and JUPITER, FL - Locus Traxx and SC-integrity, Inc. (LoJack SCI) announced a partnership to advance and bolster supply chain and cargo shipment security and efficiency. 

“Our strategic vision to grow through partnerships with leading companies such as LoJack SCI is important to our mission.  The talent and market reach that our partners bring to the operation strengthen our offerings and deliver great value to our customers,” said David Benjamin, Locus Traxx Worldwide CEO.

Together, the organizations will release a series of bundled tracking and information solutions based on the Locus “SmartTraxx^TM  Go” tracking technology, according to a press release.  This alliance will take advantage of the SC-integrity, Inc. “SC-iOn” and the “Locus Traxx’ Oversight” web portals to deliver integrity services and comprehensive security for their clients.

LoJack SCI CEO, Ted Wlazlowski added, “We couldn't be happier with this collaboration. This venture will allow both Locus Traxx and LoJack SCI to support the latest generation of communication and geo-localization technologies, while continuing to provide high value service to our customers.  Our market is ready for the flexibility and ease in providing a disposable tracking solution; and, together with Locus Traxx, we intend to exceed expectations for reliable, low cost visibility and control.”

Food is a leading target for theft, and the industry receives increasing regulatory pressures from the FDA.  Locus Traxx will provide information to and through the LoJack SCI sponsored Supply Chain-ISAC to give participants the ability to obtain an extremely beneficial view of potential risk or efficiency opportunities in the food, cold chain, and produce markets. 

Locus Traxx

LoJack SCI

WENATCHEE, WA - Garrett Joeckel has been hired by Columbia Marketing International (CMI) as the new Production and Sales Analyst. 

“I am looking forward to working with the diverse manifest that CMI has in its arsenal as well as the unique branded apples that CMI packs and sells,” Joeckel said.  “I am eager to dive into the fine details surrounding the CMI warehouses that make us stand out as a preferred supplier to our many diverse customers. 

In this role, Garrett will work with CMI’s sales and marketing staff as well as its member warehouses to effectively meet customer needs and maximize grower returns. He will also develop short and long term production and sales plans including metrics and schedules as well as work closely with the CMI warehouses to provide a more in-depth forecast for CMI’s sales and marketing teams, according to a press release.

“Garrett brings a wealth of production planning knowledge and experience to the CMI family,” said Bob Mast, President of CMI.  “With both Garrett’s understanding of the inner workings of a fruit packing warehouse as well as his production planning experience on the sales side, he has a keen understanding and appreciation for the complexities and challenges of matching up production to customer demands.  We are confident that Garrett will take our forward planning to the next level assisting CMI to consistently improve our service to our customers and packing facilities.”

Garrett graduated form Western Washington University in 2007 with a B.S. in Operations Management and has 7 years of experience in the Northwest Agricultural arena.  He has worked both in warehouse and sales operation. 

Congratulations, Garrett!

CMI

Fox Packaging has announced its latest bag design, the Stand-Up Combo Bag. It is an extension of the original Fresh Mesh Combo.  

“We are very excited to introduce this bag design to our customers,” said Aaron Fox, Vice President, Fox Packaging.  “It has been a labor of love throughout the entire design process as we tweaked materials and construction to ensure the final result is unlike anything any other bag on the market today.  It offers a perfect combination of form and functionality to meet the needs of both retailers and packers alike.  We look forward to seeing the Stand-up Combo bag on store shelves in the very near future!”

The new stand-up bag is constructed from a combination of poly and mesh for ample marketing area and optimal breathability, according to a press release.  It also features a flat bottom for convenience.  The Stand-Up Combo Bag is available in 10 colors of nonabrasive mesh with three different closure options and ranges in size form 1 -10lb.

The new Stand-Up bag is on display in United Fresh booth #1449. 

Fox Packaging

Former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton received unanimous applause from audience members at the United Fresh and FMI Connect conventions on Tuesday after arguing for major revisions to U.S. immigration policy.

In one of her most outspoken arguments for this discussion, Clinton said she believes “strongly in immigration reform” but has been “somewhat bewildered” by the immigration debate in Washington, according to CNN. 

“Everybody I talk to personally, Democratic and Republican alike in the leadership of both houses, know we have to have immigration reform,” Clinton explained. “Part of the strength of the vitality of our economy is the fact that people still want to come to this country, make their stake, prove themselves.”

She noted that she hopes Congress will consider policy changes this year.

Coincidentally, these remarks came on the same day her new book, Hard Choices, went on sale. The autobiographical memoir is said to lay the groundwork for a possible 2016 presidential bid, according to Bloomberg. 

During her speech, Clinton scolded people who “are scared because there is a small minority of people in public life and those they represent who don’t seem to understand one of our strongest and most important attributes is that we are still a nation of immigrants.”

She was later interviewed on stage by Stewart Resnick, the founder of Wonderful Brands and Democratic Party supporter, in a question-and-answer session to continue the discussion on immigration reform. 

Although President Obama has indicated that immigration reform was one of his top priorities for his second term, it has seen little movement in the House of Representatives, CNN reports. Late last year, House Speaker John Boehner insisted that although immigration reform was “absolutely not” dead, he had “no intention” of negotiating with the Democratic-led Senate over its immigration proposal, CNN reports. A number of Republicans would rather pass immigration in smaller bills, rather than a comprehensive bill. 

The discussion is full of “hard choices,” indeed. As Clinton persists in her advocacy for immigration reform, we will have to continue to wait and see when Congress will get around to making these changes.