Archive For The “News” Category
By Vine Line Produce Distribution
Comstock Park, Mich. – Michigan-based Heeren Bros., Inc., and Walsma & Lyons announces a joint-venture merger that positions the new organization to become one of the Midwest’s leading full-service produce and distribution, brokerage, refrigerated transportation and logistics companies.
Re-branded as Vine Line Produce Distribution, the companies’ combined business lines include Heeren Bros. Produce, Vine Line Logistics, Vine Line Trucking and Walsma & Lyons.
“Based on shared vision, values and strengths, the merger between Heeren Bros. and Walsma & Lyons is a dynamic move,” said Joseph D’Ottavio, CEO of Vine Line Produce Distribution. “We are excited about the strategic advantages of working together, while building on core competencies to pursue future growth.”
Like Heeren Bros., Walsma & Lyons is a family-owned and operated business with deep roots in the Western Michigan region. Founded in 1955, it is a produce brokerage distribution business that provides a full line of fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as tailored solutions for meeting customers’ unique needs. Company owner Gary Lyons has over 40 years of experience in all aspects of the produce industry.
“The produce and transportation landscape is ripe for a company that is willing and able to invest in multiple distribution facilities. Vine Line Produce Distribution has never been more agile and focused on meeting customers’ produce and transportation needs in an ever-changing market,” said Gary Lyons, President of Vine Line Produce Distribution.
Headquartered in Comstock Park, Michigan, Vine Line Produce Distribution operates out of a 180,000 sq. ft, LEED Certified, state-of-the-art facility that combines wholesale distribution with cold storage and packaging. A second 46,000 sq. ft. facility in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, provides direct distribution into Central Midwest and Western markets.
Established in 1933, Heeren Bros. has a long history in produce distribution, as well as strong partnerships with Michigan apple growers in packing, shipping and storing the state’s largest fruit crop. The company is currently owned by 42 North Partners, a Grand Rapids private equity firm, which guided the recent merger with Vine Line Logistics. 42 North Partners is led by Mike and Sue Jandernoa. It invests in projects that provide a catalyst for the growth and vitality of the entrepreneurial community with a focus on Western Michigan.
By Gladstone Land Corporation
MCLEAN, Va. — Gladstone Land Corporation (Nasdaq: LAND) (“Gladstone Land” or the “Company”) announced that it has acquired approximately 1,000 gross acres of farmland in Coalinga, California, for $33 million. The farm consists of 911 planted acres of mature pistachio trees. In connection with the acquisition, the Company also entered into an eight-year, triple-net lease with RTS Agri Business and Canoas Creek Pistachios. This is the first closing of a two-part acquisition; the second closing is scheduled to occur during the fourth quarter of 2019 and is slightly larger than this one.
“We are excited to be adding another large pistachio orchard in the San Joaquin Valley,” said Bill Reiman, Managing Director of Gladstone Land. “More than just adding another property to our farmland holdings, we are also adding another high-quality grower-tenant. This transaction has been very smooth, and it has been a pleasure to work with Rod Stiefvater, Paul Nugent, and their broker, Cameron Kay. Rod and Paul farmed this property prior to its development as a pistachio orchard, and they are excited to continue their operations on the property into the foreseeable future. This is a large holding with its own solar facilities to help reduce energy costs, and the farm has added value due to the water infrastructure that allows the grower to deliver surface water to the orchard.”
“This is our second large acquisition of the quarter,” said David Gladstone, President and CEO of Gladstone Land. “We continue to build our diverse portfolio of farmland focused primarily on healthy foods, such as fresh produce and nuts, and we are very encouraged by the number of large, high-quality farms we have been able to acquire recently. This orchard has just reached peak production and is a great representation of our ability to partner with esteemed operators and purchase farms that we expect will produce steady rental income and allow us to continue growing the dividends we pay to our shareholders.”
About Gladstone Land Corporation:
Founded in 1997, Gladstone Land is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that owns farmland and farm-related properties located in major agricultural markets across the U.S. and leases its properties to unrelated third-party farmers. The Company reports the fair value of its farms on a quarterly basis. The Company currently owns 93 farms, comprised of approximately 81,000 acres in 10 different states, valued at approximately $768 million. The farms are predominantly located in regions where its tenants are able to grow fresh produce annual row crops, such as berries and vegetables, which are generally planted and harvested annually. The Company also owns farms growing permanent crops, such as almonds, apples, figs, olives, pistachios, and other orchards, as well as groves of blueberries and vineyards, which are generally planted every 10 to 20-plus years and harvested annually. The Company may also acquire property related to farming, such as cooling facilities, processing buildings, packaging facilities, and distribution centers. The Company pays monthly distributions to its stockholders and has paid 78 consecutive monthly cash distributions on its common stock since its initial public offering in January 2013. The current per-share distribution on its common stock is $0.04455 per month, or $0.5346 per year. Additional information, including detailed information about each of the Company’s farms, can be found at www.GladstoneFarms.com.
By VegNews
Plant-based food companies have raised more than $16 billion in the last decade, with record gains of $13 billion in 2017 and 2018 alone, according to the “State of the Industry Report” released recently by non-profit organization Good Food Institute (GFI).
A plant-based diet is a diet consisting mostly or entirely of foods derived from plants, including vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, legumes and fruits, and with few or no animal products.
“Investors and entrepreneurs are capitalizing on a global shift in the way meat is produced. The market opportunity here is massive,” GFI Executive Director Bruce Friedrich said. “Shifting consumer values have created a favorable market for alternatives to animal-based foods, and we have already seen fast-paced growth in this space across retail and foodservice markets.”
GFI identified Impossible Food’s $189-million late-stage venture capital round as 2018’s largest investment deal, followed by vegan milk brand Ripple Foods’$65-million Series C round, Beyond Meat’s $50-million Series H round, and Califia Farms’$50-million private equity round.
The report also found that 2018 was a record year of investment activity in the cell-based meat industry—where meat is grown using a small number of animal cells in a lab-setting—which saw 12 startups raise $50 million in capital across 14 deals. Since 2009, 19 plant-based companies were acquired by non-vegan brands, with 10 of these deals—including the 2017 acquisition of plant-based milk producer WhiteWave Foods by Danone for $12.5 billion, the largest deal of its kind to date—occurring in the last two years.
“These industries are accelerating rapidly, and we are about to see them take off. There is a great deal of momentum, which has been brought about by product innovation, greater emphasis on quality, more investment, and a change in consumer values,” GFI Director of Innovation Brad Barbera said.
“There is still so much growth possible, and there are great opportunities that come with that. Investors and entrepreneurs recognize the vast market opportunity on offer to get involved while these industries take form.”
Recently, Beyond Meat became the first plant-based meat company to be publicly traded on NASDAQ and the unprecedented success of its initial public offering (IPO)—the best-performing IPO of the year—is evidence of consumer interest in investing in the plant-based industry.
A partnership has been completed between Church Brothers Farms of Salinas, CA and FiveStar Gourmet Foods of Ontario, CA. The latter has value-added salads and packaged snacks for retail and a range of fresh-cut items for foodservice operators.
The move will allow FiveStar to offer bagged salad kits and other convenience items beyond its Simply Fresh salad line in plastic containers, with conventional and organic products.
Through the agreement, the companies expand product offerings in the retail and foodservice arenas, but also will collaborate on resources, infrastructure, logistics, food safety and facilities, according to a news release from the companies.
The partnership is effective immediately. There is no change in ownership or personnel, and the companies continue to operate separately.
For several years, FiveStar has purchased product grown by Church Brothers for its Simply Fresh line of salads.
“This legal partnership creates a vertically integrated program for FiveStar Gourmet Foods and we are extremely excited to work with such a well-known, established company like Church Brothers Farms,” Tal Shoshan, CEO of FiveStar, Ontario, Calif., said in the release. “A grower-direct supply helps further our new product innovation especially within packaged salads like blends and kits, which FiveStar plans to impact in a big way, similar to how we impacted the salad bowl category.”
Church Brothers CEO Brian Church said the company plans to use the partnership to enter the bagged salad category.
“This partnership allows us to expand into regional processing with FiveStar’s state-of-the-art facilities in California and Florida, and quickly scale up to create new, innovative value added-items for our customers,” Church said in the release. “FiveStar will leverage our strong land base of more than 40,000 conventional and organic crop acres to expand into the bagged salad category.”
Two Michigan apple markets have combined sales staffs and represent about 150 growers, which will result in around 3 million bushels of Michigan apple shipments due to the union.
Joining forces are Belleharvest Sales Inc. and Michigan Fresh Marketing.
The merger creates a sales alliance, resulting in the second-largest apple shipping operation in Michigan, according to a news release. In 2018, 10 million to 11 million of the state’s 24 million bushels were sold on the fresh market.
The apples will be packed at 7 facilities owned by Belleharvest of Belding, MI., and Michigan Fresh Marketing of Grand Rapids.
“This move is being made to take full advantage of both companies’ strengths and abilities,” Milt Fuehrer, Belleharvest CEO, said. “By merging the offices into one company there will be a robust sales department along with a wider distribution footprint.”
Michigan Fresh CEO Joe D’Ottavio said the partnership allows for innovation.
“The growth potential these two organizations bring to the market is exponential,” D’Ottavio said. “We have an experienced sales team, diverse varieties, and the ability to pack orders quickly and efficiently.”
The Belleharvest/Michigan Fresh partnership follows other changes in the Michigan apple industry. In January, Applewood Fresh Growers LLC of Sparta, formed to market apples from more than 11,000 acres in Michigan and other states.
Also in January, Riveridge Produce Marketing, a Sparta apple grower-shipper-marketer, acquired Sparta apple company Jack Brown Produce’s sales operation.
By The Wonderful Company
LOS ANGELES, California – The Wonderful Company, known for its dedication to harvesting health and happiness around the world through its iconic consumer brands today announced the introduction of a new produce brand, Wonderful Seedless Lemons, a naturally seedless, Non-GMO Project Verified variety of lemon that will debut this fall 2019. The Wonderful Company owns the exclusive rights to this new, premium quality seedless lemon variety available in North America.
“As the leading grower, shipper, packer, and distributor of citrus in North America, Wonderful is uniquely positioned to offer this new and innovative variety of seedless lemons,” said Adam Cooper, senior vice president of marketing at The Wonderful Company. “As consumers’ appetite for seedless varieties in produce continues to grow, Wonderful Seedless Lemons will disrupt the industry and become a top category driver for branded produce.”
Wonderful is no stranger to the citrus category, with Wonderful Halos quickly rising through the ranks to become America’s No. 1 mandarin brand in less than five years. Lemon category growth and consumer consumption for lemons is second only to mandarins, and has nearly doubled in the last five years, with even more room to grow, according to IRI data. According to a third-party study commissioned by The Wonderful Company, 83 percent of lemon buyers state they are likely to purchase a seedless lemon, and 81 percent cite the inconvenience of seeds as a key reason. Ease and efficiency were two of the top benefits of purchasing a seedless lemon stated by lemon buyers who participated in the study.
“We’re encouraged that lemon buyers have expressed their willingness to pay a premium price for seedless lemons,” added Cooper. “This is a game-changer for lemon buyers and will transform how they use and eat lemons in their everyday life. Wonderful has a history of bringing unique and healthy products to market by building trust and brand love with consumers through our $1 billion investment in brand building for Wonderful Pistachios, Wonderful Halos, and POM Wonderful.”
The Wonderful Seedless Lemons’ marketing campaign will introduce new branded packaging creating a bigger marketplace for bagged lemons, as well as eye-catching in-store point-of-sale (POS) displays to capture consumer attention while shopping. Retailers who have carried The Wonderful Company POS have experienced more than two times lift in velocity growth versus those without. Additional marketing campaign initiatives will roll out during the brand’s debut this fall.
About The Wonderful Company Headquartered in Los Angeles, The Wonderful Company is a privately held $4.6 billion global company dedicated to harvesting health and happiness around the world through its iconic consumer brands. The company’s 10,000 employees worldwide are committed to bringing consumers everywhere the freshest, most wholesome pistachios, almonds, citrus and pomegranates; bottling the finest water and wines; and creating colorful bouquets that are sure to touch the heart. This commitment is reflected in the company’s market share: Wonderful Pistachios® is America’s No. 1 tree nut brand and America’s fastest-growing snack; Wonderful® Halos® is the No. 1 mandarin orange in America; POM Wonderful® is the No. 1 100% pomegranate brand in America; FIJI® Water is America’s No. 1 premium imported bottled water brand; JUSTIN® Wine has the No. 1 Cabernet Sauvignon in California; and Teleflora® is the world’s leading floral delivery service.
The Wonderful Company’s connection to consumers has health at its heart and giving back in its DNA. The company has a longstanding commitment to corporate social responsibility, including more than $300 million invested in environmental technologies and sustainability research, $50 million in charitable giving and education initiatives every year, $100 million toward the construction of two charter school campuses in California’s Central Valley, and innovative health and wellness programs, including two new, free primary care clinics for employees and their dependents.
By Nikki Tran, SFGate
Buying produce at Trader Joe’s is about to get cheaper thanks to the elimination of plastic packaging on certain fruits, veggies, and other food staples.
In a new episodee of “Inside Trader Joe’s,” a podcast created by the grocery chain, hosts Matt Sloan and Tara Miller sat down with produce category manager Jack Salamon to unpack how Trader Joe’s plans to reduce packaging on certain products — which means lower prices for customers.
In the interview, Salamon explained how items like potatoes, onions, and apples can be sold as loose products, but were often bagged or bundled together in plastic containers. Now, the store will feature more loose produce.
How does this translate to cheaper prices? Salamon used fresh garlic as an example. Previously, garlic was sold in a pouch. The price a customer paid for garlic included not only the cost of the produce itself, but also costs associated with making the plastic sleeve, bundling the garlic together, and then topping the bag off with a paper header. The packaged garlic fetched $1.39 for two heads. Now, with those extra, hidden expenses removed, loose garlic goes for 49 cents apiece.
In cases where it is difficult to sell items without packaging, like blueberries, the company is trying out different strategies to reduce its plastic waste, such as thinner, biodegradable, and compostable materials. “We are on track to eliminate 4 million pounds of plastic from our stores in 2019 and 2½ million pounds of that plastic has come directly out of the produce section,” said Salamon.
By San Miguel Produce
Oxnard, CA– San Miguel Produce, Inc., a leader in the fresh-cut dark leafy greens category, announces the move to a new state-of-the-art facility in Oxnard, CA, a few miles from their old facility/headquarter location.
The 85,000 sq. ft. facility addresses the increasing demand and growth the company has experienced and allows for additional office and production space- including the addition of two new form fill machines.
“We are very excited for this new building and the opportunity it brings,” says Roy Nishimori, CEO of San Miguel Produce. “This move will improve our production capacity and support the continued growth with our customers and the innovation of new items.”
While the construction of the new facility was completed in the winter of 2018, the busy holiday season pushed back the installation of the final production line. Now fully operational for the last few months, the company has been focused on fine-tuning processes in the new plant.
With the increased capacity, San Miguel Produce is now positioned to grow its production out of the West and better serve its customers.
About San Miguel Produce
San Miguel Produce, Inc. is a 4th generation family farm focused on growing and processing nutrientdense greens under brands: San Miguel Produce, Cut ‘N Clean Greens and Jade, Asian Greens. Since 1976, San Miguel has been farming on the coastal plains of Oxnard, CA and throughout Ventura County. With our fresh-cut processing plant located near our fields, we harvest to order to ensure our valued customers get the very best farm-fresh greens…which is our definition of “Farm Fresh, Grower Direct.”
Grimmway Farms of Bakersfield, CA has bought Generation Farms of Lake Park, GA, which grows carrots and other vegetables.
The acquisition of Generation Farms includes its operations in southern Georgia as well as in northern Florida. However, the purchase does not include Generation Farms’ Vidalia onion business, which is the former Stanley Farms’ operations.
Grimmway did not disclose the terms of the transaction.
Grimmway began growing carrots in Cook County, GA., and Live Oak, FL., in 2015 and opened its Southeast Regional Packing Facility in Sparks, GA., in February 2018, according to a news release. Grimmway ships conventional carrot products under the Grimmway Farms, Bunny Luv and Premier labels from the facility from mid-December through May.
“Generation Farm’s diverse processing capabilities and productive land base provide a unique opportunity to grow our regional carrot program and expand our organic division,” said Eric Proffitt, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Grimmway Farms.
Generation Farms was founded in 2013, when Coggins Farms and Produce Inc. of Lake Park and Stanley Farms of Vidalia joined operations. Grimmway plans to continue supplying Generation Farms customers in the region.
The company ships carrots, green beans, sweet potatoes, blueberries and watermelons.
“We are excited to increase our footprint in the Southeast and welcome the talented team at Generation Farms to the Grimmway Farms family,” Jeff Huckaby, president of Grimmway Farms, said in the release. “We would also like to recognize Steve Grinstead and the Grinstead Group for providing expert advisory service and enabling a seamless transition from beginning to end.”
Grimmway is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
A 60,000 square-foot packing facility has been opened by Apple Acres LLC of Lafayette, NY just in time for the new apple crop. Harvesting started in July.
The building, spanning two football fields, features a packinghouse line with a straight path configuration that minimizes fruit handling, according to a news release. It is certified under Global Food Safety Standards. The facility has Compac, Van Doren Inc. and Burg sorting and packing equipment.
The company recently expanded acreage, and apple varieties include Rubyfrost, SnapDragon, Macintosh and Empire. The company also packs for other New York apple growers.