Archive For The “News” Category
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By USApple
Produce related company acquisitions seem to pick up as the economy improves and here are just three examples of moves by operations on both coasts of the U.S. From Premier Citrus in Florida, to the Cold Storage Co. in Oregon and Volm Cos. in Washington state, expansions have occurred either through buy-outs are building new facilities.
Premier Citrus of Vero Beach, FL has acquired Greene River Marketing, also based in Vero Beach.
The acquisition allows Premier Citrus to expand its fruit volume and return marketing of its domestic fruit back in-house.
DNE World Fruit, of Ft. Pierce, FL was acquired in February by Wonderful Citrus, previously marketed Premier’s domestic fruit the past three seasons. Greene River will continue operating under the same name this season, but will eventually transition into part of Premier Citrus Marketing.
The purchase means Premier will be the largest domestic marketer in the Indian River growing region.
Oregon Cold Storage Opens
Cold Storage Co. of Salem, OR has opened its second facility in Salem., with 6 million cubic feet of new cold storage capacity. The 94-year-old, family-owned refrigerated warehousing company’s newest facility is in the Mill Creek Corporate Center in Salem. The cold storage is 176,000-square-feet. The 34-acre, 26,000-pallet operation will serve as a hub for food processors
With the second facility in Salem coming online, Henningsen now offers over 60 million total cubic feet of temperature controlled space in 11 facilities across the United States.
Washington Distribution Center Opens
Volm Cos. Inc., based in Antigo, WI, has opened a new 90,000-square-foot facility Pasco, WA. The new distribution facility is located less than two miles from the former location. The facility houses warehouse space for inventory, LENO manufacturing equipment, equipment and parts area as well as increased office space for the growing business. Volm came to the Tri-Cities area in 2007 through an acquisition.
by Mann Packing Company
SALINAS, Calif. – Mann Packing, an industry leading supplier of premium fresh vegetables, broke ground in August on its new processing facility in Gonzales, California. The groundbreaking ceremony featured company representatives, local government officials and business leaders.
Headquartered in Salinas, California, Mann’s selected the City of Gonzales for its 130,000 square foot expansion project because of its convenient location and zoned industrial area. The company has a further land base at the same location to accommodate future expansions. 250 people will be employed at the new facility.
Sixty-five percent of the company’s manufacturing volume will relocate from Salinas to the Gonzales facility. Mann’s location at 1250 Hansen Street in Salinas will continue to process fresh-cut vegetables, but will mainly serve as the company’s central warehouse, cooling and shipping facility.
Construction of the facility is targeted for completion in early 2018, with production beginning in spring. The facility was designed with the goal of achieving electric sustainability and will utilize a windmill turbine to supply energy for heating and cooling.
“We are proud to announce our new home in Gonzales and excited to be part of this thriving business community,” said Lorri Koster, chairman & CEO at Mann’s. “This project represents the beginning of a partnership and a culmination of years of planning to create a facility which will serve as an anchor for the company’s fresh processing needs,” she added.
About Mann Packing Company
Founded in 1939, Mann Packing is an industry leading, third-generation supplier of premium fresh vegetables. Headquartered in Salinas, Mann’s is one of the largest suppliers of western vegetables, Broccolini® and sugar snap peas in North America. The firm holds the distinguished Women’s Owned Business Certification from the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council – the most widely recognized and respected certification in the United States for women’s business enterprises. Leading the way in product innovation, environmental sustainability and green supply chain management practices, Mann Packing is consistently vigilant in food safety, employee wellness and quality assurance, making for one of the most trusted brands in the industry.
In a new report consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables has risen significantly since November 2008 compared with processed fruits and vegetables. Meanwhile, a look back is taken of the disastrous season in South Carolina for peach shipments.
Wells Fargo reports consumption of fresh fruits has grown 16.2 percent and consumption of fresh vegetables has grown 20.6 percent, compared to processed fruits and vegetables, which grew 9.9 percent during the same time period. The report said processed fruits and vegetables are sold in the freezer aisle and as canned goods, according to the report by Eugenio J. Aleman, senior economist for company.
Consumers have “rationally reacted to much higher prices on the processed side in relation to the fresh side,” Aleman said in a story published recently by the Wall Street Journal. “In relative terms, fresh fruits and vegetables are cheaper today than processed fruits and vegetables are.”
Fresh fruit and vegetable prices were trending upward leading into the 2008 recession and have remained relatively static since. However, prices for processed fruits and vegetables are higher now than at any time before the recession.
Acknowledging it is difficult to know whether price-consciousness or health-consciousness is driving the increase in consumption, the study notes younger consumers especially have shifted more toward fresh food consumption. For those under 40 years old, fresh vegetable consumption has increased by 52 percent over the last 10 years.
However, a decrease in price for processed produce could have consumers looking more toward their pocketbooks than their health.
Titan Peach Shipments
Titan Farms in Ridge Spring, SC, the largest peach grower on the East Coast, suffered a $30 million loss when temperatures dropped to 17 and 22 degrees March 15 and 16, according to Daryl Johnston, vice president for sales and marketing. He said Titan lost 80 to 85 percent of its peach crop to the freeze.
This includes 6,100 acres of peaches in production stretching over 100 square miles in three counties. Titan normally grows more peaches than the entire state of Georgia, “the Peach State.”
Looking back, Titan was loading 12 truckloads of peaches in mid July, when it would normally pack 100 to 150 truckloads at the height of the season. The peach shipper lost all but 10 to 15 percent of its crop.
Since 2001, Titan has increased peach acreage by 400 percent.
LINCOLN PARK, MI. — Carrier Transicold of Detroit is commemorating 50 years of serving eastern Michigan’s transport refrigeration providers, those vital links of the “cold-chain” that safely deliver food and other refrigerated essentials to supermarkets, restaurants, food service operations and more.On Septrmber 16, the dealership celebrated its golden anniversary with customers
and employees at an open house at its facility located at 1180 John A Papalas Drive in
Lincoln Park. Carrier Transicold of Detroit is part of the North American dealer network
of Carrier Transicold, a leading provider of equipment and services for refrigerated
transport and cold chain visibility.
and employees at an open house at its facility located at 1180 John A Papalas Drive in
Lincoln Park. Carrier Transicold of Detroit is part of the North American dealer network
of Carrier Transicold, a leading provider of equipment and services for refrigerated
transport and cold chain visibility.
“Our dealership was built on the principles of respecting customers and providing
them exceptional service at a fair price,” said Mark Sparkman, president and owner of
the Carrier Transicold of Detroit, which was founded in 1967 by his father, Earl
Sparkman, and uncle, John Sparkman.
them exceptional service at a fair price,” said Mark Sparkman, president and owner of
the Carrier Transicold of Detroit, which was founded in 1967 by his father, Earl
Sparkman, and uncle, John Sparkman.
“We are incredibly proud that this formula has sustained us and helped us grow over five decades. Our founders, our loyal employees and our great customers deserve the credit for our continued success.”
Established as Transport Refrigeration Service by the now-retired Sparkman
brothers, the operation was among the earliest to join the Carrier Transicold North
America dealer network in the 1970s.
brothers, the operation was among the earliest to join the Carrier Transicold North
America dealer network in the 1970s.
“Carrier Transicold of Detroit is an important member of the Carrier Transicold
family and we are delighted they’ve achieved this half-century milestone,” said Tom
Ondo, vice president and general manager, Truck, Trailer, Rail Americas, Carrier
Transicold. “Mark Sparkman has been with the company for 37 of those 50 years, giving
him an exceptional understanding of all facets of the business, while establishing
outstanding relationships with his customers and team.”
Since 2006 Carrier Transicold of Detroit has operated out of its current 30,000
square-foot facility, where it sells, installs and services truck, trailer and shipping
container refrigeration units that help to preserve and protect perishable goods as they
move from farm to fork. The dealership has 28 employees, including 14 service
technicians, and it operates six mobile units enabling 24/7 emergency service.
Carrier Transicold of Detroit has been consistently recognized for outstanding
performance by Carrier Transicold, having been named Dealer of the Year five times and achieving Carrier Transicold’s NextLevel2 Platinum Award for customer satisfaction,
business investment, service proficiency, sales performance and growth every year
since the award was established.
As part of its community support initiatives, Carrier Transicold of Detroit is a participant in Carrier Transicold’s national program in support of the Feeding America® network, funded by a $150,000 grant from United Technologies Corporation. Through this program, Carrier Transicold of Detroit is installing transport refrigeration units on vehicles used by qualifying food bank operations serving the Detroit metropolitan area
A new production, storage and shipping for produce is coming to Burlington, WA. Meanwhile, shipments of the popular SweeTango apples are well under way.
by Bay Baby Produce Inc.
Burlington, WA – Bay Baby Produce Inc., a North American grower and leader in painted pumpkins, long stem ornamentals, and winter organic squash, has broken ground on their new state of the art facility.
After a long process of approvals, Bay Baby Produce Inc. broke ground on their new, state of the art, facility mid June. The new 55,000 square foot facility will offer expansive production, storage and shipping capabilities, as well as be home to their corporate office. The expanded space will allow for increased production capacity and will make it possible to meet the increased demand for Bay Baby Produce’s products in current and expanded markets. Their new facility is expected to be operational for their 2018 season.
About Bay Baby Produce Inc.
Bay Baby Produce, a woman-owned business for over 3o years, is located in the Skagit Valley, Burlington,WA. This area is one of the most fertile growing regions in North America. Our mission is to be a consistently reliable source for high quality painted pumpkins, long stem ornamentals, organic squash and value-added products grown on our farm. This new expansion will allow Bay Baby Produce to continue to grow well into the future.
SweeTango Apple Shipments
by Next Big Thing, A Growers’ Cooperative
WENATCHEE, WA – Harvest has begun for the 2017 crop of SweeTango apples. With orchards spread across prime apple-growing regions in Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, and Nova Scotia, Canada, timing of harvest varies by region, typically beginning in the West and concluding a few weeks later in Nova Scotia. The anticipated total crop is slightly larger than last season’s.
The West and Midwestern regions began picking on August 21, and the Eastern region will begin next week followed by Nova Scotia later in September.
The SweeTango season officially began as the apples first reach markets near Labor Day.
By Shenandoah Growers
ROCKINGHAM, Va. — Shenandoah Growers, Inc. (SGI), the leading grower and marketer of certified organic fresh herbs for retail in the U.S., announces the attainment of another milestone in the company’s drive to fundamentally change the way highly perishable produce is grown and distributed. Leveraging a proprietary combination of automated greenhouses and indoor LED vertical grow rooms to produce over 30 million certified organic plants per year, SGI brings a third indoor growing facility online. The new facility, located in Texas, is the latest component of SGI’s innovative hub-and-spoke farming and distribution system, and only the most recent step in the company’s three-year, multi-million-dollar nationwide expansion of indoor farming.
The company’s latest indoor growing facility takes its place in a system that is quickly scalable for market growth, allowing Shenandoah Growers to locally deliver certified organic superior flavor and shelf life at a fraction of the capital cost of other indoor farms.
“This indoor farm, and the two others in our system, are critical elements of how Shenandoah Growers is transforming the way perishable produce is grown and distributed,” said Timothy Heydon, CEO of Shenandoah Growers. “Shenandoah Growers focuses continually on innovation. With the integration of our modular indoor growing technology into our existing national footprint, we can grow amazing certified organic produce that delivers fresh flavor to consumers in a sustainable way, minimizing inputs of water, bio-media, land resources, and food miles. We are proud to be a part of transforming agriculture production and distribution for the future.”
Shenandoah Gowers’ Rockingham, Virginia farm complex serves as the eastern hub of a nationwide growing system. With a farming and supply chain platform spanning the country, the company’s unique indoor farms cover the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and South Central markets. Shenandoah Growers continues the expansion of its farms, greenhouses and the implementation of an indoor farming hub and spoke system on the West Coast, with completion expected in 2018.
About Shenandoah Growers
Founded over 26 years ago and headquartered in Rockingham Virginia, Shenandoah Growers is a leading grower and marketer of fresh organic culinary herbs in the United States. The company’s mission is to bring fresh healthy flavor to food. Customer-driven with an expertise and passion for fresh flavor, the company has over 1,200 associates working across a nationally integrated platform of farms, production facilities and logistics operating in 11 states.
For more information, visit www.FreshHerbs.com
P
azazz apples shattered retail sales targets last winter, less than a year ahead of its nationwide 2018 roll out, according to Honeybear Brands. The variety, which debuted a month earlier than usual in December 2016, sold faster, in more markets and more retail stores than at any other time since its initial introduction.
“We’re looking at the sales numbers and receiving feedback from our retail partners as we speak,” Don Roper, Honeybear’s vice president of sales and marketing, said in a press release. “We’re thrilled. Pazazz did exactly what we designed the variety to do: offer a truly exceptional variety to help drive new revenue for retailers as well as provide an opportunity to extend their sales window of premium apple varieties well into the later winter months.”
Roper said it’s too early to put an exact number on final retail sales figures, but this year’s crop production was up nearly 400 percent over last year and is already sold out. Retailer feedback highlighted strong, repeat customer sales and a sharp rise in inquiries from new customers seeking out the variety by name.
“Pazazz has created a strong following among apple lovers,” Roper said in the release. “That’s an incredible development in just a few short years and an absolute win for retailers who are giving their customers another reason to get excited in the fresh produce aisle. It is a real testament to the unique eating experience of this apple and its flavor profile that has significantly raised the bar in the apple category.”
Thanks to increased production from planted acreage and the continued maturation of Pazazz orchards, the 2016-17 Pazazz crop debuted in many regions a month earlier than usual, arriving on store shelves in December 2016 and making an immediate impact on pre-holiday retail sales. In all, Pazazz was sold in more than 50 markets and 1,000 stores in January and February.
“We couldn’t be happier with the results we’ve seen from Pazazz,” Craig Clasen, group vice president of produce purchasing at Hy-Vee, said in the release. “For a new variety, it’s performing incredibly well across our more than 240 stores throughout the Midwest and it offers many of the things we try to bring our customers with every piece of produce that they purchase — excellence in quality, superior taste and freshness.”
From coast-to-coast apple growers are growing new apple varieties to increase sales.
For example there are New York apple growers looking to make a splash with the RubyFrost and SnapDragon varieties.
On the opposite side of the country there are growers and shippers pushing varieties for club stores such as Jazz and Envy.
The Honeycrisp is perhaps the best example of a meteoric rise in an apple variety, plus the initial success of the RubyFrost and Snap Dragon have been impressive.
While some of the new varieties have been seen as rising stars, the traditional favorites of consumers continue playing an important role such as in New York state with the world-famous mcintosh, as well as galas and empires.
While marketers heap praise on new varieties, not everyone is completely sold.
For example, Forrence Orchards Inc., of Peru, N.Y. has seen sales of its more traditional varieties such as McIntosh and Cortland adversely affected by the new varieties. At the same time Forrence Orchards also has invested in the Honeycrisp.
One of the more interesting aspects in all of these changes will be observing to see if consumers are willing to pay substantially higher prices for these new varieties which can easily be 50 percent or more. A generation ago the red delicious, golden delicious, golds and cortlands pretty much made up the choices in the apple section of local produce departments.
Planning Important
It is very costly to launch a new apple variety, including being labor intensive. The bottom line on whether it is worth the effort and cost ultimately depends on whether the consumer likes the product.
Even if the new variety proves popular with consumers, it also takes a lot of help from retailers through good placement in the produce department, promoting the product, and having reasonable pricing.
Stemilt Growers LLC of Wenatchee, WA offers its Piñata variety apple in bulk, organic bulk, 3-pound Lil Snapper conventional and organic kid-sized fruit and a value 5-pound pouch bag using an attractive display-ready carton. These efforts are backed by promotion with social media and in-store demonstrations.
Hess Bros. Fruit Co. of Leola, PA is launching a late season proprietary variety called Sweet Cheeks, expected to should be available at the end of January. The initial offering will only be a couple of truck loads.
by American Consolidation & Logistics
Miami, FL – A third Miami warehouse location for international produce importer, American Consolidation & Logistics (ACL) has been leased. The 93,799 sq. ft. facility located at 3200 NW 67th Avenue in the South Florida Logistics Center is one of the only controlled atmospheres for fumigation in the country. This multimillion-dollar deal gives ACL a prime location near Miami International Airport, where much of their imported produce arrives by plane.
The leasing project was handled by ComReal, led by Partner and Managing Member, Edward Redlich.
“Our new location near MIA is critical. We can provide our clients peace-of-mind by assuring that their produce is transported as quickly as possible to our specialty refrigeration units located inside our warehouse.” Said Jose Medina, CEO of American Consolidation and Logistics. “The quick work of finding this facility by Edward Redlich and his team of Chris Spear and Edison Vasquez was unbelievable. I’ve never worked with a Realtor more professional, diligent, and who conducts business with complete integrity like Ed does.”
In the Fall of 2016, Redlich and his team were retained by ACL to acquire a +/- 100,000 sq. ft. refrigerated warehouse facility. They began working on a comprehensive site selection of potential properties that would suit ACL’s needs including both existing warehouse buildings and vacant land for build-to-suit construction. The only building that already had the refrigeration systems installed and ready-to-go was Building #1 at South Florida Logistics Center, where ACL now operates. In addition to Miami International Airport, the property is also easily accessible to PortMiami via truck or railroad. American Consolidation & Logistics moved into their new warehouse on April 17, 2017. This is their third South Florida location along with their Opa-Locka headquarters and a warehouse in Pompano Beach.
ComReal Miami – Doral: The ComReal Industrial Team has been assisting companies with their South Florida real estate needs for over 30 years.
American Consolidation & Logistics: ACL specializes in handling imports of fresh fruits and vegetables, having a wealth of experience with produce.