The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) Hall of Achievement Award was presented to Richard Jurgens, chairman and CEO of Hy-Vee Inc., and Dean Pappas, CEO of Clement Pappas & Co. Inc., before more than 700 industry leaders at the annual chairman’s dinner at the GMA Executive Conference earlier this week. The Hall of Achievement Award represents […]
Category: Suppliers
Posted in, National, Suppliers
Farm Bill Now Coalition Plans To Fight For New Farm Bill
With Congress on August recess until Sept. 10 and the Farm Bill left unfinished, members of the agricultural community have formed a coalition, Farm Bill Now. As of Aug. 23, the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance has joined 39 of the nation’s foremost agricultural organizations to rally the public to urge Congress to pass a […]
Posted in, Beverage News, Midwest, Suppliers
Caribou Coffee To Partner With Chicago’s Jewel-Osco
Caribou Coffee Co. Inc., the second largest company-operated premium coffeehouse retailer in the United States, plans to expand its retail and commercial footprint in the Chicagoland area by teaming up with Jewel-Osco, the city’s market-leading grocery chain. To kick-off this partnership, Caribou Coffee opened its first retail location within Jewel-Osco’s Barrington store last week, with […]
Posted in, Midwest, Suppliers
Ball Closing Two Plants in Ohio and Florida
Ball Corp. is ceasing production at two North American beverage packaging manufacturing plants to consolidate the company’s 12-oz. beverage can and end production capacity to meet changing market demand. Ball will cease production at its metal beverage packaging plants in Columbus, Ohio, and Gainesville, Fla., by the end of the fourth quarter of 2012, subject […]
Posted in, Suppliers, West
Monsanto Gives $4.2M to Kill California GMO Labeling Initiative
New campaign finance reports reveal that Monsanto Co. recently contributed $4.2 million to defeat Proposition 37, which would require labeling of genetically engineered food. That is the largest contribution in the race. Total contributions to defeat Proposition 37 amount to $25 million, and nearly $23 million during the last week. Other major new contributions against […]
Posted in, Midwest, Suppliers
Kraft Approves Spin-Off of North American Grocery Business
Kraft Foods Inc.’s board of directors has approved the spin-off of its North American grocery business and declared a pro rata distribution of shares of Kraft Foods Group Inc. (which will hold the North American grocery business) to holders of Kraft Foods Inc. common stock. The board also declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.29 […]
Posted in, Suppliers, West
Frito-Lay Rolls Out Growing Fleet Of All-Electric Delivery Trucks
Senior leadership from PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay North America division was joined Aug. 9 by California Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr., Matt Rodriquez, secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency and Gregory Winterbottom, chairman of the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee to announce the growth of Frito-Lay’s California electric truck fleet. Once all of the […]
Posted in, Suppliers, West
California Salmon Harvests Are Up
Salmon fishermen are reporting increased landings of California king salmon with the population rebounding from the low numbers seen since 2007. According to Aaron Newman, chairman of the California Salmon Council, “the salmon are finally back in larger numbers, which is good news for consumers.” Blustery weather this May, when the season opened, kept many […]
Posted in, National, Suppliers
Campbell Completes Acquisition of Bolthouse Farms
Campbell Soup Co. has announced that it has completed the acquisition of Bolthouse Farms from a fund managed by Madison Dearborn Partners LLC, a private equity firm, for $1.55 billion in cash. Campbell funded the acquisition through a combination of short- and long-term borrowings. Headquartered in Bakersfield, Calif., Bolthouse is a vertically integrated food and […]
Posted in, National, Suppliers
Organic Alliance Signs $5.3M Produce Supply Contract
Organic Alliance, a global grower and marketer of fresh, organic and Fair Trade fruits and vegetables, signed an organic produce supply contract that it expects will generate $5.3 million to $6 million in sales revenue. The contract is with a Northern Mexico-based, family-owned grower of certified organic produce with more than 10 years of experience […]
Posted in, Equipment & Technology, Southwest, Suppliers
FoodLink Expands Online Network with United Supermarkets
Texas-based United Supermarkets has selected buying platform FoodLink® as the primary system for sourcing and purchasing all fresh produce across more than 50 stores. “United Supermarkets is a fantastic addition to the FoodLink network,” said Eric Peters, CEO, FoodLink Online. FoodLink is a buying platform that connects all of the participants in the fragmented perishable […]
Posted in, Center Store, Midwest, Perishables, Suppliers
Spartech Expanding Muncie Plant, Adding 30 Jobs
Plastic packaging products maker Spartech will expand its packaging facility in Muncie, Ind., and will add 32 jobs at the plant. The Muncie plant, which was just one of several facilities Spartech considered for the upgrades, has been a part of the Muncie community since 1984 when it opened as part of Ball Plastics. Purchased […]
Posted in, Center Store, Southeast, Suppliers
Snyder’s-Lance Acquires O’Byrne Distributing
Snyder’s-Lance has acquired substantially all assets of O’Byrne Distributing, a snack food distributor serving the Augusta, Ga., area. “We’re excited to expand our direct store delivery (DSD) distribution network in the Augusta market with the addition of O’Byrne,” said Ed Good, president of S-L Distribution, a subsidiary of Charlotte, N.C.-based Snyder’s-Lance. “The strengths of O’Byrne […]
Posted in, Equipment & Technology, National, Suppliers
Sonoco Introduces UltraFreshSystem For Fresh-Cut Produce
Sonoco, one of the largest diversified global packaging companies; Paper Pak Industries, a leading manufacturer of absorbent mediums for the food industry; and Bunzl Distribution, a global packaging and supplies distribution company, are introducing the UltraFreshSystem for packaging fresh-cut produce. The UltraFreshSystem features a custom-designed, thermoformed Sonoco tray combined with an UltraZapXtendaPak food safety pad […]
Posted in, BJ's Wholesale Club, National, Suppliers
General Merchandise Conference Draws Hundreds
The 2012 Global Market Development Center (GMDC) General Merchandise Conference wrapped up in Orlando, Fla., earlier this week. Marking its 42nd year, the conference drew more than 950 members representing more than 450 companies. In addition, there were 10,000-plus appointments complete. From retailers/wholesalers, to suppliers and service companies, exclusive access to meet with each other […]
Posted in, National, Suppliers
Kroger Promotes Gestation Crate-Free Environment
The Kroger Co. has begun informing suppliers of a new policy statement regarding gestation crates that are used to house pregnant sows. Kroger says in a news release that it has science-based standards for animal welfare and works diligently to ensure that its suppliers treat animals humanely. Over the past few months, the company has […]
Posted in, Southeast, Suppliers
Tropicana Wants Another Florida Bio-Energy Plant
Tropicana Manufacturing Co. is holding talks with Florida’s Manatee County in a pitch to open a renewable energy plant. If approved, the $5 million project would burn bio-material to create methane gas, the Tampa Bay Business Journal reports. The Public Service Commission has approved the proposal for Tropicana to connect a 1.6 megawatt generating facility […]
Posted in, Northeast, Suppliers
Wegmans Completes Distribution Hub In Pottsville, Pa.
The opening of the third building at Wegmans Food Markets’ Retail Service Center in Pottsville, Pa., completes a distribution hub that helps the company bring a full range of products to stores, fresher and more quickly than ever before. It also reduces transportation costs, so the company can continue offering customers consistent low prices. Wegmans’ […]
Posted in, Beverage News, Marketing News, National, Suppliers
U.S. Bottled Water Consumption Increases 4.1 Percent
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), in conjunction with Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC), has released 2011 bottled water statistics, compiled by BMC, a research, consulting and financial services firm dedicated to the global beverage industry. The new BMC data shows the overall consumption of bottled water has increased by 4.1 percent, building on 2010’s solid […]
Posted in, Center Store, Southwest, Suppliers
Dr Pepper Snapple Group, McCombs Launch Education Program
Dr Pepper Snapple Group and the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin have embarked on a novel program to grow one of the company’s iconic brands. DPS has tapped a pair of the university’s MBA students to serve as brand consultants for Yoo-hoo and bring a fresh, innovative approach to […]