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 […]
Tag: West
Posted in, National, West
Anaheim Hosts Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo
The Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo was held last week, Aug. 12-14, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif. Click here to see more photos from the event. In the featured photo at top: Tom Cohn and Felipe Valadez, Sunkist Growers.
Posted in, National, West
Metropolitan Market Joins Good Food Holdings
Good Foods Holdings has acquired a majority equity interest in Metropolitan Market, a Seattle-based premium grocer. Good Food Holdings is the parent holding company of Bristol Farms of California. Terry Halverson, founder of Metropolitan Market, who remains its chairman and CEO, has become a significant investor in Good Food Holdings and a member of its […]
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, Beverage News, New Products, West
Evolution Fresh To Open Juicery In SoCal
Seattle-based Evolution Fresh plans to open a juicery that will support 160 U.S. manufacturing jobs in , Calif., later next year. Furthering its commitment to expand the availability of super-premium, cold-crafted juice, the company also reports that new flavorful Evolution Fresh products are arriving in select stores on the West Coast. High-tech juicery to quadruple […]
Posted in, Beverage News, Marketing News
Nordaq Fresh Drinking Water Continues To Expand In U.S.
Officially flowing into the U.S. market, Nordaq Fresh, an environmentally conscious water purification system, is changing the way the hospitality industry—including restaurants, hotels, wineries and resort destinations worldwide—thinks about water, according to the company. Headquartered in Sweden and operating in more than 10 countries, Nordaq Fresh is led by husband-and-wife team Robert and Paulina Hahmann, […]
Posted in, Perishables, West
Utah Firm Recalls Beef Products
Dale T. Smith and Sons Meat Packing, a Draper, Utah, establishment, is recalling approximately 38,200 pounds of beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) reports. The following products are subject to recall: • Various weight combo bins of Boneless Beef “50/50,” […]
Posted in, National, Organic Natural
Kroger Pharmacies To Offer Health Kiosks At Locations Nationwide
The first step to improving health and wellness is to know where you stand today. To help customers “know their numbers”, The Kroger Co. Family of Pharmacies plans to place self-use health screening kiosks at all 1,950 locations nationwide. The Kroger HealthCenter kiosks, provided by Stayhealthy Inc., a California-based wellness solutions company, provide customers with […]
Posted in, C-Store News, West
7-Eleven Signs Agreement To Purchase Tetco Assets
7-Eleven Inc. has signed an agreement to acquire the retail and wholesale assets of San Antonio-based Tetco Inc. The assets include company-operated convenience stores in Utah and the Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio areas of Texas plus fuel distribution to Tetco’s wholesale-distributors. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, and closing is expected in […]
Posted in, Equipment & Technology, Marketing News, West
Kroger, Safeway Try Customized Pricing
A New York Times report says that Kroger Co. and Safeway Inc. are among the large grocery chains using various methods to determine individualized prices for their shoppers. The retailers are hoping to improve razor-thin margins by creating specific offers and prices, based on shoppers’ behaviors, that could encourage more spending, the Times says. The […]
Posted in, C-Store News, West
Safeway Ends 3-Cent Gas Discount Offer
Safeway Inc. has ended its offer of a 3-cent-per-gallon discount on gasoline sold at pumps outside its stores to customers with Safeway loyalty cards. But the Pleasanton, Calif.-based grocer said it would continue to offer a sliding gas discount as a reward to its club-card customers based on purchases inside its stores, the Denver Business […]
Posted in, Albertsons, Marketing News, Southwest
Albertsons Market ‘Road Trip’ Contest To Give Away New Car
Albertsons Market has launched a month-long contest asking customers to share their “Best Road Trip. Ever!” through photos, videos and essays on Albertsons Markets’ Facebook Fan Page for a chance to win a new car. Each time a customer submits an entry, “miles” are added to the campaign road trip. As more “miles” are accumulated […]
Posted in, Marketing News, National
Costco’s July Sales Climb 8 Percent
Costco Wholesale Corp.’s July sales increased by about 8 percent since the same period last year, according to a news release from the company. New Mexico Business Weekly says the company reported net sales of $7.25 billion for the month, compared with $6.74 billion in July 2011. The company’s net sales since the beginning of […]
Posted in, Center Store, National, West
Bell-Carter Foods Appoints New CEO
Corning, Calif.-based Bell-Carter Foods has announced that Tim T. Carter, great-grandson to Arthur Bell, co-founder of Bell-Carter Foods, has been named CEO. Carter is succeeding Ken Wienholz, who will continue to help develop the executive team and work with the board of directors as a special advisor. Today, Bell-Carter produces and sells 63 percent of […]
Posted in, West
Actor J.R. Martinez Speaks To FPFC
The Fresh Produce & Floral Council (FPFC) met July 17 at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, Calif. American actor and season 13 winner of “Dancing with the Stars” J.R. Martinez served as the event’s keynote speaker. In March 2003, Martinez was deployed to Iraq and, on April 5—less than a month into his service—he was […]
Posted in, National, West
Olive Crest Hosts Annual ‘Every Child’ Event
On July 12, Olive Crest held its 6th annual “An Education for Every Child” at the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, Calif. Since 1973, Olive Crest has transformed the lives of more than 50,000 abused, neglected and at-risk children and their families. The organization works to meet the individual needs of kids […]
Posted in, Southwest, West
Fall Marshall USC Executive Program To Be Held in Texas
For the first time ever, the USC Marshall School of Business Food Industry Executive Program (FIEP) will be offered in Plano, Texas, this fall. Taught by USC Marshall School of Business professors and food industry “subject matter” experts, the FIEP is designed for food industry executives, managers and high potentials from retail/wholesale and consumer packaged […]
Posted in, C-Store News, West
Couche-Tard Acquires 27 Stores In Eastern Washington State
Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. has signed, through its indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, Circle K Stores Inc., an agreement to acquire 27 stores in Eastern Washington State primarily in the “Tri-Cities” area of Pasco, Kennewick and Richland from Sun Pacific Energy, which operates under the “Sun Mart” banner. The transaction is anticipated to close in November. The transaction […]
Posted in, Organic Natural, West
Organic Alliance Issues Special Letter To Shareholders
Organic Alliance Inc., a global grower, shipper and distributor of fresh foods focusing on organic and Fair Trade agriculture, has issued the following special letter to shareholders: Dear Shareholder: It is my privilege to report that Organic Alliance Inc. (ORGC) has reached the critical mass needed to solidify its market position in the $29.2 billion […]
Posted in, Marketing News, West
Sunlight Introduces Pretty Lady For The Summer
Summer fun has begun, and what better way to kick off this year’s summer grape season than with a new merchandising program from Sunlight International and JP Dulcich & Sons Grapes? Announcing the new Pretty Lady for the Summer Point-of-Sale materials, available now. Featuring a beautifully illustrated beach scene, and a chic Pretty Lady in […]