Finally, Birds Eye Fresh adds mushroom line
Finally, Birds Eye Fresh adds mushroom line
Mushrooms are considered to be a perfect complement to many dishes, and with the recent signing of a supply agreement with Birds Eye Fresh, one major mushroom supplier will have a chance to prove that its product is the perfect complement to a national fresh produce brand.
Under an agreement signed Oct. 18, Cardile Bros. Mushroom Packaging Inc. in Avondale, PA, will supply fresh white and exotic mushrooms to be distributed nationwide under the "Birds Eye Fresh" label.
The agreement comes less than a month after Birds Eye Fresh signed on Pandol Associates Inc. in Delano, CA, to provide grapes to its lineup.
Lyn Hughes, senior marketing manager for Birds Eye Fresh, a division of Birds Eye Foods in Rochester, NY, said that since joining the company two-and-a-half years ago, adding mushrooms has been high on her list of priorities. The problem was, she said, it was difficult to find a supplier that could distribute mushrooms nationwide due to the highly perishable nature of the product.
In Cardile Bros., Birds Eye Fresh has found a supplier with a transportation division - Cardile Bros. Transportation - as well as growing and packaging operations, which allows it to have total control of its product from harvest through distribution.
Michael P. Cardile Sr., a member of the third generation of the four-generation family-owned-and-operated Cardile Bros., said, "We are the only mushroom grower east of the Mississippi River that ships to the West Coast due to the high quality of our product and the fact that we handle the transportation ourselves. I don't want to put the fate of my company in anyone else's hands."
That was a key factor for Birds Eye Fresh, according to Ms. Hughes, who said that finding a supplier with top quality and the right infrastructure was requisite to adding mushrooms to the line.
Ms. Hughes said that the idea for the alliance was hatched 10 months ago when Mr. Cardile contacted her about possibly working together.
"We are a very private company, and we pride ourselves on our name," said Mr. Cardile. "We were approached by a number of other [national brands], but it took a while to find the right one. Lyn is extremely professional, and I got a warm and fuzzy feeling [about working with Birds Eye Fresh]. I feel that it is the right fit."
The new mushroom line, which will be unveiled at the PMA convention next month in Atlanta, will feature both white and exotic (portabella, oyster, shiitake and crimini varieties) retail packs in the following sizes: eight-ounce whole; 12-ounce whole; 16-ounce whole; 14-ounce large stuffers; 24-ounce large stuffers; eight-ounce sliced white; 20-ounce portabella caps; eight-ounce baby bellas; 12-ounce baby bellas; and 3.5-ounce exotics.
Packages will also include peel-off labels, which will provide recipes as a value-added feature. "Consumer research reveals that household penetration is low for mushrooms," said Ms. Hughes. "I feel that some people might be intimidated by mushrooms, so providing recipes should help."
Cardile Bros. was founded in 1920 when Salvatore Cardile emigrated from Sicily and started growing product in two mushroom houses. In 1950, Charles Cardile (father of Michael P. Cardile Sr. and Charles Cardile, who currently run the company) took over the business. The brothers assumed control of the company in 1980, and since that time have increased the area of the facility from 16,000 square feet to its current level of 650,000 square feet, on which the firm currently grows 18 million to 20 million pounds of product annually.
Mr. Cardile said that two years ago, the Avondale facility underwent a $2.5 million expansion which included additions and upgrades to its cooling and packing operations.
Also, Cardile Bros. has shifted to a tunnel system to grow product that will allow it to produce about two-thirds more product, meaning that production will increase to between 28 million and 30 million pounds of product. While the tunnel system has been used extensively in Europe and is not new technology, the method Cardile Bros. is employing is based on recent developments, so yields will be increased as a result.
"We are the only ones that I know that have this new tunnel system," said Mr. Cardile.
"Buyers are very impressed with our practices," continued Mr. Cardile. "In fact, just the other day a buyer from one major retail account said that he has never seem so much passion for a business. I like to say that we work eight days a week, because that's what it takes to get the job done and put out a superior product."
Cardile Bros. also has distribution centers in Atlanta and Miami, the latter of which also handles the company's foodservice business. At the main facility in Avondale, PA, 325 people are employed in the growing and packing operations. Mr. Cardile oversees sales, distribution and transportation, while his brother Charles handles the growing operations. Charles' two sons, Charles III and Matthew, entered the business two years ago, making it a four-generation company.
The company is very proud of its food-safety record, and Mr. Cardile noted that all operations are HACCP compliant and audited by PrimusLabs. "We have never received a score below 97 percent," he said. "One inspector told me that that is unheard of."
Mr. Cardile said that while the company will be packing a significant volume of mushrooms under the "Birds Eye Fresh" brand, it will still offer customers the "Cardile Bros." brand, as it has since 1980.
The addition of Cardile Bros. brings to five the number of Birds Eye Fresh partners. The company joins Pandol Associates in Delano, CA (grapes); Wilcox Marketing in Rexburg, ID (potatoes, onions, sweet potatoes and value- added products); Fresh Kist Produce LLC in Salinas, CA (broccoli, cauliflower, lettuces and celery) and Farmer Boy Produce Sales in Bradenton, FL (value-added products).
Ms. Hughes said that the other partners will be pleased with the addition of Cardile Bros. "They have been asking for mushrooms for some time now because there is such a great tie-in with their products," she said.
Under an agreement signed Oct. 18, Cardile Bros. Mushroom Packaging Inc. in Avondale, PA, will supply fresh white and exotic mushrooms to be distributed nationwide under the "Birds Eye Fresh" label.
The agreement comes less than a month after Birds Eye Fresh signed on Pandol Associates Inc. in Delano, CA, to provide grapes to its lineup.
Lyn Hughes, senior marketing manager for Birds Eye Fresh, a division of Birds Eye Foods in Rochester, NY, said that since joining the company two-and-a-half years ago, adding mushrooms has been high on her list of priorities. The problem was, she said, it was difficult to find a supplier that could distribute mushrooms nationwide due to the highly perishable nature of the product.
In Cardile Bros., Birds Eye Fresh has found a supplier with a transportation division - Cardile Bros. Transportation - as well as growing and packaging operations, which allows it to have total control of its product from harvest through distribution.
Michael P. Cardile Sr., a member of the third generation of the four-generation family-owned-and-operated Cardile Bros., said, "We are the only mushroom grower east of the Mississippi River that ships to the West Coast due to the high quality of our product and the fact that we handle the transportation ourselves. I don't want to put the fate of my company in anyone else's hands."
That was a key factor for Birds Eye Fresh, according to Ms. Hughes, who said that finding a supplier with top quality and the right infrastructure was requisite to adding mushrooms to the line.
Ms. Hughes said that the idea for the alliance was hatched 10 months ago when Mr. Cardile contacted her about possibly working together.
"We are a very private company, and we pride ourselves on our name," said Mr. Cardile. "We were approached by a number of other [national brands], but it took a while to find the right one. Lyn is extremely professional, and I got a warm and fuzzy feeling [about working with Birds Eye Fresh]. I feel that it is the right fit."
The new mushroom line, which will be unveiled at the PMA convention next month in Atlanta, will feature both white and exotic (portabella, oyster, shiitake and crimini varieties) retail packs in the following sizes: eight-ounce whole; 12-ounce whole; 16-ounce whole; 14-ounce large stuffers; 24-ounce large stuffers; eight-ounce sliced white; 20-ounce portabella caps; eight-ounce baby bellas; 12-ounce baby bellas; and 3.5-ounce exotics.
Packages will also include peel-off labels, which will provide recipes as a value-added feature. "Consumer research reveals that household penetration is low for mushrooms," said Ms. Hughes. "I feel that some people might be intimidated by mushrooms, so providing recipes should help."
Cardile Bros. was founded in 1920 when Salvatore Cardile emigrated from Sicily and started growing product in two mushroom houses. In 1950, Charles Cardile (father of Michael P. Cardile Sr. and Charles Cardile, who currently run the company) took over the business. The brothers assumed control of the company in 1980, and since that time have increased the area of the facility from 16,000 square feet to its current level of 650,000 square feet, on which the firm currently grows 18 million to 20 million pounds of product annually.
Mr. Cardile said that two years ago, the Avondale facility underwent a $2.5 million expansion which included additions and upgrades to its cooling and packing operations.
Also, Cardile Bros. has shifted to a tunnel system to grow product that will allow it to produce about two-thirds more product, meaning that production will increase to between 28 million and 30 million pounds of product. While the tunnel system has been used extensively in Europe and is not new technology, the method Cardile Bros. is employing is based on recent developments, so yields will be increased as a result.
"We are the only ones that I know that have this new tunnel system," said Mr. Cardile.
"Buyers are very impressed with our practices," continued Mr. Cardile. "In fact, just the other day a buyer from one major retail account said that he has never seem so much passion for a business. I like to say that we work eight days a week, because that's what it takes to get the job done and put out a superior product."
Cardile Bros. also has distribution centers in Atlanta and Miami, the latter of which also handles the company's foodservice business. At the main facility in Avondale, PA, 325 people are employed in the growing and packing operations. Mr. Cardile oversees sales, distribution and transportation, while his brother Charles handles the growing operations. Charles' two sons, Charles III and Matthew, entered the business two years ago, making it a four-generation company.
The company is very proud of its food-safety record, and Mr. Cardile noted that all operations are HACCP compliant and audited by PrimusLabs. "We have never received a score below 97 percent," he said. "One inspector told me that that is unheard of."
Mr. Cardile said that while the company will be packing a significant volume of mushrooms under the "Birds Eye Fresh" brand, it will still offer customers the "Cardile Bros." brand, as it has since 1980.
The addition of Cardile Bros. brings to five the number of Birds Eye Fresh partners. The company joins Pandol Associates in Delano, CA (grapes); Wilcox Marketing in Rexburg, ID (potatoes, onions, sweet potatoes and value- added products); Fresh Kist Produce LLC in Salinas, CA (broccoli, cauliflower, lettuces and celery) and Farmer Boy Produce Sales in Bradenton, FL (value-added products).
Ms. Hughes said that the other partners will be pleased with the addition of Cardile Bros. "They have been asking for mushrooms for some time now because there is such a great tie-in with their products," she said.
