UC president, others embrace RFID technology
UC president, others embrace RFID technology
University of California President Robert Dynes expressed his enthusiasm after witnessing a recent Radio Frequency Identification presentation at NewStar Fresh Foods LLC in Salinas, site of the nation's first RFID cold-chain produce testing center.
Sausalito, CA-based QLM Consulting and Michigan State University operate the facility on behalf of Eden Prairie, MN-based C.H. Robinson Worldwide and NewStar -- one of C.H. Robinson's preferred providers.
Mr. Dynes' enthusiasm was understandable to the small group that discussed RFID at NewStar after his departure.
Michael McCartney, principal of QLM Consulting and chairman of Produce Marketing Association's RFID produce action group, said that generation II RFID products are just now starting to be introduced on the market. The generation II protocol is a "talk and listen" protocol that offers the ability for faster reads and interrogations. The increased efficiency of the protocol is promising for RFID reads on mixed pallets -- a more likely scenario for foodservice with different cases on a pallet, Mr. McCartney said. A major advantage of generation II is interoperability, which will drive down costs, he said.
Within the next few months, C.H. Robinson will line up a middleware provider, which "will set the standard for produce, Mr. McCartney said. Any grower would want to get behind a $4.5 billion company such as C.H. Robinson, which sources for the Albertson's supermarket chain, he said. FoodSource -- C.H. Robinson's Monterey-based subsidiary -- handles Trader Joe's Co.
Ballantine Produce Co. Inc. in Reedley, CA, has installed Manhattan Associates' software, which is a big vote of confidence in Manhattan as an RFID middleware and management system provider, Mr. McCartney said.
In addition to Mr. McCartney, on hand for the RFID discussion was NewStar's Steve McShane, director of new product development; Lloyd Ligier, vice president of business development for Monterey, CA-based Pro*Act, an industry leader in foodservice produce supply-chain management; Ken Choi, chief technical consultant for QLM; Mark McDonald, Alien Technology Corp.'s director of product management for battery-assisted passive products; and Maria Kaganov, product marketing specialist for Alien Technology. Alien Technology is a leading provider of Radio Frequency Identification products for global customers.
Mr. Ligier said that Pro*Act doesn't want to be the first -- or last -- to use RFID, but that the company is interested in identifying where RFID has applications for restaurant operators.
The next wave of 200 suppliers to Wal-Mart is due to be on board with RFID technology by January, which would bring to 337 the total number of Wal-Mart suppliers on board with RFID.
California Fresh Cut to close plant
About one-third of Soledad, CA-based California Fresh Cut will be absorbed into B&P Packing in Soledad by the end of the year. Both carrot-processing operations are co-owned by Bob Bigiogni and his sister, Janet Rianda.
The five-year-old California Fresh Cut -- which handles mini-peel one-pound baby carrots -- produces 1,500 cases of mini carrots a day. The company distributes independently and through nearby Gonzales, CA-based Foxy Foods.
An inability to relocate the business within Soledad was overlapped by a building moratorium in that city, which led to the decision to consolidate, Mr. Bigiogni said. The baby carrot end of the business will disappear. B&P Packing will peel larger carrots and concentrate on foodservice for companies that use carrot sticks and shredded carrots. B&P has about 60 employees, and California Fresh Cut has 45. After the consolidation, B&P will have 70-75 employees, Mr. Bigiogni said.
Contact Western Editor Brian Gaylord at [email protected] or 831/757-4000.
Sausalito, CA-based QLM Consulting and Michigan State University operate the facility on behalf of Eden Prairie, MN-based C.H. Robinson Worldwide and NewStar -- one of C.H. Robinson's preferred providers.
Mr. Dynes' enthusiasm was understandable to the small group that discussed RFID at NewStar after his departure.
Michael McCartney, principal of QLM Consulting and chairman of Produce Marketing Association's RFID produce action group, said that generation II RFID products are just now starting to be introduced on the market. The generation II protocol is a "talk and listen" protocol that offers the ability for faster reads and interrogations. The increased efficiency of the protocol is promising for RFID reads on mixed pallets -- a more likely scenario for foodservice with different cases on a pallet, Mr. McCartney said. A major advantage of generation II is interoperability, which will drive down costs, he said.
Within the next few months, C.H. Robinson will line up a middleware provider, which "will set the standard for produce, Mr. McCartney said. Any grower would want to get behind a $4.5 billion company such as C.H. Robinson, which sources for the Albertson's supermarket chain, he said. FoodSource -- C.H. Robinson's Monterey-based subsidiary -- handles Trader Joe's Co.
Ballantine Produce Co. Inc. in Reedley, CA, has installed Manhattan Associates' software, which is a big vote of confidence in Manhattan as an RFID middleware and management system provider, Mr. McCartney said.
In addition to Mr. McCartney, on hand for the RFID discussion was NewStar's Steve McShane, director of new product development; Lloyd Ligier, vice president of business development for Monterey, CA-based Pro*Act, an industry leader in foodservice produce supply-chain management; Ken Choi, chief technical consultant for QLM; Mark McDonald, Alien Technology Corp.'s director of product management for battery-assisted passive products; and Maria Kaganov, product marketing specialist for Alien Technology. Alien Technology is a leading provider of Radio Frequency Identification products for global customers.
Mr. Ligier said that Pro*Act doesn't want to be the first -- or last -- to use RFID, but that the company is interested in identifying where RFID has applications for restaurant operators.
The next wave of 200 suppliers to Wal-Mart is due to be on board with RFID technology by January, which would bring to 337 the total number of Wal-Mart suppliers on board with RFID.
California Fresh Cut to close plant
About one-third of Soledad, CA-based California Fresh Cut will be absorbed into B&P Packing in Soledad by the end of the year. Both carrot-processing operations are co-owned by Bob Bigiogni and his sister, Janet Rianda.
The five-year-old California Fresh Cut -- which handles mini-peel one-pound baby carrots -- produces 1,500 cases of mini carrots a day. The company distributes independently and through nearby Gonzales, CA-based Foxy Foods.
An inability to relocate the business within Soledad was overlapped by a building moratorium in that city, which led to the decision to consolidate, Mr. Bigiogni said. The baby carrot end of the business will disappear. B&P Packing will peel larger carrots and concentrate on foodservice for companies that use carrot sticks and shredded carrots. B&P has about 60 employees, and California Fresh Cut has 45. After the consolidation, B&P will have 70-75 employees, Mr. Bigiogni said.
Contact Western Editor Brian Gaylord at [email protected] or 831/757-4000.
