D.J. Forry partners with Alliance Fresh to provide full-service program for retailers
D.J. Forry partners with Alliance Fresh to provide full-service program for retailers
John Forry, vice president of D.J. Forry Co. Inc., which is headquartered in Novato, CA, and has a regional office in Reedley, CA, has announced an agreement with Ray England of Alliance Fresh Produce Solutions, a produce consulting and marketing company in Birmingham, AL.
Mr. England, who has a strong retail background, "will work with the Forry team to develop and implement marketing strategies designed to enable D.J. Forry to achieve its long-range goal of building a direct-to-retailer business," according to a company press release.
"I've known Ray for some time now, and I believe that the 30 years of retail experience he brings will help D.J. Forry add a retailer's perspective to our marketing initiatives," said Mr. Forry. "We feel that partnerships of this nature position D.J. Forry to add value not only to prospective retail partners but also to the growers."
D.J. Forry specializes in the marketing of California-grown deciduous tree fruit, table grapes and citrus products, both conventional and organic, and it also markets imported product. The company represents more than 40 grower families, according to the press release.
"Ray England and I have been working together for the last three years in putting together some retail pieces" and a "unique strategy" for providing an improved level of service to retailers, Mr. Forry told The Produce News.
Mr. England was previously vice president of produce for the Bruno's chain prior to its acquisition by Bi-Lo, Mr. Forry said. "Ray decided not to go with Bi-Lo," so he went to work for a food broker putting together "a similar piece [to what] we are talking about with them" for the perishables category."
"Ray and I have been working [together] with some conceptual things, so we decided to join forces," he said. "We are going to put a full-service program together for retailers" with various components that are commonly done in non-perishables categories but not generally in produce, he explained.
Mr. Forry hopes that when concepts of the company's new program are presented to retailers, the retailers will recognize "that there might be a genuine partner that is basically not only trying to earn their business but is concerned about growing their business," he said. "And that is where Ray comes in. Ray understands that piece. We understand the supply piece."
D.J. Forry has "a good mix" of customers, but in the past, retail has "not been a big priority, and we'd like to make it a bigger priority for us," Mr. Forry said. "We feel like the best way for us to do that was to hire somebody that understood that piece. So Ray and I have a course of action, we've got a business model, and we are going to go out and pitch it."
Mr. England, who has a strong retail background, "will work with the Forry team to develop and implement marketing strategies designed to enable D.J. Forry to achieve its long-range goal of building a direct-to-retailer business," according to a company press release.
"I've known Ray for some time now, and I believe that the 30 years of retail experience he brings will help D.J. Forry add a retailer's perspective to our marketing initiatives," said Mr. Forry. "We feel that partnerships of this nature position D.J. Forry to add value not only to prospective retail partners but also to the growers."
D.J. Forry specializes in the marketing of California-grown deciduous tree fruit, table grapes and citrus products, both conventional and organic, and it also markets imported product. The company represents more than 40 grower families, according to the press release.
"Ray England and I have been working together for the last three years in putting together some retail pieces" and a "unique strategy" for providing an improved level of service to retailers, Mr. Forry told The Produce News.
Mr. England was previously vice president of produce for the Bruno's chain prior to its acquisition by Bi-Lo, Mr. Forry said. "Ray decided not to go with Bi-Lo," so he went to work for a food broker putting together "a similar piece [to what] we are talking about with them" for the perishables category."
"Ray and I have been working [together] with some conceptual things, so we decided to join forces," he said. "We are going to put a full-service program together for retailers" with various components that are commonly done in non-perishables categories but not generally in produce, he explained.
Mr. Forry hopes that when concepts of the company's new program are presented to retailers, the retailers will recognize "that there might be a genuine partner that is basically not only trying to earn their business but is concerned about growing their business," he said. "And that is where Ray comes in. Ray understands that piece. We understand the supply piece."
D.J. Forry has "a good mix" of customers, but in the past, retail has "not been a big priority, and we'd like to make it a bigger priority for us," Mr. Forry said. "We feel like the best way for us to do that was to hire somebody that understood that piece. So Ray and I have a course of action, we've got a business model, and we are going to go out and pitch it."
