FPFC continues outreach efforts
FPFC continues outreach efforts
As Linda Stine looks back on her 13-year career with the Fresh Produce & Floral Council, she is very proud of the trade association's efforts in reaching out to new constituencies.
The FPFC has done this by both expanding its geographical reach as well as its foray into produce industry categories. Ms. Stine, who is retiring at the end of the year, spoke with The Produce News a few days before the council's annual exposition, which was scheduled for July 24 at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, CA.
"When I started, I think the expo attracted buyers [and produce personnel] from six different retailers. Last year we had 32 different buying organizations from retail and foodservice come through the expo, and this year it will be at least that many."
Ms. Stine said that the council has stayed ahead of the game by being ahead of the changes happening within the produce industry. "I am most proud of how the leadership of this organization has been a step ahead of the changes in the industry. We haven't just reflected the changes, we have been ahead of them."
The FPFC is in the middle of an executive search to find its next chief executive officer. Current Chairman of the Board Raul Gallegos, who is vice president of produce for the Bristol Farms chain, said that an association executive search firm has been hired, but the winning candidate will not necessarily come from the association. "We have identified many different qualities that we are looking for, and we will soon be interviewing the candidates."
Mr. Gallegos said that the goal is to have the new person in place in time for the Produce Marketing Association convention in October "so that we can take advantage of that opportunity to introduce the new president to the industry."
While selecting someone from the association ranks might not be an absolute prerequisite, it is telling that the council is using the same recruitment firm -- Association Management Services -- that it used 13 years ago when it hired Ms. Stine, who at the time had no agricultural background but instead was a veteran of the association business, with much time spent managing real estate industry associations.
As she reflects back on her career, Ms. Stine has only praise for the produce industry. "It has truly been a pleasure working with this organization. We have incredible volunteer involvement. I have been in association management for almost 40 years, and nowhere has the volunteer help and commitment equaled what the members of the FPFC provide. It has been truly incredible."
Not only has that involvement translated into thousands of hours of work, it has translated into keen insight into the direction the association should take.
The FPFC had always been an organization that relied largely on the involvement of the Los Angeles retail community. When it was founded more than 40 years ago, there were 40-50 chains in the Los Angeles area with 10 or more stores. Since that time, the retail supermarket industry has gone through some major shifts that saw the larger chains get larger and the smaller ones get swallowed up.
For many years, the council still thrived because of the major commitment to the organization of those top dozen or so chains that remained. But as they started to dwindle, the association reacted by launching an impressive outreach effort, and foodservice organizations were openly courted as were the smaller chains and independents that have made a comeback into the Los Angeles retail scene.
Equally as important, the FPFC did a demographic survey of its membership about five years ago and saw that Arizona and Northern California were heavily represented. Produce companies from those regions often made the trek to Southern California to attend the growing list of FPFC events. But there were many other buyers and seller in those communities that found it difficult to attend the Southern California events. Hence, the FPFC began holding different events -- such as luncheons, dinners and golf tournaments -- in the San Francisco Bay area and Phoenix.
"And this year we held our first-ever Northern California expo," said Mr. Gallegos. "It was a huge success."
Ms. Stine said that for a first-ever event, the Northern California expo was tremendous, and on its heels the annual expo in Southern California will be the largest ever with approximately 175 booths.
Donna Bares, vice president of sales for the United Agribusiness League and chairperson of the council's 2007 expo, said, "We have a very good expo planned with a fantastic keynote address. Fritz Coleman, who is a Southern California broadcasting icon, is our speaker. He has been voted the best weathercaster in Southern California and he is also very funny."
Ms. Bares said that Mr. Coleman has appeared at other FPFC events and always gets rave reviews. The expo is a unique event for the council as it is designed to attract front-line personnel from the retail and foodservice industries that do not ordinarily attend industry events. In addition, buyers and supervisors also come to the one-day event.
Mr. Gallegos said that when he was promoted to his current position at Bristol Farms in 1998, he made the expo a must-attend event for his produce managers, buyers and supervisors. "It is a great opportunity to get out and see our vendors and see what's new in their arsenal. I love for our produce managers, who I call 'our foot soldiers,' to get to interact with our suppliers."
After the expo is over, Mr. Gallegos sits down with the group from his chain to find out what they saw, learned and liked. "It is a great opportunity for us to not only network but interact with each other."
The one-day expo kicks off at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, July 24, with concurrent educational sessions in produce and floral merchandising. The exhibit floor is open for much of the morning and will feature a number of contests, including the return of the Best Booth Award.
The luncheon event will feature the keynote address as well as the council's annual awards for the top produce and floral personnel in Southern California.
The FPFC has done this by both expanding its geographical reach as well as its foray into produce industry categories. Ms. Stine, who is retiring at the end of the year, spoke with The Produce News a few days before the council's annual exposition, which was scheduled for July 24 at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, CA.
"When I started, I think the expo attracted buyers [and produce personnel] from six different retailers. Last year we had 32 different buying organizations from retail and foodservice come through the expo, and this year it will be at least that many."
Ms. Stine said that the council has stayed ahead of the game by being ahead of the changes happening within the produce industry. "I am most proud of how the leadership of this organization has been a step ahead of the changes in the industry. We haven't just reflected the changes, we have been ahead of them."
The FPFC is in the middle of an executive search to find its next chief executive officer. Current Chairman of the Board Raul Gallegos, who is vice president of produce for the Bristol Farms chain, said that an association executive search firm has been hired, but the winning candidate will not necessarily come from the association. "We have identified many different qualities that we are looking for, and we will soon be interviewing the candidates."
Mr. Gallegos said that the goal is to have the new person in place in time for the Produce Marketing Association convention in October "so that we can take advantage of that opportunity to introduce the new president to the industry."
While selecting someone from the association ranks might not be an absolute prerequisite, it is telling that the council is using the same recruitment firm -- Association Management Services -- that it used 13 years ago when it hired Ms. Stine, who at the time had no agricultural background but instead was a veteran of the association business, with much time spent managing real estate industry associations.
As she reflects back on her career, Ms. Stine has only praise for the produce industry. "It has truly been a pleasure working with this organization. We have incredible volunteer involvement. I have been in association management for almost 40 years, and nowhere has the volunteer help and commitment equaled what the members of the FPFC provide. It has been truly incredible."
Not only has that involvement translated into thousands of hours of work, it has translated into keen insight into the direction the association should take.
The FPFC had always been an organization that relied largely on the involvement of the Los Angeles retail community. When it was founded more than 40 years ago, there were 40-50 chains in the Los Angeles area with 10 or more stores. Since that time, the retail supermarket industry has gone through some major shifts that saw the larger chains get larger and the smaller ones get swallowed up.
For many years, the council still thrived because of the major commitment to the organization of those top dozen or so chains that remained. But as they started to dwindle, the association reacted by launching an impressive outreach effort, and foodservice organizations were openly courted as were the smaller chains and independents that have made a comeback into the Los Angeles retail scene.
Equally as important, the FPFC did a demographic survey of its membership about five years ago and saw that Arizona and Northern California were heavily represented. Produce companies from those regions often made the trek to Southern California to attend the growing list of FPFC events. But there were many other buyers and seller in those communities that found it difficult to attend the Southern California events. Hence, the FPFC began holding different events -- such as luncheons, dinners and golf tournaments -- in the San Francisco Bay area and Phoenix.
"And this year we held our first-ever Northern California expo," said Mr. Gallegos. "It was a huge success."
Ms. Stine said that for a first-ever event, the Northern California expo was tremendous, and on its heels the annual expo in Southern California will be the largest ever with approximately 175 booths.
Donna Bares, vice president of sales for the United Agribusiness League and chairperson of the council's 2007 expo, said, "We have a very good expo planned with a fantastic keynote address. Fritz Coleman, who is a Southern California broadcasting icon, is our speaker. He has been voted the best weathercaster in Southern California and he is also very funny."
Ms. Bares said that Mr. Coleman has appeared at other FPFC events and always gets rave reviews. The expo is a unique event for the council as it is designed to attract front-line personnel from the retail and foodservice industries that do not ordinarily attend industry events. In addition, buyers and supervisors also come to the one-day event.
Mr. Gallegos said that when he was promoted to his current position at Bristol Farms in 1998, he made the expo a must-attend event for his produce managers, buyers and supervisors. "It is a great opportunity to get out and see our vendors and see what's new in their arsenal. I love for our produce managers, who I call 'our foot soldiers,' to get to interact with our suppliers."
After the expo is over, Mr. Gallegos sits down with the group from his chain to find out what they saw, learned and liked. "It is a great opportunity for us to not only network but interact with each other."
The one-day expo kicks off at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, July 24, with concurrent educational sessions in produce and floral merchandising. The exhibit floor is open for much of the morning and will feature a number of contests, including the return of the Best Booth Award.
The luncheon event will feature the keynote address as well as the council's annual awards for the top produce and floral personnel in Southern California.
