Ocean Spray celebrates 75 years with new product lines and three new senior staffers
Ocean Spray celebrates 75 years with new product lines and three new senior staffers
While many companies might feel content to rest on their laurels after reaching 75 years in business, it is the company that is innovative and focused on the needs and wants of its customers that continues to reap success.
Currently celebrating its diamond anniversary, Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc., based in Middleboro, MA, is preparing for its next 75 years with several new products and three new additions to its senior management team to ensure that it succeeds.
"We are relaunching the cranberry to America," said Kenneth Romanzi, who for the last year has served as senior vice president and chief operating officer of the cooperative's domestic food and beverage business - its largest division. "We are focusing on multiple new items. We want to really establish that we are not just juice but beverages and snacks."
To that end, Mr. Romanzi said that Ocean Spray is preparing to launch a new line of fresh packaged items that will be named Growers Reserve(tm). Currently undergoing test marketing in 18 Shaw's supermarkets in New England, the line will consist of four beverages and nine food items that are all cranberry-based, which is a first for the cooperative. The line will carry the slogan, "We reserve the very best of our harvest for you."
"We are launching the new product that is made in a way that growers would have done in years past," Mr. Romanzi said.
As part of its domestic retail brands, the Growers Reserve(tm) line will be under the direction of Peter Wyman, a 13-year employee of Ocean Spray, who was recently promoted from its senior director/national sales manager to senior director/domestic foods and foodservice.
"The company is focused on new opportunities and we knew we had to expand our products outside of the center aisle of the supermarket," Mr. Wyman said. "We believe it is a natural extension for us and that our brand equity of fresh, wholesome and great-tasting products will resonate with consumers."
In addition to the cooperative's retail brands, which include Craisins(tm) and Ocean Spray cranberry sauces, Mr. Wyman is also responsible for its domestic foodservice and produce divisions.
In the produce arena, Mr. Wyman said that Ocean Spray had recently introduced a line of three organic beverages that will be called "Natural Organics." Certified organic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, they will be available in three varieties: a 100 percent cranberry-raspberry juice, a 100 percent cranberry-blueberry juice and a 32-ounce 100 percent unsweetened cranberry juice.
Mr. Wyman said that the cooperative had just introduced a line of natural cranberry salsas and sauces that were named "Ocean Spray Naturals." "They were released in September and are shipping through specialty distributors," he said.
With the "pretty broad level of responsibility" that his position entails, Mr. Wyman said that he is fortunate to have four highly qualified senior managers who report to him, including Mark Sherburne, the former director of North American sales for POM Wonderful, who is now Ocean Spray's general manager of produce.
"Mark brings a wealth of knowledge from POM Wonderful," Mr. Wyman said. "He has a great understanding of fresh produce brokers and has experience with the distribution of specialty products. We are fortunate to have Mark on our team."
In his new position, Mr. Sherburne will be handling all fresh fruit and the natural, organic and Growers Reserve(tm) lines.
"With a 75-year history of tremendous quality products, being able to come into a company like this is a tremendous opportunity," Mr. Sherburne said.
"Growers Reserve(tm) is the biggest, most out-of-the-box project we've had in a long time," Mr. Romanzi added. "We believe that Ocean Spray has a birthright in produce, and that our new line of juice and produce is just a natural extension of Ocean Spray."
Currently celebrating its diamond anniversary, Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc., based in Middleboro, MA, is preparing for its next 75 years with several new products and three new additions to its senior management team to ensure that it succeeds.
"We are relaunching the cranberry to America," said Kenneth Romanzi, who for the last year has served as senior vice president and chief operating officer of the cooperative's domestic food and beverage business - its largest division. "We are focusing on multiple new items. We want to really establish that we are not just juice but beverages and snacks."
To that end, Mr. Romanzi said that Ocean Spray is preparing to launch a new line of fresh packaged items that will be named Growers Reserve(tm). Currently undergoing test marketing in 18 Shaw's supermarkets in New England, the line will consist of four beverages and nine food items that are all cranberry-based, which is a first for the cooperative. The line will carry the slogan, "We reserve the very best of our harvest for you."
"We are launching the new product that is made in a way that growers would have done in years past," Mr. Romanzi said.
As part of its domestic retail brands, the Growers Reserve(tm) line will be under the direction of Peter Wyman, a 13-year employee of Ocean Spray, who was recently promoted from its senior director/national sales manager to senior director/domestic foods and foodservice.
"The company is focused on new opportunities and we knew we had to expand our products outside of the center aisle of the supermarket," Mr. Wyman said. "We believe it is a natural extension for us and that our brand equity of fresh, wholesome and great-tasting products will resonate with consumers."
In addition to the cooperative's retail brands, which include Craisins(tm) and Ocean Spray cranberry sauces, Mr. Wyman is also responsible for its domestic foodservice and produce divisions.
In the produce arena, Mr. Wyman said that Ocean Spray had recently introduced a line of three organic beverages that will be called "Natural Organics." Certified organic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, they will be available in three varieties: a 100 percent cranberry-raspberry juice, a 100 percent cranberry-blueberry juice and a 32-ounce 100 percent unsweetened cranberry juice.
Mr. Wyman said that the cooperative had just introduced a line of natural cranberry salsas and sauces that were named "Ocean Spray Naturals." "They were released in September and are shipping through specialty distributors," he said.
With the "pretty broad level of responsibility" that his position entails, Mr. Wyman said that he is fortunate to have four highly qualified senior managers who report to him, including Mark Sherburne, the former director of North American sales for POM Wonderful, who is now Ocean Spray's general manager of produce.
"Mark brings a wealth of knowledge from POM Wonderful," Mr. Wyman said. "He has a great understanding of fresh produce brokers and has experience with the distribution of specialty products. We are fortunate to have Mark on our team."
In his new position, Mr. Sherburne will be handling all fresh fruit and the natural, organic and Growers Reserve(tm) lines.
"With a 75-year history of tremendous quality products, being able to come into a company like this is a tremendous opportunity," Mr. Sherburne said.
"Growers Reserve(tm) is the biggest, most out-of-the-box project we've had in a long time," Mr. Romanzi added. "We believe that Ocean Spray has a birthright in produce, and that our new line of juice and produce is just a natural extension of Ocean Spray."
