To-Jo sees power of chopped mushrooms
With the mushroom industry’s “Swap It or Top It” and blendability campaigns in full swing and having a strong influence, especially on foodservice operators, To-Jo Mushroom Inc. in Avondale, PA, has developed a list of talking points showing the key attributes of chopped mushrooms. The list goes hand-in-hand with the company’s chopped mushroom item packaged for its foodservice customers.
The brief, easy-to-understand list gets right to the point:
• Chopped mushrooms are convenient and versatile, cutting prep time.
To-Jo Mushrooms on a strong summer Portabella mushroom promotional campaign
“We are working with many of our retail and foodservice partners on end-of-summer Portabella promotions,” Pete Wilder, marketing director for To-Jo Mushroom Inc. in Avondale, PA, said on July 25. “We have seen some lift in that segment over the summer and are looking for one last push with some aggressive promotional schedules.”
Wilder also noted that the company continues to see interest in its chopped mushroom varieties from its foodservice operation side as the “Trend to Blend” initiative continues to gather momentum.
Monterey Mushrooms announces expansion of Monterey Logistics
Monterey Mushrooms, based in Watsonville, CA, has continued to grow its line of organic white, brown and specialty mushrooms. “And we have other value-added products in testing that we hope to roll out this fall,” said Joe Caldwell, Monterey’s vice president.
“Especially worth noting is the expanded Monterey Logistics group,” he continued. “This division provides outstanding delivery service to our direct customers, but also consolidates LTL freight for other produce companies to improve the effectiveness of deliveries to distribution centers.”
Fruit d’Or and Bridges Produce announce partnership
Fruit d’Or announced Bridges Produce as its exclusive fresh partner in the United States, expanding Bridges Produce’s product line to include both fresh and dried organic cranberries.
Fresh organic Stevens and other premium variety cranberries will be on the shelves from early October through December in the United States, while in Canada, HyRed cranberries will be available in late September, ready for Canadian Thanksgiving.
Fruit d’Or’s International Account Manager Marie-Michèle Le Moine noted her company has had a long relationship with some of the people at Bridges.
West Pak plans ahead for supply transitions; Cruz joins sales team as intern
“Mid- to late August will be a time of transition regarding supply here in the U.S.,” said Doug Meyer, vice president of sales and marketing at West Pak Avocados Inc. in Murrieta, CA, in a written statement to The Produce News. “Mexican supply will be fully into the new crop. Quality and maturity are good, and supply is forecasted to be consistent.”
Metro pleased with impact of local purchasing policy
Metro Inc. instituted a Local Purchasing Policy in May 2013, including a guiding principle designed to increase the presence and visibility of regional products in its stores. The company is currently running a pilot project for regional products, which has already resulted in several new agreements with local suppliers, including Les Serres René Fontaine and Les Serres Lefort.
Calavo’s year-round avocado program concentrates on fruit from California, Mexico
Even as more global players in the avocado industry are gaining or seeking access to the ever-growing U.S. market, Calavo Growers Inc., in Santa Paula, CA, continues to focus, in its domestic marketing, on just two sources of origin — California and Mexico.
“The program here for the U.S. is still almost exclusively California and Mexico for Calavo,” said Rob Wedin, vice president of fresh sales and marketing, in an interview with The Produce News.
Behind the scenes with Canadawide
Canadawide began as a small greengrocery in Montreal, founded John Pitsikoulis and his wife Angeliki within a year of arriving in Canada from their native Greece. More than 30 years after officially founding Canadawide as a fruit and vegetable wholesale operation, sons Michael, George and Nick now oversee a newly constructed state-of-the-art facility in Montreal.
Index Fresh grows programs to meet rising demand; Terry Morrison joins team
As demand for avocados in the United States continues to rise, Index Fresh in Bloomington, CA, continues to grow its programs in all countries, according to President and CEO Dana Thomas.
The company sources avocados from California as well as Mexico, Chile and Peru.
Canneberges Québec launches new cranberry snacks
Canneberges Québec, founded in 1995 by Denis Bédard, the fourth producer of cranberries in Quebec, produces around 6 million pounds of cranberries per year. A specialist in fresh berries, the bulk of their yields are sold to Fruit D’or with whom they have a non-compete agreement.