Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/192606
46 Thursday, October 17, 2013 Locus Traxx (Cont'd. from p. 1) SmartTraxx monitoring hardware. As more and more companies add continuous shipment monitoring services, stories of how shipment data saved a load, protected a driver or reduced losses keep pouring in. Here are three examples of real-time data saving shipments and even a driver. Saving Valentine's Day Imagine losing a shipment of flowers during the week leading up to Valentine's Day. It's a nightmare scenario that almost happened several times in one week to a Locus Traxx cusNorth Shore (Cont'd. from p. 1) Living Herbs® offers a solution for retailers looking to meet consumer demand in a category long associated with high levels of shrink. North Shore Living Herbs are packaged with roots intact, so they have a significantly longer shelf life than traditional cut herbs. The resulting freshness leads to a more profitable herb category and more satisfied consumers. North Shore Living Herbs are the original living herb, and were first brought to market approximately 17 Rock Garden (Cont'd. from p. 1) attending the PMA Fresh Summit show? CG: Our mission is to bring new concepts into the retail produce industry. The innovations of today will be the new profits of our marketing partners tomorrow. PSD: What are some of the specifics of how Rock Garden is delivering innovations that will generate new profits for retailers in the future? CG: We focus on two areas of innovation that will enhance retailers' business in the future – new on-trend products and new next generation packaging vehicles to showcase and merchandise products. PSD: What are some examples of new King Fresh Produce (Cont'd. from p. 1) KW: King Fresh Produce LLC grows, packs and markets table grapes on a year-round basis. Our goal is to deliver the freshest, best tasting grapes possible to our customers throughout the world. We are a California-based farming company that traces our roots back to the 1930s when my grandfather, Dee Wilson, began farming in Bakersfield, Calif. Three generations later, Dee would be proud of how his family farm has evolved into a vertically integrated company with farming and marketing interests in Chile and Mexico, and of course the headquarters based in the San Joaquin Valley of California. We also pack and ship California pomegranates and citrus in the fall and winter months, with the same attention to quality, taste and freshness. Our early varieties of pomegranates are the first into the market with great color and great taste. tomer. Fortunately, temperature alerts prevented any losses. Several shipments simply needed temperature adjustments. The drivers took care of that. Two shipments had bigger problems. They were both directed to reefer service facilities. Both had their issues corrected and were able to proceed with their deliveries. Valentine's Day was saved! Spend $12 Instead of Losing $60,000 A shipment temperature started to rise. Alert text and email messages were sent. The driver was alerted, but could do nothing to halt the steadily climbing shipment temperature. After directing the driver to a service depot, it was discov- years ago as a solution to the lack of freshness found in the traditional fresh herb category. They are grown yearround in southern California on a family owned and operated farm, and shipped all across the U.S. and into Canada. North Shore offers both a clamshell and potted line to maximize sales in the fresh herb category. All of North Shore's products are grown hydroponically in state-of-the-art greenhouses in accordance with strict food safety guidelines. They have always been grown as culinary items meant for consumption, as opposed to floral products. The potted hot trend products you are bringing to market? CG: On the products side, three of the hot trends we recently introduced and are bringing to the show are Organic Micro Greens, Organic Sweet Baby Leaf Lettuces, and Organic Brussel Kale, a non-GMO cross between brussel sprouts and kale. In the case of micro greens, they have been a hot trend in four and five star restaurants for a decade. They are now trending toward the consumer and we have worked to develop ways to make these types of products user friendly for the consumer in a way that works for the supermarkets. Our Go Micros bring a concept to markets, not just a commodity. With Brussel Kale, we are combining three hot trends into one package. PSD: What would you say makes your company unique? KW: King Fresh Produce LLC is unique in that we are vertically integrated from the field to consumer. The owners of King Fresh have a unique insight into the domestic retail grocery business, having previously worked for a major retailer in the procurement department. King Fresh is one of the leaders in innovative packaging for table grapes. We were one of the first shippers to offer grapes in fixed weight clamshells and bags. We constantly look for new ways to add value to our product, increase sales and increase the returns to the farm. PSD: Describe your company's current marketing strategy. KW: Our marketing strategy is to listen to our customers' needs regarding quality and packaging. The current retail markets for domestic and export customers Produce Show Daily ered that an alternator belt broke in the reefer unit. Instead of losing a $60,000 shipment, a $12 belt was replaced and the shipment reached its final destination. This is one of many stories of shipment-saving, on-the-road service actions, taken as a result of alerts based on shipment data. Without alert messages based on data from the shipment, loss of these shipments is virtually assured. Get Out of Jail Free Police were on the lookout for a suspect in a crime. A driver for a local brokerage company matched the physical description of the suspect. Knowing the driver was innocent, the brokerage company line has a 2-inch pot, and a shipping and display tray that fits nine plants. In addition, the plant is mature and intended for immediate culinary use. North Shore grows it so the consumer doesn't have to. North Shore works with its retail partners to implement a customized program built around the needs and demographics of the target market. It has found that cross merchandising herbs with other produce items increases sales and builds the category. Basil has long been merchandised with tomatoes. However, North Shore recommends that retailers begin to take advantage of consumer Kale, brussel sprouts and organics are three hot trends at the moment. Kale and brussel sprouts are superfoods due to nutrient density, and organic produce grew 13 percent again last year. The new Baby Leaf Lettuces are fully mature heads that have only baby leaves on them, so every bite is crunchy, tender and sweet. You really have to see and taste it to understand how unique it is. PSD: What is innovative about your packaging? CG: We won a PMA Impact award at last year's show for new packaging for Go Micros, and this year we are honored to have two finalists for the packaging awards. The industry seems to like our approach. Specifically, finalists are the Grab and Go bags for the Sweet Baby Leaf Lettuces, and our amazing new require grapes that are extra large, sweet and crunchy with a long shelf life, that are appealing to the senses. PSD: How do you handle sales? KW: All sales of our table grapes, pomegranates and citrus in the King Fresh brand are sold in-house by our experienced sales staff. We have teams that concentrate on export sales, and teams that concentrate on food service and retail customers. PSD: What is your outlook in general for this product line? KW: Our outlook on table grapes is very positive. Table grape movement is increasing every year with the production of new, great tasting varieties leading the way. We are also seeing great movement in the pomegranate and citrus categories based on the health benefits of those items. needed a way to help clear the driver's name. The Oversight system from Locus Traxx turned out to be the keep-out-ofjail card they needed. A "shipment tracks" map proved that the driver and his shipment were several states away when the crime took place. While this is certainly a non-core feature of the system, it illustrates one of many unforeseen benefits of having easy access to detailed shipment location, temperature and security data. Visit booth 5059 at Fresh Summit to learn more, or go to www.locustraxx.com, write to info@locustraxx.com, or call 561-665-5560. interest in lesser known pairings. For example, rosemary goes wonderfully with potatoes, and mint with melons. Stop by booth 4324 at the PMA Fresh Summit to find out more about what North Shore Living Herbs can do for your fresh herbs category. North Shore is raffling off the yet-unreleased Playstation 4 gaming system and Madden 25 game as part of their call to "Tackle your shrink." During Fresh Summit, visit North Shore at booth 4324. For more information, go to www.livingherbs.com, call 760-3970400 or email sales@livingherbs.com. "Flexible Clamshell" for fresh herbs. The fresh herb packages use 75 percent less plastic than traditional clamshells while extending shelf life to reduce shrink. Our packing for Brussel Kale is also dynamic, as it allows consumers to open it, add seasonings, then zip and microwave. PSD: How do retailers get on board with Rock Garden's on-trend hot new products? CG: We have grower, packer and distribution partners nationally, so they can call, email, or stop by booth 4517, and we will get them up and running. During Fresh Summit, visit Rock Garden at booth 4715. For more information, go to www.rockgardenherbs.com, call 831-476-9733 or email chick.goodman @comcast.net. PSD: To what do you attribute your company's success? KW: We attribute the success of our company to hard work, from the owners to the packing crews. We have always invested in new technology, food safety and packaging. It takes a team effort to be successful in agriculture based businesses these days, and that team has to be passionate about their profession to stay competitive. PSD: How can our readers find out more about your company? KW: Readers can find out more about King Fresh by visiting our website www.kingfresh.com or contacting us via email at keith@kingfresh.com, or by phone at 559-596-2040. During Fresh Summit, visit King Fresh Produce at booth 460. For more information, go to www.kingfresh.com, call 559596-2040 or email keith@kingfresh.com.