Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/192606
Thursday, October 17, 2013 Produce Show Daily SIERRA NUT HOUSE OFFERS UP ALL-NATURAL MEADOW LAKES FRUIT DRESSINGS Meadow Lakes Fruit Dressings are allnatural, fat-free, fruit-based dressings. These unique fruit dressings create a delicious blend with just a few simple, allnatural ingredients. Meadow Lakes Dressings' line feaChelan Fresh Marketing (Cont'd. from p. 1) Washington apples, pears and cherries, representing over 400 growers producing 16 million cartons of fruit annually. PSD: What makes Chelan Fresh unique? MR: Chelan Fresh is Washington's largest producer of fresh cherries, shipping over 3.6 million 20 lb cartons annually. Our growing region is perfectly suited to producing the highest quality fruit on a consistent basis. We also just completed installation of the first electronic cherry sorting systems on our two new cherry packing lines. PSD: What is the outlook for this new cherry packing technology? MR: The new electronic sorting system allows us to pack a large volume of fruit at a very gentle pace, while greatly reducing the amount of labor required to produce a clean, consistent pack. The electronic systems can sort fruit in a manHarrell Nut Company (Cont'd. from p. 1) products to wear the prestigious Heart Check on their packaging. This certification supports what many in the pecan industry have known for years. Pecans are not just delicious, but they're also very good for you. This certification comes on the heels of more praise for pecans. Pecans are recognized as having more antioxidants than Market Fresh Produce (Cont'd. from p. 1) MK: Market Fresh Produce is a produce marketing company based in Nixa, Mo., with growers and packers across the United States. At MFP, we have achieved success through developing "best in class" packaging, "best in class" product, and "best in class" service which is the real value exchange. We market a full line of tomatoes, sweet potatoes, potatoes, onions (both sweet and storage), greenhouse products, avocados and kiwi fruit. PSD: What was the most significant event or series of events affecting your company in the past year? Nature's Eats (Cont'd. from p. 4) on quality. "Our product is kept in a controlled environment from the receiving door to the shipping door. This maintains the product's freshness and integrity. You can tell by the quality of the finished products," says Jeffrey. A SQF level 2 certified company, Nature's Eats maintains the strictest standards to ensure a tures an award-winning Pear dressing, a Pomegranate Pear dressing, Strawberry Dressing and a zesty Elderberry Vinaigrette. The dressings are cooked and blended to the perfect consistency with chunks of pear and strawberry throughout. ner not possible by human eye or hand. Consistency is the key attribute to this new technology. PSD: What will you be showcasing at PMA? The sweetness of pears combined with the tartness of pomegranates, creates the distinctive combination of flavors found in the pomegranate pear dressing. The tangy elderberry vinaigrette can be used just as you would any balsamic vinaigrette. Poured over your favorite green or fruit salad or fresh veggies, these all natural dressings pack a ton of flavor into less than 40 calories per each 2-tablespoon serving. They make fabulous marinades for chicken, meat or vegetables, prietary CN 121 apple, a honey crisp cross, and our Canadian grown Gala and Ambrosia apples. The new Cup O' Cherries package features an 8 ounce cup of stem free cherries with a two-piece lid that allows consumers to dispose of the seeds in the lid. Consumers can now take cherries anywhere they go, including their car. MR: Our emphasis at this year's show will be on the new Orondo Ruby cherry, exclusive to Chelan Fresh, our patented Cup O' Cherries package, and the technology of our new cherry packing facilities. We will also feature our NFL Fuel Up to Play 60 and Disney promotions, along with the new Greenscans technology and the Canadian apples we now market. In addition, we will display our onpack IRC promotion with Jif to Go. All this effort is geared toward moving our products off the retailer's shelf and into the shopper's cart, without lower pricing being the driver. MR: With New York and Michigan apple crops back to normal and above, we will need to be smart about new crop pricing and remain competitive. It's important we establish momentum for our fruit early in the deal so we can maintain stable pricing throughout the season. We also face a China market closed to Washington apples since August 2012. MR: We will be sampling our new pro- MR: With the opening of the China mar- PSD: Are you introducing any new products? any other nuts and are one of the top 20 of all foods. They say good things come in threes – with pecans, it is certainly no different. Pecan-enriched diets have proven to be a good way to significantly reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Most people want to eat healthier, but many fail to do so simply because healthy choices often require sacrificing taste. With pecans, there is no tradeoff. You get the best of both worlds: a healthy MK: We just acquired West Central Florida Produce, a highly successful tomato repacking facility based in Tampa, Fla. We plan to expand West Central Florida's product selection beyond tomatoes to add the other categories Market Fresh offers. This repacking and distribution facility will strengthen Market Fresh's go-to-market strategy, not only in Florida, but in many areas outside of the state. PSD: Describe your company's current marketing strategy. MK: We focus on freshness and quality. Therefore, we seek customers that are looking for the value proposition. We do safe and high quality product. "Nature's Eats has a distinct advantage when it comes to product innovation and speed to market. We are constantly introducing new products. We have the ability to do small batch runs, and our roasting operation allows us to try a variety of unique flavors and mixes. We can turn new product from concept to delivery in weeks, not months," says Robert. PSD: What challenges will you face in the year ahead? PSD: What opportunities lie ahead for Chelan Fresh? option that truly tastes great. Harrell Nut Company, located in booth 5424, offers pecans in a variety of packaging options that will cater to any need you may have. They offer products in bulk and a variety of retail-sized packages. With each option, they now come power packed with the American Heart Association's Heart Healthy Check certification. Harrell Nut Company is also the not let just anyone grow or pack our branded items. They have to meet strict criteria. Likewise, we are not seeking to just get a PO from our clients. We want to establish program business that will bring long term growth to the category and overall department's sales. PSD: What do you anticipate to be your greatest challenge in the year ahead? MK: The number one issue that I think will face not only us, but the entire industry, will be the rising cost of transportation. Soaring fuel costs, coupled with the reduced number of hours owner/operators face may cause a deple- This expertise and drive towards continuous improvement has lead to distribution with some of the "best of class" retailers. Having a company made up of family and friends who are truly experts in their field has advantages and challenges. "While we've been doing this for all our lives, we are constantly pushing ourselves. With family and friends working 51 prior to throwing them on the grill! The natural ingredients found in Meadow Lakes Dressings help preserve the dressings, producing a shelf-stable product with a 12-month shelf life. No corn syrup or xantham gum is used in the production of these tasty dressings; just a couple quick shakes of the bottle, unscrew the top and pour! For more information on Sierra Nut House's dressings and other products, visit www.sierranuthouse.com. ket to Washington pears, we expect increased demand for red pear varieties, and possibly the Anjou variety as well. The growing middle class in countries like China, India and Mexico should provide more demand for cherries. PSD: How did the lack of fruit from Michigan and New York affect your marketing plan? What did you learn? MR: The lack of fruit from the east jump-started our marketing plan, especially bagged product. We were able to balance demand and supply with higher pricing throughout the deal. We also learned that the customer was willing to pay a premium for quality fruit, as retailers told us they saw exceptional unit sales at higher than normal retail prices. We sold apples for over $100 per case for the first time in our history. Visit Chelan Fresh at booth 4157 during Fresh Summit. Visit online at www.chelanfresh.com, call 509-6826074 or email macr@chelanfresh.com. only commercial pecan sheller with processing plants in the heart of both major producing regions in North America, which allows the company to offer regional specific product while saving you time and money on transportation. Call Harrell Nut Company today at 800526-8770 or visit www.harrellnut.com. Stop by booth 5424 at Fresh Summit and speak to Brandon Harrell. tion of the number of trucks on the road, creating even more of a demandexceeds-supply situation. PSD: What is the nature of your distribution? MK: We have 46 strategically-located supply partners located across the United States, which allows us a unique approach to distribution of our products. That contributes to our 99 percent service level with the customers we serve. For more information, visit www.market freshproduce.net, call 866-885-7751 or email sales@marketfreshproduce.net. side by side, we don't hold back on our opinions and feel very comfortable in challenging each other," says John. "It helps make us a better company." Visit Nature's Eats/Texas Star Nut and Food Company at booth 1304. For more information, visit www.natureseats.com, call 866-455-8300 or email info@natureseats.com.