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P r o d u c e S h o w D a i l y 5 1 S a t u r d a y, O c t o b e r 1 9 , 2 0 1 3 The Church Brothers are leaders in the produce industry, developing key innovations that are now essential to daily business. Among the most signifi- cant contributions are the first plate ice injection system, the first form, fill and seal machine in salad packaging, iceless broccoli, appointment loading, Wasabi Arugula, Teen Green™ Sandwich Leaves and Heirloom Spinach™. All of these contributions to the produce industry have provided Church Brothers with the opportunity to introduce new styles and techniques to the rest of the Salinas Valley. In particular, the most recent product varieties, starting with Wasabi Arugula, have put Church Brothers above the competition. Wasabi Arugula is a great addition to spice up salads, pizzas, burgers, sand- wiches, wraps, sushi or many other dish- es. At their state-of-the-art processing facility True Leaf Farms, Church Brothers offers a wide variety of leaf items, including spinach, spring mixes and arugulas. Wasabi Arugula is a spicy leafy green with a rich, slightly bitter horseradish or peppery flavor. The Wasabi Arugula is created through natu- ral seed selection and is offered exclu- sively by Church Brothers. Teen Green Sandwich Leaves are a Church Brothers (Cont'd. from p. 1) specially designed green leaf variety offered exclusively by Church Brothers. Teen Green is designed to specifically fit a sandwich or hamburger bun. They are also great as a low-carb substitute for breads, tortillas or taco shells. Heirloom Spinach is an exciting, col- orful and tasty red spinach. With its vibrant color, smooth texture, and all the nutrition- al benefits of conventional spinach, Heirloom Spinach makes a perfect addi- tion to any salad, pasta or prepared dish. Exploring new products is what keeps Church Brothers on the cutting edge. At any point in time there are near- ly 100 different seeds being researched, planted and grown for new product devel- opment and product improvement. Church Brothers travels to all corners of the world scouring for new and innova- tive products and techniques. In addition to innovative products, Church Brothers is becoming more taste-sensitive by relaying the different flavor combinations to the consumer, not just another salad. Direct collaboration with consumers in developing and improving customer spe- cific salad offerings has proven to be a key component in their overall success. Learn more by visiting booth 1019 at Fresh Summit. On the web, go to www.churchbrothers.com, or call 831- 796-1000. Carr, President and Owner of Blue Book Services. "There's always more to learn, and for a new hire, it can be especially challenging. We wanted to help our member companies, as well as newly hired individuals meet on-the-job chal- lenges and succeed." The New Hire Academy will be available online through Blue Book Online Services (BBOS) and includes five instructional sessions: Sales & Account Management, Trading Customs & Rules, Transportation Customs & Rules, The PACA Trust, and Understanding Blue Book Ratings. Once new employees complete these sessions and successfully pass the associated test- ing, their managers will be notified. The Sales and Account Management session will be presented by Minos Athanassiadis, Managing Partner of the Fresh Link consulting group, while the PACA Trust session will presented by Jason Read, partner at Rynn & Janowski law firm. Ken Schultz, Vice President of rating services at Blue Book Services will present the session on Understanding Blue Book Ratings, and Doug Nelson, Blue Book's Vice President of Special Services will present the sessions on Trading Customs & Rules and Transportation Customs & Rules. Each session is free to Blue Book members. "We are very grateful to our outside partners who volunteered their time for this important initiative. These online Blue Book (Cont'd. from p. 1) tutorials are rigorous and of the highest quality," Carr said. Among the topics covered in the ses- sion are: Forming a contract, the impor- tance of written confirmations, the authority to grant price adjustments and modify terms, suitable shipping condi- tions, key transportation documents (e.g., bills of lading, rate confirmations, etc.), the PACA Trust and reparations process, interpreting Blue Book Ratings, industry segments (retailer, distributor, whole- saler, foodservice, processor) and many more. For more information, log into BBOS www.producebluebook.com, and click on the "New Hire Academy" button under Resources. Other exciting Blue Book innova- tions debuting at Fresh Summit include an improved "Person Search" on the company website. "Members tell us one of the most common reasons they rely on our servic- es is to find specific people within the industry. This enhanced feature gives you an easy way to quickly find contact infor- mation for specific people," Carr said. The company also has revamped one of its low-cost advertising options: Listing Publicity. Advertising not only increases brand awareness, but can drive traffic to a company's website and Blue Book online listing. Carr encourages show attendees to visit Blue Book at booth 1856 to learn more, and enter to win an iPad. After the show, visit www.producebluebook.com. are handled at A&B Packing Equipment. MW: The entire staff at A&B Packing Equipment is involved with every order, starting with the first phone call. The cus- tomer service follows the entire process from the initial concept and floor plan layout to final completion and shipping. The service department has trained field techs to provide on-site service for cus- tomers. Our parts department is also an important part of our sales team. We pro- vide parts for all the equipment we sell. PSD: Tell us more about how the Fresh Summit fits into your sales strategy. MW: Our objective here is to make contact with existing customers, as well as meet new customers. Being face to face with the customers and providing onsite quotes is what sets A&B apart from our competitors that you'll meet at the show. A&B also schedules appointments to meet cus- tomers at their facility to go over spe- cific details. A&B plans each trade show as an opportunity to network and create public- ity. This exposure generates the leads needed to communicate with suppliers, customers and distributors. At A&B, we strive to stay up to date with the latest cutting edge technology and that allows us the competitive advantage to stay at the top. Our experienced sales staff does a great job showing people who we are and what we can offer them. A&B Packing (Cont'd. from p. 1) PSD: Tell us more about what you offer the industry. MW: A&B manufactures complete fresh pack and process equipment. Our equip- ment is used primarily for blueberries, grapes, cherries, cherry tomatoes and grape tomatoes, but of course it's not lim- ited to those products. If you have a need, please make sure that you see us during the show to take advantage of the 10 per- cent show discount that's valid for up to 10 days after the show closes. PSD: To what do you attribute A&B Packing Equipment's success? MW: We attribute the company's success to each individual here at A&B. Everyone brings something to the table, thus helping to make A&B the leader in the fresh pack and process manufacturing industry. Whether it is lean manufactur- ing or innovative technology, it all guides our company into full alignment to pro- vide the customer with equipment that will save them time and money. Our quality control program ensures that each piece of equipment is built to the highest standards and is installed by one of our experienced field techs. Learn more at booth 402. For more infor- mation, contact A&B Packing Equipment Inc., 732 West Saint Joseph St., Lawrence, MI 49064. Call 269-539-4700, fax 269- 539-4705 or email Sales at sales@abpack- ing.com, Parts at parts@abpacking.com. The company can be found on Facebook under A&B Packing Equipment Inc. Just Add Lettuce™ 3D. With Bits & Pieces, Formaggio has figured out a way to take the Just Add Lettuce line and make it better. As any fan of Formaggio's current produce department hit Just Add Lettuce would expect, Bits & Pieces have amaz- ing flavor profiles. There are three in all: Tomato & Basil, Roasted Pepper & Roasted Garlic and Bleu Cheese & Cranberries. Incredible combinations of flavor profiles enhance salad, give lots of leaf coverage and provide an explosion of flavor. The coverage not only goes fur- ther, but is also a bit denser. The flavor is increased somewhat from the original, with an increase in intensity and a touch more vinegar than Just Add Lettuce 3D. To have Bits & Pieces in every bite is Formaggio's goal, and they've reached it. The appropriately named bits and pieces in the Bits & Pieces products are about the size of a bacon bit. There are tender tomatoes and pieces of basil and garlic. In the next jar there are savory peppers and chunks of roasted garlic in Formaggio Italian Specialties (Cont'd. from p. 1) an infused oil with vinegar, or bleu cheese, creamy and rich, and sweet cran- berries. What a winning combination! What about different uses for the product? Customers all over the country have posted videos about what they like to do with Just Add Lettuce 3D, and Bits & Pieces will be no different. Formaggio Bits & Pieces makes an amazing mari- nade for roasted vegetables. They are fantastic for loaded mashed potatoes. Try sautéing carrots with them or with any kind of meat. Formaggio Bits & Pieces are exactly what the world of gourmet salads has been waiting for. Formaggio's original entry into the produce department, Just Add Lettuce 3D has created a tremendous fan following, and customers will find new foodie joy and satisfaction in its new offering. Formaggio Bits & Pieces is in the pro- duce department near Just Add Lettuce 3D next to the bagged lettuce. Just try it. Visit Formaggio Italian Specialties at booth 1303 during Fresh Summit. To learn more, call 845-807-3630 or email fran_formaggio@yahoo.com. During transport, the advantages of ventilation, smoothness and non-crush- ing depth of fruit continues to preserve quality. To max out truck weight, a container system strong enough to go full height in the truck for the duration of the journey is needed. The 16-inch by 24-inch footprint goes five down on the pallet with no wasted space. Then there is the question of eco- nomically returning the reusable contain- ers. Up to 8,250 empty containers can fit in a 53-foot trailer for economical, space- InterCrate (Cont'd. from p. 4) saved return of containers to the growing areas in Mexico, or later in the season to Florida or California. The InterCrate 4.5 fits the need of growers for quality and economical transport of fresh blueberries from Mexico to the U.S. These containers are made in the U.S. with food-grade materials, and are strong enough to last many seasons. Visit InterCrate at booth 963 during Fresh Summit. For more information, go online to www. intercratecontainer.com, call 800-931-8141 or email justin@ intercratecontainer.com.