Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/322845
P ro d u c e S h o w D a i l y 2 9 W e d n e s d a y, J u n e 1 1 , 2 0 1 4 POP-UP GARDEN CENTERS DRIVE SPRING SALES Supermarkets are now turning to OutFront Portable Solutions for its expertise in "Thinking Outside The Store" and using temporary, portable pop- up garden centers to drive spring sales. Known as pop-ups, parking lots cen- ters, seasonal or temporary locations, these become an extension of the store, and by using the grocery store parking lot, the garden center is able to capitalize on the high traffic and visibility of the supermarket store. Most temporary locations focus on colorful annuals, perennials and may have a varied selection of larger nursery material. They may also provide hard goods, from fertilizer and mulch to small gardening tools. These garden centers inspire confi- dence and create a new opportunity for the store to be of service to its customers, reach a broader customer base and build relationships that will keep new cus- tomers at their stores. For a low investment, stores are real- izing a high return. A good guide for the potential for a parking lot garden center is 12 months of indoor floral sales – about equal to three months of garden center sales, with typically higher contri- bution than the indoor floral business. As a leading provider of portable gar- den center structures, OutFront Portable Solutions' products and services are used across North America by over 1,000 gar- den centers ranging from national grocery chains, department stores, do-it-yourself (DIY), mass merchants and many local, regional and national independent retail- ers. With more than 15 years' experience helping its clients achieve their goals, OutFront Portable Solutions has acquired a sound and proven knowledge base of what works and the expertise to help make it happen. The company has two manufactur- ing divisions – one in Ontario, Canada and one in Buffalo, N.Y. OutFront Portable Solutions is a full service provider. The company designs, manufactures, installs and maintains gar- den center structures, fixtures and display systems. It provides everything you need to be successful in the garden center busi- ness – everything except for the live goods. The company's approach enables businesses to utilize their network more effectively, reduce operational expenses and simplify troubleshooting issues, so that they can focus on driving revenue. To learn more about ``Thinking Outside The Store,`` stop by booth #3252. Also visit www.outfrontps.com for product information, photos and some design lay- outs, or call 800-282-1239. CPMA ANNOUNCES NEW CONSUMER OUTREACH PROGRAM – HALF YOUR PLATE The Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) took advantage of its 2014 Annual Convention and Trade Show to announce a new out- reach program, Half Your Plate, to pro- mote increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. Half Your Plate is based on Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating and offers Canadians a simple, clear message for making food choices. "Half Your Plate is a message that is clear, concise and applicable to all age groups," said Ron Lemaire, CPMA President. "The message has been devel- oped in consultation with representatives from the entire produce industry, health organizations including the Canadian Cancer Society, Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Canadian Public Health Agency as well as regional produce mar- keting associations (BC, Calgary, Ontario and Quebec) and concerned stakeholders. The new program aligns with efforts that are already working in the United States and provides a consis- tent healthy eating message for all of North America." The Half Your Plate logo will be available to all CPMA members and part- ners to use on packaging, on their web- sites and in promotional materials. "We are confident that the logo will quickly become recognizable to consumers and serve as a reminder to them when shop- ping or preparing meals and snacks," added Lemaire. Consumers will be able to access the new HalfYourPlate.ca website for recipes, produce purchasing and storage tips and other information. As the pro- gram continues to grow, an expanded website, mobile app and other features will be added to encourage Canadians to take advantage of the abundance of healthy fruit and vegetable options as choices for better health. For more information, stop by booth #117 or visit www.cpma.ca. also strive to manufacture the highest quality of labels that work well for their intended application. PSD: What would you say makes your company unique? CA: We consult with our customers about their challenges with labeling, and then provide a working solution. This includes label design, data management and customized software. Then we fol- low through with installation, training and technical support. PSD: What was the most significant event or series of events affecting your company in the past year? CA: Establishing a Bay Area office and bringing in house the software development and programing that fully addresses our customers' needs and demands. This allowed us to create the 'Labeler'. PSD: Are you introducing any new prod- ucts? CA: Yes. The 'Labeler' is our new sys- tem that is very user friendly. It simpli- fies the label-making process in bakeries, delis and produce and meat departments, as well for food manufacturers. PSD: What distinguishes your products from the competition? CA: We develop complete labeling solutions for our customers. Our sys- tems have many features and capabili- ties that help our clients label and mar- ket their in-store products. This gives the 'Labeler' many benefits not seen in our competitors' products. In this Internet age, most of our competitors like to ship boxes of software and printers, and then say, 'Good luck'. They don't want to make the invest- ment necessary to provide full techni- Lone Peak ( Cont'd. from p. 1) cal support; but at Lone Peak we make a commitment to providing full techni- cal support to our customers. PSD: Compare the position of your prod- ucts and their technology against the cur- rent market. CA: We feel the 'Labeler' is the most advanced, dependable and cost-effective label printing solution available for the grocery and food industry. PSD: What is your outlook in general for this product line? CA: We have had a tremendous response to the 'Labeler' system. It has generated interest all over the country. Each new client brings needs and ideas that help us continually grow and develop our prod- ucts. Every market that has a bakery and/or deli will benefit greatly by installing the 'Labeler' in their store. PSD: To what do you attribute your com- pany's success? CA: We listen to our customers' needs. Being a small, independent company, we can be more nimble and quickly adapt to new technology. We have always had a commitment to providing full technical support, and we stand by our slogan, 'We service what we sell.' This approach makes our customers' businesses run more efficiently while helping them mar- ket and sell their products. PSD: How can we contact you? CA: We are available at the FMI Show booth #4135 and the Summer Fancy Food Show booth #4263 at the end of the month, by phone at 800-658-8599, by email at sales@lonepeaklabeling.com or on our website at www.lonepeaklabel- ing.com. For more information, visit www.lone peaklabeling.com, call 801-243-9500 or stop by booth #4135. MCKAY TRANSCOLD ANNOUNCES 'TRANSCOLD EXPRESS' McKay TransCold, a 3PL providing multi-modal logistics solutions, announces its flagship service – "TransCold Express" – will launch as a dedicated, refrigerated train offering a bi- directional service between the California Central Valley and the Midwest. Inaugural service, after some weath- er related building delays this past winter in Illinois, will start in June of 2014, with McKay TransCold operating a dedicated 50-car unit train between Selma, Calif., and Wilmington, Ill. The service will move refrigerated and frozen consumer goods and produce by the carload, truck- load or LTL via BNSF's newly refur- bished fleet of refrigerated box cars. Each refrigerated box car holds up to four truckloads. Trains will depart from each location starting at one train per week and grow to two days of service as the demand grows. The trains will operate on a reliable schedule with the first depar- tures slated for Wednesdays from California and Illinois. "We have worked closely with the BNSF team to craft a program that will fill a niche in current modes of trans- portation. It was important to bring a service to the market that added value and focused on overall supply chain solu- tions," said Randy McKay, CEO of McKay TransCold. The expedited train service could not be timelier given current challenges in the trucking industry, with new hours of service regulations. An added benefit of the service is that the train is 70 percent greener compared to trucks with one rail- car equaling up to four truckloads. This important benefit measurably decreases companies' carbon footprint. "Transcold Express represents a new milestone in refrigerated train service on our network," said Dave Garin, BNSF Group Vice President, Industrial Products. "Our network provides an ideal solution for perishable shippers to achieve superior supply chain perform- ance because of BNSF's commitment to service performance and reliability." The Illinois location will provide competitive service to Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, Kentucky and East Coast, including Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, the Carolinas and select Canadian mar- kets including Toronto. The California location will serve all of California and Southern Nevada. Value-added services of forward distribution, consolidation and redistribution will be offered at the hubs to enhance supply chain savings. For more information, visit www.mckay transcold.com.