Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/687906
O C G S h o w D a i l y M o n d a y, Ju n e 6 , 2 0 1 6 5 4 CALIFORNIA OLIVE RANCH GROWING AMERICANS' TASTE FOR OLIVE OIL By Lorrie Baumann Silicon Valley technocrat Gregg Kelley had a nice little career going for himself in 2006. He'd taken two dot-coms public and settled into a consulting career in which he could choose the clients he wanted to advise on how to succeed the way he had. He ditched it all when the owners of California Olive Ranch came to him and said they'd learned how to make a good product and wanted his help to scale up their operation to compete in the national market. Eight years later, he has no regrets. "It was just the right time. The own- ers of the company had learned what they needed to learn and were looking for a CFO [chief financial officer]. I was inter- ested in their approach to the industry," he said. "I really liked the people who owned the company, liked the opportuni- ty. It checked that box for me. I took a pretty significant pay cut to join the com- pany. It was a leap of faith. It was right place, right people, right time." "It's been a great opportunity. A change of direction. I wanted to lead a life where I could look at myself in the mirror," he adds. "There were two things I wanted to do: be a good husband and a good father and have a positive impact on the world. I get to do that now.... Those are the simple rules to live my life by." Kelley is now California Olive Ranch's Chief Executive Officer, and the company has been registering sales growth rates of 30 to 50 percent per year for a compound annual growth rate exceeding 45 percent over the past eight years. California Olive Ranch has become the U.S.'s largest domestic olive oil producer: in terms of consumer sales, it's the #4 brand in the grocery channel, the #1 brand in the specialty/gourmet channel and the #3 brand in the natural channel, according to SPINS. With just under 15,000 acres planted with olive trees now, Kelley is actively looking for another 3,000 more acres to plant this year to feed rapidly growing consumer demand for extra virgin olive oils from California. A few factors have combined to drive that growth, according to Kelley. Americans are becoming more aware of the virtues of high-quality olive oils, and improved technology has allowed California Olive Ranch to provide a better product at an accessible price point. "California has had an olive industry for hundreds of years, but it stayed small until technology got bet- ter. The ability to hit a price point that makes it accessible is what accelerates that learning curve," Kelley said. "You break this barrier of accessibility for a larger number of people. California has made the norm become a much higher quality product. The American con- sumer, time and time again, has a proven preference for higher-quality products. Wine was an example of that. We're seeing it in cheese, in choco- late.... We are participating in the same evolution." Kelley is determined to propel Americans along the learning curve by putting the taste of California Olive Ranch oil on as many tongues as possi- ble. He says that letting people smell the aroma of a freshly opened bottle of good extra virgin olive oil and then letting them taste the oil and feel the warmth of it in their throats is all it takes to inspire them to want that experience again, espe- cially if they can have it for a price pre- mium of just a few dollars a bottle. "What makes us different is the ability to provide a much higher quality experience regularly," he said. "The vast majority of the oil we produce would win awards around the world." "Great olive oils add to the experi- ence of a good meal," he said. "That was the 'Aha!' for me that was the final hook that got me involved in the industry and got me into California Olive Ranch." AWESOME SNACKS FOR AN AWESOME WORLD Snack Innovations Inc, of Brooklyn, New York, is launching a new line of organic snack products: Awesome Organics. The company is debuting two new awesome snacks that are USDA Organic, gluten-free and non-GMO at this year's Sweets & Snacks Expo. Awesome Organics Popcorn and Popcorn Chips are 100 percent wholegrain snacks that fit squarely into the better-for-you category and satisfies your snack craving without the guilt. "We're launching Awesome Organics to meet the ever growing consumer demand for delicious and fun to eat better- for-you snacks, and organic food demand is on the rise," said Allen Benz, Chief Executive Officer of Snack Innovations. "We also took a new angle on packaging for the Awesome Organics line, illustrat- ing a more exciting fun-to-eat design, con- veying that eating organic snacks can also be fun." The new Awesome Organics packaging does stray from the company's usual elegant and more sophisticated bet- ter-for-you graphics. The Awesome Organics "This Chip is Awesome" is a 100 percent wholegrain Popcorn Chip made with whole quinoa, flax seeds, chia seeds and sunflower seeds, and is launching in three flavors: Salty Sweet Kettle, Aged White Cheddar and Sea Salt & Olive Oil, and is available in family-size four-ounce bags and single serve one-ounce bags. The product con- tains 22g of whole grains, is USDA Organic, and Non-GMO Project Verified. "We expect the Salty Sweet Kettle flavor to be the consumers' favorite, although I personally love the plain Sea Salt with EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)," Benz said. The Awesome Organics "This Popcorn is Awesome" is a new take on the exploding ready-to-eat popcorn market. "Affordable USDA Organic Popcorn that's delicious and fun to eat; our pop- corn has 50 percent less fat than the lead- ing brand and tastes better, lighter and crunchier," Benz said. "Our popcorn is truly better-for-you, containing only 35 calories per cup, and only 5g of fat or less per serving compared to 10g of the lead- ing competitors. Like our Awesome Organics Popcorn Chips, our Popcorn is non-GMO Project Verified, Kosher Certified and Gluten Free Certified," he added. The Awesome Organics Popcorn is launching in four flavors: Sea Salt & Olive Oil, Black Pepper & Truffle Oil, Movie Theater Butter and delicious Aged White Cheddar, and is available in fami- ly-size 5-ounce bags and single serve 0.75-ounce bags. Just like all of the Snack Innovations products, the Awesome Organics line is popped; not fried, kettle cooked or extruded, so they're low in fat and calo- ries. They also have no artificial flavors or preservatives and zero MSG and trans fats. "Most consumers today don't want to eat unnecessary calories or fat, and are fans of the popped products because they know they're getting less of the bad stuff and lots more of the good stuff," Benz said. "Awesome Organics is the perfect better for you snack product delivering on both taste and health, and although they're organic, Awesome Organics products are affordable," Benz added. Snack Innovations is a leading man- ufacturer of better-for-you snacks, spe- cializing in innovative popped products. It produces a wide range of items for the private label market, and markets many items under several house brands. It is the maker of the Gourmet Basics brand Smart Fries, Slim Chips, Pop Rings and Popcorn, the Eatragous brand Penne Chips, and the new Awesome Organics brand This Chip is Awesome, and This Popcorn is Awesome. "We're constantly introducing new products, giving the consumer more bet- ter-for-you snacking choices, and moms love our innovative and delicious fun-to- eat products," said Benz. For more information, email sales@ awesomeorganicsnacks.com or go to www.awesomeorganicsnacks.com . CONSUMERS SEEKING THE HEALTHY CONDIMENT By Greg Gonzales Not all condiments were created equal. Consumers increasingly seek alternatives to condiment cornerstones high in sodi- um or high-fructose corn syrup, or that fail to meet their specific health and diet needs. Producers have responded directly by releasing products that meet individ- ual consumer needs, and some naturally healthy condiments need no alteration. Of course, a healthy condiment isn't necessarily the same item for everyone. "It's more complex than most people think," said Chrissy Weiss, a nutrition expert who serves as Director of Marketing and Communications at Culinary Collective. "We all are follow- ing different diets. Some have health issues, some are athletes, so it depends on someone's needs individually. ... Make sure the product falls in line with your own health goals." Those goals might include non-GMO products, gluten-free, no high-fructose corn syrup, low sugar, low sodium or vegan. There's a condiment for every con- sumer need. Annie's, Portland and Sir Kensington's ketchups do away with fillers like corn syrup and artificial colors, and the organic tomatoes they use contain more nutrients and antioxidants than their non-organic counterparts. The Not Ketchup brand adds a paleo-friendly option to the mix with its fruit ketchups, available in specialty flavors like Blueberry White Pepper and Tangerine Hatch Chile. The winner of the free-from badge contest might have to go to Primal Kitchen for its take on mayonnaise, made with avocado oil. This gluten-free, dairy- free, sugar-free, canola-free, non-GMO spread made with cage-free eggs is packed with healthy fats and is paleo- friendly. Hampton Creek's spread, Just Mayo, is also Non-GMO Project Verified, but brings mayo back to the vegan crowd by taking the eggs out entirely — in four specialty flavors, too. And consumers who want flavorful ribs without the sugar rush might try Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Sensuous Slathering Sauce. It's a gluten- free and all-natural take on the tangy- sweet stuff, with only 154mg of sodium and 5 grams of sugar per serving. It's not alone on the shelf, either. Tessemae's All Natural BBQ Sauce contains only 2 grams of sugar and 125mg of sodium. It's also gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and paleo-friendly. "People are reading more ingredient labels these days to see if it's just sim- ple," said Weiss. "Used to be a long time ago, we wanted everything fat free." But these days, consumers know good fats are essential to a healthy diet, and can even lower cholesterol. Culinary Collective's gluten-free Matiz Catalan All I Oli Garlic Spread, made from sun- flower oil, garlic, lemon juice and salt, is high in good fats but dairy-free, low in sodium and sugar. Salsas, guacamole, hot sauces and low-sugar chutneys also make nutritious additions to healthy meals. "A lot of people believe traditional foods made from scratch, made from high-quality ingredients, can be helpful," said Weiss, adding that this attitude has been a given in the specialty food indus- try from the get-go. "We'll be part of the solution, not the problem.… There's a lot of products out there that are, honestly, just junk. They don't add anything to consumers' diets, and producers are start- ing to wake up to that. We'll definitely see this continue."