Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/694818
P r o d u ce S h o w D a i l y 2 1 Tu e s d a y, Ju n e 2 1 , 2 0 1 6 PSD: What would you say makes your company unique in your sector? PK: We are not a huge volume producer moving large volumes of "cookie cutter" products. We are a medium sized special- ty manufacture that can respond to your needs quickly and provide solutions that work. We are big enough to handle your requirements and yet small enough to be fast and flexible. Our products include, but are not limited to: hot and cold food bars, com- bination bars, salad bars, antipasto/olives bars, soup bars, service counters, custom fixtures, and custom millwork. PSD: How do you build quality into your designs? PK: Our exteriors are designed and crafted using first quality stainless steel, natural or man-made stone/gran- ite, wood and tempered glass – never plastic. For the inside, we select only proven name brand quality components to go into "the guts" of our food bars and merchandisers. Heating and refrig- O utFro nt (C o nt'd. fro m p. 1 ) eration units are proven models and may be locally serviced with good parts availability. We control the entire process in house, including climate controlled R&D and testing. We utilize computerized automation equipment where possible, including water jet technology for cutting granite/stone in house. PSD: Who are your target end-users? PK: Our grocery store and food service customers range from small regional stores/chains to some of North America's largest grocery chains. The key to our success is solving problems by establishing the customer's needs and offering solutions that make sense. Whether the need is for a "one off" spe- cial food bar to the local grocer or 10 bars a month to a multi-state chain, the principles of customer service do not change. Visit booth #2620 at FMI Connect 2016. For more information, visit www.outfrontcustombuilt.com for prod- uct information or call 716.892.7800 for assistance. temperature-controlled inventory, which has the potential to spoil while sitting on a warmer dock, waiting to be put away in the warehouse. From an administrative perspective, capturing critical data on a mobile device increases the efficiencies in the ware- house by reducing data errors and labor redundancies. Realizing this need, many software vendors are now building apps that run on mobile devices to streamline many warehouse functions and activities, including: Receivers: Streamline the receiving processes by assigning trucks to dock doors in real-time, activating order status and capturing critical information, including inbound weights, the truck's seal number and temperature. A FS (C o nt'd. fro m p. 1 ) Operators: Check-in new inventory immediately, because there is no lag waiting for critical information to be entered. Management: Track inbound and view incoming receipts to the warehouse as well as conducting a final review to close out the inbound orders. "With the availability of low-cost tablet devices, warehouse owners can take advantage of mobile technology to expedite the effort needed to manage incoming inventory. This creates a ripple effect on the speed of others in the ware- house, such as the operators and the pick- ers, who are now able to start their tasks earlier," said Joe Bellini, Chief Executive Officer, AFS Technologies. Learn about the new mobile tablet ver- sion of AFS Warehouse Management System at www.afsi.com/wmsmobile. fruits and vegetables, heirloom varieties and more flavorful greens. Protein options have expanded to include non- meat proteins. Nuts, seeds and soft cheeses are showing up as toppings. Elevated salad bars feature the fresh- est ingredients, with a focus on what's in season. In the spring and summer, con- sumers prefer light, fresh ingredients and bright colors. Bright green peas, sweet strawberries and spicy radishes pair well with light, citrusy dressings. In the fall and winter, consumers want hearty sal- ads. Rustic parsnips, rich kale and earthy beets pair well with robust balsamic vinaigrettes. Pulses, which are the dried seeds of legume plants such as beans, dry peas, lentils and chickpeas, are a popular non- meat protein source. Pulses are high in protein and fiber, so adding pulses to your salad bar provides your customers with a double nutritional benefit. Other non-meat protein options include farro, a type of ancient wheat that is an excellent source of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, and quinoa, a nutrient-dense seed that offers a complete protein source, in addition to fiber, antioxidants and essential amino acids. For consumers focused on healthy Salad bar (C o nt'd. fro m p. 1 ) eating, the focus has shifted from "low fat" to "healthy fats." Healthy fats pro- vide nutritional benefits and play an important role in a balanced diet. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in walnuts, eggs, Brussels sprouts, kale and spinach, may help lower cholesterol levels and support heart health. Monounsaturated fats, found in nuts, olive oil and avoca- dos, improve blood cholesterol levels, which can decrease your risk of heart disease. Today's consumers expect bold, adventurous flavors with global flair. Powered by Millennials who are hungry for discovery and adventure, this trend has spread to consumers of all ages. Asian, Mexican and Mediterranean cuisines have become American staples. Consumers want spicy peppers and kicked-up dressings with ingredients like curry, harissa and sriracha. At the same time, we are seeing a resurgence of traditional American cui- sine through simple techniques such as pickling, smoking and roasting. The addition of house-made pickles elevates the salad bar, without introducing com- plex preparation techniques to your back- of-house staff. The more authentic the ingredient, the more consumers love it. For more information, visit booth #1909. ATTENTION-GRABBING PRODUCE BAGS Most produce bags are designed to be invisible. They are plain, boring, unas- suming and contribute little to the suc- cess of a produce department operation. A bag or wire tie that's not constantly selling your fruits, vegetables and brand is a missed opportunity for increased sales. That's why Package Containers bags and ties are designed to demand attention, speak to customers, promote your brand and increase sales in bunches. PCI's purpose is to help turn your produce department into a powerful merchandising display. The rest of your store is heavily merchandised; its time for your produce department to stand out with bags and ties that ring. Start with a Grab&Go ® bag with PCI's single strap handle that can hold up to 25 pounds, or choose from hundreds of bags and ties in all sizes and shapes, colors and graphics. If you want to create your own look, upload your own artwork, or have PCI's team of merchandising design experts create a custom look for you. Most bags feature side-seam construction with a seamless "wrap-around" graphic effect. Handles also can be custom printed. It's the only place where the customer has to look, and PCI is the only one that can print on the handle. If you're a grower, Package Containers can help you get branded from field to table. You're proud of your harvest, why not promote it? PCI ties are designed to be customized with your brand and message. Promote your brand and advertise your farming certifications such as Organic and Non-GMO with ties from PCI. The company's ties are avail- able in different sizes and up to four- color printing. For those in the prepared foods mar- ket, PCI can deliver fresh, hot designs served up daily. Bakeries, delis and even meat departments can build customer awareness and loyalty with branded bags from PCI. All foodservice products are FDA/USGA certified. With PCI's new release of the PCI Collection, you can merchandise your fresh produce year-round with 12 months of colorful bags that hold up to 25 pounds. These "family size" bags pro- mote bulk buying and feature custom art- work and recipes along with your brand logo and messaging. With PCI, your pro- duce department is always in season. For more information, go to www.package containers.com. SHENANDOAH GROWERS: AHEAD OF THE CURVE FOR FRESH HERBS Shenandoah Growers has always prided itself on being ahead of the curve in the fresh herbs category. Prior to the compa- ny's inception, dried herbs were plentiful on grocery shelves, but fresh herbs were much harder to find. Aside from small, local farms with seasonal and geographi- cal limitations, the fresh herbs category simply did not exist. Recognizing the potential value of the fresh herbs con- sumer, who tended to be more affluent and less price-sensitive than the average grocery shopper, Ken Koehn and Mike Sarco founded Shenandoah Growers in 1990 to fill the unmet need in the market. Before the rest of the industry began to shift toward natural and organic pro- duce, Shenandoah Growers made a huge investment in state-of-the-art USDA-cer- tified organic greenhouses and was the first to market when it introduced its sig- nature line of Living Organic Herbs in 2008. The company anticipated the inevitable overlap between the fresh herb and organic consumer. Living Organic Herbs is the most obvious, but certainly not only, example of the company's forward thinking and innovation-centric approach. Recent greenhouse expansions and investments in LED finishing rooms enabled it to expand its distribution footprint while improving overall product quality. Relentless attention to detail with market data has enabled Shenandoah Growers to identify opportunity gaps and led to the expansion of its product portfolio to include recipe- and chef-sized fresh-cut packages and line extensions to its Living Herb line. Over the last 25 years, the fresh herbs category has grown from a niche market to now include over half of U.S. con- sumers. Shenandoah Growers has grown at a pace mirroring the rapid expansion of the fresh herbs market. From its begin- ning as a small, field-production farm with a handful of seasonal employees in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, the company now boasts a workforce of over 350, more than six acres of greenhouse space and facilities in Virginia, Georgia, Indiana and Texas. This growth has been possible due to its dedication to forward thinking and innovation. For more information, go to www.fresh herbs.com or call 540.896.6939.