Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/738345
Produce Show Daily 5 7 Friday, October 14, 2016 AE: RCS Company of Tampa was founded in 1996. We provide turnkey construction of refrigerated warehouse facilities. Our services include pre- engineered structural building construc- tion, industrial mechanical and process- ing equipment including Freon, CO2, Glycol and ammonia systems, 24/7 service and repair of all types of com- mercial and industrial refrigeration equipment, freezer floor design and floor warming systems, state-of-the-art control expertise, and repair and instal- lation of cooler and freezer doors. We also have the in-house ability to con- ceptualize, construct and maintain refrigerated environments for diverse applications. I have 38 years of experience in refrigerated warehouse and industrial refrigeration systems in Florida and the southeastern states. PSD: What is your goal for the show? AE: Our goal is to support the agricultur- al industry by continuing to serve our existing and new customers with their refrigeration needs. Our extensive refrig- eration experience and turnkey construc- tion capabilities offer our clients the con- venience of working with one contractor. PSD: What is your company most proud of? AE: RCS Company of Tampa is commit- ted to our clients' needs and driven by our passion for developing enduring rela- tionships. PSD: Are you launching any new prod- ucts this year? AE: We are offering "Rapid Cooling" Produce Pre-Coolers. Pre-coolers are used to prolong the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables. They will drastically decrease RCS Company of Tampa (Cont'd. from p. 1) cooling time for avocados, bananas, blue- berries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cab- bages, cantaloupes, carrots, cherries, cucumbers, honeydews, kiwifruits, okra, peaches, bell peppers, plums, squashes, strawberries, tomatoes and much more. RCS provides custom designed Pre- Coolers per our customers' exact cooling needs. This gives our clients the ability to rapidly chill produce from harvest temper- ature to shipping temperatures in as little as 30 to 90 minutes. This process increas- es the shelf life of the product. We also have the ability to provide our customers with the equipment needed for IQF (Instant Quick Freeze). PSD: Who are your target customers? AE: Our target customers are in a variety of industries, including agriculture, cold storage, pharmaceutical and food pro- cessing. In addition, our customers include food distributors such as beef, poultry, seafood and dairy, as well as beverage. PSD: How do your products or services help your customers compete in their marketplace? AE: By designing more efficient refrig- eration systems for product flow, we cre- ate a more productive and profitable work environment for our clients so they are able to take care of their customers more efficiently. RCS is equipped and capable of servicing all facility and equipment needs, including air condi- tioning/heating, ice machines, Freon, CO 2 , Glycol and ammonia refrigeration systems, general building repair, preven- tive maintenance service and insulated door repair and replacement. Visit RCS at booth #1513. For more information, go to www.rcs-tampa.com or call 813.917.0190. Lettuce line, yet you're making some changes. Tell our readers about the inspi- ration behind this decision. AM: Just Add Lettuce has so many fans that I wanted to make it even better for them. So the Just Add Lettuce line is what I would call new and improved. We changed the flavor profile by creating new infused marinated dressings. We've added some vinegar and real citrus fla- vors, naturally without chemicals. Also, each of the four Just Add Lettuce flavors now has slightly smaller pieces for increased coverage, so every single leaf of lettuce will be covered with this amaz- ing new taste experience. PSD: There's an Italian version and a Greek version. It seems you have an ethnic heritage angle. What are the other flavors? AM: There's the Spanish version, too, and we have the fourth variety, which is Bleu Cheese and Cranberries. The idea is that we want to mix something into our Formaggio (Cont'd. from p. 1) salad other than just a liquid dressing. All the Just Add Lettuce flavors or varieties have chunks of fresh produce, cheese, seasonings, herbs and spices, and each one is very characteristic and distinct from the others. There's one for every- one, and everybody has a favorite. JAL is the world's first three-dimensional salad dressing, and it's just become new and improved after a great deal of research and development by me and my team. PSD: How do you think the product line's biggest fans will react to the improvements? AM: I know that our loyal customers will love the improvements. We at Formaggio like to keep offering new and exciting products for our customers, and so far we've received a tremendous amount of positive feedback about these changes. I am confident that this will not only please our current fan base, but will expand the customer base tremendously. For more information, go to www .formaggiocheese.com. AS: Early next year, we will be opening a state-of-the-art washing, sorting, pack- ing and storage facility in DeForest, Wisconsin, just outside of Madison. We're investing more than $20 million in more than 11,000 square feet of office space, and 121,000 square feet of cooler, dry warehouse and processing space. We're very lucky to have partnered with several of the best local growers in the region as well. We'll hire about 50 people before we open, and expand to about 130 people once we're fully operational. So far, we have been really impressed with the skills, experience and enthusiasm in our new community. This huge step into the U.S. is some- thing I had never even dreamed of 20 years ago, when my Dad and I started the company, washing our first batch of Creamers in a bathtub and packaging by hand. Our new plant in Wisconsin can accurately be described as more than 'a dream come true.' With all of the planning and organiz- ing comes a nervous excitement for what the future holds for us in Deforest. We are all looking forward to seeing what will unfold in the coming years. This new plant will work in conjunction with our Edmonton plant that will continue to play a big role in our future. PSD: Why are you expanding? AS: We've experienced rapid growth over the last few years, and we feel the need to expand in order to serve our existing and future customer base. Our Creamers are now available in all 50 states and throughout Canada. We want to make sure we're able to meet the growing demand while ensuring our potatoes are of the freshest and of the highest quality throughout the year. The Little Potato Company (Cont'd. from p. 1) PSD: Why did you choose Madison for your new facility? AS: In addition to being central and eas- ily accessible for shipping, we chose Wisconsin because it's a great growing region for our Creamer potatoes. The unexpected bonus has been the warm welcome we've received from the people in DeForest. From my experience so far, everyone has been very down-to-earth, making us feel right at home. We are excited to integrate our business into the community. PSD: What kind of potatoes will you be growing there? AS: As in our existing growing regions, we will be growing our unique propri- etary Creamer varieties. These are our well known varieties, like the Baby Boomer and Blushing Belle, as well as some of the new varieties we've just introduced to the market. PSD: What else is new at The Little Potato Company? AS: 2016 has been a special year for LPC as we are celebrating our 20th anniver- sary. It's still surprising even to me that it's been 20 years since we first intro- duced Creamers to North America. We have taken time to celebrate this mile- stone and pay tribute to all of our employ- ees, growers, partners and customers who have been directly responsible for our success for the past 20 years. It's been an incredible experience and I feel so fortu- nate to be able to work with many won- derful people throughout these years. Of course, we're working on a few other surprises that I can't share just yet, but stay tuned! Visit The Little Potato Company at booth #557. FRUIT BLISS EXPANDS WITH ADDITION OF DELICIOUSLY JUICY TOMATOES, GOLDENBERRIES Fruit Bliss is proud to announce the expansion of its dried fruit line to include deliciously juicy rehydrated tomatoes and goldenberries. "After the success of our dates, figs, plums and apricots, we are thrilled to add tomatoes and goldenberries to our offer- ings," said Susan Leone, Founder and Owner of Fruit Bliss. "Our products are great for snacking and using in a wide array of recipes, from smoothies to baked goods, and now in pizza, pasta, sand- wiches and salads." Fruit Bliss' tomatoes are grown in Turkey, while the goldenberries come from Peru. These fruits are picked at the height of ripeness and dried, then export- ed to Turkey, where they undergo a rehy- drating process that leaves them juicier and sweeter than traditional dried fruit. Like all of Fruit Bliss' prod- ucts, the tomatoes and golden- berries are just fruit (yes, toma- toes are a fruit!) and water – no added sugar, preservatives or GMOs. They will be available in four-ounce (tomatoes) and five- ounce pouches (goldenberries) at supermarkets around the country. "Compared with other dried fruits, ours are juicy and naturally sweet, with no sulfites or other chemicals," said Leone, a Brooklyn mom who decided to start Fruit Bliss to fill the gap in 100 per- cent healthy snacks on the supermarket shelves. "Fruit Bliss is literally dried fruit reinvented and a truly healthy snack or addition to many dishes." About Fruit Bliss Established in 2011, Fruit Bliss' pouches and snack-size minis are sold nationally and can be found in Whole Foods, Safeway, King's, Rosauers, Jimbo's Naturally, Kowalski's Markets and many other regional natural food stores. Fruit Bliss is the first company to bring rehydrated dried fruits, a common snack and cooking ingredient throughout Europe, to the United States. For more information, visit www .fruitbliss.com, call 646.225.6565 or info@fruitbliss.com.