DOLE.indd 1 7/20/15 4:59 PM AUGUST 2015 • VOL. 31 • NO. 08 • $9.90 features 40WHEN AUTUMN LEAVES FALL, COLORFUL OPPORTUNITIES ARISE Tricks of the trade when marketing produce for the season. 46GAME ON! Produce can be the life of the tailgate party. 40 52WASHINGTON APPLES RADIATE From Ambrosia to Breeze, a full pipeline of cover story special features varieties shines from the Evergreen State. 2725TH ANNUAL MARKETING 16FROM THE PAGES OF THE 60TRADE PACKAGING EXCELLENCE AWARDS PRODUCEBUSINESSUK.COM MOLDS TO CONSUMER DEMAND Produce Business Recognizes 17 Outstanding Campaigns Squeezed Middle Ground Is Convenience is key, and industry players More Of An Issue For Retailers are meeting needs in various ways. 20 commentary ASCENDENT INDEPENDENTS: 10 THE FRUITS OF THOUGHT MURPHY’S MARKETPLACE Will California’s Drought Cause Customers experience local flavor departments Industry’s Positive Reputation and aesthetics in this New Jersey ORGANIC MARKET To Dry Up? independent retailer. 64 WORKING THROUGH THE CHALLENGES OF ORGANIC SUPPLY 86 RETAIL PERSPECTIVE 22 Using specialized organic distributors Take Another Look At RESTROSPECTIVE can smooth out the supply chain and In-Store Processing Retailer-Turned-Supplier, maintain consistency. Brian Gannon’s Career 87 WHOLESALE MARKET Spans More Than 30 Years MERCHANDISING REVIEW Are Trade Shows Still Relevant? 71 8 TACTICS TO CONSIDER WHEN MERCHANDISING ONIONS 88 EUROPEAN MARKET This popular item can drive sales The Significance Of The throughout produce and beyond. US/EU Transatlantic Trade in this issue & Investment Partnership 4 QUIZ 78 MUSHROOMS ON THE MOVE By touting the health benefits and 89 VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY 8 PRODUCE WATCH including value-added lines, retailers Adapting To Trends And Coding can position these products to sell. Regulations In Produce Packaging 6 WASHINGTON GRAPEVINE 90 12 FORWARD THINKING 14 RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES 15 COMMENTS AND ANALYSIS DRIED FRUITS & NUTS 90 BLAST FROM THE PAST 82 IT’S ALWAYS RAISIN SEASON Health benefits and convenience 90 INFORMATION SHOWCASE drive year-round sales. Change Service requested: POSTMASTER: Send address changes to PRODUCE BUSINESS, P.O. Box 810425, Boca Raton, FL 33481-0425. PRODUCE BUSINESS (ISSN 0886-5663) is published monthly for $58.40 per year by Phoenix Media Network, Inc., P.O. Box 810425, Boca Raton, FL 33481-0425 PRODUCE BUSINESS / AUGUST 2015 / 3 TOC.indd 1 8/4/15 9:56 PM produce quiz THIS MONTH’S WINNER ROBERT MERCURIO President of the Desiderio family business. In 1990, James Desiderio, Inc. Desiderio Jr. was diagnosed with cancer, and AUGUST 2015 • VOL. 31 • NO. 08 • $9.90 Buffalo, NY “he mapped out a visionary plan of how he P.O. Box 810425 • Boca Raton • FL 33481-0425 perceived the business might progress. Upon Phone: 561-994-1118 • Fax: 561-994-1610 his death, I became the soldier that put the [email protected] Robert Mercurio, president of full-service game plan into action,” says Mercurio. PRESIDENT & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF James E. Prevor wholesale company, James Desiderio, Inc., Today, along with Desiderio’s three sons [email protected] began working in produce at a young age (Jim, Chris, and Nick), Mercurio says the PUBLISHER/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR when his father owned a B-Kwik in Buffalo, company maintains distinction in the whole- Ken Whitacre which was a smaller full-service supermarket sale business with a well-rounded customer [email protected] franchise under the Buffalo-based TOPS base and a versatile facility. “We have more VP EDITORIAL Ellen Koteff Markets’ umbrella. In 1975, after graduating than 40,000 feet dedicated for packaging, [email protected] as an Accounting/Business major from Cani- ripening rooms, a foodservice division that SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR sius College in Buffalo, Mercurio’s father was distributes out of a separate facility located Mira Slott ready to sell the grocery business and retire, on our property, but the main attribute that [email protected] which provided the perfect timing to make keeps us viable is the fact that we are able to INTEGRATED CONTENT EDITOR Michele Sotallaro a career move. Jim Desiderio Jr. (Mercurio’s incorporate youth along with our mid-aged [email protected] brother-in-law) recruited him to be a part and veteran leadership.” PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Diana Levine How To Win! To win the PRODUCE BUSINESS Quiz, the first thing you have to do is enter. The rules are [email protected] simple: Read through the articles and advertisements in this issue to find the answers. Fill in the blanks corresponding to the questions below, and either cut along the dotted line or photocopy PRODUCTION LEADER the page, and send your answers along with a business card or company letterhead to the address Jackie Tucker listed on the coupon. The winner will be chosen by drawing from the responses received before the PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT publication of our October issue of PRODUCE BUSINESS. The winner must agree to submit a color photo Sunshine Gorman to be published in that issue. Freddy Pulido Christopher Sizemore WIN A COOLING/MASSAGING SEAT CUSHION EVENT COORDINATOR This multifunctional seat cushion works in three ways to Jackie LoMonte [email protected] cool, massage, and heat. It has a fan that pushes air through the CONTRIBUTING WRITERS cushion’s vented polyester seat providing airflow for cooling in Carol Bareuther, Mark Hamstra, Mindy Hermann, hot conditions. Twin massaging nodes in the lower back soothe Bob Johnson, Keith Loria, Sophia McDonald, Caroline Perkins, Kristen Pope, Jodean Robbins, muscles, and built-in heating elements in the back and seat Suzanne Smither, Lisa White enhance circulation. Its tethered remote provides three massage ADVERTISING modes, high/low heat control, and five fan speeds. A 12-volt DC Eric Nieman, Associate Publisher car adapter and AC adapter are included. [email protected] Linda Bloomfield [email protected] QUESTIONS FOR THE AUGUST ISSUE Katrina Brown [email protected] 1) What is the web address for J&C Tropicals?_______________________________________ Steve Jacobs [email protected] _______________________________________________________________________________ Sandy Lee 2) What kind of Pure Earth juice is featured on the ad for Del Monte Fresh?_______________ [email protected] _______________________________________________________________________________ Kelsee Loche [email protected] 3) What is SweeTango’s Twitter handle?____________________________________________ Ellen Rosenthal [email protected] _______________________________________________________________________________ Nestor Valconi 4) What commodity is CMI promoting in its ad?_______________________________________ [email protected] _______________________________________________________________________________ FLORAL DEPARTMENT MARKETING E. Shaunn Alderman 5) What is the Growers Express Sales phone number for Green Giant Fresh Cauliflower Crumbles? [email protected] Send insertion orders, payments, press releases, _____________________________________________________________________________ photos, letters to the editor, etc., to Produce Business, P.O. Box 810425 6) How many melons are shown on the ad for Dulcinea and Pacific Trellis Fruit?____________ Boca Raton, FL 33481-0425 PH: 561.994.1118 FAX: 561.994.1610 ____________________________________________________________________________ Produce Business is published by Phoenix Media Network, Inc. James E. Prevor, Chairman of the Board This issue was: o Personally addressed to me o Addressed to someone else P.O. Box 810425, Boca Raton, FL 33481-0425. Entire contents © Copyright 2015 Phoenix Media Network, Inc. All rights reserved. Name__________________________________Position_______________________________ Printed in the U.S.A. Company_____________________________________________________________________ Publication Agreement No. 40047928 Address______________________________________________________________________ City_____________________________State_______________ Zip______________________ Phone____________________________________Fax________________________________ Photocopies of this form are acceptable. Please send answers to: AUGUST QUIZ PRODUCE BUSINESS • P.O. Box 810425 • Boca Raton, FL 33481-0425 4 / AUGUST 2015 / PRODUCE BUSINESS Quiz.indd 1 7/31/15 5:15 PM J&C Tropicals.indd 1 7/16/15 11:51 AM Congress Addresses Issues Interrupting Flow Of Commerce On Land And Sea BY JULIE MANES, DIRECTOR, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS ransportation issues are partic- After hearing from business owners about irreplaceable ularly prominent in the spotlight recently. For example, nearly 50 losses of perishable products either waiting to be percent of America’s seaborne exported or idling offshore, cargo enters the ports of Los An- Congress is taking steps to ensure commerce Tgeles and Long Beach, making those the busiest ports in the country. Thinking back moves efficiently through America’s ports. several months ago — when slowdowns, congestion and disruptions in work at the ports brought much of the country’s com- The “Ports Performance Act” would This factor allows the trucks to safely ship merce to a halt and wreaked havoc on the give stakeholders visibility into how U.S. more freight, reduce miles traveled, reduce produce industry — that statistic would ports are operating and the ability to logistics, reduce pavement costs, and ulti- have been hard to believe. identify