Fresh Digest A PublicationoftheFresh Produce &Floral Council Presorted Standard U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 271 Tucson, AZ FOLLOWS OWN PATH TO PRODUCE DIRECTOR PAUL DZIEDZIC ’ Spring 2021

Fresh Digest FreshA Publication of the Fresh Digest Produce & Floral Council Tim Linden Editor Emma McBride-Taylor Heather Gray Advertising Design/Layout Features FRESH PRODUCE & FLORAL COUNCIL 2021 Board of Directors OFFICERS CALIFORNIA AVOCADOS: Sean McClure GOOD VOLUME ANTICIPATED Professional Produce In Every Issue Chair 8 INTO AUGUST Kori Martin The Oppenheimer Group Chair Elect FPFC PANEL Kristen Reid MIXTEC Group REVEALS LEARNINGS FOR THE Secretary 10 YEAR OF THE PANDEMIC Editor’s View Michael Schutt Raley’s 4 BY TIM LINDEN Treasurer HAB EXPLORES Brian Cook Pete’s THE Immediate Past Chair 13 SUPER AVO SHOPPER Executive Notes PAST CHAIR REPRESENTATIVES FPFC HOLDS Harland Heath 6 BY DON GANN Heath & Lejeune, Inc. CHARITY Honorary Past Chair 15 Roger Schroeder AUCTION Honorary Past Chair Andrew Bivens BRISTOL FARMS’ PAUL Westlake Produce Company Past Chair DZIEDZIC FOLLOWS OWN Council News 16 PATH TO PRODUCE DIRECTOR 22 FPFC HIGHLIGHTS DIRECTORS Jake Cadwallader JIM LEIMKUHLER Stater Bros. Natalie J. Machado OF PROGRESSIVE PRODUCE FreshSource, LLC 20 RETIRES AFTER 35 YEARS Brad Martin Trade News Perimeter Sales & Merchandising 26 INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHTS Neil Merritt Bard Valley Date Growers Mil Mijanovic / Marta Moreno Rose-Gonzales Plants Lynnie Nojadera FreshSource, LLC Bryan Presley Albertsons// Marvin Quebec Quebec Distributing Veronica Rodarte Volume 49, Number 1 Progressive Produce, LLC Spring 2021 Rachelle Schulken Renaissance Food Group Caitlin Tierney Fresh Digest (ISSN-1522-0982) is published quarterly for $15 of FPFC membership dues; $25 Mastronardi Produce Dannie Timblin for annual subscription for non-members by Fresh Produce & Floral Council; 2400 E. Katella Melissa’s World Variety Produce Avenue, Suite 330, Anaheim CA 92806. Periodicals postage paid at Anaheim, CA, and at Paige Venable additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Fresh Digest, 2400 E. Michelle Ziegler Katella Avenue, Suite 330, Anaheim CA 92806. Pactiv Fresh Digest | 3 EDITOR’S VIEW By Tim Linden

I’m Grateful for... here are many things I missed is seemingly always someone who bers, shuttered schools, and life in this year of the pandemic, poses the question. With a tiny disruptions. Tbut one of them was not the Thanksgiving gathering in 2020, it Still the calendar has turned, our annual ritual of declaring at Thanks- didn’t come up. This wasn’t a good country is taking this seriously and giving for what I was grateful. I year for many, many people and though the total death and illness never liked doing that as a kid and I families across the globe, includ- counts are literally off the charts, I haven’t foisted it upon my children ing mine. We suffered a very close can see the light at the end of the as an adult. Still with a typically COVID-19 loss like many others as tunnel. And for that, I am truly large Thanksgiving gathering, there well as unemployed family mem- grateful. I am also grateful for…

…aging into some very good things: Social Security, Medicare and most importantly, THE vaccine. …the explosion of excellent ready-made meals. A must do for empty nesters living thru a pandemic. …a grand niece that sells Girl Scout cookies. …wine clubs. …diet tonic, limes and fermented grain. …video conferencing. It got old, but sometimes you just have to see people. …masks and mask wearers. …online grocery shopping. Not my thing but it kept others out of the stores. …packaged salads. …cocktail hour. …the state of California. (Let others bash us. We know we are in the Promised Land.) …cherry tomatoes & feta cheese. (See TikTok for the recipe.) …podcasts & documentaries & Netflix & Hulu. The lifeblood of 2020 living. …airpods. (An exercise necessity.) …taxes, which are used to maintain all the great parks and hikes in this great state, not to mention the things in grateful statement #1. …white noise machines. … Prime (Hate to admit it.) …guacamole & chips. …old people rock music (as my youngest calls it). …a career tailor made for a virtual world. …and living in a very long house with offices at each end, which has allowed my wife and me to survive 24/7 for 365+ days.

4 | Spring 2021

EXECUTIVE NOTES By Don Gann

Challenges Continue but Plans are in the Works

am settling into this new posi- to hold our Expo in late June in focused on. tion with a lot of enthusiasm for concert with the United Fresh Our immediate goal is to open I what lies ahead, but with open Produce Association. We also have up responsibly and once again facili- eyes about the challenges that are the August City of Hope Luncheon tate some great networking events. also present. It’s no secret that the on the books and are currently Each of the retail panelists recently coronavirus pandemic knocked out finalizing the plans for our two golf gave a blaring endorsement to the most of the Fresh Produce & Floral tournaments that will be held in late resumption of face-to-face interac- Council events over the past 12 summer and early fall. tions. We are working on that. months. But we were able to con- But more importantly, the But just as importantly, we nect with our membership through FPFC leadership is taking this are working behind the scenes to a couple of golf tournaments and forced pause in activities as an develop a full program of activities some on-line activities. And we opportunity to reevaluate our of- for 2022 that clearly addresses the were also able to complete a robust ferings, re-establish our role and needs of the industry and pro- Apprenticeship Program, which we redefine our mission. We have vides great value to membership celebrated in February with an on- created a new Membership Com- in the FPFC. We have established line graduation for our 2020 class. mittee that is focused on retaining a relationship with a handful of That event was held in conjunc- and engaging with current mem- other regional organizations around tion with an online Retail Panel bers, bringing back old friends, and the country sharing our thoughts, webinar featuring three top notch determining what others out there learning from each other and retailers. An are looking for. determining what synergies can be article on that panel is featured There are 2,200 related compa- achieved through formal or infor- in this issue. We will be holding nies in our marketing area of Cali- mal partnerships with these groups. another webinar in April honor- fornia, Nevada and Arizona. We are Collaboration is a valuable tool that ing the women in our produce and focused on finding value for those we are employing. floral industry. California has been companies within our programs and During this long year, it has of- a leader in bringing women to the activities. What are they yearning ten been said that “normal” is gone forefront in our industry and we will for and what can we provide? The forever. It is the “new normal” that celebrate that. membership luncheons have been will replace it. Please reach out and In 2021, we are expecting to the backbone of the FPFC for five let me know what you would like to start opening up again and holding decades. We anticipate that they see that new normal look like. We the events that make membership will continue to be an important are intent on revamping the best in the Council so valuable. We are element but what do you think? Fresh Produce & Floral Council the premier networking organiza- What events might serve you best? that there can be. tion in our industry, and we plan These are the questions we are

6 | Spring 2021

ome winter weather events combined to re- the country that are California avocado devotees, and duce the expected volume of the California they continue to play an important role in CAC’s pro- avocado crop, but marketers are still antici- motional plans. pating an average size crop with most of it In its promotional efforts, CAC is targeting what Sbeing sold in the April through August time frame. it calls Premium Californians. This is an attitudinal Jan DeLyser, vice president of marketing for the designation rather than a geographical one. A ‘Pre- California Avocado Commission, told the Fresh Di- mium Californian’ can live anywhere. That person gest in mid-February that the CAC Board had just has bought an avocado in the past six months, will completed re-assessing the crop as the result of wind pay more for quality, is brand conscious, likes adven- and other weather impacts and projected that volume ture, honesty is an important attribute in their sphere would fall just shy of 300 million pounds for the 2021 and she is environmentally conscious. About 53% of season. “This is in the range of an ‘average’ crop and the time, the person is female. Her household income is about 8% smaller than CAC’s preliminary handler is above $100,000, is most likely married, has children forecast,” she said. “Compared to many parts of the and over indexes with regard to college education. country, California has had a very mild fall/winter, Avocado super users are a key subset of the Premium but there were some weather events, including wind, Californians group. Those are huge consumers of that impacted the very early season harvest. That avocados and are specifically targeted by CAC’s pro- shortfall seems to be behind us, and we are expect- motions. ing promotable volume starting in late April, with a This shopper also over indexes on their use of range of sizes and excellent quality for the rest of media with a heavy dependence on video such as the season.” YouTube and Netflix, live television and social media

California Avocados Good Volume Anticipated Into August; Multiple Platforms Will Carry Promos

By Tim Linden

The veteran avocado marketer said that most platforms. Consequently, CAC is relying heavily on growers were holding back their fruit during the digital and social media platforms to promote avoca- first couple months of the year, with most observers dos to this audience. DeLyser explained that digital noting that a soft market was the root cause of that media refers to banner ads, online radio ads and video action. But with supplies from Mexico expecting a pre-roll ads. Social media or community-based adver- seasonal decline in the spring, California production tisement is defined by platforms that allow for two- will pick up. There were already signs of that in late way conversations such as Facebook, Twitter, Insta- February as the f.o.b. price started to rally. gram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. DeLyser said that for many years CAC has focused Besides these internet-based platforms, CAC will its promotional efforts in the West with a tiered ap- again utilize billboards in the four major California proach targeting retailers and foodservice accounts markets: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orange County that have shown an affinity for selling and promoting and San Diego. DeLyser said “high impact” graph- the fruit from the Golden State. This has resulted in a ics, including a “double wallscape” on a San Francisco majority of the volume staying within California, but building, will be used to spread the California avocdo she reminded that there are specific retailers across message. The commodity marketing group will also

8 | Spring 2021 use Spotify and Pandora to reach consumers by al- on average with that lowing them to “purchase” uninterrupted music for a premium rising to set time by listening to a CAC pitch. almost 30% in late Sharing recipes through social platforms as well August. She said on specific recipe-sharing sites is another strategy that is the continu- the commission will employ. ation of a four-year The videos, artwork and messaging CAC will uti- trend with California lize ties directly to the California vibe, as it has for avocados receiving several years. For example, one of the taglines ex- an average of 16% claim: “The best avocados have California wonder in premium in the f.o.b. them.” Similar taglines feature other catch words that price over that pe- evoke a carefree California image. riod. The gap tends The commission has allocated about $4 million to be greater in the for its promotional budget with digital streaming ac- second half of the counting for $2.7 million of it or 67%. The remaining California season as $1.3 million is split among audio, search engines, so- its supplies dwindle. cial and outdoor advertising in descending amounts. At the retail level, Jan DeLyser The audio and digital advertising will be confined California avocados to the March through August time slot. Social me- receive a 17% premi- dia and search engine promotions take place on just um during their roughly 26-month marketing year. about a year-round basis. In the foodservice arena, CAC is hopeful for the On the consumer public relations front, CAC uses opening of more restaurants as the pandemic’s hold a variety of strategies to increase the use of Cali- on the nation decreases. CAC has developed a “Fla- fornia avocados, including recipe contests, cooking vor Pairing Kit” to help educate foodservice operators classes, grower videos, social media brand advocates, about the many uses of California avocados and how and website artwork and graphics. the versatile product can enhance the menu. DeLyser said the commission appeals to the in- The commission is also dipping its toes in the ex- dustry through merchandising and marketing infor- port market with a sampling program in South Ko- mation. She revealed that in California in 2020, Cali- rea and the hiring of an in-country representative in fornia avocados received a 7% premium in f.o.b. price China.

Fresh Digest | 9 it was like painstakingly build- ing a sandcastle at the beach and FPFC Retail Panel having a wave knock it over in an instant. As Mother’s Day ap- proached in May of last year, Ve- nable said sales started to build Reveals Learnings again and they have been climb- ing ever since. She indicated that the key to Vallarta’s success was adapting to the change. She concentrated for the Year of the on the top five sellers in each cat- egory, adding that the 80/20 rule Paige Venable defines floral sales: 80 percent of sales come from 20 percent of your products. “We went back to our ‘A’ game and Pandemic merchandising 101.” In-store, Vallarta emphasizes great signage, great displays and offered the products By Tim Linden at a great price. Venable said there is no substitute in the floral game for offering a product at a great value that makes people happy. When it delivers, they come back and hile the coronavirus pandemic presented buy it again. many challenges to the retailing of fresh Dzeidzic said the key to success for Bristol Farms produce and floral products, the important when the pandemic hit was to implement the plan it Wrole flexibility plays in the sector might had devised to make sure it had a continual supply of have been the biggest learning from this consequen- products that customers wanted to buy. Because the tial year. pandemic seemingly made people skittish about shop- That was one of the takeaways when three South- ping and searching for that perfect fruit or vegetable, ern California executives participated Bristol Farms greatly enhanced its packaged produce on a retail panel webinar sponsored by the Fresh Pro- offerings putting as many things that they could in duce & Floral Council on Feb. 18. The panel consisted bags and expanding the ready-made section. He said of Bristol Farms Director of Produce Paul Dziedzic, produce items associated with good health such as Vallarta Supermarkets Floral Director Paige Venable ginger and garlic flew off the shelves but so did old- and Produce Sales Manager Ryan Sanchez of the fashioned staples like bagged onions and potatoes. more than 300 Albertsons and Vons stores in South- “Almost anything in a bag sold well,” he said. ern California. The trio represented a diverse cross Over the past year, the Bristol Farms executive section of the area’s supermarket industry as Bristol said the retailer has carried SKUs that it had never Farms is an upscale retailer with 14 stores, while Val- carried before and has greatly enhanced its in-house larta’s 52 stores skew heavily toward the Hispanic de- tote bag program, as well as the value-added prod- mographic in the Southland, while Albertson/Vons ucts chopped and wrapped in the back room. “We expansive list of stores dot the landscape, virtually have sold 10 or 20 times more produce in tote bags covering every sector in the community. than we ever did before,” Dziedzic said. “This is a change business,” said Venable. He mentioned that even a tropical promotion fea- She noted that when the coronavirus first began turing lychees in a tote bag resulted in huge sales impacting consumers, leading to shelter-in-place or- gains. “Lychees promoted in a tote bag brought in ders, Vallarta’s floral sales plummeted almost over- $20,000 in just a couple of days,” he marveled. night. She cut way back on SKU’s and watched the Sanchez agreed that it was executing a solid plan business that she has built at Vallarta in her three that allowed Albertsons/Vons to keep its produce year’s there evaporate. Quoting her boss, she said shelves stocked. The produce team expanded its sup-

10 | Spring 2021

plier list and tried to anticipate Venable, Dziedzic and Sanchez acknowledged that and accommodate the needs of they have learned to adapt to online meetings and its customers. He said bagged presentations with suppliers. And Dziedzic admitted products were great sellers and that working from home on occasion and not fighting mentioned that for the first time the Los Angeles traffic is a plus. But they also agreed the chain started offering bagged that they miss those personal connections. nectarines and peaches. It was “I’d go back to face-to-face meetings yesterday if I such a hit that they added the could,” said Sanchez. “You can’t replace that.” offering to their daily lineup. He He said this year has proven that you can get by said that organic produce sales with those video calls and he expects that they will skyrocketed as did anything with continue at some level beyond the pandemic. “We vitamin C and everything with an have learned we can do that, but let’s get back to face Ryan Sanchez immunity connection. to face as soon as we can.” “Potatoes sales were off the Dziedzic said it is not only supplier presentations charts,” he added. that have been sorely missed but tours of grower op- All three panelists agreed that there are challeng- erations. He said that is an excellent way to familiar- es when dealing with e-commerce but also agreed ize Bristol Farms’ produce people with the local fruits that those sales will continue to increase. Sanchez and vegetables that they sell. “We haven’t been able said the online orders for Albertsons and Vons are to do that. That’s a huge loss for us.” still increasing and he expects that will continue even Venable looks at those face-to-face meetings at beyond the pandemic when many people come back trade shows and luncheons as an important part of to the stores. He said consumers are buying into the who she is. “There are people I have done business concept and that won’t go away. with for a long time and they can send me a photo Dziedzic concurred, noting that even almost a year and a price and I can give them a yes or a no,” she later, online sales continue to increase each month. said. “But I am eager to get back and visit with those He said the selling online occurs around the clock people who have embraced me and raised me in this and if you check out a Bristol Farms in the morning, industry.” the aisles are filled with Instacart shoppers. The panelists also discussed the future of the re- Venable said that shopping for groceries and floral tail industry and what supermarkets might look like online is a “natural extension of the Amazon-world” a decade from now. Each of them agreed that having we live in. While older shoppers might have been a dedicated hub for online shoppers is an idea that has slow in embracing e-commerce, they have adapted great value. Dziedzic also envisions a hybrid store that and Vallarta’s sales continue to climb using that plat- offers fewer SKUs concentrating on the top sellers form. when it comes to produce. But he said larger stores The online sales make it difficult to capture im- that offers greater variety and big displays will also pulse sales, which are such a huge part of produce continue to be part of the landscape. He also likes the and floral on a daily basis. But the trio of speakers idea of drive-thru windows for supermarkets, which agreed that it is merchandising 101 in the store and have started to appear during this past year. online that helps generate those sales, even during a Sanchez likes the hub idea but he believes that on- pandemic. “You have to make sure what you are offer- line shoppers might also be accommodated in a spe- ing on-line is exactly what the customer is going to cial area dedicated to them in each store. “We might get when they come to the store,” said Venable, who see larger stores with smaller sales spaces to accom- added that for a supermarket floral shop “all of our modate a fulfillment center within the store,” he said. sales are impulse buys.” Venable went back to her answer at the very begin- Dziedzic indicated that the online platform can ning of the panel discussion. “This is a change busi- capture some impulse buys by making suggestions to ness. In our industry there is change all the time.” the shopper as they move through the list of prod- She indicated that it is those who can adapt to ucts. If a user clicks on a product that isn’t in stock, the change that will survive whether it be drive-thru apparently the online program recommends an alter- windows, e-commerce hubs or hybrid supermarkets. native.

12 | Spring 2021 HAB Explores the Super Avo Shopper

he Hass Avocado Board recently released a study to identify data-based insights and growth opportunities for the avocado cat- egory based on the long-term purchase trends of retail avocado shoppers. Specifically, this studyT measured the impact of heavily involved avoca- do shoppers on long-term category growth compared to shoppers that are less involved in the category. Ad- ditionally, this study uncovered the underlying pur- chase trends of Hispanic and Non-Hispanic avocado shoppers and examined their current and future roles in the growth of the avocado category.

Executive Summary The avocado category has experienced substantial Heavy user households drove 6%. Medium and Light retail sales growth over the past four years and ranks households saw a decline in purchases over the long as one of the largest categories in fresh produce. This term. growth comes in the form of new shoppers entering The increase in Super household purchases was the category and shoppers making additional trips to driven by two factors: the retailer to purchase avocados. These category dy- *Shoppers moving up the purchase ladder. The namics are pushing avocado shoppers “up the ladder” Super segment grew by +3.2M households, account- to greater purchase levels as their annual spend per ing for 28% of all avocado-purchasing households in household increases. 2019, up from 25% in 2016. One of the primary driv- The avocado category saw an increase of +$250M ers of this trend is frequency of purchase. As shop- in purchases from 2016 to 2019. Super avocado-pur- pers move up the ladder, their purchase trips increase. chasing households drove 94% of this increase and Purchase trips increased +9%, while spend per trip increased +3% (Spend per trip may be impacted by pricing dynamics in the marketplace). * Annual spend per household increased +5% for the Super segment. This annual spend increase was driven by an increase in spend per trip (+2%) and purchase trips (+3%). Super households also spend more in store on all items in basket than other groups. Supers spend $74.43, which is +3% more than Heavy house- holds and +13% more than Light households. Despite this additional spend, avocados comprise a greater proportion of the Super group’s market basket than they do in other segments. Avocados comprise 4.6% of Super baskets, but only 2.4% of Light baskets. These trends make the Super segment increasing- ly important to the growth of the avocado category

Fresh Digest | 13 and a particularly important shopper segment to re- chase trips: Non-Hispanic purchase trips increased tailers and the industry. +10%, while Hispanic purchase trips increased +6%. Hispanic shoppers are a high-value segment of the As marketers and retailers look to the future of avocado category. This shopper group is more likely the avocado category, the data suggests a significant to purchase avocados than Non-Hispanic households. opportunity for growth, particularly in the Non-His- They purchase avocados more often, and they spend panic shopper group. Non-Hispanic household pen- more per trip. However, the growth in incremental etration was 61% in 2019, compared to 85% for His- avocado purchases from 2016-2019 (+$250M) was panic households. However, the potential for growth driven by Non-Hispanic households. in Non-Hispanic penetration is greater than the Non-Hispanic households drove 76% of long- potential for Hispanic penetration: The growth po- term category growth over the last four years. This tential of a +1-point increase in Non-Hispanic pen- group comprises a much larger proportion of house- etration is an additional +$24M in annual purchases, holds and their purchase trends increased at a faster compared to +$4M for Hispanic households. rate than Hispanic households: Non-Hispanics ac- These trends signify the value of Hispanic and count for 83% of total U.S. households and their av- Non-Hispanic avocado shoppers. Hispanic shoppers erage annual household spend increased +14%, while may be a smaller household group, but they are a Hispanic spend increased +9%. high-value segment in the category. Non-Hispanic The primary driver of the growth in annual households show significant potential to drive new household spend was an increase in category pur- category growth as the industry looks to the future.

14 | Spring 2021 FPFC HOLDS CHARITY AUCTION

he Fresh Produce & Floral Council held history on how a Zoom Live Auction would be, we its Annual Charity Auction virtually in were nervous on participation levels. But the FPFC December. The auction was able to raise did not disappoint and everyone who participated Ta total of $44,065 in support of Cateri- came fully prepared to provide tremendous support na’s Club and Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange for Catarina’s Club and Second Harvest! It was an County. honor to be asked to be co-auctioneer with the great The auction started off with a few words from Mike Schutt and had a great time seeing everyone’s the FPFC’s Interim Executive Director Don Gann, faces again even if it was on screen. I’m very proud who introduced Angela Fraser of California Avocado of our FPFC family!” Commission, who sang the National Anthem – in The FPFC is very appreciative of the personal usual FPFC luncheon fashion. Harald Herrmann of donation of retailer time and support of 99 Cents Second Harvest Food Bank gave surprising statis- Only Stores, Albertsons, Gelson’s, , tics to the audience – the food bank served 620,178 Raley’s, Smart & Final, and Stater Bros. Markets. people and distributed 4,057,636 pounds of food in The live auction items included many outings with November alone. He stated that unemployed and un- FPFC member retailers – Jacob Cadwallader from der-employed residents have increased significantly Stater Bros. jokingly told attendees that lunch was on since the COVID-19 pandemic, causing more families him at In-n-Out and how happy he was to support the in Orange County to need assistance. FPFC and these organizations “It is a true honor and Chef Bruno stated that Caterina’s Club is serv- great privilege to be in a position to help these two ing 25,000 meals per day in Orange County and sur- great causes, Caterina’s Club and Second Harvest! rounding areas. He echoed Herrmann in saying that In years past, I have typically been on the sidelines the need has increased significantly since the begin- during the auctions, wanting to help in a bigger way, ning of the pandemic and Caterina’s Club is continu- and now my time has come to give back a bit and I ing to spread love, hope and warm meals to those in couldn’t be more thrilled. I was also relieved when need. people started to bid and we heard more than crickets The comradery that is ever-present between Mi- chirping! I hope those that won the bid are cool with chael Schutt of Raley’s and Mihae Finnie of Del a double-double from In-N-Out, along with stimulat- Monte Fresh did not disappoint attendees – there ing conversation of course!” were smiles and laughs all around. Keeping the tone The FPFC is grateful to its members for their of the normal FPFC luncheons, attendees had the op- support and participation in the auction to support portunity to win gift cards throughout the auction. the powerful work Caterina’s Club and Second Har- Finnie stated how pleased she was that the auc- vest Food Bank of Orange County are doing. tion went off without a hitch. “Without having any

Fresh Digest | 15 Bristol Farms’ Paul Dziedzic Follows Own Path to Produce Director

By Tim Linden

hough he started in the retail busi- a lychee promotion (at Bristol Farms) where ness like many others as a box boy we sold $20,000 worth of lychees in a few at his neighborhood market in the days. That’s quite a few lychees.” 1980s, Paul Dziedzic’s career has His family did eventually settle in Sac- Tbeen anything but a straight line. The di- ramento where Paul went to high school rector of produce for 14-store Bristol Farms and was introduced to produce retailing. He in Southern California has spent most of his joined the Bel-Air Market at Arden & East- career in produce retailing but he has also ern in Sacramento as a young man when launched a wholesale beverage company, it was still an independent retailer. In fact, marketed dragon fruit and even worked on a that location was opened shortly after the coffee plantation in Hawaii. Wong family opened its first Bel-Air Mar- Dziedzic grew up in many different cities, ket in 1955. In 1984-85, Paul played baseball including some overseas tropical locations as at Sacramento State University and helped he was the son of a career member of the finance his education by bagging grocer- United States Air Force. “I was born in Puer- ies. He recalls that it was only a few months to Rico and we lived in Guam in my younger into his part-time employment that he was years,” he said, noting that the tropical up- attracted to the produce department. The

retailer profile bringing has impacted his produce career. “I produce manager took him under his wings love featuring tropical fruit. We recently had and taught him a lot. By 1991, Paul became

16 | Spring 2021 a produce manager with the Fair tropical weather of his youth. “We Oaks store being his first assign- spent a couple of years in Hawaii ment. “Bel-Air had a very good doing some different things. I produce team,” he said, noting that worked on a coffee plantation and Greg Corrigan, who recently left I also worked with a grower mar- the top position at Raley’s after a keting what he called the next big long career there, was a member item: dragonfruit.” of that Bel-Air team. He loved the experience. Ini- He also remembers Bill Wong, tially, the family lived out of a one of the Bel-Air founders, hav- camper on the Big Island, did a lot ing a passion for retailing and of ocean swimming and fishing, for the produce department. Mr. and Paul even worked at a produce Wong had a philosophy that stand. He might still be in Hawaii Paul said matches that of Bristol today, but his father became seri- Farms. “The Bel-Air market was a ously ill and Paul and his family high-end retail operation and Bill wanted to spend quality time with Wong would always say ‘carry ev- the family patriarch. They lived on erything and people will come to the same Sacramento area prop- you.’” erty and he is grateful they made Raley’s bought Bel-Air in the that decision. “We really enjoyed mid-1990s and Paul stayed with living with my parents and help- the expanded retail presence. “Ra- ing them through that process,” he ley’s handled it very well. They remembers. gave opportunities to all of us Back in California, Dziedzic who were working for Bel-Air.” rejoined Raley’s, working in the Paul worked as both a produce warehouse in quality control, and manager and merchandiser open- then he ran the chain’s Nevada ing new stores for the chain. produce division of 19 stores. His But in 1999, with a wife and next stop was a four-year stint at two young kids, he longed for the Scolari’s Food and Drug in Nevada

Fresh Digest | 17 stand out…be different.” He calls Bristol Farms and Bel Air old-school retailers. On the produce front, Paul said the goal is to always find the best of the best. He loves to mer- chandise very large pieces of fruit. “We offer value to our customer at a higher price,” he said. “We offer a fair price, but we are a high-end shop with high-end products so you should expect to pay more.” Bristol Farms is a big proponent of organic pro- duce as its fits its philosophy. Dziedzic said at least 75% of the produce sold at Bristol Farms is organic. Conventional SKUs are only utilized when organic is not available or when the chain gets an item that from 2009 to 2013, where he was the director of pro- it can promote at a good price point for its custom- duce. He totally changed the produce department as ers. He said the organic market share continues to a one man show, and also fell in love with Reno, where expand, and he expects it to top 90% in the not-so- the family still maintains its home. distant future. But then Paul took another hiatus from retail- As mentioned above, Paul loves to feature tropi- ing, working for an organic ingredients wholesaler cal items and also strives to do business with local and establishing a wholesale beverage distribution growers, though local has to get stretched a little bit company with his son. That company still exists. In as the agricultural footprint in Los Angeles is pretty 2015, Paul joined Whole Foods as a produce coordi- small. He notes that Bristol Farms and Lazy Acres nator and then moved to Bristol Farms in October Markets are part of Good Food Holdings, which is of 2019 as the director of produce. His first order of owned by South Korea’s largest retailer. “We are in a business at Bristol Farms was to hire a senior buyer growth mode with two Lazy Acres, two Korean mar- and moved another produce buyer to the store level. kets and another Bristol Farms on the books to be He defines Bristol Farms and its five-store sister op- built soon.” eration, Lazy Acres, as high-end stores. “Every time Paul is excited about having a hand in designing I walk into a Bristol Farms store, I flash back to Bel- the produce offerings for the two Korean markets. He Air. They are both top of the line stores with noth- noted that the past year, with COVID-19 playing a ing cookie-cutter about them. We try to be unique… huge role, was a unique year with many new factors coming into play in the business of retailing fresh produce. Produce sales increased, on-line ordering exploded and any produce item in a bag experienced an increase in sales. He also noted that items associat- ed with better health also saw big sales gains. In that category, he placed ginger, turmeric, organic produce and anything that could be labeled citrus, with its great reputation for being a healthful product high in vitamin C. “The kiwi berry just killed it,” he said, noting the fruit is associated with offering immunity from some ills. In fact, he said any item that has an immunity play is flying off the shelves. Diedzic said one big takeaway from the pandemic buying that took place in the first couple of months in March and April of 2020 is that consumers focused on core items. Bagged potatoes and onions both sold in huge numbers for example. He can envision a store format with a smaller footprint that would focus on only top sellers such as the top 50 produce items. He

18 | Spring 2021 admits that flies in the face of the advice he received from Bill Wong at the start of his career but believes it could fill a niche. “It’s hard for me even to talk that way but it could work,” he said. In fact, he added that the two sister Korean mar- kets being designed for the Los Angeles area will fol- low that model as they will have a scaled down as- sortment of products. As he looks back at the pandemic-laced year, Dziedzic said it has been a bit of a struggle from a business relationship point of view. He noted that the produce industry is a tight knit community. “One of the fun parts of the industry is getting out and get- ting together,” he said. “Zoom calls save time but I am looking forward to getting back to normal.” He added: “I am doing today what I was born and raised to do.” He loves the reality of being a true pro- duce professional.

Fresh Digest | 19 Jim Leimkuhler of Progressive Produce Retires after 35 Years

im Leimkuhler, chief executive officer of “John Thatch- Progressive Produce LLC, has retired ef- er taught me fective March 31st, after 35 years in the so much about Jproduce industry. The last 25 years have humbleness, hard been spent with Progressive Produce in Los Angeles work, integrity, where he was instrumental in building the company and how to be a into a well-respected produce operation that serves leader. It was all national and regional grocery chains, and foodservice through an ex- companies throughout the United States. ample of how he “My life and career at Progressive Produce have lived his life. I will meant so very much to me,” stated Leimkuhler. “I feel always be grateful so blessed to have been given the opportunity to come for that opportu- here in 1995 as the chief financial officer, to be named nity,” says Leim- Jim Leimkuhler its president in 1996, and to become a part-owner of kuhler. Work- the company in 2003.” ing for Thatcher What many people don’t know about Leimkuhler gave him a real thirst for working in a small business is that he began his career in the newspaper busi- where he could get his hands around everything. If ness after getting his degree in journalism from Hurricane Andrew hadn’t hit, Leimkuhler probably the University of Missouri in 1977. His very first would have stayed in Miami. job out of college was with The Packer and he was But it’s been 26 years since he picked up his family, hired to write stories and sell advertising. In fact, moved to Los Angeles, and began using the leadership on the very first week he was sent to Wisconsin to skills he learned from Thatcher to build Progressive work with another writer that was reporting on the into what it is today. potato fields that were soon to be harvested. Little Caring for the business like he owned it came did he know that years later he would end up running naturally to Leimkuhler long before he and his now- a produce company in Los Angeles that would be- retired partners, Jack Gyben and Victor Rodarte, or- come a prominent player in the fresh potato business chestrated the management buyout of Progressive throughout the United States. Fast forward through from Chiquita in 2003. The goal of owning the com- a seven-year career in the book publishing business pany was the biggest reason he made the decision to in Iowa, an MBA in accounting from Drake Univer- move to Southern California in the first place back sity and working as a Certified Public Accountant, in 1995. fate stepped in and led him back to produce. In 1986, When he got there, it was an early morning busi- he joined Chiquita Brands International’s finance de- ness -- going to the Los Angeles Wholesale Produce partment in their corporate headquarters in Cincin- Market and seeing buyers for coffee or breakfast at nati. He was then transferred to Miami in 1989 to 4:00 a.m., followed by a busy day in the office with the work for John Thatcher, as vice president of finance phones ringing and pagers going off. “I could never for Banana Supply Co., a newly acquired subsidiary have imagined how much Progressive, and the pro- of Chiquita. duce industry, would evolve over the next 25 years,

20 | Spring 2021 and I feel fortunate to have been part of the journey,” Leimkuhler said as he reflected on his early days at the company. Even though the company is now much larger, it still maintains a small business mentality. Leim- kuhler would always emphasize to his team that the way to success was to always get better. Leimkuhler explained, “Getting better was an easier goal than saying we had to grow by 15% every year, which is tough in a commodity business. I just boiled it down to getting better. And if we got better, we would get bigger. And if we got bigger, well we just had to deal with it.” With this philosophy, Progressive grew from a lo- cal Los Angeles produce company into a year-round grower/packer/shipper. Today, Progressive’s product line consists of organic and conventional asparagus, potatoes, onions, sweet potatoes, citrus, and chili pep- pers grown throughout North and South America. The company has sales offices in Los Angeles, Wash- ington, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Texas. After many years of excellent stewardship and success, Leimkuhler, Gyben, and Rodarte sold a ma- jority interest in the company to TOTAL PRODUCE plc in February 2016. Subsequently, one year later it merged with its longtime sweet onion and aspara- gus business partner Keystone Fruit Marketing of Greencastle, PA, and the company grew overnight. Marty Kamer, who was previously president of Key- Progressive, who have always been his motivation to stone, was named president of the Progressive busi- work hard. He often said that people are what makes ness in October 2018. Kamer will continue to lead this industry great and to never lose sight of the fact the company into the future, together with a well- that we need people, and we need to keep relation- respected team of industry veterans. “My first and ships strong in everything we do. lasting impression of Jim is leadership personified. In fact, you can ask anyone at Progressive, and His inspirational leadership is rooted in his integrity they’ll tell you about a time Leimkuhler called to and his relentless pursuit of excellence,” said Kamer. check in and say how grateful he was that you were “Jack, Victor, and I had a unified goal that the last part of the team. Jeannie Berger, vice president of of us wouldn’t leave until we were sure that the new Human Resources and Administration said this: “Jim management team could lead our great company to is one of the most inspirational people I have ever even greater heights. I am very pleased to say that met. He is a true visionary with a compassion to that time is now,” stated Leimkuhler. make everyone’s life better.” Scott Leimkuhler, vice president of sales at Pro- As Leimkuhler prepares for retirement, he offers gressive had this to say, “It has been a special time in some advice to the next generation of leaders and my life to get to work with and learn from my dad. those starting their careers in the industry, “Always He cares deeply about the people at Progressive and look for where you can add value and make a differ- the produce industry as a whole. I will miss working ence. If you love your job, ‘own it’ and grow with it. with him. His legacy of integrity, leadership and And don’t forget to take some risks. I started out in kindness makes me proud.” a journalism job, became a CPA and ended up in pro- When asked about what he will miss most, Leim- duce. It’s rarely a straight line for anyone. Go out kuhler is quick to reply that he’ll miss the people of there and follow your dreams.”

Fresh Digest | 21 COUNCIL NEWS

NEW MEMBERS EXPLAIN THEIR OPERATIONS

he following new members of the Fresh Produce & Floral Council submitted information about their compa- nies and the services they provide to introduce themselves to the FPFC membership, or the information was Tculled from their website. Buchalter, A Professional Corp tute, California State Bar Association, the Los Angeles Buchalter is a full-service business law firm that has County Bar Association and the LACBA Domestic been teaming with clients for eight decades, providing Violence Project, the Sojourner Center, the Boys and legal counsel at all stages of their growth and evolu- Girls Club of Greater Phoenix and many others. tion, and helping them meet the many legal challenges Buchalter is consistently ranked among the leading and decisions they face. Our clients are engaged in a law firms by Chambers and Partners, Best Lawyers, The diverse global economy governed by complex laws and Daily Journal and the Los Angeles Business Journal. regulations, and they trust us as advisers and business It is also ranked among the leading firms nationally by partners because we are involved in their world. They American Legal Media and the National Law Journal. rely on our forward-thinking to help them resolve problems before they arise. Giddings Berries USA Our founding principle—providing our clients with Giddings Berries USA, a subsidiary of Giddings the best business solutions—continues to lead us. We Fruit, has opened a Monterey, Calif., office. Ian Grigg value each client relationship, recognizing that their is the chief operating officer for Giddings Berries USA. success is our success. Our overarching goal—getting He has been involved in the fresh-cut flower industry the best results for the client in a timely manner with for 15 years. He also was in business development and sensitivity to cost—has engendered client loyalty, and operations for berry company Sun Belle Inc. for more the firm has grown from that loyalty. than five years. Our lawyers are accessible, resourceful, skillful Helena Beckett, director of sales, joined Grigg in and adept at responding to change. Our technologi- the new Monterey office. She most recently was retail cal capabilities keep case law and rule changes at our sales account manager for California Giant Berry fingertips and client communications current, enabling Farms, and before that she was senior sales director at us to create efficient, superior outcomes. We strongly Tanimura & Antle. Beckett was also at Fresh Express believe that technology is a tool that furthers the for 3 ½ years. practice of law and have used that belief to develop a Founded in 1985 in Santiago, Chile, Giddings Fruit cutting edge platform for our firm. is a fully vertically integrated supplier with an exten- Buchalter lawyers are also active members of the sive breeding program, along with growing and pack- communities in which they live and work. Leadership is ing operations ranging throughout North and South a value the founding partners practiced and passed on America. The California location allows the company to the current generation of attorneys. Our lawyers sit to be closer to customers and simplifies the supply on the boards of prominent organizations, teach and chain, and to ensure consistent qualities that meet U.S. lecture frequently. We actively participate in many as- standards. sociations and groups including the Public Law Center, “We have assembled a great USA team and an- San Francisco Legal Aid Society, Practicing Law Insti- ticipate significant expansion opportunities in the

22 | Spring 2021 North American market for our premium fruit,” said Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc Julio Giddings, founder and chief executive officer of Setton Pistachio, which is the second largest pista- Giddings Fruit. “Our mission is to provide premium- chio processor in the United States, has been grow- quality fruit with the greatest level of customer care, ing and processing pistachios in the Central Valley of to integrate our growing operations with the U.S. mar- California since 1986. Setton Pistachio has ownership ket, and to work closely with our customers ensuring in more than 10,000 acres of planted pistachios and consistent quality, agility, and commitment. We look currently has the capacity to process over 110 million forward to working with American buyers.” pounds of pistachios owned by the company and its The company’s primary products are conven- grower partners. The nut producer provides pistachios tional and organic blueberries, blackberries, raspber- to more than 50 foreign markets, and through Setton ries, strawberries, cherries and red currants. The International Foods Inc., distributes a variety of nuts company ships to the U.S., China, Asia and Europe and dried fruits to wholesalers and retailers throughout from Mexico, Peru and Chile. the United States. Located in the heart of the San Joaquin valley in Veritable Vegetable California, Setton attends to each detail of growing, Veritable Vegetable is a women-owned and led or- harvesting, processing, manufacturing and packaging ganic produce distribution company based in San Fran- pistachios. As a family owned and operated pistachio cisco. Established in 1974, we source and deliver the company, we take great pride in our tradition of excel- freshest and highest quality produce, with unmatched lence, making us your preferred California pistachio service. Powered by a zero-emission green fleet and supplier. Our impressive processing and storage facility driven by purpose, we put our values in action to build a spans 500,000 square feet, incorporating the latest sustainable and equitable food system. technologies in each stage of production. Our ability Veritable Vegetable supports organic farmers, to focus on every step of the process ensures the top increases access to fresh produce, and strengthens quality and value of our products for our customers. diverse communities. We create a healthier world Setton Pistachio operates one of the most sophis- through our essential work. Our unique, values-driven ticated food-safety programs in the entire nut industry business model encourages political change, impacts and the quality and wholesomeness of our pistachios is food policy, and demonstrates a radically different ap- universally unparalleled. Setton Farms is our premium proach to distributing organic produce. Sustainable and brand, as well as the corporate identity of our numer- regenerative systems increase energy and resources ous pistachio orchards. and are life-affirming. We envision our environment, Our #1 priority is to treat our customers right. This our economy, and our communities as sustainable extends not only to the final consumer who will enjoy systems. the taste of our pistachios, but also to our family of As a women-led business, we take a forward- growers with whom we partner to bring those pistachios thinking and innovative approach to solving complex to market. We believe that producing the highest qual- problems. We create a fair and dynamic workplace ity products and building relationships with our cus- through cooperative and collaborative leadership. We tomers will not only win the taste buds of consumers, deeply value the people who make up our community but also keep them coming back. This philosophy was of staff, growers, customers, and community partners; bred the day we began business and remains steadfast our collective labor is fundamental to the organic trade. today. Being successful means keeping our extended We strive for excellence in our work, transparency family of employees, growers and customers excited in our relationships, and integrity through our actions. about producing the best tasting pistachios.

Fresh Digest | 23 COUNCIL NEWS

FPFC OFFICE THE FPFC WELCOMES 2400 E. Katella Avenue, Suite 330 Anaheim, CA 92806 tGBY THE FOLLOWING NEW MEMBERS 8FCTJUFXXXGQGDPSH EDITORIAL OFFICE Nicole Mason Tim Linden Veritable Vegetable 925-258-0892 UJNMJOEFO!ZNBJMDPN Joseph Setton ADVERTISING OFFICE Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Emma McBride-Taylor 714-739-0177 FNNB!GQGDPSH Joseph Welch Buchalter, A Professional Corp

FPFC MISSION STATEMENT Helena Beckett The mission of the Fresh Produce & Floral Council is to connect members to the information, education and professional network they need to increase Giddings Berries USA knowledge, grow their businesses and collectively advance the industry.

FRESH PRODUCE & FLORAL COUNCIL TO HOLD VIRTUAL WOMEN’S ROUNDTABLE

xploring the impact of this past year of pandemic It was a year with both kids and moms at home trying from a produce woman’s perspective will be the to learn and conduct business remotely. How has the Esubject of a virtual event sponsored by the Fresh coronavirus impacted the lives of produce and floral Produce & Floral Council in early April. women? How has the past year refocused women’s Rachelle Schulken of the Renaissance Food Group commitment to themselves, reshaped their careers is the co-chair of the FPFC’s Luncheon Committee, and shifted their priorities for 2021? With the theme, which is charged with finding interesting programs “Power of Passion, Persistence and Perseverance”, to replace the networking luncheons that have not those topics will be explored by Moderator Kristen Reid yet returned to action. In February, a panel of retail- of Mixtec and her panel of four dynamic women: Kyla ers explored the past year and looked ahead to report Oberman of Cal Giant Berry Farms, Amber Rossi of the impact and learnings of 2020 from a retail point Whole Foods, Sheryl Salazar of Albertsons and Shonna of view. This “Women’s Roundtable: Celebrating the Williams of Cardenas Markets. Fresh Future of Women in Produce and Floral” will The event will be held virtually at noon on Wednes- explore the ever-present coronavirus impact and how day, April 14. it affected women in the produce and floral industry.

24 | Spring 2021 FRESH PRODUCE & FLORAL COUNCIL GRADUATES 2020 APPRENTICES; ANNOUNCES PROGRAM FOR 2021 CLASS

n February 18, 2021, the Fresh Produce & Floral (Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act) session as Apprentice Class of 2020 was honored prior to we do every year,” she said. Othe council’s virtual retail panel. Each member A Public Speaking Session, featuring experts in that had received a diploma via mail and were introduced learned skill, will be utilized to help each of the appren- during the event. In addition, apprentice Allie Fafard of tices gain confidence in his or her ability to effectively Frieda’s Inc. served as the class representative by relay- communicate in a public forum. That effort concludes ing the group’s experiences and the beneficial impact with each apprentice giving a presentation to a panel of the program had on her personally. experts. There will be five educational session through- As the class was graduating, the deadline was ap- out the nine-month program with the fervent hope proaching for applications for the 2021 class. Rachelle that some will be able to be help in-person. Schulken Schulken of Renaissance Food Group is the chair of said these sessions will cover such topics as leadership the Apprentice Committee and told Fresh Digest that skills, food safety/crisis communications and transpor- 2021 is expected to be a hybrid with both in-person tation/logistics. “The goal is to give our apprentices a and virtual meetings. She reminded that in 2020, the well-rounded view of the industry,” she said. Apprentice Class had just been chosen when the coro- One of the learning from the year of COVID is navirus appeared “throwing everyone for a loop.” that virtual tours can cover a wider swatch of firms and Initially, the FPFC pushed the start date back a few geographic locations than in-person events. “The virtual months to reassess the program and determine how to tours were very successful in 2020,” Schulken said. proceed. Schulken said the 2020 program appears to “We realized we could be in an apple orchard in Wash- have been every bit as valuable as the preceding years. ington and a lettuce field in Arizona on the same day.” The apprentices all found value and said they would do Four tour days have been planned for 2021 with it again, which does serve as a ringing endorsement. the expectation that each day will include a tour of two This year, the FPFC leadership is going into the different operations. year with its collective eyes wide open. During March, The apprentices will also participate as a group at the Apprentice Committee will review the applica- the United Fresh/FPFC Expo, which is currently slated tions, interview applicants and chose a diverse class to be an in-person event in late June. If all goes well, representing many different segments of the industry. the class will also participate at some other industry Schulken said many of the time-tested events will again events, including the City of Hope’s produce walkathon be part of the educational effort. “We will kick the pro- in the fall. And an in-person graduation is tentatively gram off in April with a meet and greet and our PACA scheduled for the 2022 FPFC Dinner Dance.

Fresh Digest | 25 TRADE NEWS

Five Crowns & Gloriann look forward to adding solar to this within the industry; these strategic Farms to Open New Facility new facility just as we did with our changes across Calavo Operations Brawley property.” support our long-term business Brawley, CA-based Five Crowns objectives for all segments of the has announced the opening of business.” its new facility in Tracy, CA with Calavo Announces Among the notable changes to partner GloriAnn Farms. The new Calavo’s organizational structure is facility will expand the value-added Changes in Structure the promotion of Cheryl Enlow to corn program and offer regional Calavo Growers, Inc., a global vice president of food safety and distribution of other core products. leader in the avocado and value- Scheduled to open in April 2021, added fresh food industries, has quality assurance, where the indus- GloriAnn Farm’s new state-of-the- announced changes to enhance the try veteran will now oversee food art processing facility will more than organizational structure within the safety and quality programs for all double capacity to produce their company’s operations department. Calavo business units, including the value-added line of products. Under the leadership of Chief Ex- company’s avocado and guacamole “If 2020 taught us anything, ecutive Officer Jim Gibson, Calavo divisions and Renaissance Food it’s to expect the unexpected,” is working to synergize all segments Group. With a degree in Food Tech- said Mark Bacchetti, co-owner of the business by creating a “one- nology from Iowa State University, of GloriAnn Farms. “Last year we company vision”, wherein Calavo Enlow’s career centers on produce, faced numerous obstacles that and its subsidiary, Renaissance holding positions in production hindered our ability to keep up with Food Group (RFG), join forces to and quality for various grower and significantly increased demand for optimize and elevate the Calavo fresh-cut companies and Safeway packaged corn. Needless to say, we name. “Through the merging of our Corporate, where she was respon- will be ready with this new facility internal divisions, we are able to sible for quality of perishables. and look forward to continuing to leverage the legacy and expertise of In addition, Omar Martinez is grow the value-added sweet corn the Calavo brand with the innova- promoted to vice president, con- category with our retail partners.” tion and influence of RFG to form tinuous improvement, where he will In addition to housing the one cohesive, industry-leading lead Calavo’s Environmental Health Northern California sales staff, the enterprise,” said Gibson. “The and Safety (EH&S) and Workers multipurpose facility will also allow combined talents of the Calavo Compensation (WC) teams. Mar- Five Crowns to increase its acreage and RFG teams will help realize our tinez will also help implement the on both bulk corn and melons by vision and strengthen the future of company’s environmental, social providing the cold storage capac- our company.” and governance (ESG) metrics. For ity to cool and ship more product “As Calavo seeks to streamline the Calavo fresh avocado business, regionally. business initiatives under our ‘one- Marc Fallini is promoted to vice “This new facility sets us up to company vision’, one of our core president of fresh operations and handle the additional volume that strategies is to continue develop- will oversee all fresh avocado opera- we will be growing, giving us the ing and investing in our people, as tions in the US. much needed capacity to cool and well as building a strong, integrated Don Johnson, a veteran of the ship from Northern California,” team to support and drive our industry and longtime leader at said Joe Colace, co-owner of Five growth goals,” stated Chief Opera- Renaissance Food Group, will lead Crowns Marketing. He also added, tions Officer Mark Lodge,. “We are Calavo’s purchasing and logistics “One of our goals as a company is committed to becoming the leader initiatives which will centralize to be as sustainable as possible while in operational excellence, food packaging, purchasing and domestic maintaining efficiencies, and we safety and quality, and sustainability logistics for Calavo’s business units.

26 | Spring 2021