BC Hot House sees sales grow
BC Hot House is up 28% overall in cases this year with a projected growth of another 30% for next summer, said Kevin Batt, director of sales for BC Hot House Foods Inc., Surrey, British Columbia.
Among the company’s new products:
- Blushers Pink Cherry Tomatoes, from the growers at Delta View Farms;
- Creekside Hothouse’s Taste Buddies Mini Pepps in red, yellow and orange; and
- Hot Pyro Peppers, a greenhouse-grown hot chili available May through October.
Additionally in 2012, BC Hot House expects updated and refreshed packaging, increased social and quick-response codes on all packaging, and website updates.
Eastern Fresh adds to its lineup
Eastern Fresh Growers in Cedarville, N.J., is offering new products for retailers: a club pack (which includes six to eight larger green peppers in a bag) and a medium green pepper pack (12 peppers per bag), said Tom Sheppard, vice president of Sheppard Farms and president of its sister wholesale produce company, Eastern Fresh Growers Inc.
“It’s a way to promote more volume,” he said.
Additionally, Sheppard said a 28,000-square-foot packinghouse opened last year in Cedarville, N.J., that will “run a really sterile environment.”
It will be fully refrigerated and product will remain in a controlled environment the whole time. The packinghouse was built with enough space to add an electronic pepper packing line in the future.
Lakeside Produce relaunches Solo brand
Is a fresh greenhouse bell pepper with a long shelf life too good to be true?
Not according to Leamington, Ontario-based Lakeside Produce, which introduced Everfresh packaging technology as part of a relaunch of its Solo-brand sweet peppers.
“The most amazing thing is that whether (the package) is opened two days or two weeks after purchase, it has the smell of a fresh harvest pepper,” said president Chris Cervini.
Lakeside offers Solo individually wrapped peppers, as well as three-, four- and six-packs of the red, yellow and orange bells.
The Everfresh system utilizes a proprietary film technology that reduces shrink while maintaining freshness. The clear packaging, designed especially for peppers, is 100% recyclable.
“Our retail partners are all telling us they like it,” Cervini said. “Depending on the color, (retailers) are seeing a 5% to 15% increase in sales.”
The retail campaign will include a consumer-based mobile site, point-of-sale materials and coupon offerings. The updated packaging design will feature a quick-response code with a mobile app that links consumers to recipes and tips, shopping lists, Facebook and further information about Everfresh.
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