Coosemans DC is seeing strong demand for both retail and foodservice offerings, said Lolo Mengel, CEO of the Jessup, Md.-based company.
“We anticipate even greater demand as we get into the fall school sessions and people returning to the area from summer vacations,” Mengel said, adding that the company continues to see growth in demand for unique items.
The biggest challenge, Mengel said, is trying to keep costs down with so many increases in labor, transportation and packaging costs, which are climbing higher each month.
Mengel said another challenge is creating the “new normal” following the restrictions of the pandemic. That includes a safe and flexible work environment so that the company can accommodate any revisions in the COVID-19 recommendations while getting operations back to pre-pandemic levels.
In other news at Coosemans, the company has introduced sustainable bags for fresh herbs that use 75% less plastic than clamshells. The packaging represents the most significant step in fresh herb merchandising since the industrywide switches from bunches to clamshells in 2000-02 and to organic herbs in 2006-08, according to Chuck Goodman, vice president of sales for Coosemans Worldwide.
