Pure Flavor riding growth trends

Spurred by new acreage and product innovation, Pure Hothouse Foods has strong growth plans for 2021, says Chris Veillon.

Veillon, chief marketing officer for Pure Hothouse, Leamington, Ontario, which markets the Pure Flavor brand, said 2020 was a good year despite the challenges of COVID-19.

“Even with the pandemic, we still enjoyed a good year by reaching more consumers than we ever have before,” he said. 

“We immediately sprang in to action in early March to put protocols in place for our employees and facilities so that we could keep working.”

Big opportunity is ahead for the company, he said. “We will continue to champion the message through our content that we are fueling healthy lives with fresh, greenhouse-grown fruits and vegetables,” he said.

It’s adding new products, removing seasonality of items with greenhouse growing. 

Watch: New Product Review — Uno Bites Nano Cucumbers from Pure Flavor

The company’s Phase II construction in Leamington of 25 acres was completed in September.

The 25 acres of greenhouse capacity in Phase III there began in October and will be completed by late this summer, he said. A fourth phase is planned to be finished by fall 2022.

Over the next five years, he estimated Pure Flavor’s greenhouse production in Ontario will grow more than 20%, and perhaps more than that.

Veillon said the company’s 2021 top priorities include boosting consumption with its core greenhouse items and some new items that will help amplify its brand message.

Increasing capacity also will mark 2021, Veillon said.

“We continue to expand our family of growers who are strategically located throughout Canada, USA and Mexico to be able to grow and ship more product,” he said. 

“Building 50 acres in Leamington in less than a year will help boost our inventory of products that will be grown year-round with the addition of high pressure sodium lighting to help during the winter months.”

Veillon said about 10% of Pure Flavor’s products are U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified organic.

Innovate

Among new items, Veillon said Pure Flavor rolled out Uno Bites Nano Cucumbers in November and this year launched Cloud 9 Bite-Sized Fruity Tomatoes. Both items will create new snacking opportunities for consumers, he said.

With distribution facilities in Leamington, Detroit, San Antonio, and Byron, Ga., Veillon said the operations are developing continuous improvement plans to integrate robotics and high-tech automation into their production process.

Pure Flavor has an ongoing audit of packaging materials, with a goal of transitioning into more sustainable materials that are both cost effective and environmentally friendly.

“What the last 10-plus months has taught us is to be agile, flexible, be able to change direction or pivot at a moment’s notice,” he said.

Watch: Cloud 9 tomato makes debut with Superior Taste Award

Some of the ways that the company adjusted, he said, was shifting from bulk product sales to custom, retailer-specific packaged formats.

Meanwhile, the cancellation of in-person trade show and events translated to greater digital marketing efforts, with more digital ads in place of print ads, geo-fencing of content in areas with high sales concentrations, retailer-specific ad content, and ads to prompt consumer visit to retailer locations.

In addition, he said Pure Flavor works with influencers throughout North America.

“From a marketing communications standpoint, digital content is king!” he said. 

With no in-person events likely in the near future, Veillon said Pure Flavor is strengthening its digital presence across all of its channels.

Tactics, he said, include more story telling, creation of content landing pages, geo-specific ads and more.

“Device appropriate content helps consumers quickly search not only for product information but how to use the product with recipes,” he said. 

In a non-pandemic situation, Pure Flavor invests heavily in product demonstrations with key retailers throughout the U.S. 

“The greatest barrier to conversion is the lack of trial,” he said. 

“By encouraging more people to try fresh vegetables like tomatoes, we can increase the likelihood of engagement and creating future customers.”