New England Produce Council

What To Expect at NEPC’s Premier Show

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 18:45:34 GMT

A record number of exhibitors are expected for the 25^th Produce, Floral & Foodservice Expo hosted by the New England Produce Council from Aug. 18-19 in Everett, Mass.

About 1,000 attendees including retail, foodservice and wholesale buyers are expected to converge once again on the Encore Boston Harbor hotel resort, says Laura Sullivan, NEPC executive director. A total of 173 exhibitors, including floral, are set to participate in the show.

“We were able to add 14 more booths, and even with that, we were sold out with a wait list,” Sullivan says.

Event Outlook

The exhibit space might be snapped up, but companies still can promote themselves and their products through various sponsorship opportunities. Sponsors will be highlighted in multiple ways, including signage, slideshow presentations and marketing materials, Sullivan says.

Visitors to the produce exhibits will be welcomed to the show floor by floral vendors, who will set up their colorful tabletop displays outside the entrance.

“It will look great and smell great as visitors enter the produce part of the show,” Sullivan says.

That arrangement was used a few years ago, and the council decided to stage an encore presentation this year, she says.

The 12 members of the newly launched NEPC Leadership Program will be able to take a market tour and attend the show.

“We’re excited to introduce our leadership group to our show so they can experience the tradeshow atmosphere and meet other people in the industry,” Sullivan says.

The well-received Produce Feud game show will return, where six competing teams will attempt to answer pop culture and produce-related questions.

Sullivan points out the NEPC show does not have educational sessions.

“We want [attendees] to spend 100% of their time going booth to booth and having face time with the vendors and creating new relationships and fostering and maintaining relationships that they already have,” she says.

A Monday reception featuring food, drinks and entertainment is scheduled to kick off the show.

“It’s a time to relax and mix and mingle before the show on Tuesday,” Sullivan says.

Encore Boston Harbor seems to be a popular venue.

“It’s nice having everybody under one roof for all the elements of the show,” she says. “You don’t really need to leave the property once you get there.”

The casino made it a no-brainer, she adds.

Sullivan also is a 29-year NEPC member.

“I remember the very first show in south Boston,” she says. “Each year we learn something new and different that we can improve on and make better.”

Sullivan says attendees should preregister at newenglandproducecouncil.com .

The New England Produce Council expo once again plans to kick off with an opening reception filled with food, live music and conversation.

(File photo: Jennifer Strailey)

Exhibitor Insights

The Packer reached out to some of this year’s exhibitors who were eager to share their enthusiasm for the NEPC expo, the venue and the overall experience.

Maurice A. Auerbach Inc., based in Secaucus, N.J., has exhibited at all 25 of the NEPC shows, says Bruce Klein, director of marketing.

“We do a great deal of business in the New England region, and this show draws all of our major customers in the area,” he says.

The show is a good opportunity for networking, and the venue is great, Klein says.

This year, the company will show about 60 products, including asparagus, peeled and bulk garlic, shallots, ginger, limes, Asian specialties, root vegetables and
organic garlic, shallot and ginger packages.

The NEPC show actually helps Nash Produce, Nashville, N.C., develop its product line, says Robin Narron, marketing director and sales support.

“We’re able to have face-to-face conversations and more one-on-one personal conversations with buyers, category managers and others and find out what their thoughts are,” she says. “They know more of what is selling in the stores, and what tends to work.”

Don Sparks of the Nash sales team attends the show and loves the coastal location, the people who attend and the ability to reconnect with colleagues, Narron says.

Nash, which has exhibited for 15 years, will show off its premium North Carolina sweetpotatoes and Mr. Yam product line.

Matt Zapczynski, Northeast promotion director for the Eagle-based Idaho Potato Commission, lives in the Northeast and appreciates the chance to connect with customers and get to know them better.

“This show has always provided us an opportunity to connect with and engage with the decision-makers who are helping us sell Idaho potatoes in the region,” Zapczynski says.

He plans to use the opportunity to tell visitors about what sets Idaho potatoes apart from other tubers.

“Idaho potatoes are special due to their unique growing environment — rich volcanic soil, clean mountain water and a climate that produces a fluffy texture and full flavor,” Zapczynski says.

While the majority of those attending the NEPC expo are produce buyers and sellers, Smith’s Farm in Saint Augustine, Fla., sees a chance to interact with fellow growers as well as customers, says Megan Adams, executive assistant.

“There’s a strong sense of community throughout the event,” Adams says. “We exhibit to spend time with our customers and the ag community in general.”

The company, which has been exhibiting for 10 years, appreciates the intimate setting, “which allows us to engage in meaningful conversations with our existing customers and connect with potential new ones,” she says.

Smith’s Farm plans to showcase its Maine broccoli and cauliflower this year.

Stemilt Growers Inc. is based in Wenatchee, Wash., in the Northwest, but the Northeast is a key distribution area with some major customers there, says Brianna Shales, marketing director.

Tim Harrington and Dashan Dookhu, East Coast merchandising managers, will be there focusing on Stemilt’s Artisan Organics apples, Rushing Rivers pears, Cosmic Crisp apples and its signature Lil Snappers kid-size fruit program, Shales says.

Stemilt has been exhibiting for 15 years.

“[The NEPC expo] is fast-paced but small enough that it allows attendees to see and visit each booth,” she says.

Mike Smith, senior vice president sales and marketing for Orlando, Fla.-based Spice World Inc., sees the NEPC show as a terrific networking event for the produce industry.

“We appreciate any opportunity to speak face-to-face with our customers,” Smith says. “It is vital to keep Spice World’s name and products top-of-mind and discuss customers’ needs as we continue to build relationships.”

Spice World’s regional sales team, which includes Drew Caneza, vice president of sales, and Brigid Harvey, sales manager, are set to be at the expo.

The company will feature its entire product line, which includes an array of garlic offerings, Easy Onion and the newest products introduced last fall: refrigerated fresh diced garlic, refrigerated peeled ginger and a garlic and ginger seasoning blend.

This will be the fifth year Bland Farms, Glennville, Ga., will exhibit, says Sloan Lott, director of sales.

“Every year brings new opportunities to connect and grow,” he says.

Bland Farms uses the NEPC show to support and strengthen its relationships with the Northeast retailers the company serves and to expand its reach in the region, Lott says.

“It’s a key market for us, and the show helps us stay in sync with what buyers are looking for,” he adds.

The company plans to show Sand Candy sweetpotatoes and Bland Farms Vidalia sweet onions and premium sweet onions.

Sabrina Pokomandy, director of business development and marketing for Ontario-based Highline Mushrooms, is impressed by how intentional and energized the conversations are at the expo.

“It’s a space where buyers and suppliers come ready to collaborate, problem-solve and explore what’s next for the category,” she says. “The scale of the show keeps things focused, which means every interaction has depth and impact.”

This is the third consecutive year the company will exhibit, and Highline will spotlight its new rebrand now on shelves across North America, Pokomandy says.

“Built to drive impact at retail, our refreshed packaging features vibrant color cues and clear tills that showcase quality and freshness instantly,” she adds.

Vaughan, Ontario-based Taylor Fresh Canada Foods has exhibited for more than 10 years because the show offers “a unique opportunity to showcase our latest innovation and speak to the freshness and quality we pride ourselves on,” says Amanda Knauff, vice president of sales for Canada and the Northeast U.S.

“The NEPC consistently puts their best foot forward in organizing a valuable, well-attended show year after year,” she adds.

This year, Taylor Farms is set to highlight its lineup of products across various retail, foodservice and deli segments.

“You can expect to see our top-selling Taylor Farm Chopped Kits, as well as Earthbound Farm Organic and Earthbound Farm Greenhouse SKUs,” Knauff says.

Miami-based J&C Tropicals first exhibited at the NEPC expo last year and plans to return this year.

“We’re excited to be back,” says Denise Gomez, marketing manager. “After a successful first year, we knew we wanted to return and continue building relationships in the region.”

The company will showcase tropical produce, including rambutans, Namzen coconuts, red and Thai guavas, turmeric, ginger, dragon fruit, mangoes and more.

“These items continue to gain popularity, and we believe they’re a great fit for the diverse and health-conscious consumer base in the New England region,” Gomez says.

NEPC 2025 Expo Schedule

Monday, Aug. 18

Exhibitor setup — 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Picasso Ballroom
VIP reception (for sponsors and VIP guests) — 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., Picasso Ballroom
Cocktail reception — 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., South Lawn

Tuesday, Aug. 19

Exhibitor setup (extended hours) — 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., Picasso Ballroom
Expo breakfast and produce game show — 7:45 a.m. to 9 a.m., Picasso Ballroom
Exhibit hall opens — 9:10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Picasso Ballroom
Lunch — 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Exhibitor move-out — Beginning 4 p.m. (no early booth breakdown allowed), Picasso Ballroom

Photos: NEPC conference opening reception at casino resort

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 13:25:32 GMT

EVERETT, Mass. — Just past the designer boutiques, award-winning steakhouse, fanciful indoor ferris wheel and neon lights and jingling sounds of casino games of the Encore Boston Harbor Resort and Casino, attendees mingled Aug. 21 at the kickoff event of New England Produce Council’s Produce, Floral and Foodservice Expo.

Catch a glimpse of who was there and what it all looked like just before the show kicked off Aug. 22 with a keynote breakfast, NEPC Produce Manager Leadership Development Program, trade show, sports celebrity talk and more.

(Farm Journal)

As New York apple season just starts kicking into high gear, brother and sister duo Marcus and Alisha Albinder of Hudson River Fruit Distributors joined the party. The family-owned apple operation is celebrating 60 years.

(Farm Journal)

NEPC Executive Director Laura Sullivan, left, talked with reception attendees. The Encore resort was an idea to bring all events under one roof with entertainment and dining options to satisfy show goers in between all the NEPC events.

(Farm Journal)

Joe Dugo of Naturipe, Patrick Kelly of the Produce Industry Podcast and Mary Heslep of Ten Acre Marketing enjoyed the reception as well.

(Farm Journal)

The opening reception was accompanied by a country singer and was well attended.

(Farm Journal)

The Encore Boston Harbor Resort and Casino was an opulent experience in itself.

(Farm Journal)

Near the hotel registration, this spinning ferris wheel caught the attention of many guests.

Related: NEPC to prioritize produce managers in new program at show

Produce, floral managers at NEPC show explore a higher purpose

Thu, 24 Aug 2023 20:58:29 GMT

EVERETT, Mass. — Don’t wait until you’re confident to try for your career goals, said a leadership coach at New England Produce Council’s produce conference just outside Boston.

Wendy McManus, founder and CEO of Connect 2 Potential and former retail program manager at the National Mango Board, shared this advice at the first NEPC Produce Manager Leadership Development Program. She presented the seminar Aug. 22, the main day of NEPC’s Produce, Floral & Foodservice Expo.

“It’s the ability to commit without knowing how to do the hard thing, without the confidence to do it. We don’t have to wait for the confidence to do it. We just need the commitment to do it,” McManus said. “Do the hard thing.”

Fifteen produce and floral managers and merchandisers from New England-based grocery retailers were selected to attend the interactive seminar, “The Last 50 Feet: Leading with Purpose and Confidence,” sponsored by Coast to Coast Produce , Cheshire, Conn., in honor of its late founder, Peter Sticco.

“It was important to him to foster leadership and educate young people,” said Laura Sullivan, NEPC executive director.

Related: Photos of NEPC conference opening reception at casino resort

Until a month ago, Palavi Mannan was an assistant store director at Star Market, part of Shaw’s, both subsidiaries of Albertsons Cos. Now she’s a produce and floral specialist, in charge of produce and floral for 20 Star Market stores in the Boston area.

“This is my first time attending one of these shows, and I think it’s going to be very beneficial for me, especially this part,” Mannan said during a seminar break.

August is a busy time of year for produce at retail.

“The back-to-school season is Christmas for us. That’s when everyone comes back, and we get sales. It’s the biggest opportunity for us,” Mannan said.

These produce and floral professionals play the final critical role in earning those sales. They’re in charge of the “last 50 feet,” or the estimated distance from dock to display.

“You guys own the last 50 feet of a product that took months, sometimes years, to create. And you guys own that,” McManus said. “There’s study after study about having a sense of purpose in your work, and what a difference that makes.”

More commitment, lower stress and less turnover are all benefits of employees who feel a sense of personal purpose in their work.

It’s also helpful to step back for a moment from your everyday duties and be reminded of that big picture. That pause for reflection is helpful when training and managing your produce clerks too, McManus said. Explain the “why” behind your step-by-step instructions.

Also, celebrate the small wins that lead to the big win of that big picture.

(Farm Journal)

As an icebreaker to the seminar, each participant shared what fruit, vegetable or flower they’d be and why.

“If I was a vegetable, I’d be a cucumber because I’m cool,” said Wayne Cousins, produce and floral manager at Big Y Foods, Naugatuck, Conn., store No. 32. “You have to be calm under pressure. Just be mellow.”

Cousins recalled how hard it was when he was an assistant produce manager, and he was tasked with delivering bad news of job termination to disgruntled employees.

“Now I am the manager, and I have to handle all the problems, but I have a team of happy employees,” Cousins said.

Attendees discussed leaders they admired, what those qualities were, how they can exhibit those qualities, and how to keep themselves accountable about this goal. One idea was to include your purpose statement in your work email signature.

Al Garnett, a winner in the 2017 United Fresh Retail Produce Manager Awards, sat in the back of the room as his Stop & Shop colleagues participated.

He’s worked in produce retail since 1973, and today he is the produce field manager of Stop & Shop, where he created produce selection and preparation classes for shoppers that became so popular, there was a waiting list.

“At an early age, I had a supervisor who allowed me to participate in meetings … What he taught me most was people skills, the keys to understanding the person,” Garnett said.

After the NEPC seminar ended, he said: “I found it interesting that 75% of the people talked about procuring people, mentoring people. It’s hugely important.”

Related: NEPC to prioritize produce managers in new program at show

Seen and heard at New England Produce Council Expo

Mon, 28 Aug 2023 12:15:18 GMT

EVERETT, Mass. — It’s a show where it feels like everybody knows everybody. And if you don’t, you will soon.

New England Produce Council ’s 2023 Produce, Floral & Foodservice Expo drew most of the major retailers of the region and their growers, wholesalers, marketers, packers, brokers and everyone else in between.

Related: Photos of NEPC conference opening reception at casino resort

These are a few snapshots of who was seen and tidbits of what was heard at the show.

(Farm Journal)

New England-based retailers such as Shaw’s, Star Markets, Market Basket, Big Y Foods, Roche Bros., Stop & Shop and more talked with suppliers at the show.

(Farm Journal)

La Bonanza Avocados is making its own single-serving guacamole cups with a peel top, said Maggie Hall. The vertically integrated company grows, packs and markets avocados and guacamole, with headquarters in Uruapan within the Mexican state of Michoacán, and a distribution center in Mission, Texas.

“We really specialize in foodservice and private label,” Hall said.

Also, Valeria Villasenor will join the company in September, representing the third generation in the family-owned company.

(Farm Journal)

Untill’s products are going to market in the Northeast U.S. in October, marking the vertical, indoor farming company’s commercial launch.

Expect four clamshells of baby greens: Wild Medley, a mizuna mix; kale; Arugula & Cress; and arugula.

“There are no people touching the product until after it gets into consumer’s hands,” said Ahmad Zameli, founder and CEO of the Hudson, Mass.-based company. “From seed to harvest, it’s all mechanized.”

Working with researchers for four years at Northeastern University, the Zamelis said they have optimized the growing formula so it will work for all products. For baby greens, the grow time is 11 days from seed to harvest, he said. They are working on strawberries and herbs.

The Hudson facility has the capacity to produce a half-million 4-ounce clamshells of baby greens a year, Zameli said.

(Farm Journal)

To-Jo Mushrooms , based in Avondale, Pa., has its traditional mushroom offerings grown year-round indoors using compost, as commercial mushrooms do — whole and fresh-cut, said Samantha Snyder.

Relatively new is the fresh foraged program, which actually does have a season.

“We are getting ready for our chantrelle season that lasts through September, a little of October,” Snyder said.

The company is also gearing up for the fall and winter holiday season, the biggest demand time for mushrooms.

Related: Produce, floral managers at NEPC show explore a higher purpose

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Ark Foods , based in Brooklyn, N.Y., has a several new products available nationwide as of a couple weeks ago, said Lindsay Belfatto, vice president of sales.

There’s a Korean BBQ Stir Fry Kit with vegetables such as broccoli and carrots, as well as a sauce and rice packet. “You can heat and eat it in 10 minute, and it’s non-GMO verified,” Belfatto said.

Then there are four new stock-keeping units, or SKUs, of Ark Foods’ salad kit line with all sorts of dressings and toppings.

The company is also known for its shishito peppers and heirloom tomatoes, grown indoor and out, from farm operations in different areas depending on the time of year.

Seen and heard at New England Produce Council Expo — Part 2

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 13:19:47 GMT

EVERETT, Mass. — For retailers, the late-August timing of the 2023 New England Produce Council Produce, Floral & Foodservice Expo was right when the back-to-school season was kicking into high gear.

For growers, the timing was the calm before the storm of the fall harvest. And for everyone in between, the annual show signaled that the industry’s slight summer lull was over.

“It’s a good way to kick off the trade show season,” said Trish James, chief marketing officer for Reidsville, Ga.-based Shuman Farms and vice president of Orlando, Fla.-based Healthy Family Project and its Produce for Kids program. “This show is a good balance of casual and work: It’s fun and casual, and you can get good conversations.”

The council shook things up a bit by headlining the keynote breakfast with a comedian.

“We thought it was a great way to start the day with laughter. It was a risk the committee was willing to take, and I think it paid off,” said NEPC Executive Director Laura Sullivan.

(Farm Journal)

The location of the Encore Boston Harbor Resort and Casino was near the New England Produce Center, which was convenient for the local industry members. And the resort itself contained so much entertainment and dining that people appreciated the ease of everything — including lodging and conference activities — all in one place.

The new Produce and Floral Manager Leadership Program was and sponsored by Coast to Coast Produce, in memory of Petter Sticco.

Related: Produce, floral managers at NEPC show explore a higher purpose

“We hope to develop more on that, maybe more sessions or a tour,” Sullivan said. The show had more preregistered attendees than in 2022, she said.

Check out the final installment of booth news and views.

(Farm Journal)

Shawn Hamilton of Minneapolis-based So Good So You talked about the 14 flavors of functional juice shots sold at retailer produce department refrigerators. While immunity-boosting shots do well, energy shots are the fastest growing function shoppers demand, he said.

“It’s a clean energy option in the produce department, bringing that shopper over,” Hamilton said. “The energy category is doing extremely well across the store, but it doesn’t exist as much in the produce department.”

The company is a woman-owned business that’s B Corp Certified.

(Farm Journal)

Kevin Royce and Justin Levesque of Affinity Sales showed the latest salad green offerings from indoor grower Bright Farms, based in Irvington, N.Y., just north of New York City. The company has farms in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Illinois and North Carolina.

Related: Packer Insight: Paul Lightfoot of Bright Farms on ‘negative foods,’ CEA food safety

(Farm Journal)

Just to the left of the registration desk sat stacks of the latest PMG magazine, a publication by The Packer for produce retailers. The July-August issue’s feature story focuses on how retailers are doing more foodservice and what role produce plays .

See: The digital issue is available here.

(Farm Journal)

John Cushing and Michael Harwood represented New York Apple Sales, which goes by the tagline: Yes! Apples.

As expected of this agricultural state with that far-south apple-famous city, “we’re looking forward to a great apple season,” Harwood said.

Related: Seen and heard at New England Produce Council Expo — Part 1

New England Produce Council welcomes new board leaders

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:42:28 GMT

The New England Produce Council has welcomed new leadership as the two-year terms of executive board members expired.

President Anthony Sattler of C&S Wholesale Grocers, Keene, N.H., welcomed his successor, Tom Murray, vice president of produce and floral at Roche Bros., Wellesley, Mass. He formally begins in that role on Aug. 26, according to a news release. The 21st NEPC Produce, Floral & Food Service Expo was originally scheduled for Aug. 24-26, but it was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Over the years, I believe we have done so much good for our industry and our region. We have given to countless charities, helped the homeless, provided scholarships, educated our produce professionals, given support to those in need and held some of the best events allowing for networking possibilities,” Sattler said in the release.

“Anthony will be greatly missed, but I know he’s only a phone call away, and in true Anthony fashion, he will answer the call,” NEPC executive director Laura Sullivan said in the release.

Murray has served on the NEPC board of directors for nine years, most recently as first vice president.

“In addition to his professionalism, leadership skills and industry knowledge, we can always rely on Tom for some comic relief during the board meetings,” Sullivan said in the release.

Brian Fleming, vice president of produce and floral at Stop & Shop, Quincy, Mass., is now first vice president. He has been on the board for a year and will start his role as first vice president on Aug. 26.

David Dearborn, vice president of produce at C&S Wholesale Grocers, will be the new secretary. Dearborn has worked for C&S for more than 25 years and served as a director on the board for the last year.

“I feel like we hit the trifecta with the addition of these executive board appointments,” Sullivan said in the release.

The council in the release thanked Beth McGuire, account executive at JOH, Billerica, Mass., where she’s worked for more than 22 years.

McGuire has worked double-duty for many years as both the NEPC treasurer and secretary, and she will remain as the NEPC treasurer, according to the release.

Related stories:

New England Produce Council reschedules golf tournament

NEPC cancels event over coronavirus concerns

You missed these people (and more) at the NEPC expo in Boston

NEPC cancels August 2020 expo

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:08:29 GMT

New England Produce Council has canceled the 21st NEPC Produce Floral & Food Service Expo due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The even was scheduled for August 25-26 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, according to a news release.

“In accordance with local and state guidelines, we believe that it is in the best interests of our members to cancel this event,” NEPC president Anthony Sattler said in the release.

NEPC executive director Laura Sullivan said the health of members is first priority, and she’s looking forward to the August 25, 2021, event, also scheduled at the Hynes Convention Center.

“We are so proud of all our members and the entire produce industry for answering the call to provide quality, healthy product under problematic circumstances,” Sullivan said in the release. “Retailers rose to meet the unprecedented challenge with assistance from the produce supply chain. The produce industry will continue to grow stronger through this difficult time.”

Related news:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) News Updates

NEPC cancels dinner event over coronavirus concerns

You missed these people (and more) at NEPC expo in Boston

NEPC announces new board leadership

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:42:17 GMT

The New England Produce Council is welcoming new leadership as the two-year terms of executive board members expired.

President Anthony Sattler of C&S Wholesale Grocers, Keene, N.H., — who served two 2-year terms — welcomed his successor, Tom Murray, vice president of produce and floral at Roche Bros., Wellesley, Mass. He formally begins in that role on Aug. 26, according to a news release. The 21st NEPC Produce, Floral & Food Service Expo was originally scheduled for Aug. 24-26, but it was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Over the years, I believe we have done so much good for our industry and our region. We have given to countless charities, helped the homeless, provided scholarships, educated our produce professionals, given support to those in need and held some of the best events allowing for networking possibilities,” Sattler said in the release.

“Anthony will be greatly missed, but I know he’s only a phone call away, and in true Anthony fashion, he will answer the call,” NEPC executive director Laura Sullivan said in the release.

Murray has served on the NEPC board of directors for nine years, most recently as first vice president.

“In addition to his professionalism, leadership skills and industry knowledge, we can always rely on Tom for some comic relief during the board meetings,” Sullivan said in the release.

Brian Fleming, vice president of produce and floral at Stop & Shop, Quincy, Mass., is now first vice president. He has been on the board for a year and will start his role as first vice president on Aug. 26.

David Dearborn, vice president of produce at C&S Wholesale Grocers, will be the new secretary. Dearborn has worked for C&S for more than 25 years and served as a director on the board for the last year.

“I feel like we hit the trifecta with the addition of these executive board appointments,” Sullivan said in the release.

The council in the release thanked Beth McGuire, account executive at JOH, Billerica, Mass., where she’s worked for more than 22 years.
McGuire has worked double-duty for many years as both the NEPC treasurer and secretary, and she will remain as the NEPC treasurer, according to the release.

Related stories:

New England Produce Council reschedules golf tournament

NEPC cancels August 2020 expo

You missed these people (and more) at NEPC expo in Boston

NEPC Expo to emphasize simplicity, floral, personal responsibility

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:37:36 GMT

Although regional produce conferences have a broader reach than their namesake areas, there’s something about keeping it local, simple and intimate that appeals to participants.

That’s how Lauren Mordasky, owner-operator of Vermont Hydroponic Produce , Florence, Vt., feels about the New England Produce Council’s Produce, Floral & Food Service Expo, Sept. 18-19, at Hynes Convention Center in Boston.

“We’ve been part of the NEPC, oh gosh, 10 or 12 years, and we’ve had a booth the last 6 to 8 years. We get to connect with all our Northeast buyers,” Mordasky said.

“Everyone makes the rounds, says ‘hi.’ It’s more intimate.”

This is the expo’s 20th anniversary, which will have a floral segment double the size of 2018’s event, NEPC executive director Laura Sullivan said. There may be more than 160 exhibitor booths, about 20 more than last year.

Tantillo

The first day begins in the afternoon with educational seminars featuring Tony Tantillo, “The Fresh Grocer” TV personality and food editor broadcast on CBS affiliates nationwide.

Born in Sicily, Tantillo grew up assisting his father at southern San Francisco wholesale markets. He partnered in a namesake restaurant and runs a Tantillo company selling Italian pastas and other foods.

Several years after moving to New York City in 2000, he was a spokesman for Hunts Point Produce Terminal Market in the Bronx.

“We think that he’ll give an educational, entertaining produce presentation, talking about where we are now and peek into the future of produce,” Sullivan said.

Then there’s an invitation-only VIP reception at the Top of the Hub for sponsors and Career Pathways program participants — area university students chosen to participate in the conference’s activities plus bonus mentorship, networking and field experiences. A cocktail reception in the same venue for everyone follows.

Top of the Hub is a lounge and restaurant in the Prudential tower 52 floors above Boston’s Back Bay with iconic skyline views.

The expo planning committee also chose this venue because it’s walking distance from the convention, so transportation won’t be an issue, Sullivan said.

Dachman

The second day starts with a keynote breakfast led by Rich Dachman, former vice president of produce for Sysco Corp. , where he retired from in June after 28 years.

His “Are you truly committed to the produce industry?” talk will focus on what foodservice really is and “how our industry affects our health,” Sullivan said.

“It’s like, here we are in the produce industry, but do we practice what we preach? Do we consume the fruits and vegetables that we’re encouraging everybody else to?” Sullivan said.

Dachman began his career at his father’s produce distribution company, Perry Produce Co., in Denver, and they later opened foodservice broadliner Westman Commission Co., a Kraft company.

He was president of FreshPoint Operating Cos. in several cities. When Sysco acquired FreshPoint in 2000, he was appointed senior vice president of the western region and later promoted to vice president of produce.

In 2010, The Packer named Dachman as its Foodservice Achievement Award recipient. He was the inaugural recipient of the Produce Marketing Association Center for Growing Talent’s Jay Pack Cultivating Our Future Award in 2018.

But Dachman isn’t taking it easy since retiring from Sysco two months ago.

He’s now the CEO for Brighter Bites, a nonprofit that focuses on feeding under-privileged elementary school children fresh produce.

“I will be able to continue working with my colleagues in the produce industry, but in a way that enriches underserved communities around the country. Who could ask for a better job?” Dachman said in a July 15 article in The Packer.

Lastly, there’s the NEPC expo. The exhibit hall opens 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., highlighting the products and services of suppliers of produce and floral.

Floral

At 1 p.m., there’s a special lunch for floral professionals, led by Becky Roberts, director of floral, new initiatives and volunteer leadership at the Produce Marketing Association .

“She’s on the cutting edge of what’s coming in the floral world,” Sullivan said.

“The luncheon is a way to give some value back to floral segment of the show. There’s so much that pertains to produce. We did it last year for the first time, and I really feel like it’s been well-received — proven with the doubling this year.”

Some stores have the same buyers for both floral and produce, and expo planners thought there was some crossover, she said.

“To be honest with you, it just beautifies the show. The floral exhibitors, like the produce exhibitors, they go all out, put time and effort into a great display.”

Attendees can expect a growing list of buyers from large regional retailers and foodservice, as well as independent stores.

Otherwise, the show is over by 4. Other years, the expo has involved more days and events, and sometimes local field trips. But people like it simple, Sullivan said.

“A lot of the feedback we get is that people like that it’s a short event, so we stopped trying to stretch it out,” she said.

Related news:

Career Pathways students to gain insider opportunities at NEPC Expo

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:37:36 GMT

Your life could change forever if you’re a college student chosen to attend the New England Produce Council ’s Expo Sept. 18-19.

That’s not an exaggeration, organizers say. At least seven students selected for the Career Pathways program will have some very viable opportunities.

“Students who’ve gone through this program have been employed by the people they met,” said Laura Sullivan, NEPC executive director.

The program is part of the Produce Marketing Association ’s charitable arm, the Center for Growing Talent, which has a mission to build student awareness about careers in the fresh produce and floral industry, said Alicia Calhoun, center vice president of talent portfolio.

The center operates 11 Career Pathway programs each year across the globe, sending faculty and students to either PMA or allied-industry conferences, with a mission to attract, develop and retain talent for the industry.

At each conference, students reap rewards three ways:

Integration among the professionals at conference events to provide a broad scope of the industry;
A customized program with a career ambassador for a more personal, hands-on feel to delve deeper into the produce industry; and
An off-site industry tour to see how at least one piece of the supply chain operates and enable more questions in a smaller setting.

These experiences can spur ideas on how their school, job or volunteer experience can translate into their first post-grad job, Calhoun said.

One key highlight is matching each student with a career ambassador from the industry.

“A lot of times, they’ll think the produce industry is just about farmers, and that’s not what they want to do. With this program, they learn more of the business side, industry standards, food safety, marketing,” Calhoun said.

“It’s having someone literally walking the expo floor with them, introducing them to industry members and companies and sharing the many different pieces of the supply chain.”

Building awareness about these careers opportunities is a team effort, said Barbara Hochman, program manager for Center for Growing Talent, mentioning Chesire, Conn.-based Coast to Coast Produce ’s continued financial support.

“Many thanks to NEPC and our industry volunteers who, as a way of giving back, share their passion and insights, creating excitement among the students about joining our industry,” Hochman said.

The Career Pathways program has partnered with NEPC since 2009.

When the overall program began in 2004, people may not have been talking about food safety and other challenges the industry faces today, Calhoun said. Students didn’t have many produce-focused classes in their universities, so their program had to start with the basics, she said.

“What students are learning in college since then is very different,” Calhoun said. “We’ve had to change their programming to meet their needs in 2019, so we’re not boring them and telling them what they already know.”

The seven confirmed students at NEPC are majoring in degrees such as agriculture business, agriculture sciences, international business and supply chains at Bridgewater State University in Bridgewater, Mass., Saint Joseph’s College of Maine in Standish, Maine, and University of New Hampshire in Durham, N.H.

“The program just opens their eyes to the globalness of this industry and the areas of opportunity that they’ve never thought of before,” Calhoun said.

Related news:

Steve Lutz to lead session at NEPC

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:37:36 GMT

Industry notable Steve Lutz will be a speaker at the New England Produce Council’s Produce, Floral & Food Service Expo 2019.

Senior vice president of insights and innovation for Category Partners , Lutz will lead a session 3-4 p.m. Sept. 18, according to the council’s expo event schedule. The expo is Sept. 18-19 at Hynes Convention Center in Boston.

Lutz’s background includes product and brand development, consumer and trade research, strategic communications, retail category management and analysis, packaging development, and promotional analysis, according to the event summary.

Lutz’s brand clients have included companies in nearly every segment of fresh foods including produce, meat, deli, and bakery organizations covering almost any fresh product found in a supermarket.

Before joining Category Partners, Lutz was vice president of member engagement for the Produce Marketing Association and chief strategist and vice president of marketing for CMI Orchards in Wenatchee, Wash.

Lutz was executive vice president of Chicago-based consumer research and data analytics research firm, Perishables Group .

Prior to that, Lutz was president and CEO of the Washington Apple Commission.

Steve has served on the board of directors of the Produce Marketing Association and United Fresh Produce Association .

Related news:

Rich Dachman pushes profit and purpose through foodservice and health

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:19:33 GMT

BOSTON — Rich Dachman had two goals at the keynote speech he presented at the New England Produce Council ’s 20th anniversary Produce, Floral and Foodservice Expo.

He wanted to explain how to get more foodservice business and how to improve the health of the world.

“I love the business. It’s a ‘Saturday Night Live’ crowd in here, and it’s been good to me,” Dachman told the crowd at the Sept. 18-19 expo in Boston. “But I always knew there was some higher calling other than profit.”

His two discussion topics directly correlate with his career. Dachman was senior vice president of produce for about 12 of the almost 19 years he worked for Sysco Corp . After he retired, he became CEO of Houston-based Brighter Bites.

The nonprofit organization feeds underprivileged elementary school children fresh produce, providing tools for healthier habits that spread to their families and schools.

Foodservice

Foodservice has challenges different from retail.

“If you can understand this, you might be better able to penetrate the business,” Dachman said.

First, it’s important to understand the foodservice distributor categories: broadliners such as Sysco with its full line; captured such as Martin Brower with McDonalds as its proprietary customer; specialty suppliers such as Hardie’s Fresh Foods ; and wholesaler/retail, like D’Arrigo Bros. of New York and Costco.

Then, there are foodservice operators, ranging from quick-service restaurants to fast casual, family dining, local chains and independents.

Big customers for foodservice business are cruise lines and hotels, management companies for colleges and universities, and kindergarten-12th grade school systems.

It’s a complex system, in which supply and logistics lines constantly cross before reaching a distributor.

“I used to say, I think there are 17 ways to screw it up,” Dachman said. “Nobody understands the economics of the produce business because it’s the exact opposite of everything else you do in your life. The more you pay, the worse the quality.”

The price goes up because the yield is down, which is usually because of weather, and growers will put whatever they can in a box, he said.

“Customers, they’ll say, ‘I don’t understand, I’m paying $40. At least it could be good.’ And you’re like, ‘Well, it will be good when it’s $12,’” Dachman said as the crowd laughed.

There are few acceptable excuses for lower-quality or missing products in foodservice.

“We can’t give an excuse to a restaurant that they can’t give their patrons,” he said. For example, diners expect to eat the Caesar salad on the menu, despite a romaine distributor’s late delivery.

Still, operators like and need fresh fruits and vegetables because they’re great flavor enhancers, they’re on-trend for health-conscious diners who want transparency, they’re more economical than protein, and they can be promoted as locally grown, Dachman said.

As far as a distributor’s expectations, “quality and food safety are an entry card to do business,” he said. They expect a consistent, dependable supply, good communication, sales support, competitive pricing, innovation and long-term thinking, not transactional.

Food is medicine

Switching gears, Dachman said he fully backs using the industry to help the world.

“We are the pharmacists of the future,” he said. “We have the product. We have the solution.”

The produce industry is selling something that can reduce obesity and childhood diabetes, yet there is not enough advertising, social-media influence or central effort at gaining this exposure, Dachman said.

The snack industry sells product that is unhealthy, convenient, delicious and consistent with the help of big advertising dollars and social-influencing power.

“The snack industry is kicking the produce industry’s butt. We see each other as competition, peaches versus plums, but our competition is the snack industry,” he said.

Dachman believes everyone in the industry has a responsibility in this area.

“I’m pissed off about it, and I’m part of the solution. The health of our country, specifically our children, is not looking very good,” Dachman said, providing these statistics:

10% of the U.S. population has poor access to fresh food;
Less than half of U.S. children eat the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables;
Three out of 10 children are considered obese and have a chance of developing diabetes;
98% of the 10 food-related ads that children watch daily involve food with high sugar or sodium content;
Latino children see 49% more sugary food ads on Spanish TV compared to their caucasian counterparts; and
30% of children ages 2 and 3 don’t eat vegetables.

This is where solutions such as Brighter Bites come into play.

Funded by the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and sponsors including Walmart, the program provides bags of groceries to school families for three eight-week periods, to not only feed people with less fresh-food access, but to teach them how to eat. Besides living in food deserts with little access to fresh produce, many people live in food swamps, where unhealthy food is too prevalent.

Studies of the program have showed that scratch-cooking at home doubled for Brighter Bites families, he said.

“The big engine that makes this feasible is the giant amount of surplus produce,” Dachman said.

After two years, the average family consumes 19 additional servings of fresh fruits and vegetables a week.

“There is profit with this. That translates to over $6 million dollars in produce sales. Bottom line, we’re creating consumers that didn’t exist before,” Dachman said.

He challenged everyone in the industry to look at what they eat, what they serve at their companies and if they let employees take home boxes of their produce.

“Are you walking the walk? You’ve got to do something,” he said. “How do you expect to sell something that you don’t even live?”

Related news:

You missed these people (and more) at the NEPC expo in Boston

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:37:32 GMT

Check out some of the businesses, people and news you missed (or you saw yourself) at the 20th anniversary New England Produce Council’s Produce, Floral and Foodservice Expo in Boston.

The show, Sept. 18-19, had more floral booths and a floral luncheon, plus sold out its 160 booths in total.

People came from the Northeast region, as well as across the nation and other countries, for the show.

Related news:

NEPC’s 20th expo draws regional, national and international crowd

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:37:32 GMT

BOSTON — Produce professionals from near and far delved into the relationship business at the New England Produce Council ’s Produce, Floral and Foodservice Expo, celebrating its 20th anniversary.

“It’s more than a regional show for us suppliers,” said LeighAnne Thomsen, account manager for Calavo , Santa Paula, Calif. “I sell only avocados, and New England is a high-consumption market for us, and we really value our customers here.”

An evening networking party at the Prudential Tower’s Top of the Hub on Sept. 18, the first day of the two-day event, followed an education session led by Steve Lutz, vice president of insights and innovation at Category Partners , Idaho Falls, Idaho.

The next morning began with a keynote breakfast led by Rich Dachman, recently retired vice president of produce for Sysco Corp. and CEO of Houston-based Brighter Bites, a nonprofit organization feeding underprivileged elementary school children fresh produce.

During the trade show, Theresa Nolan did a drawing at her booth on behalf of the Nolan Network, which is restarting its N4Ten Challenge in February. The challenge, sponsored by the NEPC and Produce Buzz, encourages people to eat 10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily and this time, raises money for The Greater Boston Food Bank.

Several hours into the trade show, NEPC executive director Laura Sullivan and NEPC board president Anthony Sattler of C&S Wholesale Grocers Inc. , Hatfield, Mass., assessed the show’s success.

All 160 expo booth spaces sold out, Sattler said, and the 21 floral booths were twice as many as they had in 2018. Plus, there was a standing-room-only floral luncheon with Produce Marketing Association ’s floral expert, Becky Roberts, as keynote speaker.

“There’s a lot of innovation within specific categories,” Sattler said.

Along one aisle, harvest manager Thor Arnell explained the aquaponics system that creates a closed circuit of production for Lisbon, Maine-based Springworks Farms, a USDA-certified organic lettuce grower and Blue Nile fish farm. The fish waste fertilizes the lettuce, and the plants clean the water, which is cycled back into the fish tanks.

“It brings to people who’d typically buy lettuce that comes from California a locality they couldn’t get otherwise year round,” Arnell said.

Melon 1 ’s director of new business development, Rachel Syngo, talked to people who paused to see the company’s carved watermelons, which drew attention to the Punta Gorda, Fla.-based, grower-packer-shipper.

“We do a ton of business in New England. That’s why we do this show. It’s good to put a face to a name, shake a hand,” Syngo said.

Rodrigo Bedoya, CEO and cofounder of Ipoki Produce , came from Peru for the show with Ipoki director and cofounder Janos Kadar. They sell organic fresh Peruvian ginger through the importing business of Ipoki based in Surfside, Fla., and their Peruvian export company La Grama.

“We direct distribute in New England and Philadelphia, and have a wholesale distributor in Los Angeles,” Bedoya said.

Anyone who has business in the New England region can benefit from the NEPC expo, Sullivan said.

“You will see every buyer in New England in one day and get your product and some facetime with the decision makers for the New England market,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan also said she was grateful for the Produce Marketing Association’s other partnership, the Career Pathways mentorship program, which had college students roaming the expo with their ambassadors to introduce them to important people in the business.

Eric Frechette, president of Taste of the North, in Levis, Quebec, said he came to the expo because “we sell to the U.S.”

Frechette’s sales team represents several growers of hydroponic, field-grown and organic tomatoes, berries, cucumbers, shallots, onions and garlic grown across Quebec.

Attendees enjoy the relaxed vibe of NEPC’s annual event, where they have time to connect on a deeper level with others, thereby strengthening relationships.

“Come from your specific region, whether it’s the Southeast, Midwest, California. See what we’re doing up here,” Sattler said.

Related news:

Steve Lutz: New products can drive sales, if not volume

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:40:54 GMT

BOSTON — The foundations of commodity business are crumbling, Steve Lutz told a packed room at the New England Produce Council ’s Produce, Floral and Foodservice Expo in Boston.

“Those foundations that built stores, built commodities, over many, many years are under attack from new product introductions,” said Lutz, vice president of insights and innovation at Category Partners, Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Until early August, Lutz was the vice president of member engagement at the Produce Marketing Association. Before that, he was chief strategist and vice president of marketing for CMI Orchards and held leadership roles at Washington Apple Commission and Perishables Group, which later became Nielsen Perishables Group.

The NEPC event was Sept. 18-19.

The educational session Lutz led at the 20th anniversary expo focused on how product innovations are disrupting the dominance of the produce industry’s long-held commodity framework.

Much of his information came from a Category Partners Analysis with data from Nielsen, Total U.S. Grocery Scan, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service.

“At every level, we’re competing with new products and new formats. It’s crazy,” he said. Most notably, Honeycrisp and other branded apples are changing the category. The same goes for Cotton Candy grapes and the rise of mandarins/clementines in the citrus world.

Whether the retailer is focused on discount or high-end shoppers, there’s a dilemma with new items, Lutz said.

Driving the most volume, the commodity produces the vast majority of volume dollars for these categories, he said.

“But it’s ultimately the niches and segments that are driving consumer loyalty,” he said. “They’re driving incremental transactions — people to buy more — and in many cases, they’re getting the disproportionate share of the actual growth for the retailer and the producer in the segments where they’re competing.”

Volume sales may not rise with product innovations, but incremental dollars do rise, he said.

Lutz related this dilemma to what he called the Starbucks Effect: Once a consumer makes a new purchase decision and is happy with it, there’s no going back. It becomes almost permanent, like the decision to buy premium coffee.

There’s also the Amazon Effect, which has taught consumers they can, and should, be able to get anything they want at any time.

“We know that consumers are absolutely shopping differently. It doesn’t matter if it’s the category,” Lutz said. “It might be the store. It might be online.

“Product introductions are here to stay, and that will make our life challenging, and really the opportunity to grow the dollars is doing a better job for all of us,” he said. “How do we manage that mix of products and optimize it in a way that drives the most dollars?”

Related news:

NEPC cancels event over coronavirus concerns

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:11:46 GMT

The New England Produce Council , Burlington, Mass., has postponed a dinner meeting event.

The March 18 event is canceled “due to heightened concern regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19) and its impact on travel restrictions,” according to an e-mail sent to NEPC members March 6.

The council’s board of directors, together with event sponsor Dole Food Co., decided to reschedule this event, but a new date hasn’t been set yet.

For more information, call 781-273-0444, e-mail nepc2@rcn.com or visit https://www.newenglandproducecouncil.com.

Related news:

NEPC's in-person expo will have these two keynote speakers

Fri, 25 Jun 2021 22:29:48 GMT

The New England Produce Council has chosen two keynote speakers for its full-fledged, in-person trade show this fall.

Joe Watson, vice president of member engagement at the Produce Marketing Association, and Anne-Marie Roerink, president of 210 Analytics LLC, will co-present “E-Commerce: Making It Work for You,” according to a news release.

The NEPC Produce, Floral and Food Service Expo is scheduled for Sept. 29-30 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.

The speakers meet the industry needs of the day, as the pandemic dramatically accelerated the growth of retail e-commerce, including fresh produce, for both delivery and click-and-collect.

Everyone in the supply chain will need to integrate e-commerce with traditional sales to succeed, according to the news release.

The event’s speakers will answer several question, including: What are the implications for impulse sales? Attendees will also learn: How do you determine promotional funding and advertising dollar allocation for online and in-store?

“Join us at this presentation to learn more about the e-commerce segment of the produce industry and apply this knowledge to your own company,” NEPC president Tom Murray, vice president of produce and floral at Roche Bros., said in the release “Watson and Roerink will present statistical information as well as practical implementation to assist in your e-commerce business.”

For more information or to register for the 2021 expo, contact NEPC executive director Laura Sullivan by e-mail at nepc2@rcn.com or at 781-273-0444.

Forecast these fear-based shopper behaviors

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:28:25 GMT

BOSTON — A food trend forecaster — who studied serial killers as a criminalist in London before going to culinary school and becoming a registered dietitian — says knowing the trends does nothing for your business if you don’t understand where they come from and where they’re going.

Suzy Badaracco, president of forecasting firm Culinary Tides, shared her detailed findings Sept. 29 in the second session of the two-day 2021 New England Produce Council Expo in Boston. She titled her talk: “How to Use Strategic Thinking to Navigate Trends for 2021 & Beyond: A Future Without Fear.”

Consumers will shift from craving more neutral-tasting comfort foods to more intensely flavored, edgy foods as the COVID-19 pandemic fades — “we hope” — and the inflationary economy settles, Badaracco said.

We’re not there yet.

For more than a year and a half, consumers have been experiencing physical and psychological fear, the effects of COVID-19, the recession and inflation. Mistrust is high. Brand loyalty is down, and budget trumps convenience.

“Address and correct the fear, not the product,” she said. “Form an emotional connection with the consumer to overcome this mistrust. All of this is fear behavior.”

When we are on the up and up, trends will reverse: The trends predicted for 2020 that were halted will restart.

It’s important to understand how flavor preferences evolve related to the feelings of the time, she said. In a recession, it’s familiar comfort foods. Mid-recovery, people crave hybrid and stuffed foods, and then, they want fusion foods. When our country is in full recovery, consumers want “crazy” foods, like molecular gastronomy’s foams, spherical foods and edible papers, she said.

“When things are good, people want extreme things on the palate. They want more intense flavors, and that only comes with confidence, and that’s where we are [heading] now,” she said.

But with COVID-19 variants popping up, restaurants aren’t recovering as fast as they would be otherwise, and we’re hanging out in the mid-recovery stage for a while.

We’re in the first half of mid-recovery — the hybrid and stuffed stage, Badaracco said.

Hybrids include things like the Cronut, cake pops, chicken and waffles, ramen burger, pretzel buns, and as we focus on produce, the pluot, plumcot, peacotum and broccoflower.

Stuffed food includes pasta, bread and pizza crust. For produce, that trend can include stuffed peppers and winter squash.

As we near the second hump of mid-recovery, fusion foods will rise up yet again, such as Tex-Mex, Pan Asian, Korean-Mexican and Deep South-Japanese. And when our economy is booming and we generally feel safe, foods get spicier, weirder, wilder, more exotic and adventurous.

First, companies need to regain consumer trust by telling their stories, so that consumers feel safe and grounded.

“Consumers want authentic, but not comfort. If it’s grandma’s recipe from the Deep South, they better be able to Google that grandma,” Badaracco said. “This isn’t the time to go too hard on comfort foods.”

Your consumers want to know your company is always on the cutting edge, telling them what the trends are.

“You want them to trust you for that,” she said.

It doesn’t matter if you think the trend is stupid. Maybe it is. But your emotions can fog the trend’s pattern and blindside you when it shifts.

“Know the birth and lifecycle of a trend prior to deciding to enter, so you can foretell how to navigate it,” she said.

You’ve got to romance those online shoppers

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:28:22 GMT

While the majority of fresh produce is bought in-store, online shopping carts are filling up with more and more fresh produce too, but there’s a lot of room for improvement.

“Consumers want to be romanced, whether it’s in store or online. We have to be able to connect to their sensitivity,” said Joe Watson, vice president of member engagement, retail and SME for the Produce Marketing Association.

Watson and Anne-Marie Roerink, president of 210 Analytics, co-presented the keynote breakfast session, “E-Commerce: Making it Work for You,” at the Sept. 29-30 New England Produce Council Expo in Boston.

“Just like produce department leads the store in the physical sense, it is starting to online too,” Roerink said. “And produce is the fresh leader in the online basket. It’s really produce that drives the success of the store online as well.”

Out of the top 15 fresh categories purchased online, 12 are produce. The others are specialty cheese, ground beef and bacon.

Retailers need to promote and merchandise online, asking themselves: What are you doing to highlight seasonal or new items to online shoppers, especially those high-impulse items?

“We all know that when a consumer is in your store, over 40% of sales are done on merchandising,” Watson said. “If we can replicate that needle online, we’ll grow very fast. We need to gain that consumer trust. It’s going to take time.”

Search results showed:

69% of shoppers prefer to-each pricing (not by the pound);
83% sales specials matter; and
82% start with past purchases.

E-commerce jumped five years ahead on its old growth trajectory, but it’s dropped from 18% of grocery trips in October 2020 to 13% today, according to Roerink’s data. Online share fluctuates with COVID-19 outbreaks.

Still, of all new online shoppers, 50% are continuing to buy online. But of those households who’ve bought produce online, 32% say it’s not as good as the produce they buy in-store.

Training the pickers, quick tracking of inventory with online offerings, ensuring correct orders are matched to the consumer, quality, freshness — all are key.

Shoppers are also starting to shop for ingredients online on the same webpage as their online recipes.

Roerink used Pinterest as an example, showing links to purchase in the recipe.

“We’ve got to shorten the steps from inspiration to purchase, get the ability to add all the ingredients of a recipe to a shopping list or online shopping cart,” she said. “That’s how the expectations of the shopper is becoming faster and faster.”

Some key takeaways from the session include suggestions for retailers, growers and shippers.

Retailer implications:

Continue to invest with speed in digital capabilities to gain omnichannel share;
Consider driving more pricing online for convenience, variety and unique products;
Look to optimize fulfillment costs and enhance media advertising to drive profitability;
Segment omnichannel users to target products, solutions and services; and
Build unique in-store and online experiences to drive traffic; encourage discovery, impulse and occasion-based purchases (e.g., bundled solutions).

Grower/shipper implications:

Improve online profitability managing price and unique assortment;
Track and optimize digital marketing and digital trade/shopper spend;
Optimize omnichannel supply chain to reduce shipping and warehouse costs;
Work with retailers to forecast and meet consumer demand. Prioritize investments with top retailers in-store and online;
Earn your spot-on shopping lists, which are often repeated. For impulse items, leverage “buy again” and automated recommendations;
Leverage direct-to-consumer sites to drive loyalty and gain inputs to consumer tastes; and
Inroads made by small manufacturers are a call to action for larger places that risk longer-term omnichannel loss.

Hockey star Blake Bolden to NEPC crowd: Break barriers but set boundaries

Mon, 29 Aug 2022 11:00:25 GMT

Blake Bolden remembers when she started playing hockey as a 6-year-old Black girl.

She was one of only two girls in her league and the only person of color. To play a sport she loved for its speed and physicality, she faced racial slurs and bullying.

“I didn’t want to give those people who spoke negatively about me the satisfaction of seeing me quit,” Bolden told the luncheon crowd during her keynote address, “Overcoming Adversity with a Healthy Mind and Body,” at the New England Produce Council’s Produce, Floral and Foodservice Expo Aug. 25, in South Boston.

Bolden had to get used to standing out among an ice rink of white athletes, from high school to college to her professional athletic career.

She’s the first Black player to compete in the National Women’s Hockey League and first Black player to be a first-round draft pick in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League. In 2015, Bolden won the Clarkson Cup with the Boston Blades of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League.

Today, Bolden is an ESPN reporter and National Hockey League pro scout — the first Black female at that, too.

But Bolden took it hard when she didn’t make the cut for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

“It ate away at me. I was really, really low. I was basically depressed,” she said.

She was working three jobs while playing hockey, because professional women’s leagues didn’t pay its players at the time.

Then, a 6-year-old girl came up to her after a game.

“She said, ‘Blake, you’re the reason I play hockey.’ It changed me. I had a new perception, a newfound purpose. I saw little Blake when I was 6 years old, needing someone to look up to,” Bolden said.

Bolden realized she could use her barrier-breaking position as the first Black female in the professional sport to encourage others like her to follow their passion, despite the odds.

She became really busy and had to learn how to set boundaries in her schedule to protect her health in mind and body. Bolden eats a plant-based diet, adding in some fish for those omega-3 fatty acids. She gardens, and that’s taught her several daily self-care tips, each with many health benefits:

Get at least 15 minutes of direct sunlight;
Drink a half ounce of water per pound of bodyweight; and
Practice grounding by directly contacting the soil with her hands or feet.

“You can handle anything that comes your way if you take care of yourself, your mind, your body. You can’t be great if you feel low and are pouring out from an empty cup,” Bolden said.

The last few years we’ve all faced uncontrollable challenges, she said.

“What I can control are my actions, attitude, perspective and how I show up — by making sure it’s in line with my purpose, which I recently found,” Bolden said. “What do I bring into this world? Can I improve every situation that presents itself to me today?”

Dennis Shannon of food broker JOH came up to Bolden after the event and told her how much she means to the girls he coaches.

“I’ve been coaching hockey 46 years — from high school to college to little kids — and I have several little girls in my Monday night team, and they really look up to her,” he said. “She’s such an inspiration.”

NEPC expo to feature new site, new schedule, hockey star

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:26:17 GMT

Excitement is truly in the air for the New England Produce Council’s upcoming 22nd annual Produce, Floral & Food Service Expo , set for Aug. 24-25 in Boston.

Even more so than for last year’s first in-person show since the COVID-19-based, widespread event cancellations seen in 2020, says Executive Director Laura Sullivan.

“There’s a lot of excitement around this year’s event. I think people are excited to be in person,” she said, noting the trepidation many still felt last year around travel and in-person gatherings. “I think people just want to be together, and I think people feel more confident being in person.”

Of course, the chance for networking face to face isn’t the only aspect of the event to look forward to.

Organizers have some new attractions in store — one of the biggest ones being the location. This year’s expo will be held at the virtually brand-new Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport , a luxury hotel near downtown Boston and Boston Harbor, which celebrated its grand opening in September of last year.

With the bigger hotel, instead of attendees bouncing between the hotel and off-site event venues, “we’re able to host all of the events under one roof,” Sullivan said.

The schedule of events has been updated, too. Previously held on the afternoon the first day of the event before things really get going that evening, the educational session has been moved up to the next morning as an educational breakfast panel session. The keynote, formerly held during breakfast, has been moved up to be a luncheon session. The expo portion of the show will be scheduled around these two events, “so everybody can be in attendance,” Sullivan said.

That will turn the show into largely a one-day event, minus the VIP and cocktail receptions that kick off at 5 p.m. Aug. 24 and are the only agenda items scheduled for that day.

“It’ll be a busy day,” Sullivan said, but worth it, as it was often tricky at past shows for retailers with booths at the event to attend the educational session held while they were setting up for the expo. “We just decided, you know what? The feedback we’ve received is, ‘We really like the one-day event.’”

On deck for that educational breakfast is a panel session on “How to Minimize Your Produce Supply Chain Challenges.” Moderated by Ed Treacy, the International Fresh Produce Association’s vice president of supply chain and sustainability, the session will feature panelists Mark Donley, vice president of ADUSA Procurement; Jon Eisen, with American Trucking Associations; Dave Patnaude, sales manager at Coast to Coast Produce; and Joshua Noonan, director of delivered sales at Robinson Fresh.

Sullivan said she expects the breakfasters to come away with more knowledge, and maybe a few more tools in their toolkit, of how to address such ongoing supply chain challenges as gas prices and transportation, among others.

“The panel that we put together, it was very well thought out. We have a lot of years of experience in that part of the industry [on the panel], and I think they’re going to have the most up-to-date information about what’s going on,” she said. “So, it’ll really just kind of peel back the layers as to … how their companies are combatting these issues.”

The keynote luncheon will feature the barrier-breaking, “Jackie Robinson of women’s hockey” herself, Blake Bolden. Now an ESPN reporter and pro scout — and the first Black female scout in the National Hockey League, at that — Bolden was the first Black player to be a first-round draft pick in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League. Her speech at the luncheon will touch on “Overcoming Adversity with a Healthy Mind and Body.”

“We were interested in her just based on what she’s accomplished, and then, as we got to know [more about] her, [we found out] she consumes a plant-based diet, and she does attribute a lot of her athletic success to her diet,” Sullivan said. “ So, I thought, ‘Wow, we loved her before, and now we love her even more.’ [She] fits what our mission is. So, we’re excited to have her come and address the group.”
The expo portion of the event will feature 126 produce and 14 floral booths, Sullivan said, and she anticipates the overall attendance to be in the 1,000 range, about the same as it has been in past years.

And Sullivan knows of what she speaks when it comes to the NEPC Produce, Floral & Food Service Expo.

“I have just started my 27th year,” with NEPC, she said, noting she still has fond memories of the first expo NEPC organized more than two decades ago. “We had no idea what to expect. We probably had low expectations, [but] it was so exciting and it was so much fun … and just kind of laid the foundation and set the groundwork for us to create an even better show each year.”

Schedule of events

Aug. 24

5-6 p.m.: VIP reception, by invitation only
6-8 p.m.: Cocktail reception

Aug. 25

7:45-9 a.m.: Educational breakfast panel session on “How to Minimize Your Produce Supply Chain Challenges”
9:10 a.m.-noon: Expo open
Noon-1 p.m.: Keynote luncheon featuring Blake Bolden (show floor will be closed during this time)
1:10-4 p.m.: Expo open

Bound for Boston: NEPC bets on casino hotel for 2023 Produce, Floral & Foodservice Expo

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 14:30:03 GMT

The beauty of a regional show is the convenience. And the familiarity. And the ability to actually see who you want to see.

The New England Produce Council’s Produce, Floral & Foodservice Expo is officially Aug. 21-22, but everything happens within 24 hours.

And for the 2023 version, all the events are at Encore Boston Harbor, technically in Everett, Mass., about a mile from The New England Produce Center in Chelsea, Mass., the area’s main wholesale produce market terminal.

This conference hotel has a glittering casino, high-end boutiques and an eclectic array of restaurants. In 2022, NEPC leaders transitioned the expo headquarters from a downtown convention center to the Omni hotel so that participants could stay at the hotel where all the events are. Activities were condensed to a shorter time span.

“We like to keep it to a one-day show,” NEPC Executive Director Laura Sullivan said. “People loved the convenience of it.

Also in a smaller space of a conference hotel, there’s less room for expo booths, but there will be about 150 exhibitor booths, give or take, she said.

The other biggest change is the new leadership program for produce and floral managers.

One return participant will be Nelly Czajkowski, organic category manager and quality assurance manager at DiSilva Fruit , part of Arrowfarms, based in Chelsea. Arrowfarms comprises three companies: DiSilva Fruit, Gold Bell and Arrowfarms. Together, the companies source, pack and distribute almost a full line of conventional and organic fruits and vegetables, with a focus on citrus, potatoes and onions.

Arrowfarms prides itself on creative booths, Czajkowski said. In the past, they’ve had magicians, created an art gallery featuring produce as art and offered an oxygen bar.

“My favorite was when we served ice cream made out of some of our key offerings: avocado, sweet potato and even onion ice cream. People still talk about it,” she said.

The NEPC show is the highlight of Arrowfarms’ trade show season, a show that company representatives have attended since it started more than 23 years ago. At NEPC, the company always books a double booth and encourages employees from all three companies to attend.

“The best part of the show is getting face time with our customers,” Czajkowski said. “It’s a great opportunity to catch up in person and discuss opportunities to grow business.”

Some national retailers attend, but it’s really a hotbed of northeastern and Eastern Seaboard retailers, such as Market Basket, Roche Bros., Shaw’s and Stop & Shop, Sullivan said.

International sales representative Don Sparks has been attending the show since 2012, said Robin Narron, marketing director and sales support for Nash Produce , a sweet potato grower-packer-shipper based in Nashville, N.C.

Besides the opportunity to interact with customers on a more personal level, Sparks looks forward to learning about new products and packaging innovations, she said.

Nash is an exhibitor at the show.

“Relationship-building is an important part of the business, and it is something we take pride in here at Nash Produce,” Narron said. “Being an exhibitor will not only allow us to maintain current relationships but also cultivate new ones.”

AGENDA

Monday, Aug. 21

6-8 p.m. — Cocktail reception

Tuesday, Aug. 22

7:45-9 a.m. — Keynote breakfast with surprise consumer expert as guest speaker
9:30-11:30 a.m. — Produce Manager Leadership Development Program
9:10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Expo floor open for trade show
11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. — Buffet lunch
1:30-3:30 p.m. — Ice Hockey Celebrity Meet and Greet: Charlie Coyle of the Boston Bruins

Retail roundtable set for New England organic produce event

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:43:12 GMT

The New England Organic Produce Conference will feature a retail roundtable with representatives from Stop & Shop, Big Y Foods and Hannaford Bros.

The May 1 event at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass., will feature these retailers:

Brian Fleming from Stop & Shop Supermarket;
Kevin Barry from Big Y Foods; and
Mark Jewell from Hannaford Bros. Supermarket.

The conference is sponsored by the New England Produce Council and Organic Produce Network.

Matt Seeley from the Organic Produce Network and Mark DeMichaelis of Olivia’s Organics/State Garden will moderate the retail session, according to a news release.

“We are very excited these produce professionals are taking time out of their busy schedules to share their expertise,” Laura Sullivan, NEPC executive director, said in the release.

Registration for the conference is available online at the NEPC website .

Related article:

NEPC, Organic Produce Network team up for conference

NEPC members gather for Fenway Park event

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 05:26:11 GMT

The New England Produce Council hosted a dinner meeting event April 30 at Boston’s Fenway Park, sponsored by Sunny Valley International , Glassboro, N.J.

The event drew retailers, wholesalers and vendors, as well as guest speakers from the New Jersey and South Carolina agriculture departments, including South Carolina’s Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers; the department’s commodities coordinator Chad Truesdale; and New Jersey Department of Agriculture director of marketing Tom Beaver, according to a news release.

Sunny Valley saleswoman Bonnie Lundblad gave crop updates on the company’s South Carolina and New Jersey peaches , with the latter expected to run from July through mid-September.

Bob Von Rohr, marketing and customer relations manager for Sunny Valley, told attendees New Jersey blueberries should start shipping by June 15, according to the release.

Attendees also heard from Dixie Belle Inc. ’s Matt Forrest on the status of the Ward, S.C.-based company’s peach crop, with early varieties starting May 18.

The Red Sox versus Kansas City Royals baseball game following the dinner drew a record crowd of NEPC attendees (with a Red Sox win to boot), according to the release.

“The New England Produce Council, Sunny Valley and Fenway Park have a long standing relationship. It was a great event and thank you to Sunny Valley for their continued support,” Anthony Sattler, NEPC president, said in the release.

Make it convenient: NEPC gets it done in a day

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:26:03 GMT

Attending industry events is key to making personal connections and learning from education session experts — but you can do it in a day.

That’s the feedback the New England Produce Council received and then delivered, with its 22nd NEPC Produce, Floral and Foodservice Expo August 24-25 in Boston. The show was just 24 hours long.

Starting with a VIP reception at 5 p.m., followed by the general-attendee cocktail reception at 6 p.m. August 24, the bulk of the show packed itself into the following day until the trade show released the crowd by 4 p.m.

Also: All events — from the party, education panel breakfast, keynote speaker luncheon and expo — were at the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport, which opened 11 months prior. It was all about convenience.

“Everyone likes everything under one roof,” said Laura Sullivan, executive director of the council.

(Farm Journal)

Preregistration was a bit higher than last year, and all 140 booths were sold out, she said. The show attracts about 1,000 attendees.

While many attendees hail from the Northeast or East Coast, the show does draw people from across the U.S.

Luke Fountain of Atlas Produce & Distribution , based in Coachella, Calif., said he attends every year to share about his company’s Fresh Energy brand of medjool dates, table grapes and figs, and now a new snacking product line.

“We have a lot of business here in the Northeast,” Fountain said. “It’s good to be here and shake hands with those you’ve been emailing all year.”

The cocktail reception was filled to the brim at the hotel’s Sporting Club, where a live silver statue of a hockey player and a 4M ice sculpture contributed festive, athletic flair.

Related: NEPC Expo Reception Photos

The breakfast education panel session was about minimizing supply-chain challenges and filled every table, leaving late-comers standing at the back. Solutions bandied about were technology, digitization, automation and, of course — constant communication.

Convenience, snacking, functional nutrition and value-added were some product themes seen throughout the trade show. Examples of these trends include:

Gutzy Organic: Single-serving, USDA-certified organic, gut-health, plant-based snack pouches.
Sunnies Energy Bites: with Atlas Produce & Distribution’s medjool dates and seven other plant-based ingredients.
Sour Cran Snacks: Made with organic cranberries from Decas Farms and Patience Fruit Co.
So Good So You: Functional probiotic shots of cold-processed juice blends for immunity, detox, energy, beauty, digestion, sleep and metabolism.
Tasteful Selections : Season and Savor microwave-ready trays of bite-sized potatoes in several flavors, including garlic-Parmesan, sea salt and balsamic vinegar mini sweet potatoes and garden herb, by RPE Inc.

(Farm Journal)

What else is convenient?

Saying no to doing too much, and to things that don’t serve you and your goals and values. That was a key point to hockey star Blake Bolden , keynote speaker at the luncheon. She’s the first Black player to compete in the National Women’s Hockey League.

“You can’t be great if you feel low and are pouring out from an empty cup,” Bolden said.

Related news: NEPC Expo to feature new location, new schedule, hockey star

Supply chain answers lie in technology, NEPC panelists say

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:26:03 GMT

To deal with supply chain issues, customers are asking for end-to-end visibility and contingency plans, says Joshua Noonan, director of delivered sales at C.H. Robinson ’s Robinson Fresh division, based in Eden Prairie, Minn. Robinson Fresh specializes in sourcing and transporting fresh produce for consumers around the world, with C.H. Robinson at its logistics platform.

“Visibility is the No. 1 ask of the CEOs we deal with. We, as consumers, want as much communication as ever before, but with shortage of labor, we have to go down the digital route to provide that,” Noonan said at the New England Produce Council ’s Produce, Floral and Foodservice Expo breakfast Aug. 25, in Boston.

Noonan answered questions on the education session topic, “How to Minimize Your Produce Supply Chain Challenges,” with three other panelists and moderator Rebeckah Freeman Adcock, vice president of U.S. government relations at International Fresh Produce Association.

Related news: Make it convenient: NEPC gets it done in a day

Everyone is already too familiar with labor shortages and higher operations costs. You can raise prices of the final product only so much before the consumer will just do without it, she said.

“Bottom line is that there are just not enough people to do the jobs we need done, and there are a thousand reasons for that, and it’s not going to get better anytime soon,” Adcock said. “We’ve got to roll up our sleeves and stop blaming each other. As my old boss used to say: I’m not interested in the problem; I’m interested in the solution.”

Most answers lie in digital technology, in which C.H. Robinson has been heavily investing, Noonan said. Today, one in three loads is booked digitally by the carrier, and one and a half years ago, zero loads were booked that way.

Automation is a big part of the solution, said panelist Mark Donley, vice president of ADUSA Procurement, a transportation, logistics, supply chain and storage company of Ahold Delhaize USA . Ahold is the parent company for more than 2,000 retail stores on the East Coast, including Food Lion , Giant Food, The Giant Co. , Hannaford and Stop & Shop .

In the last three years, ADUSA Procurement has been retrofitting its warehouses to be more automated, and Donley said the company is proposing more retrofit automation.

“It’s actually helped us get product to the consumer. This is a space that we’ll see forever, and we’ll see additional investment over the years. It’s really addressing labor and quality,” Donley said. “Your costs still remain the same because you have a different source of labor, engineers of the software, people cleaning the belts.”

But warehouses will need, say, about 40 people compared to 300 people, and the excess people can cover labor shortages inside stores.

Dave Patnaude, sales manager at Coast to Coast Produce , a grower, shipper and distributor based in Cheshire, Conn., said he expects more robotics in farming, including harvesting.

Related: NEPC Expo Reception Photos

These solutions need to factor in the consumer demands of Generation Z, the oldest of which are 25 now. They’re digital natives concerned with sustainability — forecasted to have more spending money than millennials and Generation X.

Noonan predicts that railway transportation, historically a “back-back-backup plan,” will become more desirable because it uses a quarter of the fuel that a semi truck does. “That’s important to the next generation of buyers,” he said.

Distribution has to change, such as moving your warehousing closer to the consumer.

Noonan emphasized the common solution all the panelists touched on: “Technology, technology, technology,” he said.

“A few years from now, all transactions will be on apps. Ten-plus years from now, it will only be faster. Venture capitalists have poured billions and billions of dollars into this industry,” he said, mentioning big tech companies such as Google and Meta, the latter of which owns Instagram and Facebook.

“We have to become more tech-savvy, more efficient, because it’s coming.”

Photos: NEPC Expo Reception

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:26:05 GMT

The 22nd New England Produce Produce, Floral and Foodservice Expo started with the expo reception Aug. 24, at the Omni Hotel’s Sporting Club in the Seaport District of South Boston.

Considering the northeastern location, the hockey theme fit for this conference.

The event had a hockey theme, including a living statue of a hockey player in the middle of the opening party.

On Aug. 25, Blake Bolden, the first Black female scout in the National Hockey League, is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the luncheon. Bolden was the first Black player to be a first-round draft pick in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League and is now an ESPN reporter.

Look for more coverage of the New England show to come.

Read more about it: NEPC show to feature new site, new schedule, hockey star