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Virginia-Based Organic Herb Business Plans Expansion
Shenandoah Growers Inc. is spending $6.7 million to expand its existing organic herb nursery greenhouse and production facility in Rockingham County, Va. The company will invest in its existing facility, significantly increasing production and growing sales by an estimated $15 million over the next three years, and create 15 new jobs. In addition, Shenandoah Growers will invest $2 million to relocate its headquarters and create a finishing system at the new site. The Commonwealth is partnering with Rockingham County and Shenandoah Growers on this project through the Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) Fund. Founded in Virginia in ... |
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Gourmet Cupcake Bakery to Add Locations
Amid rising sales and the debut of a new bakery design, Gigi’s Cupcakes, America’s largest cupcake and specialty baked goods franchise, plans to open 25 locations this year. Through the first quarter, Gigi’s Cupcakes saw same-store sales – a key indicator of a retail company’s health – increase more than 4 percent. In the same period, total sales grew 22 percent at the more than 90 Gigi’s Cupcakes locations. Company executives attribute the sales growth partly to the brand’s strategic efforts to diversify its product offerings. In recent years, Gigi’s Cupcakes has added cheesecakes, pies, bread loaves, specialty coffee and ... |
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Williams-Sonoma’s 2014 Revenue Tallied Mostly Online for the First Time
For the first year ever, Williams-Sonoma’s online sales accounted for more than 50 percent of the retailer’s total sales in 2014, according to a report by Internet Retailer.In 2014, the company reported online sales of $2.371 billion in fiscal 2014, up 12.1 percent from $2.115 billion in fiscal 2013, representing 50.5 percent of its total net revenue of $4.699 billion. Internet sales accounted for approximately 75 percent of Williams-Sonoma’s growth, according to the report.Mobile commerce was a significant contributor to the retailer’s 2014 e-commerce growth, increasing by 100 percent from prior year, Patrick Connolly, executive vice president, told analysts on ... |
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IMUSA Sponsors Autism Walk in Miami
A strong corporate supporter of Autism Speaks since 2009, housewares manufacturer IMUSA is sponsoring Autism Walk Now in Miami on Sunday, April 19.IMUSA has also developed specially designed sauté pans to support autism, which will be for sale on walk day, according to Vicky Rodriguez, marketing manager of IMUSA, who is raising funds herself and plans to participate in the walk on April 19. IMUSA also partners with Sedano’s Supermarkets and the local community for the puzzle piece campaign. Puzzle pieces are sold for $1 at the grocery checkout counter and all funds collected go directly to Autism Speaks. Raul Corzo, ... |
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Magisso Cool-ID Tumbler Wins Red Dot Design Award
The new Magisso self-cooling Cool-ID Tumbler for beer and other beverages has won the prestigious Red Dot Design Award.Just soaking the Cool-ID Tumbler for a minute in water activates the cooling effect. The soaked tumbler will stay icy-cold for hours, keeping beer, iced coffee or smoothies fresh and tasty for longer, even in the hottest temperature, according to the company. No ice is needed. The unique matt surface of the Cool-ID Tumbler can also be personalized easily with chalk, and is dishwasher-safe. Designed for the Nordic lifestyle brand Magisso by Simon Stevens, the product is now part of the company’s ... |
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Mintel: U.S. Chocolate Sales to Hit $25 Billion by 2019, But Lags Europe in Product Innovation
Chocolate confectionery sales grew 24 percent over a five-year period from 2009 to 2014 to reach $21 billion in the United States, the world’s largest chocolate market. However, the pace of growth slowed in 2014, following a pattern that has evolved over the past few measurement periods, up only 3 percent over 2013, according to Mintel research. The global chocolate confectionery market experienced some high points in 2014, especially in Asia. Growth was strong in South Korea, experiencing an increase of 19 percent; 18 percent in India; 16 percent in China; and 12 percent in Vietnam. While chocolate confectionery remains ... |
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S&D Coffee & Tea Exec Named Vice Chair of World Coffee Research
Tracy Ging, vice president of sustainability and strategic initiatives for Concord, N.C.-based S&D Coffee & Tea, has been named vice chairperson of World Coffee Research (WCR), a nonprofit collaborative research and development program of the global coffee industry. Ging has been active in WCR from the inception of the organization in 2012, helping to shape it into the fully operational global research institute it is today. Ging will serve a three-year term on the organization’s executive committee – holding the positions of chairperson and immediate past chairperson following her time as vice chairperson. She previously served on the WCR board ... |
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Gaea Creates U.S. Subsidiary to Build Greek Olive Oil Business
Gaea, the leading international manufacturer of Greek olive oil, in a strategic effort to claim leadership in the Greek olive oil category in North America, announced the creation of a new subsidiary, Gaea North America. Additionally, Gaea appointed David Neuman as CEO of Gaea North America. Neuman, formerly president of Lucini Italia, is an experienced industry veteran and olive oil expert. Gaea’s appointment of Neuman and investment in the new North American subsidiary reflect the brand’s acknowledgment of U.S. growth potential. “Success in the olive oil industry calls for expert knowledge, authenticity and genuine passion, and as such I am ... |
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Acme Opens Seafood Smoking Facility in North Carolina
Acme Smoked Fish Corp., manufacturer of Acme, Blue Hill Bay, Ruby Bay and Great American smoked and cured seafood, officially opened its largest cold smoked salmon facility in Wilmington, N.C. The 100,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility was built to initially produce 10 million pounds of cold smoked salmon per year with the highest quality and food safety standards in the industry. Strategically located to complement Acme’s existing locations in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Pompano Beach, Fla., the facility will serve as a platform for Acme to accommodate future growth and sales opportunities in the smoked seafood category, both domestically and internationally, while still ... |
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Panorama Foods Picks Up Daelia’s Brands
Panorama Foods Inc. has acquired Daelia’s Food Products LLC, an Ohio-based maker of Daelia’s Biscuits for Cheese, Beer Flats Crackers and Daelia’s Honey Nougats. The Daelia’s brands join Panorama’s existing portfolio of specialty foods brands including Original Trenton Crackers, Wing-Time Buffalo-style wing sauces, Buffalo Betty Bloody Mary mixes, Special Edition Salad Nuggets and Global Treasures spices. Ken Meyers, president of Panorama Foods, said, “We’re excited about this new combination and the opportunities it presents for the Daelia’s line. Panorama Foods has a solid history of supporting and developing smaller brands in the specialty food space, and Daelia’s fits in perfectly ... |
