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California Walnut Industry Expects Quality Crop Early
The annual crop estimate for walnuts is predicted to be 495,000 short tons, just a couple of thousand shy of last year’s total, according to information released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service California Field Office. “We enjoyed a warm, dry spring, which will allow us to harvest up to a week earlier than the 2012 crop, and we are expecting good-quality, plentiful walnuts for our customers around the world,” said Donald Norene, California Walnut Commission (CWC) chairman. The 2013 estimate is less than 1 percent shy of last year’s crop of 497,000 short tons. Walnut production has been ... |
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Fairtrade Purchasing Increases Dramatically in Europe
Consumer sales of Fairtrade products increased significantly in key European markets, with Germany, Netherlands and Sweden leading, posting high double-digit growth, according to Fairtrade International’s 2012-13 annual report. Germany’s Fairtrade product sales increased 33 percent, the Netherlands 26 percent, Sweden 28 percent, Switzerland 15 percent and the U.K. 16 percent. Last year’s growth nearly completely offset the drop in total 2012 sales caused by Fair Trade USA’s withdrawal from the international system at the end of 2011, according to the report. Excluding the United States, average sales in all other Fairtrade markets increased by more than 20 percent compared to ... |
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Boyd’s Coffee First to Launch Harvested by Women Certified Coffee
Portland, Ore.-based Boyd’s Coffee is the first coffee roaster in the United States to purchase the new Harvested by Women Certified coffee for its new ¡Cafe Libre!, a Costa Rican single-origin coffee available in select grocery stores and foodservice locations, as well as on the company’s website. A 25-cent donation from each retail package goes directly to nonprofit organizations in coffee-producing countries, in addition to an initial donation made at the time of purchasing the bulk green coffee beans. Women play a major role in coffee production throughout the world, but they often have little or no control over the ... |
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Picnic Time Wins Gold Supplier Excellence Award
Picnic Time won the top gold award for its excellence in the outdoor products category in Promo Marketing magazine’s 2013 Supplier Excellence Awards. “Picnic Time is pleased to have received this award,” said Scott McCormack, director of sales and marketing. “We are very fortunate to have such a great team of people and be recognized again as a leader in innovation, service and quality.” The Supplier Excellence Awards are determined by distributor sales professionals, who narrow a list of hundreds of finalists to a list of the most popular and successful manufacturers in the promotional products industry. “The winners of ... |
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Passage Foods Earns Gluten-Free Certification
Passage Foods’ line of authentic cooking sauces are now certified gluten-free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO). The Passage Foods line includes Passage to Mexico, Passage to Thailand, Passage to Morocco and Passage to Europe, as well as several other classic and ethnic product lines. Each of the 23 different simmer sauces is a blend of fresh ingredients creating a recipe deep in the traditional flavors of its country, such as Moroccan Harissa, Red Thai Curry, Spanish Chicken and Chipotle Lime. “It has always been in our brand’s DNA that Passage Foods products be gluten-free, and we have always used ... |
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Edge of Belgravia Opens First U.S. Warehouse
Edge of Belgravia is opening its first warehouse in the United States in Chicago, which means its chef knives will reach Beverly Hills in three days and Manhattan in two. Edge of Belgravia said the new warehouse will help it better serve the “enthusiastic American consumer” with a location that is “logistically superb.” The warehouse in Elk Grove Village, Ill., is a state-of-the-art fulfillment and distribution centre. American Cargo Express, a leading third-party warehouse operator as well as freight company, operates the warehouse. “We can now supply the rapidly growing demand for our knives across the pond with no need ... |
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Crate and Barrel Partners With Italian Designer for Collections
Crate and Barrel has formed a partnership with Italian designer, architect, art director and interior designer Paola Navone. The first of three planned collections designed by Navone, exclusively for Crate and Barrel, will consist of more than 140 items across multiple categories, including tabletop, textiles, decorative accessories, lighting, rugs, dining tables and seating. Navone’s design aesthetic reflects her lifetime of travel, commitment to handcraft and passion for global culture and design. With her first collection with Crate and Barrel, she draws upon these influences to celebrate her love of casual entertaining. The collection will be available online through www.crateandbarrel.com and ... |
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Vestar Capital Partners Acquires Majority Interest in Roland Foods
Vestar Capital Partners VI, L.P. has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a majority interest in the Roland Foods family of companies, including Bruno Scheidt Inc., American Roland Food Corp., Pro Warehouse Corp. and Costamar Corp. Terms were not disclosed for the transaction that is expected to close by the end of September. Roland Foods is a recognized leader in the imported specialty foods business in the U.S. and around the globe. “My parents started Roland Foods in the United States nearly 75 years ago, and the company has grown consistently over the years with the help of our valued customers, ... |
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Las Vegas Markets Operator Revises Winter, Summer Schedules
International Market Centers has announced a new Sunday-to-Thursday pattern for the Winter and Summer Las Vegas Markets through 2016 to better serve retailers’ needs for a weekend day and accommodate Friday travel plans. Markets in 2014 and 2015 also will overlap with other related industry events running in Las Vegas, offering synergistic buying and selling opportunities for both buyers and suppliers. Running Sunday through Thursday, future market dates are: Jan. 26-30, 2014; July 27-31, 2014; Jan. 18-22, 2015; Aug. 2-6, 2015; Jan. 17-21, 2016; and July 31-Aug. 4, 2016. “In the face of recent upheaval in the industry show calendar, ... |
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Smucker Buys Enray Organic, Gluten-Free Grain Company
The J. M. Smucker Co. has completed an acquisition of Enray Inc., a privately held company that is a leading manufacturer and marketer of premium organic, gluten-free ancient grain products, including sprouted and non-sprouted grains, pasta, and cookies, which are primarily sold under its flagship brand, truRoots. Enray generated net sales of more than $45 million over its latest 12-month period. The transaction includes a leased manufacturing facility in Livermore, Calif. Details of the transaction were not disclosed. “This acquisition strengthens and adds to the breadth of our natural foods business, extending it beyond the leadership position we currently hold ... |
