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Watermelon Update
If a crisis situation arises, please call 1-877-599-9595 immediately.
What’s in Store Event
PMA EXPO NOLA
The PMA Fresh Summit returned to New Orleans for the first time in 11 years. Over
18,000 attendees hailing from more than 60 countries were on the show floor this year,
as there was a lot to see and be seen. Chef Joe Poon amazed yet again with his
watermelon carvings. With the assistance of Chiquita, Cal-Giant, and Rouses
Supermarkets, our booth featured new watermelon recipes to sample. Our watermelon
smoothies and dippers recipe were received to rave reviews! NWPB staffers were able to
make great connections with retailers and buyers, giving them tips and POS materials to
help push the sale of watermelon year-round. Our reception was another hit. Many
thanks again to our wonderful sponsors!
Points of Interest
NWPB held its fall board meeting on Friday and Saturday, November 1-2, 2013, in
conjunction with the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival in Lake Buena Vista,
where NWPB was a sponsor. The meeting included a crisis communication training
session and a recap of all of the board’s outreach activities for the year. Once adjourned,
board members had the opportunity to experience the festival and taste the fresh
watermelon juice that was served to the millions of visitors that attend this 46-day
festival. The spring board meeting will be held in February in Savannah, Georgia.
The What’s in Store event is a sponsored
reception attended by Supermarket Retail
Dietitians in conjunction with the Food
Nutrition Conference & Expo. Attendees of
this event are treated to recipes and
nutritional information by the sponsors and
NWPB was thrilled to be one of them. The
event went off without a hitch and the food
at the watermelon table was definitely a hit.
The chipotle maple citrus watermelon wings
were a crowd favorite and many requested
the recipe for future reference. NWPB also
received great feedback on the Retail
Dietician toolkit, hearing from many of
them that they reference it all the time and
that it’s an invaluable resource. The toolkit
can be found in the “health professionals”
section of watermelon.org.
WATERMELON UPDATE
NOVEMBER ISSUE 2013
WATERMELON WOWS AT THE
MARINE CORPS MARATHON
Watermelon, watermelon, everywhere! In an effort to get watermelon in the national spotlight in our nation’s
capital, the watermelon industry participated as a sponsor, exhibitor, runner and rehydrator during last weekend’s
Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) events. The staff of the National Watermelon Promotion Board, the watermelon
mascot J. Slice, the National Watermelon Queen from the National Watermelon Association (NWA) and each and
every regional Watermelon Queen traveled to DC to pitch in.
The weekend included a 3-day expo at the DC armory and a kids run at the
Pentagon parking lot. The main event of the weekend was Sunday’s
marathon and 10K run, which started simultaneously at 7:55 a.m. and
ended at the Finish Festival in Rosslyn, VA. In addition to the 10,000 10K
runners and the 30,000 26.2 milers, a total of 70,000 friends, family and
athletes mixed, mingled and recovered at the Finish Festival. Post-race
hospitality included tons of watermelon. In fact, here are our stats:
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34 bins of whole watermelon
A single bin is 660 pounds
25 pallets of 80 boxes in a refrigerated truck
24 5-ounce containers of fresh cut watermelon per box
48,000 samples of fresh watermelon
The watermelon was from Class Produce Group’s newly launched fresh cut
brand, TGD Cuts under the label “Wonder Fruit.” According to Don Hiller, “Class Produce Group is proud and
honored to help with the Marine Corps Marathon. It is a tremendous event.”
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WATERMELON UPDATE
NOVEMBER ISSUE 2013
*without their generosity, the watermelon reception would not be possible
As a leader in the corrugated packaging industry, International Paper safeguards the delivery and enhances the appeal of millions of products every day. International Paper offers innovative packaging solutions to meet the needs of those in the farming and agriculture sector. Furthermore, the innovations in display ready packaging, wax-­‐free packaging, and high performance bulk packaging help ensure fresh fruits and vegetables arrive at market in the best condition. Together, with over 40 years of experience in bulk packaging International Paper and its Tri-­‐Wall brand will offer a "system-­‐wide" approach to bring value, innovation, and service to customers. In addition, with various print and graphic options International Paper can meet the needs of retailers as they focus on drawing customers to their products. 3
WATERMELON UPDATE
NOVEMBER ISSUE 2013
PECO Pallet is a North American leader in pallet rental services with an outstanding reputation for q uality, service, and environmental sustainability. PECO’s red wood block pallets are used by leading manufacturers to ship grocery and consumer goods p roducts to retailers throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. PECO Pallet’s experienced service and operations teams work closely with manufacturers, retailers, and depots to reduce costs and improve efficiency throughout the supply chain. PECO Pallet is committed to providing the highest quality pallets and the best customer service in the pallet pooling industry. PECO manufactures sturdy wood block pallets and maintains the quality of its pallet pool by rigorously inspecting, sorting, cleaning and repairing pallets each time they cycle through a depot. PECO also takes great pride in maintaining a customer satisfaction rating above 99.5%. The company has built strong working relationships with many of the nation’s top manufacturers and distributors. Environmental sustainability is nothing new at PECO Pallet. The company was founded on the basic principle of reusing pallets to conserve resources. PECO’s pallets are built from responsibly forested timber and are continually repaired, reused and recycled. By efficiently managing pallets within a controlled loop, PECO turns pallets an average of 4 times per year. Strict control and maintenance standards extend pallet life to over 10 years. No h armful chemicals or hazardous materials are ever u sed on PECO p allets, and all materials are eventually reused or recycled. Nothing goes to the landfill. In January 2012, PECO Pallet launched an upgrade to RED<>LINK®, the company’s web-­‐based pallet management tool. Using a new, streamlined interface, users can log in from anywhere 24 hours a day to place orders, check delivery dates, view invoices, enter transactions, or track pallet flows. All transactions are updated in real time to ensure that data is reliable and accurate. PECO’s program also integrates seamlessly with existing EDI systems to place orders and report transfers. PECO Pallet is based in Irvington, New York, and maintains over 550 service centers and manufacturing plants throughout the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. In recent years, PECO has added more top manufacturers and distributors to its North American service network, and the company has seen 30%+ growth in total pallet issues each year since 2007. In February 2011, majority ownership of PECO Pallet was acquired by the Pritzker Group, a private investment firm. For more information, visit www.pecopallet.com. *without their generosity, the watermelon reception would not be possible*
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WATERMELON UPDATE
NOVEMBER ISSUE 2013
*without their generosity, the watermelon reception would not be possible*
Increase Sales with Bulk Bins from RockTenn Your packaging must do more than protect your product; it also has to help sell your product and set you apart from the competition. At RockTenn, our team of professionals can assist you in choosing the best options for your bulk bin packaging needs to deliver visual impact at the point of sale. Advantages: • Increased brand awareness and added visual impact • Ease of shoppability • Ease of transit thru the supply chain • Product protection to ensure more sellable product and fewer “throwaways” • Availability of packaging on demand • Reduction in packaging waste Visit us at PMA, Booth #5939, or visit www.RockTenn.com. Multicorr is centrally located in Louisville, KY, and offers warehouse services in major produce markets. With exceptional quality and unparalleled service we have quickly become one of the premier sheet feeder and produce bin suppliers east of the Rockies. Contact: Jane Jennings Marketing Manager 360-­‐601-­‐7860 The vegetable seed business of Bayer CropScience operates under the name of Nunhems. Nunhems is the global specialist in vegetable genetics and services. As a globally integrated group of teams Nunhems builds unique customer relationships and shares products, concepts and expertise with the professional horticultural production industry and supply chain. The portfolio of Nunhems consists of 2,500 varieties in 28 vegetable crops, including leading varieties of carrot, cucumber, leek, lettuce, melon, onion, pepper, tomato and watermelon. With more than 1,600 employees, Nunhems is present in all major vegetable production areas in the world. More information about Nunhems at www.nunhemsusa.com. Ayco is one of the largest vertically integrated grower/packer/shipper from Central America. Production areas include Guatemala, Honduras, USA and a new growing operation in Mexico. Our new offices in Irapuato, Mexico supported by our new sales and marketing office in McAllen,Texas offering a new line of product: Greenhouse Colored Bell Peppers, Hot House Tomatoes, Broccoli Crowns, Asparagus and Cucumbers. Ayco is committed to continuing its focus and execution on all aspects of food safety and quality assurance. Our new facility in Pompano Beach, with it's 3,000 pallet positions also includes a full service capacity “clean room” for cutting and value added projects as well as High Humidity Pre Coolers and Ripening rooms. Please join us at our booth #503 to hear more about our NEW direction and our marketing programs. What sets rose research apart from other marketing research companies is our innovative services, in-­‐depth experience, marketing insights, client service and commitment to quality research. From our president on down, rose research has the experience to tackle the most complex research problems. With experience in virtually every product category, (including normative data) – -­‐ from concept testing to satisfaction studies, to sales estimating, our research staff can help you solve problems by providing marketing intelligence utilizing state-­‐of-­‐the art methodologies. To learn more about our services, please visit www.roseresearch.com. 5
THE WATERMELON UPDATE
National Watermelon Promotion Board
3361 Rouse Road, Suite 150
Orlando, FL 32817
NOVEMBER ISSUE 2013