Fresh Cut Magazine

Gills Onions looks to retail to expand business

Although organic onions make up only a small part of Gills Onions’ business, the company is looking to expand its retail offerings with organic packages. The company has been certified organic for a number of years, supplying diced onions or purees to industrial manufacturers of soups and salsas. But Gills is banking on organics at retail to grow business in the coming years. “I think organic buyers are very passionate about what they buy,” said Nelia Alamo, director of sales and marketing for Gills Onions. “I think it’s the biggest growth area for us.” The first organic product released was a 6/10-ounce container of diced yellow onions sold under the Gills Onions brand name. The company sells diced and sliced conventionally-grown onions at retail, all under the same brand name, but after the sales of the organic product has taken off, more will likely follow. “The retail response has…  » Read more

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Southern Specialties offers variety, vertical integration

Southern Specialties started nearly 20 years ago as an importer of produce from Guatemala, but a food safety scare caused the company to expand its supplier base and growth expanded from there. The Pompano Beach, Fla.-based company is now a vertically integrated grower, shipper, importer, re-packer and processor of specialty fruits and vegetables. Southern Specialties offers a diverse product mix, from tropical fruit to fresh-cut vegetables grown from South America to Canada. The company debuted the latest additions to its Southern Selects line at United Fresh Marketplace May 15-18 in Chicago. The line now includes fresh-cut vegetables, and interest from the show may mean future additions to the fresh-cut offerings. Cyclospora Scare Robert Colescott, president and CEO of the company, formed Southern Specialties in 1990. He’d worked as an importer for a Florida company that was pioneering specialty produce, primarily from Central and South America. After the owner…  » Read more

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The Big Challenge in Schools

It’s not too often that you see a 325-pound person encouraging others to lose weight. But that was the premise of a surprise hit reality television show on ABC this summer, “Shaq’s Big Challenge.” Of course, the 325-pound celebrity spokesperson was 7-foot-1-inch Shaquille O’Neill, center for the Miami Heat. I typically don’t watch reality TV, especially when the star is a celebrity, but after catching a few minutes of the show’s premiere I was hooked. The show centered on six middle-school students from the Broward County, Fla., Public Schools who were obese or morbidly obese. Shaq, along with a team of doctors, fitness experts and nutritionists, developed a program to increase the students’ physical activity level and decrease their junk food intake. The show followed the kids over a nine-month period. At the start, they ranged from 182 pounds to 285 pounds and none of them were…  » Read more

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Trade Show Booth Development

This article is part four of a multipart report on small business marketing. It’s that time of year again. Many of us are making plans to attend the produce industry’s largest trade show and convention – the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) Fresh Summit. There’s a lot to consider when deciding to exhibit on the floor. While it’s late to think about exhibiting at the 2007 show, there are many opportunities between now and the 2008 PMA convention, so let’s begin to think down the road. Booth Location You’ve decided to have a booth on the floor. What’s next? Where do you start? First, remember that your booth will be a direct representation of your company, not only to current customers but, more importantly, to potential ones. The hosting company will walk you through the process of preparing for the event, but the first decision you need to make is…  » Read more

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