Southern Charm

A break from the cold and some natural sunlight are not the only elements drawing attendees to this year’s Southern Exposure conference.

The event, which will take place from March 3-5 for the first time in its new location of Hollywood, Fla., promises to bring together the best of the Southeast Produce Council’s suppliers and buyers under one roof, offering an abundance to see, hear and eat.

The Southeast Produce Council (SEPC) and Southern Exposure were built upon three fundamental principles, says David Sherrod, executive director of the SEPC, based in Millen, Ga. “The first was to create the best networking event environment in the industry; secondly, we would strive to bring relevant educational programs to our members; and lastly, we would give back to charitable organizations that we could help by our efforts.” 

Southern Exposure consists of a variety of events and a day-long tradeshow. The festivities will kick off with a gala on Friday night, which Sherrod says is one of the biggest attended galas in the industry.

The keynote luncheon speaker this year is former coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Jimmy Johnson. Johnson, now an NFL analyst and motivational speaker, plans to tie his past experiences in with the produce industry. 

Carey Lohrenz, the first female F-14 jet fighter, will speak during the Southern Roots conference. Southern Roots, a group that began in the fall of 2014, is for women working in the male dominated produce industry. Lohrenz will relate in that sense and speak on the topic. 

The conference also features educational workshops. Among them will be one with New York Times bestselling author Michael Maltz. Maltz wrote the novel Salt Sugar Fat and will be speaking to attendees about how they can gain market share from the food giants. 

Overall, Sherrod says he is expecting more than 2,000 attendees at this year’s event, including more than 400 from the retail/foodservice sectors. There are 278 exhibitors signed up, and a waiting list. 

“We could be bigger, but we have chosen not to be so it provides more of an intimate atmosphere for our buyers to be able to spend more time with the exhibitors we have,” Sherrod says. “We choose to be that way. We have a waitlist of more than 100 companies waiting to get into the show, but we’ve chosen to stay on the smaller side so that people have time to get around the show.”

Below is a sneak peek at what some of the exhibiting companies will have to share this year:

 California Sun Dry Foods

    Booth #118

    calsundry.com

California Sun Dry Foods will highlight its new Italian and Southwestern style sun-dried tomato products. The Danville, Calif.-based company will also promote new ideas for how to use its product line. 

“The sun-dried tomato category is still significantly recipe driven,” says Gary DeAtley, president.  “Increased consumption relies heavily upon supplying our consumers with new and interesting recipe and usage ideas ranging from snacks and appetizers to center plate and side dishes. We will be demonstrating several new ideas at our booth, which we will then incorporate into our trade promotions, display programs and consumer advertising.”

Chelan Fresh Marketing

    Booth #217

    chelanfresh.com

Chelan Fresh Marketing will be showing attendees what it describes as Washington’s finest mountain grown fruit. 

“The country’s best tasting fruit can only come from the best growing place,” says Mac Riggan, director of marketing. “That place is the fertile slopes of the Cascade Mountains, where orchards of apples, pears and cherries touch the sky and earth and are cooled by breezes lifted from the Columbia River.”

Company officials will show the Chelan, Wash.-based grower’s new Mountain Grown variety specific poly and pouch packaging, which they say works well with a variety of sizes of apples and pears. The company will also display its Sesame Street packaging, Rockit apples in the grab-and-go tube, and Cup o’ Cherries for on-the-go consumers.  

 Ocean Mist Farms

    Booth #418

    oceanmist.com 

Ocean Mist Farms’ booth will feature Kalettes, the latest item in the company’s Season & Steam line. All items in this line use the Ocean Mist Farms Steamfast microwaveable packaging that allows consumers to pre-season contents, reseal with a zip lock and steam by microwave all in one bag.

Kalettes come cleaned and ready to cook, and Ocean Mist Farms recently redesigned the graphics on each of the Season & Steam packages to make the instructions clearer on the shelf and more user friendly, add officials for the Castroville, Calif.-based company. 

Additionally, the company’s line of organic produce, Ocean Mist Organic, will be on display. Officials note that there will be a full team on hand to greet visitors at the company’s booth from the sales, marketing, and research development departments.

 Duda Farm Fresh Foods

    Booth #603 

    dudafresh.com

Duda Farm Fresh Foods, a grower, shipper, processor and marketer for fresh vegetables and citrus, will mark 90 years in business this year.

To celebrate, officials from the Oviedo, Fla.-based company will be at Southern Exposure to show its new Dandy Celery Snack line. Products from the line include Ready to Snack Celery Sticks in 1.6-ounce single serving packages; Dandy Naturally Sweeter and Crispier fresh-cut celery paired with a squeezable peanut butter pouch from Peanut Butter & Co. in 2.3- and 4.15-ounce packages; and Crunchables, a 5-ounce cup containing celery sticks and three flavors of Ranch dip. 

Also on display will be Dandy Simple Salad in Seconds, which contains petite heads of red and green frisee lettuce, or red and green butter lettuce. 

“This variety pack of flavors and textures gives the home cook an easy salad solution,” says Nichole Towell, director of marketing. “Ideal for wraps and salads, Simple Salad in Seconds has a higher yield than whole-head lettuce and a longer shelf life than bagged lettuce, which means better value for the home cook.” 

 Mann Packing Co.

    Booth #609

    VeggiesMadeEasy.com

Mann Packing will exhibit its extensive line of retail and foodservice fresh cut vegetables including Kalettes, Fiesta Vegetable tray, Power Blend and Mann’s Snacking Favorites trays. 

Mann’s Kalettes, which are available in a retail and foodservice pack, are a natural hybrid of kale and Brussels sprouts designed to be enjoyed steamed, sautéed, roasted, grilled or eaten raw.

The company’s new Fiesta Vegetable Tray is an alternative to the traditional vegetable tray, as it includes sweet mini peppers, carrots, broccoli, celery, and a dual dip option of Jalapeno Ranch Dip and Garden Ranch Dip.  

A mix of six super-food vegetables high in vitamin A and C, Mann’s Power Blend is versatile enough to be enjoyed as a nutritious salad, in a smoothie or sautéed for a quick side dish with any meal, say officials for the Salinas, Calif.-based company.

Mann’s new line of Snacking Favorites vegetable trays includes seven trays large enough for a mini-meal or any snacking occasion. The tray line includes Veggie Ranch, Veggies 4 Kidz, Organic Veggies, Veggie Hummus, Cheddar Pretzel, Cheddar Trail and Honey Turkey Cheddar. 

 Apio

    Booth #801

    eatsmart.net

Apio will show products from both of its brands of fresh-cut vegetables: Eat Smart and GreenLine. This will include its full line of six gourmet salad kits, like Eat Smart Sweet Kale and the new Eat Smart Southwest salad kit.

“These chef-inspired salad kits offer sophisticated blends of five or more superfoods and include everything needed for a delicious salad,” says Jenny Stornetta, marketing communications manager for the company, based in Guadalupe, Calif. “Eat Smart vegetable salad kits are perfect for those looking for innovative, convenient and healthy eating options that are easy to integrate into busy lives.”

 Shuman Produce

    Booth #803

    realsweet.com

Shuman Produce, a year-round grower and shipper of sweet onions, will show attendees its new RealSweet Vidalia display. The display unit is designed for cross merchandising sweet onions with other produce, meat and center store items. 

“Along with use as a secondary display, these smaller sized units are perfect for creating a colorful merchandising waypoint that conserve more floor space than full-sized bins,” says John Shuman, president and director of sales for the Reidsville, Ga.-based company. 

The units feature two different artwork panels, with one side showing a collection of recipes and the other images of sweet onions. 

“To Shuman Produce, it’s always been about more than onions. It’s about growing a family, a business, a culture of giving back and a product that we’re proud to share,” Shuman adds.

 Del Monte Fresh Produce

    Booth #914

    freshdelmonte.com

Del Monte will showcase its whole and fresh cut produce lines, as well as some value added offerings.  

“We are proud to highlight our Del Monte Gold Extra Sweet pineapple as well as our extensive line of Del Monte bananas which includes a number of exotic varieties,” says Dionysios Christou, vice president marketing. 

Among the fresh cut selections, the Coral Gables, Fla.-based company will feature a variety of fruit and vegetable combinations and snacks. Also on exhibit will be Del Monte Fresh Guac, which is available in multiple varieties and sizes, and the multi-option whole avocado program.

 Idaho Potato Commission

    Booth #915

    idahopotato.com

The marketing arm for the Idaho potato industry, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC), will be present on behalf of its crop. Since 1937, the IPC has represented growers, fresh shippers and processors of fresh, frozen, dehydrated and refrigerated 100 percent grown in Idaho potatoes. 

“Our consumer brand awareness is recognized in study after research study as the highest in the industry,” says Seth Pemsler, vice president of retail/international for the IPC. “We dedicate our efforts on training and education materials and promote Idaho potatoes through the vast number of recipes on our website.”

Officials for the Eagle, Idaho-based organization say that its “Grown in Idaho” seal is well known to symbolize quality. They add that currently, Idaho supplies 30 percent of the fresh potatoes in the country.

 Dole Fresh Fruit

    Booth #920

    Dole.com

Dole representatives will be on hand to share the details of the company’s 2016 Get Up and Grow! campaign. 

Officials for the Westlake Village, Calif.-based company were pleased with the success of Get Up and Grow! in 2015. “Convinced that the secret to a happier, healthier world is increased fruit and vegetable consumption, Dole hit the road last summer to directly challenge North Americans to make healthy eating their No. 1 priority,” says William Goldfield, director of corporate communications for Dole. 

“This campaign was the first integrated effort between Dole Fresh Fruit, Dole Fresh Vegetables and Dole Nutrition Institute, and included recipe developments, demonstrations and samplings, retailer stops in more than 44 cities across North America, and a first-ever customizable healthy-living pledge that rewarded participants with various wellness incentives.”

In addition to discussing plans for 2016, Dole’s booth will display its line of fresh produce, organic bananas, pineapples, vegetable lines and chopped salad kits.

 NatureSweet

    Booth #1001

    naturesweet.com

NatureSweet Tomatoes will debut its colorful new product, Constellation, at SEPC. According to officials for the San Antonio-based company Constellation is a unique medley pack that offers “A Tomato for Every Occasion.” 

“Only NatureSweet Constellation provides consumers with a consistent flavor variety to address each of the top four usage occasions for fresh tomatoes,” says Michael Joergensen, vice president of marketing. “In every package, consumers will get NatureSweet tomatoes with robust flavors that truly enhance salads, slice perfectly for tasty sandwiches, satisfy a sweet snack craving and sizzle in savory recipes.”

NatureSweet grows its tomatoes to a guaranteed specification every day of the year for guaranteed taste, officials add.

 Litehouse

    Booth #1115

    litehousefoods.com

Litehouse’s new OPA! By Litehouse Greek Yogurt Pourables and Opadipity Fruit & Veggie Dips are among the new products that showgoers will have the chance to check out. 

The Sandpoint, Idaho-based company will also display is core line of classic favorites as well as its new Green Garden line of organic, non-GMO, olive oil dressings. 

“Our in-depth market research and consumer insights have brought together a unique line of products to fit every target demographic, backed with a robust consumer and trade plan to create awareness and move product off the shelves,” says Brad Wyllie, vice president of Eastern retail sales.

 Wholly Guacamole

    Booth #1021

    eatwholly.com

Show attendees looking for a healthy snack will want to work Wholly Guacamole’s booth into their tour of the showroom floor.

 Wholly Guacamole, a brand of Saginaw, Texas-based Fresherized Foods, will be serving a variety of flavors of its popular guacamole product. According to Crystal Berry, regional sales manager assistant/food show coordinator for Wholly Guacamole, it is the No. 1 selling branded guacamole in the U.S.

 Other product attributes include that it is hand-scooped, gluten-free, kosher, all-natural and trans-fat free. The products are made through High Pressure Processing (HPP), which makes no additives or preservatives necessary.