Innovative processor rolls out new items, green packaging

Ready Pac Foods is a pioneer in the fresh-cut produce industry and over the 40 years the company has been processing fresh, ready-to-eat fruit and vegetable products, innovation has remained a key part of its success. Dennis Gertmenian, who retired from the company in the fall, drove much of that success and innovation. It was his decision to start washing and mixing salads while managing his dad’s produce distributing company while dad was on vacation.

This is Gertmenian’s second retirement. He first retired about six years ago, but returned in 2006 to guide the company back to profitably and gain market share. In the short two-and-a-half years he’s done both – and this time there’s no coming back, he said in a statement at the time of his retirement. Although he’ll remain on the board of directors for Ready Pac, he directed the company to not leave an office open for him.

”It is always nice to go out on top, and today Ready Pac has never been in better shape to serve our customers with a tremendous line up of innovative products and services. We have a great management team in place led by Michael Solomon, our president,” Gertmenian said. “We’re profitable, we came off a record year, we’re at the forefront of the industry again and the future looks bright for Ready Pac. I have our team to thank for that success, particularly for giving me the chance to finally spend more time with my family and to devote more quality time to the many charitable organizations that are part of my life’s passion.”

The first product Gertmenian made in a “bathtub” in a corner of his dad’s plant was for a foodservice customer. From there, Ready Pac began selling fresh-cut salads in supermarkets in 1969. Under Gertmenian’s leadership, Ready Pac has introduced new products and line extensions for 2009 that provide customers with the restaurant experience, but in a quick and convenient format. The company is now the largest processor of in-store private labels in the country. Retailers are looking for high-quality products to brand with the store’s identity

“More and more retailers want their store brands to make a statement and create a positive store image,” said Ali Leon, senior director of strategic business development for Ready Pac. “They want to carry key products under their brand and are insisting on more product offerings.”

Using high-quality fresh-cuts in a store brand offering has led to an increase of sales in the segment, and Ready Pac has been building on that with organic store brand products. While the organic segment has leveled off somewhat in the current economy, store brands have been doing quit well.

New Products

Not content to just provide new combinations, Ready Pac is rethinking how it packages fresh-cut produce. The company is rolling out new “green” packaging that complement a new line – organic fresh-cut bagged salads.
Last year was a big one for Ready Pac. Not only did the company work its way back to profitability, it launched a number of new products that resonated with consumers.

“Consumers are looking for fresh ready-to-eat options whether shopping in the deli or product sections of the supermarket or at a neighborhood convenience store,” Leon said. “We strive to offer consumers and our retail partners options to meet customers needs.”

The summer launch of “Grab ‘n Go” single-serve salads was designed to meet the needs of time-starved shoppers that are looking for quick meal solutions in supermarkets and convenience stores. The five salads in the line – Italian Style Chopped, Cranberry Bleu Cheese, Teriyaki Tofu, Chicken Caesar and Salad Greens Salad – were ready to eat with dressing on the side and a spork in the package. The hit retail stores last summer with prices between $3.69 and $3.99. The launch also had a deli component for supermarkets. The Foodservice Deli Kits had all the ingredients for six salads – plus bowls, a “made fresh daily” sticker and instructions – for assembly in the deli. The Ready Pac line included Chef, Caesar, Cobb, Garden and Coleslaw salads.

But salads weren’t the only new products introduced by Ready Pac in 2008. The company launched a fresh-cut fruit and vegetable snack line called Ready Snax just in time for summer. Apples & Cinnamon Crème, Mango Blueberry, Pina Colada and Veggie Cheese Pretzel trays started shipping in June, adding to the Ready Snax line of apples and fat free caramel dip, apples and peanut butter dip, celery and peanut butter dip, carrots and celery with ranch dip, apples with granola and yogurt, vegetables and cheese snack and vegetable and cheese and ranch dip snack.

While fresh-cut snack items are typically marketed at children, Ready Pac is expanding beyond that segment with the snacks.

“Snacking has become a more important way to eat with about 20 percent of all adult meals considered snacks,” Leon said. “What’s more, take-out meals eaten in the car have increased by 68 percent since 1985.”

To reach that in-car market, Ready Pac introduced a 6-ounce cup of fresh-cut fruit medleys. The packaging was designed to fit into a car’s cupholder, and the clear package allows consumers to see the product’s quality. Ready Pac also had its customers in mind when designing the package, and since the average buyer is female the top of the package was designed to appeal to female shoppers. The line featured a variety of fruit mixtures including apples, strawberries, grapes and blueberries, as well as more exotic fruit like mango and kiwi.

Some of Ready Pac’s other lines have been freshened up for 2009 with updates that improve the nutrition benefits of one of the company’s best-selling lines. Ready Pac Bistro Bowls were introduced in 2003 and expanded in 2006, and the latest varieties of Bistro Bowls have fewer calories, reduced sodium and trans-fat-free salad dressing.

The updated Bistro Bowls all are 300 calories or less – reducing calories by up to 40 percent and fat by up to 55 percent, Leon said. The accompanying salad dressings are now trans fat free, and the meats and cheeses in the bowls were selected for their reduced allergens and improved vitamin and mineral content.

“Over half of the salad bowl volume comes from increased consumption or new users coming into the category,” Leon said, Senior Director of Strategic Business Development for Ready Pac. “Nine of our Bistro Bowl Salad varieties represent 14 percent of total fresh-cut salad category growth dollars.”

The company also has found that shoppers are buying multiple Bistro Bowls at a time, so they’re being used for more than just immediate consumption.

The bowls now include a sturdier spork for greater consumer convenience, and the plastic bowl was constructed with retailers in mind. The bowl has a “foot” on one side so retailers can stand it up in the display for more visibility, Leon said.

Packaging not only benefits shoppers and retailers, but the environment as well. More than half of the salad bowls and topper trays in the Ready Pac line were manufactured in a plant that uses the largest solar farm in the United States.

Ready Pac’s wide variety of organic offerings is getting environmentally friendly packaging as well. The new package uses PET or PAL for its clamshell construction, is clear for customer convenience, tamper evident and has a recloseable lid for storage. The bottom of the clamshell has a “waffle” design and the sides have a “wave” design, which reduces the contact area with the produce, resulting in fresh product, according to the company.



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