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Hurricane Hilary Impact ‘Devastating’ on California Table Grape Crop

Hurricane Hilary delivered wind and rain to many California table grape vineyards at peak harvest time for most of the 90 varieties grown in the state. The immediate aftermath of the hurricane brought additional rain and humidity to many growing areas, compounding problems and loss.

“The impact of the hurricane and its aftermath is devastating and heartbreaking,” said Kathleen Nave, president of the California Table Grape Commission. “To say that the grower and farmworker community is in shock is an understatement.”

With approximately 30 percent of the crop harvested when the hurricane hit, it is projected that 35 percent of the remaining crop – 25 million boxes – has been lost. “The revised estimate for the California crop is 71.9 million 19-pound boxes,” said Nave.

“The last time the crop was under 75 million boxes was 1994.”

Noting that it is typical for California to ship over 65 percent of its crop after Sept. 1, Nave said that based on the revised estimate there are still over 45 million boxes of grapes the industry plans to ship.

“Reaching consumers at retail stores is a major focus of the work done by the commission,” Nave said. “Partnering with retailers to get grapes on store shelves and to promote them to consumers is work that will continue throughout the season.”

Nave said that retailers understand the damage the storm caused and the many ways that labor costs will increase as a result.

“Retailers understand that even with skilled workers it will take more time to harvest much of the remaining crop and that accordingly, to keep grapes on the retail shelves throughout the fall the price paid to growers will need to be enough to make it worthwhile to harvest.”

Nave said the industry plans to continue assessing the situation in the weeks ahead, providing updates as needed, and that the commission will continue its retail promotion activities and consumer advertising campaigns throughout the season.

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Nicole Johnson-Hoffman Joins Meati Board

Meati Foods, the producer of animal-free meats crafted from the company’s whole-food MushroomRoot, has appointed food and agriculture luminary Nicole Johnson-Hoffman to its board of directors.

Johnson-Hoffman brings over two decades of transformative leadership within the food and ag sectors to Meati, most recently serving as CEO of cultivated meat company Believer Meats. Her rich career, spanning roles with industry stalwarts like Cargill and OSI, has positioned her at the forefront of managing the global beef industry’s most dynamic supply chains and making them more sustainable.

“In the realm of animal meat and animal-free alternatives, Nicole stands unmatched in her depth of experience and knowledge of operations, market requirements and emerging opportunities,” said Tyler Huggins, CEO and co-founder of Meati Foods. “Having Nicole on board with team Meati is a testament to the uniqueness of our product and the boundless promise of our MushroomRoot, as well as an endorsement of our vision and overall approach.”

Meati Foods continues to scale its fully vertically integrated manufacturing capabilities to support rapid growth in the coming months in both retail and food service locations. Its Eat Meati line recently launched at Whole Foods Market with its Classic Cutlet, Crispy Cutlet, Classic Steak and Carne Asada Steak. In foodservice, Meati Foods most recently announced its first Northern California restaurant offering in San Francisco’s Causwells after a series of restaurant launches including Birdcall, PLNT Burger and Next Level Burger.

“I’m frustrated when I see brands, interest groups and other organizations put the onus of change on the consumer, asking them to shop our way out of problems caused by the food industry,” said Johnson-Hoffman. “It’s the responsibility of incumbent industry leaders and disruptors like Meati to bring solutions that work for consumers. Meati is nailing it, and I’m thrilled to partner with such a great group of people who are doing great things.”

Featuring its nutrient-dense and nearly infinitely scalable whole-food MushroomRoot, Meati Foods today makes whole-cut steaks and cutlets that deliver not only unprecedented, clean nutrition, but flavors and textures that have won the enthusiastic support of some of food’s biggest icons, including David Chang (chef and founder of Momofuku and Majordomo Media) and Sam Kass (former White House senior policy advisor for nutrition and partner at Acre Venture Partners).

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Giant Eagle Retains Artman as CEO

Giant Eagle, Inc., one of the nation’s leading regional food, fuel, and pharmacy retailers, has appointed Bill Artman as chief executive officer after having been named interim CEO in March.

During his nearly 40-year tenure with the company, Artman has served in various executive leadership roles, including president of supermarkets, executive vice president and senior vice president retail operations. As a result, he has developed a deep and unique understanding of Giant Eagle’s multifaceted business and has built strong and trusting relationships with Giant Eagle Team Members, customers, vendors, and numerous business and community partners.

“Bill already has made a tremendous impact in his interim role, giving the board confidence that he is the right leader to take Giant Eagle to new heights. We are pleased to officially welcome him as CEO,” said Bart Friedman, chair of the company’s board of directors. “Over the past five months Bill has established a new business strategy and assembled a strong executive leadership team comprised of an accomplished group of professionals with decades of relevant experience who have both a keen understanding of the company’s unique standing as a multi-format retailer and a strong vision for its future.

“Combined with Bill’s unique understanding of the history and heritage of the business and markets in which it operates, we are confident this leadership team will carry the company into many new chapters of success.”

“I’m humbled and honored by the opportunity to lead the company that I’ve been a part of almost four decades, while working alongside thousands of exceptional and talented Team Members,” said Artman. “My focus is, and always has been, on delivering for our customers and neighborhoods in which we operate, while providing the support our Team Members need so they can deliver the best experience possible for our customers no matter how they choose to shop with us.”

Over the past five months, Artman has focused on putting the customer at the center of the company’s efforts. For Artman, this starts with a deep care for Giant Eagle’s Team Members and its neighborhoods.

Recent and ongoing efforts include moving quickly to return a revamped weekly circular to mailboxes in Pittsburgh and Cleveland; the reintroduction of the Price Lock promotion to lock prices on more than 1,000 seasonally relevant products; Free Coffee Monday at GetGo; seasonally impactful fuel discounts; new and expanded personalized savings through the company’s myPerks loyalty platform; and the rollout of a new Team Member perks and discount program that is currently in pilot. These efforts represent the company’s pursuit and commitment to provide reliable value and unparalleled quality and service to its customers every day.

Artman has assembled his leadership team through the appointment of several executive leaders with decades of industry experience and a keen understanding of the company’s unique standing as a multi-format retailer.

Terri Micklin has been promoted to executive vice president, president of GetGo. With more than two decades of retail, fuel and convenience industry expertise, Micklin brings a wealth of knowledge to this role, having recently served as senior vice president of development & strategy for GetGo.

Her career includes experience with ExxonMobil Corporation and more than 20 years with Wawa, Inc. where she spearheaded numerous construction initiatives, including new stores, remodels, and other significant projects. Micklin will lead GetGo’s ongoing growth and expansion, while prioritizing its food-first approach and guest-obsessed culture.

Jim Tsipakis, RPh., has been promoted to executive vice president, president of supermarkets and pharmacy. Most recently Tsipakis was executive vice president and president of Giant Eagle Pharmacy. In his new role, he will now oversee both the Supermarket and Pharmacy businesses for Giant Eagle.

His expanded responsibilities will enable him to drive transformative strategies to create an exceptional and differentiated in-store experience for customers and continue to position Giant Eagle Pharmacy as a leading healthcare resource and destination. Tsipakis will lead several vital areas of the business including retail and pharmacy operations, supermarket merchandising, and the evolution of the supermarket service culture.

Dave Burnworth has been promoted to executive vice president, chief financial officer. Most recently, Burnworth was senior vice president and chief accounting officer of the company.

Burnworth’s outstanding financial acumen, coupled with his strategic vision, will further strengthen the company’s financial foundation and ensure its sustained growth in an ever-evolving market. In this role, Burnworth will play a pivotal role in driving financial performance and supporting strategic decision-making across the organization.

Graham Watkins has been promoted to executive vice president, chief information and supply chain officer. Most recently, Watkins was EVP, supply chain transformation & operations.

Watkins will maintain responsibility for the company’s supply chain and warehouse operations, while also leading its information technology teams to advance the company’s numerous IT and technology initiatives that are underway.

Justin Weinstein has been promoted to EVP, chief strategy and marketing officer. Most recently, Weinstein was SVP and CSO. In this role, Weinstein will play a leading role in defining Giant Eagle’s corporate and go-to-market strategy.

He will continue to lead the organization’s strategic planning, analytics, digital and partnerships functions, while serving as chief of staff to the CEO. In his expanded role, he also will oversee the company’s enterprise marketing, retail media network, and eCommerce strategy teams.

“Terri, Jim, Dave, Graham, and Justin have consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and a deep commitment to our customers,” said Artman. “Their expanded roles within the organization will undoubtedly strengthen our ability to deliver meaningful everyday value and an exceptional omnichannel shopping experience for our customers in an environment that recognizes and rewards our Team Members.”

Completing the Giant Eagle, Inc. executive leadership team are Greg Baker, executive vice president, general counsel, and Janis Leigh, executive vice president, chief people officer.

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