This will be the fifth greenhouse for Little Leaf Farms, and the brand’s second greenhouse in Pennsylvania. With the expanded capacity of 10 additional acres of indoor production of fresh, sustainably grown lettuce, Little Leaf Farms will increase its retail presence to about 5,000 grocery stores.

The expansion news was shared at a ceremony the brand hosted on May 31, welcoming Gov. Josh Shapiro and other state representatives to celebrate Little Leaf Farms’ growth in Pennsylvania. Little Leaf Farms owns 180 acres in McAdoo and has rapidly grown to be the largest producer of indoor-grown leafy greens in the state. The company opened its first 10-acre greenhouse in July 2022 and expects to employ more than 170 by the end of 2023.

“We believe in the CEA industry’s role in the path to more sustainable produce production and are focused on our mission of delivering fresh and delicious leafy greens to consumers,” said Paul Sellew, founder and CEO.

“We continue to build on our ambitious plans for growth and our expansion in Pennsylvania is a testament to how we’ve been able to continuously scale our efficient production and operations. We’re thrilled to have increased our retail sales by more than 50 percent in the past year and to be the No. 1 brand of packaged lettuce sustainably grown through CEA in the country.”

These 10 additional acres under glass represent a significant capacity increase, enabling Little Leaf Farms to harvest more than 20 million pounds of leafy greens yearly across its sites. The new greenhouse will employ Little Leaf Farms’ technology and efficiencies, including advanced heating, cooling and lighting systems, as well as utilize the sun and fresh rainwater.

The greenhouse will also integrate the brand’s hands-free automated grow system, which means the leafy greens are untouched from seed to packaging and never require washing. Little Leaf Farms’ lettuce is farmed 365 days a year, harvested daily and delivered from greenhouse to grocery store in 24 hours.

“Pennsylvania has a proud agricultural heritage, and our agriculture sector is a key driver of our economy, contributing over $132 billion to our economy and supporting nearly 600,000 jobs,” said Gov. Shapiro.

“I want to plant a flag and show the rest of the country that Pennsylvania is a leader in agriculture, job creation, and innovation – and Little Leaf Farms’ investment in our Commonwealth is proof that the future is being grown right here in Carbon County. Pennsylvania is open for business and my Administration will continue to support our farmers, scientists, and entrepreneurs who want to grow and thrive here in the Commonwealth.”

The brand also presented a $10,000 donation to Feeding Pennsylvania, a local nonprofit that works to secure food and other resources to reduce hunger and food insecurity across the state. The funds will be distributed to Feeding Pennsylvania’s member food banks to assist individuals throughout the area facing food insecurity.

“Feeding Pennsylvania is thrilled to partner with Little Leaf Farms and to accept this $10,000 donation, which will be allocated to each of our nine member food banks serving all 67 counties of Pennsylvania,” said Shea Saman, interim CEO and CFO.

“Food Banks in Pennsylvania and across the country are facing growing financial challenges due to rising demand for food assistance, increasing costs for food and other operating expenses, and disruptions to the supply chain for essential food commodities. This financial support will help food banks bridge the gap to ensure that they can continue to meet the growing needs of communities across Pennsylvania.”

For more information on Little Leaf Farms, visit littleleaffarms.com.

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The new location expands CTown Supermarkets’ store count within New York City neighborhoods, where the brand was established in 1975. Founded as “true neighborhood supermarkets,” all CTown locations are independently-owned and -operated, giving each the freedom and flexibility to customize the shopping experience for their local communities.

“I am extremely excited and proud to be opening my first CTown store here in Manhattan,” said John Sanchez, store owner. “My goal is to provide the community with affordable food and be their go-to supermarket.”

Customers will find a selection of meats, grocery, produce, dairy, frozen, deli and organic and natural products at this location.

“We’re very proud of this new CTown store and proud of John and his team. We are happy to support them on this journey,” said Dennis Wallin, EVP of new business development at Alpha 1 Marketing, the in-house marketing agency that supports the CTown brand. “We are excited to see the success of this store and the reaction of the of Spanish Harlem community.”  

Krasdale Foods is a 115-year-old family-owned business providing grocery distribution, merchandising and marketing services to independent grocery store owners, helping to build and sustain multiple generations of successful enterprises.

With its base of operations in New York, Krasdale has grown throughout the Northeast and Florida with supermarket and grocery store banners that include CTown, Bravo, Aim, Market Fresh, Shop Smart Food Markets and Stop 1 Food Mart.

Created in 1993, Alpha 1 Marketing, an affiliate of Krasdale Foods, is a full-service marketing, merchandising and retail technology solutions company. Alpha 1 provides best-in-class services to independent grocery store owners in the New York Metro and Florida markets.

As owners of the CTown, Bravo and AIM banners, Alpha1’s programs enhance brand image, increase market penetration and assist independent store owners with the tools needed for success in all areas of store operations and consumer engagement.

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Hershey’s Kisses Milklicious chocolates build on the permanent Kisses portfolio. The candy is wrapped in light-blue foils that are adorned with glasses of milk.

“Inspired by the special tastes of childhood, Hershey’s Kisses Milklicious candies feature a rich and creamy chocolate milk filling that is guaranteed to add a bit of delight to any time of day, and unlock fond memories of drinking chocolate milk for the whole family,” said Katie DeCapria, brand manager.

“We’re excited to bring Kisses brand fans the chance to enjoy a filled product variation year-round.”

The candies are available in 9-ounce share bags.

The Hershey Co. is a snacks company with about 19,000 employees around the world who work with more than 100 brand names in 80 countries. The company’s brand names include Hershey’s, Reese’s, Kit Kat, Jolly Rancher and Ice Breakers, and salty snacks including SkinnyPop, Pirate’s Booty and Dot’s Pretzels. 

To learn more, visit thehersheycompany.com.

For more candy and snacks news from The Shelby Report, click here.

The candy company also recently unveiled new research highlighting how shoppers in 2023 are making candy purchase choices based on the occasion and their physical, mental and emotional needs. To read more about the company’s research into better-for-you candy porfolios presented by The Shelby Report, click here.

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Part of the historic Walter Reed development, the store’s design showcases new colors and finishes to blend with the architecture of the old army hospital. The new location’s product assortment features more than 800 local items from across the greater D.C., Maryland and Virginia area, sourced with the help of Daniela D’Ambrosio, local forager for Whole Foods Market’s Mid-Atlantic Region.

Features of the Washington, D.C. store include:

• The specialty department’s local items include artisan crackers from Firehook, goat and cow’s milk cheeses from FireFly Farms and fresh pastas from La Pasta. The cheese counter is overseen by a certified cheese professional who can offer recommendations for any occasion and create custom boards.
• A full-service seafood counter featuring jumbo lump crab cakes, lobster rolls and seasoned and marinated fillets. Local options include smoked salmon from Ivy City Smokehouse, Maryland crabmeat from M. Clayton Seafood Co. and oysters and condiments from Rappahannock Oyster Co.
• A meat counter with butchers available to cut steaks and poultry to order. Features include in-house dry aged beef and made-in-house pork, chicken and lamb sausages. Local options include chicken from Bell & Evans, turkey from Koch’s Turkey Farm and pork from Pennbrook Acres Farms.
• A large selection of more than 250 craft beers with local options, such as D.C. Brau Brewing, Aslin Beer Co. and Right Proper Brewing Co.
• Bakery department offering made-in-house bread and other items, such as Whole Foods Market’s Berry Chantilly Cake and brown butter cookies. Local offerings include cookies and pies from Whisked by Jenna and cake slices from Sweet & Natural.

On opening morning at 8 a.m., customers will be offered complimentary coffee and breakfast bites. The first 300 people in line will receive a limited-edition tote bag and a Secret Saver coupon featuring offers up to $100 off.

Whole Foods Market has donated to D.C. Food Project, which provides food during the school day, weekends and holiday breaks to families in need; Real Food for Kids, which works to increase access to healthy foods in the D.C. school system; and to Food Rescue D.C., an organization that recovers food from grocery stores and restaurants and distributes to social service partners. Whole Foods Market will also donate meals to food rescue and redistribution programs across the D.C. area by working with Food Donation Connection.

For more information and hours of operation, visit wfm.com/stores/historicwalterreed.

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Aggarwal will oversee accounting operations, payroll, tax and compliance for Wakefern Financial Services. She will also head external financial reporting, including quarterly consolidations and financial statements, annual audited financial statements and compliance. 

Prior to joining Wakefern Food Corp., Aggarwal served as senior finance manager of Mondelēz International, leading numerous financial functions in support of the U.S. business. She also previously served as lead marketing of finance at Reckitt Benckiser, led financial reporting at General Mills Canada and presided as corporate controller and financial planning and analysis lead at Kellogg’s Canada.

Aggarwal holds an MBA in finance from the Centre for Management Development in India and received a bachelor of commerce degree from Delhi University. She received her CPA from Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada in Toronto.

From a small, local cooperative that began with eight grocery store owners, Wakefern Food Corp. has grown into the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the U.S. Founded in 1946, the cooperative includes nearly 50 member families who independently own and operate hundreds of supermarkets under the ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Dearborn Market, Gourmet Garage and Fairway Market banners in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

For more information, visit wakefern.com.

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Welch’s Zero Sugar Fruity Bites are 100 percent sugar-free, with 25 percent fewer calories than the original Welch’s Fruit Snacks. The snacks are free of fat, gluten, aspartame and preservatives.

With four in 10 shoppers looking for low/sugar-free products, up 4 percentage points versus a year ago, the Welch’s Zero Sugar comes as consumer preference for sugar-free snacks is increasing.

According to a Comprehensive Research Report by Marketing Research Future, the global market for sugar-free treats is projected to increase by 6.9 percent, reaching almost $7 billion by 2030.

“We’re excited to expand our product offerings with Welch’s Zero Sugar Fruity Bites,” said Nicole Luisi, senior brand manager, Welch’s Fruit Snacks.

“With this new innovation, fans of our iconic fruit snacks with specific dietary preferences or restrictions can again enjoy that same delicious taste and texture they have grown to love, giving them a deliciously fruity snack without any compromise.”

Consumers will begin to find Welch’s Zero Sugar at retailers and on Amazon in the Mixed Fruit, Berries ‘n Cherries and Island Fruits varieties, priced at about $3.99 for 3-ounce peg bags with other packaging formats planned to roll out later in the year.

PIM Brands Inc. is also one of the largest makers of chocolate and non-chocolate confections. Ranked as No. 26 on Candy Industry Magazine’s “Global Top 100” confectionery companies in the world and No. 10 in North America by Candy Industry Magazine, PIM Brands Inc. is also listed by Crain’s Business as one of the New York Metro Area’s 100 largest privately-owned companies and by NJBIZ as one of the state’s largest privately-held employers.

For more information, visit pimbrands.com.

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The grant will support the partnership between the NJFC and the Office of Continuing Education at Rutgers University, which administers the project. It is offered to NJFC member companies to provide food handlers with extensive and required state and federal food safety and sanitation training.

“We are pleased to offer this training to improve the skill set and employment opportunities for our workforce. This grant for New Jersey food retailers ensures their employees are trained in the latest food safety and sanitation requirements,” said Linda Doherty, NJFC president and CEO.

“As New Jersey reopens from the COVID crisis and more workers are needed to feed New Jersey residents who are shopping for food, this grant reinforces strong food safety practices, principles and qualifications.”

The training is a collaboration with SafeMark Supermarkets through the National Registry and ServSafe through the National Restaurant Association.

Classes approved in the grant include a 16-hour food safety training and an eight-hour food handler course.

The New Jersey Food Council is the state’s trade association representing 1,200 retail food stores, wholesalers, manufacturing and service companies that employ more than 200,000 associates in the state. For more information, visit njfoodcouncil.com.

To read more association news from The Shelby Report, click here.

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Kessler will provide leadership and expertise to operating companies through Northeast Shared Services and report to Frank Curci, CEO of Northeast Grocery Inc.

He will spearhead the development and execution of the company’s technology roadmap to align with business goals. Kessler will direct the IT functions of the companies and work with all areas of the business to identify opportunities to leverage technology to improve efficiency.

“We are thrilled that Scott is joining us as EVP and CIO. His knowledge and experience with leading both IT integrations and modernizations are unparalleled,” Curci said. “More importantly, his ability to motivate and inspire teams to achieve sustainable results makes him the perfect fit for our leadership team.”

Kessler previously served as EVP/CIO at BJ’s Wholesale Club, where he provided strategic guidance on leveraging technology to achieve desired business outcomes, including omni-channel, merchandising, demand planning, supply chain, logistics, customer loyalty, financial management and business operations. He has held similar senior level management roles at Belk, GSI Commerce and Accenture.

“I’m excited to guide the integration to completion and lead the strategic roadmap for technology solutions that enhance the way we engage with customers, optimize operations, and empower data-driven decision-making,” Kessler said.

“Our commitment to harnessing digital and AI-powered solutions will unlock new possibilities, elevate customer satisfaction, and position us to deliver exceptional value while propelling us towards a future of unparalleled success.”

Northeast Grocery Inc. is the parent company of Price Chopper/Market 32 and Tops Friendly Markets, which operate nearly 300 supermarkets across New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire and has more than 30,000 employees.

For additional information, visit pricechopper.com and topsmarkets.com.

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Hannaford was represented by Leigh Chase, director of center store merchandising, and George Parmenter, the brand’s lead for sustainability and health, who spoke about Hannaford’s collaboration with dairy farmers and industry partners to implement the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management Workforce Development Evaluation Tool, a program to support farmers in building safe work environments.

The FARM Workforce Development Evaluation Tool assesses workplace practices on dairy farms with a focus on developing sustainable processes that promote human resources and safety best practices. Topics covered include recruitment and hiring; compensation and benefits; working conditions; housing; and safety training. The second-party tool has assessed more than 70 farms across four states representing four times the annual volume of Hannaford’s milk supply to date.

“Hannaford is committed to ensuring that the products we sell are responsibly sourced from suppliers and farms that treat their workers fairly and humanely,” Chase said.

“We believe our biggest, longest-lasting impact comes from independent assurance and resources such as the FARM Workforce Development Evaluation Tool, which supports dairy managers in creating a positive workplace culture with industry-best practices.”

During the panel, Hannaford was joined by representatives from HP Hood, Dairy Farmers of America and an Agri-Mark farmer-owner to explore how the partnership was formed and its impact to date. The speakers also discussed how the assessment has helped identify areas where additional education, training and resources can support further advancement in farm safety and human resources practices.

“We applaud dairy farmers for having this program and for their commitment to sustainable production. Partnerships and collaborations such as this one help us all advance human rights commitments across our supply chains,” Parmenter said.

“Hannaford has seen this model succeed and led this kind of work across a range of industry and supply-chain sectors in the past, including seafood.”

The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy’s Dairy Sustainability Alliance is a multi-stakeholder group consisting of companies and organizations from across the dairy community and others who contribute to dairy’s social responsibility journey. Dairy Sustainability Alliance members share knowledge; collaborate on issues affecting the industry; accelerate progress toward common sustainability goals; and contribute to the long-term viability of the U.S. dairy industry.

For more information about the Dairy Sustainability Alliance, visit usdairy.com/about-us/innovation-center/sustainability-alliance.

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The program encourages shoppers to purchase a reusable bag with a charity design for $2.69 with $1 of the proceeds being donated to five local community organizations. Since its inception, Tops has raised $519,846 for area charities.

These bags support local chapters of organizations, such as the United Way, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Feeding America including area food banks and pantries and Children’s Miracle Network including children’s hospitals. 

The grocer also recently introduced a new “Tops in Education” bag that links to its Tops in Education Program, which provides much needed funds back to area school programs and services. The TIE program alone has raised more than $1.2 million dollars for area schools.

In addition to its philanthropic mission, the program helps Tops commit to its environmental commitment of reducing its carbon footprint. In 2022, it reduced its use of plastic by more than 424 tons.

“Our consumers have a wide array of reusable bags to choose from that consist of cloth and recycled materials which can easily and economically be purchased at the store. To see consumers, make the choice however, to give back to these charities by purchasing a Tops ‘Totes for Change’ bag is truly heartwarming,” said Kathy Sautter, director of corporate communications and public relations.

Tops Markets operates 150 grocery stores in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont, including five that are run by franchisees.

To learn more about its sustainability efforts, visit topsmarkets.com/sustainability.

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