A group of Washington apple growers handing out apples beneath a bright Envy apple billboard in New York’s Times Square caused such a stir that throngs of curious onlookers stopped to catch a glimpse of the would-be celebrities.
Oppy chairman, president and CEO John Anderson joined Ernst and Young’s other 2015 Canadian Entrepreneurs of the Year to open the market at the Toronto Stock Exchange on November 25.
National Canadian judges for the program along with alumni and the EY leadership team accompanied them in celebration of their winning achievements. Anderson was initially selected as the program’s 2015 Pacific region winner for the food and beverage category, and ultimately chosen as the overall regional winner in September.
An exciting new enterprise has arrived in the greenhouse category, conceived by leading growers SunSelect and Divemex, and their shared marketing partner The Oppenheimer Group.
John Anderson, chairman, president and chief executive officer of The Oppenheimer Group, has been named Ernst and Young (EY) Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Pacific 2015.
"John's reputation says it all," said Lui Petrollini, Entrepreneur Of The Year Pacific Program director, at a September 24 gala event in Vancouver. "His integrity, work ethic, taste for innovation and commitment to transparency have transformed the company from a small operation in Vancouver to an international, full-service produce marketing force to be reckoned with."
Last week, leading Peruvian grower-exporter Camposol became the first to ship blueberries to Canada, following the announcement opening the market to blues grown in the Andean country earlier this month.
Lima-based Camposol, along with marketing partner Oppy, is excited to have attained this milestone. Together they are enthusiastic about the opportunity it represents, not only to fans of the highly nutritious, popular berries in Canada, but also to the people of Peru, according to Javier Morales, Camposol’s general manager, fruits and vegetables.
We have beautiful Gold pineapple available now. Don’t underestimate the value of this fresh, juicy fruit. Not only does it taste amazing, it looks fantastic on your shelf. Year round supply from Costa Rica. Crown or Crownless sizes 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.
CHICAGO— Two of New Zealand’s newest flavors hit the sweet spot at the Reebok/Les Mills ONE LIVE event, a festival of fitness drawing over 3,000 participants from North America and beyond together during the last weekend in August.
ONE LIVE delivered a health-conscious, savvy audience to the Enza and Zespri sampling stations, where hundreds of people per hour were introduced to Envy apples and SunGold Kiwifruit for the first time.
Produce industry veteran Todd Plaxton joined Oppy’s Calgary sales team in mid-July, bringing more than ten years of fresh produce experience and about three decades of expertise in food marketing and distribution to his sales representative role.
Sweet, juicy, and brimming with late-summer flavor, Italian-style prune-plums are available once again from Oppy in the legendary Blue Goose label.
The deep purple, free-stone fruit is available in 2-, and 1.5-pound high graphic bags, as well as 30-pound bulk boxes, through mid-September.
Thrifty’s and Raymond from OriginO share a weekend at the Taste of BC Celebrations held in Vancouver, July 18 & 19, 2015.
Envy apples are living up to their name, by posting dollar sales and volume growth other varieties can only wish for.
Freshlook Data indicates that in the first half of 2015, Envy delivered 20 percent higher dollar sales than in the same period last year, while also increasing in volume sold by 36 percent. Meanwhile, the apple category as a whole has dropped 13 percent in dollar sales and 8 percent in per-pound volume.
July is here, which means it’s harvest time at West Coast Tomato Growers, home of the famed Oceanside Pole vine-ripe round and roma tomatoes from distinguished grower Harry Singh, Jr. and marketed exclusively by Oppy.
Following an excellent growing season and impressive first pick, Oppy is now shipping both types of tomatoes.
The first week of summer brings one of the season’s favorite flavors—BC-grown blueberries—into the market earlier than ever from The Oppenheimer Group.
Grown just down the road from the company headquarters, BC blueberries have become a signature item for the marketer in recent years. This season, the fruit is ten to 14 days earlier than usual, according to Jason Fung, Oppy’s director of category development.
Construction is on track at SunSelect Produce’s new facility in Tehachapi, Calif., promising significantly greater volumes of sweet bell peppers—and more—this fall.
The high-tech greenhouse expansion will double the capacity of SunSelect’s original 32-acre Tehachapi facility, which opened in October 2014.
Students at Sacramento’s New Joseph Bonneheim Elementary School enjoyed more fruits and vegetables as the school year wrapped up, thanks to a local retailer, a crunchy apple, and a lot of pedal power.
During the first week in June, Greg Corrigan, Raley’s senior director of produce and floral and Garland Perkins, business development representative for the Oppenheimer Group joined school officials and students to dedicate its new salad bar.
THE DALLES, ORE.—Harvest is underway at Orchard View Farms, where expectations are high for a fast-paced, top-quality season.
Orchard View packed its first Chelans last weekend, with Rainiers set to follow in about a week, and Bings not far behind.
From the branch to the bowl, the journey of a New Zealand JAZZ apple to market is chronicled in a new video from brand owner Turners & Growers (T&G).
Oppy’s greenhouse business just got a boost with the addition of category expert Justin Ruta to the company’s Newark, Del.-based sales team.
Ruta joined the marketer in the role of senior sales representative in mid-May, bringing with him proven greenhouse sales and marketing capabilities and well-rounded experience with many other items in the Oppy product range.
SunSelect, in conjuntion with the BC Greenhouse Grower's Association, invites you to celebrate good, healthy, local eating on May 23, 2015. Enter our Double Dip Display contest for your chance to win a $500 Visa gift card.
Mike “Hatch” Hatcher and James Galindo are the latest additions to Oppy’s sales force, each bringing expertise in a wide range of fresh produce items to the full-service marketer’s California-based team. Both joined the company on April 6 in the role of senior sales representative.
With greenhouses in California and British Columbia nearing peak production — and significant expansion on the horizon — SunSelect Produce has strengthened its team with the expertise of industry veteran Mike Reed.
Reed brings 18 years of experience spanning virtually all aspects of the greenhouse category into the newly created role of chief business development officer / executive vice president sales and marketing for SunSelect.
As the devastation wrought by Cyclone Pam is gradually assessed in their homeland, over 200 guest workers from Vanuatu focus their efforts to the Enza apple harvest.
Leading apple producer/marketer Enza, based in Auckland, New Zealand, is part of the Recognized Seasonal Employer (RSE) Work Policy, which grants workers from several South Pacific nations such as Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Samoa and Vanuatu employment opportunities in New Zealand’s agriculture industry to help offset the lack of local labor during harvest.
Powered by a robust first winter of production from its new California facility, leading BC greenhouse grower SunSelect Produce has entered the Canadian season ready to drive sales.
The Aldergrove-based grower began shipping new-crop cucumbers and sweet bell peppers in mid-March, with production expected to extend through late fall. As BC's largest red, yellow and orange pepper producer, expectations are high for consistent volumes and quality throughout the season.
In 2001, the Oppenheimer Group became the first full service produce marketer to be named among the country’s Best Managed companies. Today, Oppy receives this honor once again, continuing a 14-year streak of consecutive recognition. As well, the company was the named to the Best Managed Platinum Club for the eighth time.
Sponsored by Deloitte, CIBC, National Post, Queen’s School of Business and MacKay CEO Forums, Canada’s Best Managed Companies program recognizes organizations that have implemented world class business practices and created value in innovative ways.
VANCOUVER, BC – New Zealand’s first pears of the year are on the water, with North American arrivals of the ready-to-eat Honey Belle™ variety planned for the first week in March.
This small, sweet fruit heralds the beginning of the much-anticipated New Zealand pear season, which includes Bosc, Comice, Velvetine and the famed Taylor’s Gold, available spring and summer from The Oppenheimer Group.
But first things first.
VANCOUVER, BC –– With new sources and new packaging, 2015 is underway in a big, bright way for The Oppenheimer Group’s berry category.
Eric Ziegenfuss and Mariela Sandoval at the NY Produce Show at the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan. A huge shout out to all those who came by. See you next year!
PHILADELPHIA― At the 17th annual Friend of Chile Awards Luncheon, the Chilean & American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia honored accomplished business leaders, including John Anderson, chairman, president and CEO of The Oppenheimer Group, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award.
VANCOUVER, BC ― Cherries have made the Oppenheimer Group’s list of top items to promote over the upcoming holiday season, joining the traditional favorites Ocean Spray fresh cranberries and Japanese mandarins. With their festive red color and resemblance to holiday ornaments, winter cherries just might become a new tradition for many.
With the Washington Envy harvest now underway, the sweet, red apple enters the season inviting consumers to “Bite and Believe.”
The integrated Envy marketing campaign that leverages touch points inside and outside of the store will launch at Fresh Summit. “Bite and Believe” is backed by significant consumer research efforts that ascertained what people are truly looking for in a premium apple, said David Nelley, executive director of the Oppenheimer Group’s apple and pear category.