You Still Have Time to Be an Early Bird
The early bird deadline to register for GPN’s Big Grower Executive Summit is rapidly approaching.
The 2017 Executive Summit will take place Oct. 1-3, in Wakefield, Massachusetts, just north of Boston. The theme for this year’s event is “What’s Next?”
It will be two and a half days packed full of expert insight, peer-to-peer interaction and in-depth discussion on topics affecting your businesses and the industry.
Our industry’s leading economist, Charlie Hall, will be on hand to give us an update on the state of the economy and where it is headed; AmericanHort’s Craig Regelbrugge will bring us up to date on what is happening in Washington, D.C.; and Frank Gasperini from the National Council of Agricultural Employers will discuss the ever-changing labor market and what growers need to know.
Some of the other topics that are on this year’s program include the evolution of today’s consumers when it comes to green goods, cultivating a healthy relationship with your banker, the ins and outs of insurance, exploring new markets, doing business overseas and lean flow in both the greenhouse and your office.
We also will have the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes tour of Pleasant View Gardens’ growing facilities as well as the hydroponic production operations at lēf Farms in nearby Loudon, New Hampshire.
To view the entire program, just go to www.biggrower.com/executivesummit.
You can receive a $100 discount by signing up today — click here to go to the registration page.
If you want to find out “What’s Next?” for our industry, then you should join us in New England Oct. 1-3.
I’ll see you there!
Lowe’s to Increase Employee Hours, Advertising
In August, Lowe’s announced it would increase its employees’ hours during peak shopping times to provide additional customer service as it continues to battle with the Home Depot for market share. “To more fully capitalize on our strong traffic trends and ensure we are delivering an excellent customer experience, we are reinvesting in store hours at the customer service associate level,” Lowe’s spokesperson Colleen Penhall told USA Today. Penhall also told the newspaper that Lowe’s plans to increase its advertising to inform consumers about “the various price points we have to meet their needs, leveraging promotions in key areas and optimizing our digital marketing efforts to deliver customized messaging and compelling content.”
Meijer Kicks Off Fall Simply Give Program
In mid-August, Michigan-based Meijer stores launched its fall Simply Give campaign to help stock the shelves of its food pantry partners throughout the Midwest. During the Simply Give campaign, Meijer customers are encouraged to purchase a $10 Simply Give donation card upon checkout. That donation is then converted into a Meijer Food-Only Gift Card and donated directly to the local food pantry selected by the store for that campaign. Since Meijer began its Simply Give program in 2008, nearly $32 million — or 352 million meals — has been donated to help neighborhood food pantries. The fall campaign will run through Sept. 16.
Organic Fast Food Restaurant Opens in Florida Walmart Store
One of the Walmart stores in Orlando, Florida, just opened a new restaurant — and it’s not your typical chain fast food store is are usually located in the retailer’s stores. The Walmart store on Narcoosee Road in Orlando is now home to a Grown restaurant — an organic restaurant founded by former NBA player Ray Allen and his wife, Shannon. Grown’s menu features 100 percent organic fast-food with a focus on on “nutrient-dense, farm-to-fork cuisine.” Grown is known for its extensive farm network that delivers organic, local and sustainable ingredients. Earlier this year, a Grown restaurant opened in one of Walmart’s Miami stores.
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