Member and Industry News

While there are many signs indicating a return to normalcy, food insecurity continues to be an ongoing issue plaguing many families. Summer is generally a difficult time for food insecure families when more than 18 million children nationwide lose access to free or reduced-price meals at schools, including the nourishment of milk. The American Dairy Association North East joined forces with Price Chopper/Market 32 in support of “Fill a Glass with Hope” to provide fresh milk to local food banks. During June, National Dairy Month, shoppers at the grocery stores across New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Vermont had the opportunity to “round up” their change at checkout to donate and help make milk available to families in their local communities. “Price Chopper/Market 32 recognizes that due to its perishable nature, milk remains the most requested but least donated item to food banks,” said Mona Golub, vice president, public relations & consumer services for The American Dairy Association North East. “Our year-round commitment to fighting food insecurity also helps us to recognize the importance of taking a different tact during the summertime, given that kids are out of school but still playing, learning, and growing and needing the essential, protein-rich nutrients that milk provides.” According to The American Dairy Association North East, 100% of all donations will remain local and help deliver milk and essential nutrition to families with children in need.

Construction has begun on a $16 million expansion at the Agri-Mark location in Chateaugay, New York, part of a $30 million planned modernization project that started in 2016. This expansion will help the dairy cooperative retain more than 100 full-time employees and support an addition 514 agricultural jobs in the region. The expansion and restoration of Agri-Mark’s Franklin County facility involves rebuilding the cooperative’s 110,641-square-foot manufacturing center, reengineering the layout of the facility and purchasing new machinery and other equipment. This phase of the project dedicates $16 million to building a new state-of-the-art cheese production room to improve plant efficiency and further Agri-Mark’s high quality standards. The plant will continue to operate during its modernization effort.

Blueox Corporation recently announced the sale of its Blueox Neighborhood market convenience store chain to Stewart’s Shops, based in Saratoga Springs, New York. At its peak, Blueox built a chain of 11 local convenience stores, the most recognizable of which being its Nice-N-Easy franchise locations. Blueox Corporation President Jared Bartle said, “…As the industry shifts away from the mid-sized chains, we wanted to find a company with dedication to its employees and the communities they serve. The decision to sell did not come easily. Our stores, and especially the people in our stores, are deeply embedded into our corporate culture and it’s for that reason we sought a buyer whose priorities most closely aligned with ours. We believe most of our employees will not only continue employment with Stewart’s Shops, but

they will also be provided additional growth opportunities and ownership. This was very important to Blueox. As we realign our long-term goals and continue to reinvest in the delivery and service divisions of our company, I’m excited at the opportunities to come.“

Chobani, headquartered in Norwich, New York, announced that all of its 32-ounce containers of Greek yogurt are now Fair Trade USA, meaning that the milk-making process is best in class for both sustainability and worker safety from start to fi nish. This is the fi rst Fair Trade-Certifi ed dairy product in the U.S. The company also announced that it will launch a certifi cation program for U.S. dairy farms and cooperatives.

In other innovative news, Chobani has taken the sugar out of milk to create the groundbreaking Chobani Zero Sugar with only natural ingredients. To create this product, Chobani starts with a milk that’s been fi ltered to reduce naturally occurring sugar. Then, cutting-edge natural fermentation methods are used that allow the yogurt cultures to consume the remaining sugar. Natural, non-GMO sweeteners with tastes of monk fruit and allulose are then added. Chobani Zero Sugar is the fi rst nationally distributed product in the U.S. yogurt aisle that contains no sugar. “Chobani Zero Sugar” is a revolutionary innovation,” said Peter McGuinness, president and COO. “Our team developed a brand-new product that is as delicious as it is healthy.”

Joseph Heim, CPA, CFE, a partner at Dopkins & Company, LLP, participated in A Year of Pandemic, a virtual discussion for Buffalo’s Business First’s Executive Forum, along with three other business executives, to look back over the past year and renew the Buffalo, New York, region’s progress moving forward. “I’m very pleased and surprised how the economy has rebounded in the past 12 months and the businesses that have restructured,” Heim said during the panel discussion.

Enel Green Power North America, Inc. and HP Hood LLC recently announced an agreement for Hood to purchase 90 GWh of wind energy each year, making it one of the only dairy companies in the U.S. to execute such a contract. Through the 12-year virtual power purchase agreement, Hood will purchase the electricity delivered to the grid by a 25 MW portion of Enel Green Power’s Azure Sky Wind project in Texas. The agreement is Hood’s fi rst renewable energy VPPA and comes as the company celebrates its 175th year with continued innovation, growth and a renewed commitment to sustainability.

Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative, in partnership with The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and Turkey Hill Dairy, was recently awarded $4 million to continue supporting its dairy farmers in South Central Pennsylvania with on-the-ground conservation practices through the Turkey Hill Clean Water Partnership.

During its 2020 Sustainability Awards, Perry’s recognized two groups of team members who worked together in non-traditional ways on a sustainability project. The fi rst group, the MOD Palletizing Crew, played a key role in coordinating and preparing pallets for retailers to help keep their stores stocked with Perry’s during the pandemic. The other, Perry’s Inventory/ Sales/Operations Team, worked together to support the needs of customers throughout the pandemic.

As pandemic restrictions ease, Stewart’s Shops is celebrating the transition with a dedicated ice cream fl avor suitably named Sweet Return to Normal. The company rolled out the new fl avor on May 31 at its cone counters. The fully loaded vanilla fl avor features chewy brownie bites, soft cookie dough pieces and a rich fudge swirl. It will be available for a limited time. Stewart’s Shops President Gary Dake said, “I think we can all agree, Covid-19 has taken a toll on everyone in some way. As we carefully reopen, summer plans now include more travel, events, and, of course — ice cream. We all crave a return to normal, and this ice cream fl avor is dedicated to just that.”

Tremcar USA announced Keven Adams as regional sales manager for the states of California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and Arizona. Adams has an impressive work experience in the automotive industry developing skills in automotive restoration, metal fabrication and fi nishes. Specializing in municipal fl eet contracts and speciality market logistics sectors, Adams also holds a Class A CDK with Tanker and Hazmat Endorsement and the Federal DOT Hazardous Materials Security Clearance.