United Fresh report targets wholesalers, distributors
United Fresh Produce Association has announced the availability of a first-ever benchmarking report designed specifically to help produce wholesalers and distributors evaluate the effectiveness of their operations. The organization commissioned the report in response to member company needs for assessing the performance of their operations as compared with others in the produce industry.
“The Wholesaler-Distributor board identified benchmarking data as a key resource needed for our industry,” said Lisa Strube, director of finance for Strube Celery & Vegetable Company and chairman of the Wholesaler-Distributor board. “This resource will help fellow produce wholesalers and distributors identify key operational areas that affect business performance and help these companies stay competitive in the marketplace.”
Prepared by research firm Industry Insights, the report allows produce companies to compare their labor practices, sales practices, procurement and inventory management, warehouse metrics, and outbound transportation by ownership type (family or private), primary customer business segment, produce sales and case volume, number of full-time employees, warehouse square footage, and geography.
United’s Wholesaler-Distributor board oversaw development of the report, devising survey questions and providing input on organizing data.
Ron Carkoski, chief executive officer of Four Seasons Family of Companies and past chairman of the Wholesaler-Distributor board, will present an overview of the report June 12 during the Wholesaler-Distributor Super Session at United Fresh 2014, which is now underway in Chicago IL.
The report is available for purchase via the United Fresh website. Companies that submitted data are eligible to receive a fully customized report for their company at a discounted rate of $95. Non-survey participants can order a survey report for $195 for United Fresh members and $295 for non-members. For more information on the report, phone Miriam Wolk at 202-303-3410.