The past two decades have seen exceptional growth for C&C Produce. Sales have risen every year they have been in business, and the customer base has spread across the Great Plains and Midwest to meet the needs of retailers and food service outlets. But it is the sister company, Cool Creations, that has defied expectations, dramatically expanding its line of value-added products in only a year’s time.
C&C Igbejade
The C&C Produce story dates back to 1992 when the doors opened as a produce wholesaler in Kansas City. Growth has been steady during the past 20 years.
“Iṣowo wa kan tẹsiwaju lati dagba, ati pe a ti dagba ni awọn nọmba meji ni gbogbo ọdun nipa fifun awọn alabara wa iṣẹ alabara alailẹgbẹ ati didara,” Nick Conforti sọ, C&C Produce co-eni ati Igbakeji Alakoso.
Ile-iṣẹ n ṣe iranṣẹ fun awọn alabara ni redio 750-mile ni ayika Ilu Kansas ti o ta kọja Missouri ati Kansas, guusu si Oklahoma ati Texas ati ariwa si Nebraska ati Minnesota. Ile-iṣẹ n ṣiṣẹ lati inu ile-iṣẹ ẹsẹ-ẹsẹ 200,000 kan, ọja gbigbe nipasẹ ọkọ oju-omi kekere ti awọn ọkọ nla ti o ni firiji. C&C Ṣe agbekalẹ awọn orisun ọpọlọpọ awọn ọja lati ọdọ awọn agbẹgba ominira ati awọn apapọ, pẹlu ogede, osan, apples, poteto, poteto didùn, alubosa, Karooti ati awọn eso ewe.
Ṣugbọn pupọ julọ ti ọja C&C Produce jẹ alabapade, nitorinaa kii ṣe titi di ẹda ti Awọn ẹda Cool ti o bẹrẹ gbigbe si awọn ọja ti a ṣafikun iye, ti nfunni ni ọna tuntun lati ṣe iranṣẹ awọn alabara soobu wọn, ati awọn alabara.
"A ro pe iwulo kan wa ni Agbedeiwoorun, paapaa ni Ilu Kansas, fun awọn aṣayan gige tuntun, ṣugbọn a ko ro pe ẹnikan wa ti o ṣe abojuto opin soobu,” Conforti sọ. “A fẹ lati ni lakaye alatuta kan lori eso ti a ge.”
Odun to kọja ti jẹ aṣeyọri iyalẹnu, pupọ diẹ sii ju boya ile-iṣẹ ti ifojusọna lọ.
“O ti dara ju ti a nireti lọ - a nireti pe yoo dagba ni iyara pupọ, ṣugbọn o lẹwa pupọ ni ilọpo awọn ireti wa,” Conforti sọ.
C&C Produce de ọdọ Bob Carl, ẹniti o ti ni ọdun 36 tẹlẹ ninu iṣowo iṣelọpọ, lati ṣakoso ile-iṣẹ tuntun naa. Ile-iṣẹ naa tun mu Tess Brensing wa, ọmọ ile-iwe giga kan laipe ti Ile-ẹkọ giga ti Ipinle Kansas ni imọ-jinlẹ ounjẹ ati ile-iṣẹ, fun idaniloju didara ati aabo ounjẹ. Botilẹjẹpe iṣelọpọ C&C ati Awọn idasilẹ Cool pin ohun-ini kanna ati ọpọlọpọ awọn alabara kanna, wọn ṣiṣẹ ni awọn ohun elo ominira lati ara wọn.
Alabapade-Gege
Awọn eso ati ẹfọ ti a ṣafikun iye jẹ awọn ọja pataki ti a ṣe nipasẹ Awọn ẹda Cool, ti a funni ni awọn aṣayan ti ge wẹwẹ ati diced ati pe o wa ni awọn titobi agbala aimọye. Awọn ẹfọ pẹlu broccoli, Karooti, ori ododo irugbin bi ẹfọ, seleri, cucumbers, eso kabeeji, letusi, alubosa, ata, poteto, radishes ati awọn tomati, lakoko ti eso jẹ diẹ sii ni opin si cantaloupe, ope oyinbo, elegede ati strawberries. Pico de gallo, iṣu, elegede ofeefee, zucchini ati awọn apopọ nkanmimu tun wa ni awọn iwọn to lopin.
But Cool Creations has found innovative ways to differentiate itself from competitors that goes beyond fresh-cut fruit and vegetables. The company offers a variety of party platters tailor-made for celebrations, like tailgate parties, that include fruit trays and pizzas, apple and cheese trays and bean dips, along with standard vegetable trays. Yogurt parfaits are available in a variety of flavors, including strawberry and granola mixed with blueberries, raspberries or mango. Cool Creations also offers stuffing kits and soups kits, like beef stew, offering consumers more value through convenience.
"Dipo awọn onibara aṣoju rẹ ti n ra apo 10-pound ti poteto, wọn le nipasẹ ohun elo ounjẹ pẹlu gbogbo awọn eroja ti o wa ninu rẹ," Carl sọ. "Onibara soobu rẹ le wọle, gba (ohun elo naa), sọ sinu ikoko ki o ṣe e."
Iboju Ounje
Aabo Ounjẹ jẹ imọran mejeeji iṣelọpọ C&C ati Awọn ẹda Cool mu ni pataki. Wọn ṣiṣẹ pẹlu awọn aṣayẹwo ẹni-kẹta lati jẹrisi ibamu pẹlu awọn ilana aabo ounjẹ, ati pe ile-iṣẹ kọọkan tun ni ipa ninu awọn iṣe aabo ounjẹ tirẹ ati awọn eto idena aisan. Ile-iṣẹ kọọkan sọ di mimọ ati sọ awọn yara sisẹ ati ohun elo rẹ di mimọ, pẹlu idanwo lẹhin-idanwo lati pinnu mimọ ni kete ti ilana naa ba ti pari. Awọn ọja aise ati awọn ọja ti o pari ni a firanṣẹ fun afikun idanwo microbial, wiwa pataki fun listeria, salmonella, E. coli, iwukara ati m.
Eto iranti aabo ounje tun wa ni aye fun oju iṣẹlẹ ti o buruju.
"A ni eto kọmputa kan ti o ṣe abojuto ibi ti gbogbo awọn ọja ati awọn ọja ti nwọle ati ibi ti a ti firanṣẹ, nitorina ti o ba nilo lati ranti rẹ, a le ṣe atẹle rẹ," Brensing sọ.
Idagbasoke ojo iwaju
Bi ile-iṣẹ naa ṣe ni iriri idagbasoke siwaju sii wọn nireti lati gbe ni awọn itọnisọna titun. Iyẹn pẹlu fifi awọn alabara iṣẹ ounjẹ diẹ sii si atokọ ti ndagba ti awọn olura ati jijẹ wiwa ni ọpọlọpọ awọn gbagede soobu, ni pataki nipasẹ jijẹ awọn ọrẹ ti awọn ifi saladi ni awọn ẹka iṣelọpọ ile itaja lati jẹki iye ati awọn aṣayan irọrun fun awọn alabara.
Ṣugbọn idojukọ akọkọ yoo wa lori awọn alabara soobu wọn, ti o ti ṣe iranlọwọ lati dari ile-iṣẹ ni awọn itọsọna tuntun nipasẹ ifẹ lati ṣe idanwo awọn ọja tuntun, ati yiya awọn imọran ọja ti o ni agbara ti o le rawọ si awọn alabara.
"A ni ibaraẹnisọrọ to dara pẹlu (awọn alatuta wa), ati pe wọn wa si wa pẹlu awọn ero titun ati awọn oriṣiriṣi ti wọn fẹ lati gbiyanju," Conforti sọ. "Diẹ ninu awọn nkan naa ko ṣaṣeyọri, ṣugbọn awọn nkan ti o ṣaṣeyọri, a tẹsiwaju pẹlu wọn.”
Paapaa bi ile-iṣẹ naa ti n tẹsiwaju lati dagba, oṣiṣẹ naa ṣọra lati tọju lati dagba ni iyara pupọ. Ile-iṣẹ naa gbọdọ tẹsiwaju ṣiṣe iranṣẹ awọn alabara soobu wọn paapaa bi o ti de ọdọ awọn alabara tuntun, Carl sọ.
"Ero ti ara mi ni pe o ni lati ni iṣakoso iṣakoso - o ni lati tọju didara ati iṣẹ ni ipele giga," Carl sọ.
Bi fun idojukọ lori awọn alatuta, o jẹ oye fun ile-iṣẹ naa - awọn alatuta nigbagbogbo jẹ aṣeyọri nla wọn.
“O jẹ itesiwaju ti opin soobu ti ile-iṣẹ naa. A ti wa tẹlẹ ninu awọn ile itaja itaja pẹlu awọn eso ti a ge, nitorinaa o ti wa tẹlẹ, ”Carl sọ.