ANAHEIM, CA – The Fresh Produce & Floral Council’s 2020 Apprentice Class attended a virtual food service panel on Wednesday, October 7, 2020 hosted by Marty Craner, Owner/President of B & C Fresh Sales.
Craner was joined by a dynamic group of panelists including, Mike O’Leary of Boskovich Farms; Dan Floyd of Veg-Fresh Farms; and Michael Spinazzola of Diversified Restaurant Systems, Inc. Craner immediately jumped in and gave stark numbers to the apprentices – food service, which is an $825 billion-dollar industry lost $165 billion in the first 5 months of the COVID-19 pandemic and only 40% of that business is expected to return.
FPFC Apprentice, Justin Yates of Grocery Outlet, stated how informative he found the panel, “As someone who works in retail, it was very informative to not only learn about the produce food service industry as a whole, but to understand the challenges our industry has faced the past 7 months and the steps being taken to adjust business for what the future looks like going forward. The further melding of food service and retail business being one of the steps we look to solve.”
The panelists spoke about the one thing that keeps them up at night – everyone agreed food safety was at the top of that list. Craner spoke about how those of us in the produce industry are problem-solvers and that each day we are here to find a new solution to a different problem. The panelists also stressed the importance of relationships at all levels of your business including the growers/shippers and processors/distributors. Craner stated that she has seen “more flexibility, sensitivity, and discussion-oriented conversations, rather than one-way conversations in the last 6 months.”
Panelist Dan Floyd, Director of National Sales, Veg-Fresh Farms LLC stated how pleased he was with the apprentices and their appetite for knowledge, “It was a pleasure participating as panelist for the FPFC Apprentice program. The participants were all eager and engaging. Knowing we have a new group of produce professionals working to increase their knowledge of our industry, network, and leadership skills is a winner for the produce industry.”
The FPFC is grateful to our partners and members that made this panel possible including the program sponsor Dennis Gertmenian. The Apprentices will be continuing throughout this year in a virtual setting and will have more tours, networking and virtual events to attend.
For information on The FPFC Apprentice program, please contact the FPFC office.
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FPFC Mission Statement
The mission of the Fresh Produce & Floral Council is to connect members to the information, education, and professional network they need to increase knowledge, grow their business and collectively advance the industry.
