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 Kugadzira
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.
"Bhizinesi redu richingoramba richikura, uye takakura munhamba mbiri gore rega rega nekupa vatengi vedu basa revatengi uye hunhu," akadaro Nick Conforti, C&C Gadzira muridzi pamwe nemutevedzeri wemutungamiri.
Iyo kambani inoshandira vatengi munzvimbo ye750-mamaira yakatenderedza Kansas City inotambanudzira mhiri kweMissouri neKansas, maodzanyemba muOklahoma neTexas uye kuchamhembe muNebraska neMinnesota. Iyo kambani inoshanda kunze kwe200,000 square-foot-facility, kutumira chigadzirwa kuburikidza neayo ngarava dzemarori efiriji. C&C Gadzira masosi akasiyana ezvigadzirwa kubva kuvarimi vakazvimiririra uye vanotakura, kusanganisira mabhanana, citrus, maapuro, mbatatisi, mbatatisi, hanyanisi, makarotsi uye mashizha anogadzirwa.
Asi zvizhinji zveC&C Produce's stock nyowani, saka hazvina kusvika pakugadzirwa kweCool Creations ndipo payakatanga nhanho yakanangana nezvigadzirwa zvakawedzerwa, zvichipa nzira nyowani yekushandira vatengi vavo vezvitoro, pamwe nevatengi.
"Tainzwa sekunge kwaidiwa kuMidwest, kunyanya muKansas City, yezvisarudzo zvitsva, asi isu hatina kufunga kuti kune munhu anotarisira zvitoro," Conforti akadaro. "Taida kuwana mafungiro emutengesi pamuchero wakachekwa."
Gore rapfuura rakabudirira zvinoshamisa, zvakanyanya kupfuura zvaifungidzirwa nekambani.
"Zvanga zviri nani pane zvataitarisira - taitarisira kuti zvichakura nekukurumidza, asi zvakapetwa zvatatarisira," akadaro Conforti.
C&C Produce yakasvika kuna Bob Carl, anga atova nemakore makumi matatu nematanhatu ari mubhizimusi rekugadzira, kuti atarisire kambani itsva. Kambani iyi yakaunzawo Tess Brensing, achangopedza kudzidza kuKansas State University mune sainzi yechikafu neindasitiri, kuitira kuvimbiswa kwemhando uye kuchengetedzwa kwechikafu. Kunyangwe C&C Kugadzira uye Kunotonhorera Zvisikwa vachigovana chivakwa chimwe chete uye vazhinji vevatengi vakafanana, vanoshanda kunze kwezvivakwa zvakazvimirira kubva kune mumwe nemumwe.
Fresh-Cheka
Kukosha-yakawedzerwa michero nemiriwo ndizvo zvepakati zvigadzirwa zvakagadziriswa neCool Creations, zvinopihwa mune zvakachekwa uye diced sarudzo uye inowanikwa mumakumi ezviuru emidziyo saizi. Miriwo inosanganisira broccoli, makarotsi, cauliflower, celery, magaka, kabichi, lettuce, hanyanisi, mhiripiri, mbatatisi, radishes uye matomatisi, nepo michero ichinyanya kuganhurirwa kucantaloupe, mananasi, manwiwa nemastrawberries. Pico de gallo, mayam, yellow squash, zucchini uye stuffing musanganiswa zvinowanikwawo mune mashoma saizi.
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.
"Panzvimbo pekuti mutengi wako atenge bhegi remapaundi gumi embatatisi, vanogona nekiti yekudya ine zvese zvinoshandiswa mairi," akadaro Carl. "Mutengi wako wekutengesa anogona kupinda, otora (kiti), okanda muhari obika."
Food Safety
Kuchengetedzeka kwechikafu ipfungwa zvese C&C Kugadzira uye Kunotonhorera Zvisikwa zvinotora zvakakomba. Ivo vanoshanda nevechitatu-bato maodhita kuti vasimbise kutevedzera mirairo yekuchengetedza chikafu, uye kambani yega yega inobatanidzwawo mune yayo yega kuchengetedza chikafu uye zvirongwa zvekudzivirira chirwere. Kambani yega yega inochenesa uye kuchenesa makamuri ayo ekugadzirisa nemidziyo, pamwe nekuongorora-yekupedzisira kuona hutsanana kana maitiro apera. Zvigadzirwa zvakasvibirira uye zvakapedzwa zvinotumirwa kune kumwe kuongororwa kwehutachiona, kunyanya kutsvaga listeria, salmonella, E. coli, yeast uye mold.
Kune zvakare chirongwa chekuyeuka chekuchengetedza chikafu chiri panzvimbo yechiitiko chakaipisisa.
"Tine komputa inotarisisa kuti zvese zvinotengeswa uye zvigadzirwa zvinouya kupi uye nekwatinozvitumira, saka kana paine chikonzero chekuchiyeuka, tinogona kuchitevera," Brensing akadaro.
Kukura Kwemangwana
Sezvo kambani iri kuwedzera kukura ivo vanotarisira kufamba munzira itsva. Izvi zvinosanganisira kuwedzera vatengi vezvekudya kune avo vari kukura rondedzero yevatengi uye kuwedzera kuvapo muzvitoro zvakawanda zvekutengesa, kunyanya nekuwedzera masalad mabara anopihwa muchitoro chegirosari anogadzira madhipatimendi ekuwedzera kukosha uye nyore sarudzo dzevatengi.
Asi chinonyanya kutariswa chicharamba chiri pavatengi vavo vezvitoro, avo vakabatsira kutungamira kambani munzira nyowani kuburikidza nechido chekuyedza zvigadzirwa zvitsva, pamwe nekukweretesa zvingangove zvigadzirwa zvemazano zvinogona kukwezva vatengi.
"Tine hukama hwakanaka ne (vatengesi vedu), uye vanouya kwatiri nemazano matsva akasiyana avanoda kuedza," akadaro Conforti. “Zvimwe zvinhu hazvisi kubudirira, asi zvinhu zvakabudirira tinoenderera mberi nazvo.
Kunyangwe iyo kambani ichiramba ichikura, vashandi vanongwarira kuti vasakura nekukurumidza. Iyo kambani inofanirwa kuenderera mberi nekushandira vatengi vavo vekutengesa kunyangwe ichisvika kune vatengi vatsva, Carl akadaro.
"Maonero angu ega ndeokuti iwe unofanirwa kuve wakadzora kukura - iwe unofanirwa kuchengetedza mhando uye sevhisi padanho repamusoro," akadaro Carl.
Nezvekutarisa kune vatengesi, zvine musoro kune kambani - vatengesi vagara vari kubudirira kwavo kukuru.
“Kuenderera mberi kwemusika wekutengesa. Tatova mumikoto yemagirosari nemichero yakachekwa, saka yatovapo,” akadaro Carl.