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 tsim khoom
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.
Nick Conforti, C&C Produce co-owner thiab tus lwm thawj coj hais tias "Peb txoj kev lag luam tsuas yog txuas ntxiv mus, thiab peb tau loj hlob hauv ob tus lej txhua xyoo los ntawm kev muab peb cov neeg siv khoom tshwj xeeb rau cov neeg siv khoom thiab kev ua haujlwm zoo,"
Lub tuam txhab pabcuam cov neeg siv khoom nyob rau hauv 750-mais vojvoog nyob ib ncig ntawm Kansas City uas nthuav dav thoob Missouri thiab Kansas, sab qab teb mus rau Oklahoma thiab Texas thiab sab qaum teb mus rau hauv Nebraska thiab Minnesota. Lub tuam txhab ua haujlwm tawm ntawm 200,000 square-foot qhov chaw, xa khoom los ntawm nws tus kheej lub nkoj ntawm cov tsheb tub yees. C&C Tsim cov khoom lag luam ntau yam los ntawm cov neeg cog qoob loo ywj pheej thiab cov ntim khoom, suav nrog txiv tsawb, citrus, txiv apples, qos yaj ywm, qos yaj ywm qab zib, dos, carrots thiab nplooj.
Tab sis feem ntau ntawm C&C Produce cov khoom lag luam yog tshiab, yog li nws tsis yog txog thaum tsim Cool Creations uas nws pib txav mus rau cov khoom muaj nqis ntxiv, muab txoj hauv kev tshiab los pab lawv cov neeg muag khoom muag, nrog rau cov neeg siv khoom.
"Peb xav tias zoo li muaj kev xav tau hauv Midwest, tshwj xeeb tshaj yog nyob rau hauv Kansas City, rau cov kev xaiv tshiab txiav, tab sis peb tsis xav tias muaj ib tus neeg saib xyuas lub khw muag khoom kawg," Conforti tau hais. "Peb xav tau tus neeg muag khoom lub siab xav ntawm cov txiv hmab txiv ntoo txiav."
Lub xyoo dhau los tau ua tiav zoo kawg nkaus, ntau dua li cov tuam txhab xav tau.
Conforti tau hais tias "Nws tau zoo dua li qhov peb xav tau - peb cia siab tias nws yuav loj hlob sai heev, tab sis nws zoo nkauj ntau dua ob peb qhov kev cia siab," Conforti tau hais.
C&C Produce tau hu rau Bob Carl, uas twb muaj 36 xyoo hauv kev tsim khoom lag luam, los tswj lub tuam txhab tshiab. Lub tuam txhab kuj tau coj Tess Brensing, tus kawm tiav tsis ntev los no ntawm Kansas State University hauv kev tshawb fawb txog zaub mov thiab kev lag luam, rau kev ruaj ntseg zoo thiab kev nyab xeeb khoom noj. Txawm hais tias C&C Cov Tsim Khoom thiab Cov Tsim Txias Txias sib koom tib yam khoom thiab ntau tus neeg siv khoom tib yam, lawv khiav tawm ntawm cov chaw ywj pheej ntawm ib leeg.
Fresh-Txiav
Cov txiv hmab txiv ntoo thiab zaub muaj txiaj ntsig yog cov khoom lag luam tseem ceeb ua tiav los ntawm Cool Creations, muaj nyob rau hauv cov kev xaiv hlais thiab diced thiab muaj nyob rau hauv ntau qhov ntau thiab tsawg. Cov zaub muaj xws li zaub qhwv, zaub qhwv, zaub qhwv, zaub qhwv, zaub qhwv, zaub qhwv, zaub qhwv, dos, kua txob, qos yaj ywm, radishes thiab txiv lws suav, thaum txiv hmab txiv ntoo yog txwv rau cantaloupe, pineapple, watermelon thiab strawberries. Pico de gallo, yams, yellow squash, zucchini thiab stuffing mixes kuj muaj nyob rau hauv qhov ntau thiab tsawg.
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.
Carl tau hais tias "Tshaj li koj cov neeg siv khoom ib txwm yuav lub hnab 10-phaus ntawm qos yaj ywm, lawv tuaj yeem los ntawm cov khoom siv noj mov nrog tag nrho cov khoom xyaw hauv nws," Carl hais. "Koj cov neeg muag khoom tuaj yeem nkag mus, tuav (cov khoom siv), muab pov rau hauv lub lauj kaub thiab ua noj."
Zaub Mov Kev Nyab Xeeb
Khoom noj khoom haus kev nyab xeeb yog ib lub tswv yim ob qho tib si C & C tsim thiab Cool Creations coj tiag tiag. Lawv ua haujlwm nrog cov neeg txheeb xyuas thib peb kom paub meej tias ua raws li cov cai tswj kev nyab xeeb zaub mov, thiab txhua lub tuam txhab tseem koom tes nrog nws cov kev coj noj coj ua kev nyab xeeb thiab kev tiv thaiv kab mob. Txhua lub tuam txhab ntxuav thiab ntxuav nws cov chav ua haujlwm thiab cov cuab yeej siv, nrog rau kev sim tom qab txiav txim kom huv si thaum ua tiav. Cov khoom nyoos thiab cov khoom tiav raug xa tawm mus rau kev kuaj kab mob microbial ntxiv, tshwj xeeb yog tshawb nrhiav Listeria, salmonella, E. coli, poov xab thiab pwm.
Kuj tseem muaj txoj kev npaj rov qab los ntawm kev nyab xeeb zaub mov nyob rau hauv qhov chaw rau qhov xwm txheej phem tshaj plaws.
Brensing tau hais tias "Peb muaj lub khoos phis tawj uas saib xyuas qhov twg tag nrho cov khoom lag luam thiab cov khoom lag luam tuaj txog thiab qhov chaw peb xa khoom, yog li yog tias muaj ib qho yuav tsum tau rov qab los, peb tuaj yeem taug qab nws," Brensing tau hais.
Kev Loj Hlob Lawm Tom Ntej
Raws li lub tuam txhab muaj kev loj hlob ntxiv lawv vam tias yuav txav mus rau cov lus qhia tshiab. Qhov ntawd suav nrog kev ntxiv cov neeg siv khoom noj ntau ntxiv rau nws cov npe loj hlob ntawm cov neeg yuav khoom thiab nce kev muaj nyob hauv ntau lub khw muag khoom, tshwj xeeb los ntawm kev nce cov khoom noj zaub mov hauv khw muag khoom tsim cov tuam tsev los txhim kho tus nqi thiab kev xaiv yooj yim rau cov neeg siv khoom.
Tab sis lub hom phiaj tseem ceeb yuav nyob twj ywm rau lawv cov neeg muag khoom muag, uas tau pab coj lub tuam txhab hauv cov lus qhia tshiab los ntawm kev txaus siab los sim cov khoom tshiab, nrog rau qiv cov tswv yim khoom lag luam uas tuaj yeem thov rau cov neeg siv khoom.
"Peb muaj kev sib raug zoo nrog (peb cov khw muag khoom), thiab lawv tuaj rau peb nrog cov tswv yim tshiab thiab txawv lawv xav sim," Conforti hais. "Qee yam ntawm cov khoom tsis ua tiav, tab sis cov khoom uas ua tiav, peb txuas ntxiv nrog lawv."
Txawm tias lub tuam txhab loj hlob ntxiv, cov neeg ua haujlwm tau ceev faj kom tsis txhob loj hlob sai heev. Lub tuam txhab yuav tsum tau ua haujlwm txuas ntxiv rau lawv cov neeg siv khoom muag txawm tias nws ncav cuag cov neeg siv khoom tshiab, Carl tau hais.
Carl tau hais tias "Kuv tus kheej lub tswv yim yog koj yuav tsum muaj kev tswj hwm kev loj hlob - koj yuav tsum ua kom zoo thiab kev pabcuam nyob rau theem siab," Carl hais.
Raws li kev tsom mus rau cov khw muag khoom, nws ua rau kev txiav txim siab rau lub tuam txhab - cov khw muag khoom ib txwm ua lawv txoj kev vam meej tshaj plaws.
"Nws yog kev txuas ntxiv ntawm cov khw muag khoom kawg ntawm kev lag luam. Peb twb nyob hauv lub khw muag khoom noj nrog cov txiv hmab txiv ntoo txiav, yog li nws twb muaj lawm, "Carl hais.