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 Mmepụta
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.
"Azụmahịa anyị gara n'ihu na-eto eto, anyị na-etokwa na ọnụọgụ abụọ kwa afọ site n'inye ndị ahịa anyị ọrụ na àgwà pụrụ iche," ka Nick Conforti, C&C Produce co-nwe na osote onye isi ala kwuru.
Ụlọ ọrụ ahụ na-ejere ndị ahịa ozi na radius 750-mile gburugburu Kansas City nke na-agafe Missouri na Kansas, n'ebe ndịda na Oklahoma na Texas na n'ebe ugwu banye Nebraska na Minnesota. Ụlọ ọrụ ahụ na-arụ ọrụ site na 200,000 square-foot akụrụngwa, na-ebuga ngwaahịa site na ya nsoro nke friji gwongworo. C&C Na-emepụta ihe dị iche iche sitere n'aka ndị na-akụ ahịhịa na ndị na-akpakọba ihe, gụnyere unere, citrus, apụl, poteto, poteto dị ụtọ, eyịm, karọt na mkpụrụ akwụkwọ.
Mana ọtụtụ n'ime ngwaahịa C&C Produce dị ọhụrụ, yabụ na ọ bụghị ruo mgbe e mepụtara Cool Creations ka ọ malitere ịkwaga na ngwaahịa ndị bara uru, na-enye ụzọ ọhụrụ iji jeere ndị ahịa azụmaahịa ha ozi, yana ndị na-azụ ahịa.
Conforti kwuru, "Anyị chere na ọ dị mkpa na Midwest, karịsịa na Kansas City, maka nhọrọ ịkpụ ọhụrụ, mana anyị echeghị na ọ dị onye ọ bụla na-elekọta njedebe mkpọsa," Conforti kwuru. "Anyị chọrọ inwe echiche nke ndị na-ere ahịa na mkpụrụ osisi a kpụrụ akpụ."
Afọ gara aga enweela ihe ịga nke ọma n'ụzọ dị ịtụnanya, karịa ka ụlọ ọrụ ọ bụla tụrụ anya ya.
Conforti kwuru, "Ọ dị mma karịa ka anyị tụrụ anya - anyị tụrụ anya na ọ ga-eto ngwa ngwa, mana ọ na-amụbawanye atụmanya anyị.
C&C Produce ruru Bob Carl, onye nweburu afọ 36 na azụmaahịa mmepụta, iji jikwaa ụlọ ọrụ ọhụrụ ahụ. Ụlọ ọrụ ahụ webatakwara Tess Brensing, onye gụsịrị akwụkwọ na nso nso a na Kansas State University na sayensị nri na ụlọ ọrụ, maka mmesi obi ike na nchekwa nri. Ọ bụ ezie na C&C Produce na Cool Creations na-ekerịta otu ihe onwunwe yana ọtụtụ ndị ahịa ahụ, ha na-arụ ọrụ site na ụlọ ọrụ na-anọghị onwe ha.
Mbipu ọhụrụ
Mkpụrụ osisi na akwụkwọ nri ndị bara uru bụ ngwaahịa ndị Cool Creations na-ahazi, nke a na-enye na nhọrọ sliced na diced ma dị n'ọtụtụ akpa. Akwụkwọ nri gụnyere broccoli, karọt, kọlịflawa, celery, kukumba, kabeeji, letus, eyịm, ose, poteto, radishes na tomato, ebe mkpụrụ osisi na-ejedebeghị na cantaloupe, painiapulu, anyụ na strawberries. Pico de gallo, yams, skwọsh na-acha odo odo, zukini na ngwakọta nri dịkwa na oke oke.
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.
"Kama ndị ahịa gị na-azụta akpa poteto dị kilogram iri, ha nwere ike site na ngwa nri na ihe niile dị na ya," Carl kwuru. "Onye ahịa gị na-ere ahịa nwere ike ịbanye, jide (ngwa ahụ), tụba ya n'ite ma sie ya."
Nchekwa nri
Nchekwa nri bụ echiche ma C&C Produce na Cool Creations na-ewere nke ọma. Ha na ndị na-enyocha ndị ọzọ na-arụkọ ọrụ iji kwado nnabata nke ụkpụrụ nchekwa nri, ụlọ ọrụ ọ bụla na-etinyekwa aka na mmemme nchekwa nri nke ya na mmemme mgbochi ọrịa. Ụlọ ọrụ ọ bụla na-ehicha ma na-edozi ụlọ na akụrụngwa nhazi ya, yana nyocha nyocha iji chọpụta ịdị ọcha ozugbo usoro ahụ mechara. A na-ezipụ ihe ndị na-emepụtaghị ihe na ngwaahịa ndị emechara maka nyocha microbial ọzọ, na-achọ kpọmkwem listeria, salmonella, E. coli, yist na ebu.
Enwekwara atụmatụ ncheta nchekwa nri maka ọnọdụ kacha njọ.
Brensing kwuru, "Anyị nwere usoro kọmputa nke na-enyocha ebe ngwaahịa niile na mmepụta na-abata na ebe anyị na-ebuga ya, yabụ ọ bụrụ na ọ dị mkpa icheta ya, anyị nwere ike soro ya," Brensing kwuru.
Ọganihu Ọdịnihu
Ka ụlọ ọrụ ahụ na-enwetakwu ọganihu ha na-atụ anya ịkwaga na ntụziaka ọhụrụ. Nke ahụ gụnyere ịgbakwunye ndị ahịa nri nri na ndepụta ndị na-azụ ahịa ya na-eto eto yana ịba ụba n'ọtụtụ ebe a na-ere ahịa, kpọmkwem site n'ịbawanye onyinye mmanya salad na ụlọ ahịa ihe oriri na-emepụta ngalaba iji kwalite uru na nhọrọ dị mma maka ndị na-azụ ahịa.
Ma isi ihe na-elekwasị anya ga-anọgide na ndị ahịa ha na-ere ahịa, bụ ndị nyeworo aka na-eduzi ụlọ ọrụ ahụ na ntụziaka ọhụrụ site na njikere ịnwale ngwaahịa ọhụrụ, yana ịgbazinye echiche ngwaahịa nwere ike ịmasị ndị na-azụ ahịa.
"Anyị nwere ezi mmekọrịta na (ndị na-ere ahịa anyị), ha na-abịakwutekwa anyị na echiche ọhụrụ dị iche iche ha chọrọ ịnwale," ka Conforti kwuru. "Ụfọdụ n'ime ihe ndị ahụ anaghị aga nke ọma, mana ihe ndị na-aga nke ọma, anyị na-aga n'ihu na ha."
Ọbụna ka ụlọ ọrụ ahụ na-aga n'ihu na-eto eto, ndị ọrụ na-akpachara anya ka ha ghara itolite ngwa ngwa. Ụlọ ọrụ ahụ ga-aga n'ihu na-ejere ndị ahịa ha na-ere ahịa ozi ọbụna ka ọ na-agakwuru ndị ahịa ọhụrụ, Carl kwuru.
"Echiche nke onwe m bụ na ị ghaghị ịchịkwa uto - ị ga-edobe àgwà na ọrụ n'ogo dị elu," Carl kwuru.
N'ihe gbasara ilekwasị anya na ndị na-ere ahịa, ọ bụ ihe ezi uche dị na ya maka ụlọ ọrụ ahụ - ndị na-ere ahịa na-abụkarị ihe ịga nke ọma kasịnụ.
"Ọ bụ ihe na-aga n'ihu na njedebe nke ụlọ ọrụ ahụ. Anyị abanyelarị n'ọnụ ụzọ ụlọ ahịa nke nwere mkpụrụ osisi ndị e bepụrụ, yabụ na ọ dịlarị ebe ahụ, "Carl kwuru.