Category: Produce Blueprints

A key concern in all the economy but especially foodservice is higher fuel prices, which has led delivery services, and almost all businesses involved in supplying produce to the foodservice channel, to add surcharges to their invoices—costs often passed along to consumers.

The foodservice industry and the vendors supplying it are facing challenges beyond continuing uncertainty related to the virus. Top among them is inflation.

The foodservice industry is starting to come back from its pandemic-fueled lows of 2020, but the recovery has been slow, sporadic, and sector-specific, with some areas of the business seeing much more positive results than others.

It’s important for company owners to know what’s in their company’s credit profile, and this includes the Blue Book score.

Companies with a score of 800 or greater have less than 1% probability of going out of business owing money within a 12-month period.

So how are Blue Book scores derived? In one word—data.

One of the more common customer or trade questions Blue Book Services frequently answers is, “Why did my company’s Blue Book Score change?” And, without pause, the inquirer often follows up with, “I pay everyone fast—my score shouldn’t be this low!”

Though not always associated with summer, plenty of potatoes move from June to September, too, according to Greg Zdroik, director of grower relations, sourcing, and logistics for grower-shipper RPE, LLC.

Consumer behavior can be a very fragile thing, and this is especially true in today’s marketplace. With the advent of social media, a soundbite can have a dramatic effect on what a person may or may not purchase.

Managing member of Earl Roy Enterprises, Cynthia Vead says one commodity in particular is a significant summer draw: watermelon, though she says it’s getting to be a year-round crop too, with imports.