Supplier Management (SM) Updates
UNFI is pleased to announce the following new team members and team member roles. An updated list of UNFI Supplier Managers (SMs), contact info, line and category assignments can be found here on UNFI’s Supplier Support Site.New Team Members
Chere Hedges, Group Manager, Rocklin, CA. Chere comes to the UNFI team from our Tony’s team, and will manage the SMs in Rocklin. Chere reports to Melissa Angle.Lauren Caldamone, Supplier Coordinator, Providence, RI. Lauren is new to the UNFI team. She reports to Allison Hughes and will be supporting Aaron May, Kim Prata, and Ginger Lynch.
Brittney Pigeon, Supplier Coordinator, Providence, RI. Brittney comes to the team from the UNFI Accounts Payable department. She reports to Allison Hughes and will be supporting Dave Lotti, Tracy French, and Lisa Madsen.
New Roles
Allison Hughes, SM Support & Services Supervisor - Providence, RI. Allison’s previous role was Onboarding Specialist. Prior to that, she was a Supplier Coordinator. In this role, she will manage the Supplier Coordinators and the Supplier Portal. Allison reports to Julie Roper.Inventory Planning and Replenishment (IPAR) Updates
An updated list of UNFI Inventory Planning and Replenishment contacts and assignments can be found here on UNFI’s Supplier Support Site.Customer Moves
To improve our customer experience, UNFI is making the following customer moves for picking and shipping orders:- UNFI successfully moved all Wakefern business from York to our Howell facility as of February 25th.
- The Fresh Market stores in Virginia are being moved to Richburg from York effective April 22nd.
MCB Deduction Key
In an effort to provide greater transparency into MCB deductions, we have compiled a Key for your reference here.UNFI Supplier Awards
At our annual ceremony held at Expo West, awards were handed out in the following categories:- Pioneer Award: Discovering what’s next and moving our industry forward
- Social Responsibility Award: Doing what’s right for people, animals, and the planet
- Performance Award: For stellar expansion and growth in legacy categories
Our winners this year:
- Cypress Grove, Pioneer Award for their mission to become an easily accessible source of knowledge for goat dairies in America.
- Magic Mud, Pioneer Award for the creation of new toothpastes and tooth powders that help strengthen and whiten teeth using only clean ingredients.
- Lundberg, Social Responsibility Award for honoring their family farming legacy by nourishing, conserving, and innovating for a healthier world.
- Natural Dairy Products, Social Responsibility Award for an exemplary commitment to organic farming and establishing organic farms.
- RX Bar, Performance Award for innovative products and massive growth in an established category.
- Traditional Medicinals, Performance Award for continued growth in all categories across Tea.
- Zevia, Performance Award for substantial increased sales in a highly saturated category that is in decline.
Beginning next year, UNFI will invite self-nominations from the supplier community. We will send out a survey in the fall and determine winners in the same three categories.
We also will be extending an open invite for all suppliers in good standing with UNFI to attend the awards event on a first come, first serve basis depending on capacity constraints.
Congratulations to all of our winners, and be on the lookout for more information in the Fall.
2018 UNFI Showcases
SOLD OUT – Central Showcase, La Crosse, WI – May 9-10
Transportation Market Update
UNFI is committed to providing our suppliers with the best logistics services at the most competitive prices, however, current transportation market constraints continue to be challenging. Beginning late last summer with Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, the market has been under tremendous pressure. UNFI is not immune to the impacts and have faced the following challenges:- “Normal” truck capacity was constricted post hurricanes. The back-to-back natural disasters reduced the number of trucks available on the road and consumed more transportation resources than the market could bear.
- Data collected in January 2018 shows load to truck ratios are at 16:1 which indicates that for every 16 loads of freight in the country, there is only one available truck to move it.
- New ELD (Electronic Logging Device) regulations went into effect in mid-December. These regulations strictly enforce the hours of service for all affected carriers, increasing transit time and increasing the burden on the market.
- Carriers that participated in UNFI’s 2018 annual RFP bid submitted rates that were significantly higher than those seen in previous years.
We appreciate your understanding during this challenging time. If you have questions, please reach out to your SM.
Competitive Freight Rates
Despite the struggling market and increased transportation costs, UNFI Logistics still provides competitive national freight rates and a dedicated truck fleet to all of our warehouses. Some advantages of using UNFI’s Freight Service include:- We take ownership of your product at the moment we pick it up, reducing your liability.
- We pay the unloading and appointment fees for you, which keeps your costs down.
- We plan the fastest, most cost effective way to move your products, leveraging our extensive network.
- We have state-of-the-art supply chain technology for highest quality control.
For more details, please e-mail Stacy McGhehey at Ship4U@unfi.com.
Pallet Exchange
Suppliers managing their deliveries into UNFI may participate in a pallet exchange. Upon delivery, UNFI will exchange pallets for a Grade B or better, 4-way GMA pallet when the driver requests pallet exchange at appointment check-in and the Bill of Lading (BOL) indicates the number and type of pallets to be exchanged. UNFI will exchange one pallet for each good pallet accepted. All broken or unacceptable pallets will be noted on the BOL by the unloading service (Capstone Logistics) and will not be exchanged.UNFI Easy Options
UNFIEasyOptions.com is our B2B eCommerce website where business-verified buyers gain access to a select UNFI assortment at wholesale prices. This site offers over forty-four thousand non-perishable grocery and wellness SKUs, with hundreds of new products added monthly. No UNFI account is needed to order, so it’s a great option for smaller buyers who can’t meet minimum requirements or want to test with a smaller volume of products before buying large quantities. With the addition of our Racine DC in January, we can now reach 99% of the US population within three days. Customers can order via credit card in cases or eaches, and there is no minimum requirement for order size or frequency. Easy Options launched in October 2017 with significant upgrades and expanded opportunities coming in late 2018.Why the 2018 Farm Bill Matters to You
Many important programs could be left stranded without a reauthorization of funds in the 2018 Farm Bill. These programs include those that support and invest in beginning and minority farmers and ranchers, local and regional food systems, rural economic development, and organic production. Most of these programs are only funded for the five years covered by the 2014 Farm Bill and will cease to exist if Congress does not provide new farm bill funding by October 1, 2018.Both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees have begun to hold Farm Bill hearings ahead of writing the next Farm Bill, and we expect the debate to ramp up significantly toward the end of this year. It’s important to defend, improve, and expand critical programs. Stay engaged and communicate with your legislators as the Farm Bill process progresses!
Read More on the 2018 Farm Bill Here
Organic Week in Washington, DC
This May, don’t miss the Organic Trade Association’s signature event from May 21st through May 24th in Washington, DC. It is a celebration of the organic supply chain. Small organic producers, major growers, researchers, and policy advocates to distributors and retailers will come together to advance organic policy priorities.It is a week of education and advocacy where you can join discussions on federal policy issues critical to our nation’s nearly $50 billion organic sector. The event will allow you to make a difference and bring tools to advance organic back to your home state.
Learn more here
