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.
I-C&C Production
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.
"Ibhizinisi lethu lisanda kukhula, futhi sikhule ngamadijithi aphindwe kabili minyaka yonke ngokunikeza amakhasimende ethu usizo olukhethekile lwamakhasimende kanye nekhwalithi," kusho u-Nick Conforti, umnikazi we-C&C Produce kanye nephini likamongameli.
Le nkampani isebenzela amakhasimende endaweni engamakhilomitha angama-750 ukuzungeza i-Kansas City enqamula eMissouri naseKansas, eningizimu e-Oklahoma naseTexas nasenyakatho eNebraska naseMinnesota. Le nkampani isebenza endaweni engamamitha-skwele angama-200,000, ithumela umkhiqizo ngenqwaba yamaloli aqandisiwe. I-C&C Khiqiza imikhiqizo ehlukahlukene evela kubalimi abazimele nabapakishayo, okuhlanganisa ubhanana, amawolintshi, ama-apula, amazambane, ubhatata, u-anyanisi, izaqathi kanye nemikhiqizo yamaqabunga.
Kodwa iningi lesitoko se-C&C Produce lisha, ngakho-ke kwaze kwaba yilapho kudalwa i-Cool Creations lapho kwaqala khona umnyakazo obheke emikhiqizweni ye-value-added, enikeza indlela entsha yokusebenzela amakhasimende abo athengisayo, kanye nabathengi.
"Sizizwe sengathi kunesidingo eMidwest, ikakhulukazi eKansas City, sezinketho ezintsha, kodwa asizange sicabange ukuthi kukhona onakekela izitolo," kusho uConforti. "Besifuna ukuthola umbono womthengisi ngesithelo esisikiwe."
Unyaka odlule ube yimpumelelo ngendlela emangalisayo, kakhulu kunalokho obekulindelwe yinoma iyiphi inkampani.
"Bekungcono kunalokho ebesikulindele - besilindele ukuthi izokhula ngokushesha, kodwa iphindeke kabili ebesikulindele," kusho uConforti.
I-C&C Produce ifinyelele ku-Bob Carl, oseneminyaka engama-36 ebhizinisini lokukhiqiza, ukuphatha inkampani entsha. Le nkampani iphinde yaletha u-Tess Brensing, osanda kuphothula e-Kansas State University kwisayensi yokudla nezimboni, ukuze aqinisekise ikhwalithi nokuphepha kokudla. Yize i-C&C Produce ne-Cool Creations yabelana ngesakhiwo esifanayo namakhasimende amaningi afanayo, isebenza ngaphandle kwezikhungo ezizimele.
Ama-Fresh-Cuts
Izithelo nemifino okungezwe ivelu kuyimikhiqizo ewumongo ecutshungulwa yi-Cool Creations, ehlinzekwa ngezinketho ezisikiwe nezisikiwe futhi itholakala ngenqwaba yamasayizi weziqukathi. Imifino ihlanganisa i-broccoli, izaqathe, ukholifulawa, isilimo esidliwayo esinamagatsha anamanzi, ukhukhamba, iklabishi, ulethisi, u-anyanisi, upelepele, amazambane, isithombo notamatisi, kuyilapho izithelo zilinganiselwe kakhulu ku-cantaloupe, uphayinaphu, ikhabe nama-strawberry. I-Pico de gallo, ama-yam, u-squash ophuzi, i-zucchini nezingxube zokugxusha nazo ziyatholakala ngamasayizi alinganiselwe.
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.
"Kunokuba umthengi wakho ojwayelekile athenge isikhwama samazambane esingamakhilogremu ayi-10, angakwazi ngekhithi yokudla enazo zonke izithako ezikuyo," kusho uCarl. “Ikhasimende lakho lingangena, lithathe (ikhithi), liyiphonse ebhodweni liyipheke.”
Ukuphepha kokudla
Ukuphepha kokudla kuwumqondo kokubili i-C&C Produce kanye ne-Cool Creations ewuthatha ngokungathi sína. Basebenzisana nabacwaningi mabhuku bezinkampani zangaphandle ukuze baqinisekise ukuthotshelwa kwemithetho yokuphepha kokudla, futhi inkampani ngayinye nayo ihileleke ngenkuthalo ezenzweni zayo zokuphepha kokudla kanye nezinhlelo zokuvimbela ukugula. Inkampani ngayinye ihlanza futhi ihlanze amagumbi ayo okucubungula nezinto zokusebenza, kanye nokuhlolwa kwangemuva kokunquma ukuhlanzeka uma inqubo isiqediwe. Imikhiqizo eluhlaza kanye nemikhiqizo eqediwe ithunyelwa ukuze iyohlolwa okwengeziwe kwamagciwane, kuseshwa ngokukhethekile i-listeria, i-salmonella, i-E. coli, imvubelo nesikhunta.
Kukhona nohlelo lokukhumbula ukuphepha kokudla olukhona esimweni esibi kakhulu.
“Sinohlelo lwekhompiyutha oluqapha ukuthi zonke izinto ezithengiswayo nemikhiqizo zingena kuphi nokuthi sizithumela kuphi, ngakho uma sike saba nesidingo sokukukhumbula, singakulandelela,” kusho uBrensing.
Ukukhula Kwesikhathi Esizayo
Njengoba inkampani ithola ukukhula okwengeziwe inethemba lokuthuthela ezindaweni ezintsha. Lokho kuhlanganisa ukungeza amakhasimende esevisi yokudla engeziwe ohlwini lwawo olukhulayo lwabathengi kanye nokukhulisa ubukhona ezitolo eziningi, ikakhulukazi ngokwandisa amabha amasaladi okunikezwayo ezitolo zokukhiqiza iminyango ukuze kuthuthukiswe inani kanye nezinketho ezilula zabathengi.
Kodwa ukugxila okuyinhloko kuzohlala kumakhasimende abo athengisayo, asize ukuhola inkampani ngezindlela ezintsha ngokuzimisela ukuhlola imikhiqizo emisha, kanye nokuboleka imibono yomkhiqizo engase ikhange kubathengi.
“Sinobudlelwano obuhle (nabathengisi bethu), futhi beza kithi nemibono emisha nehlukile abafuna ukuyizama,” kusho uConforti. "Ezinye zezinto aziphumelelanga, kodwa izinto eziphumelele, siyaqhubeka nazo."
Noma inkampani iqhubeka nokukhula, abasebenzi bayaqikelela ukuthi bangakhuli ngokushesha okukhulu. Inkampani kumele iqhubeke nokuhlinzeka amakhasimende ayo ezitolo njengoba ifinyelela kumakhasimende amasha, kusho uCarl.
"Umbono wami siqu ukuthi kufanele ulawule ukukhula - kufanele ugcine izinga kanye nenkonzo isezingeni eliphezulu," kusho uCarl.
Ngokuqondene nokugxila kubathengisi, kunengqondo enkampanini - abathengisi bebelokhu beyimpumelelo yabo enkulu.
“Kuwukuqhubekela phambili kokudayisa embonini. Sesivele sisemaphaseji ezitolo nezithelo ezisikiwe, ngakho sezikhona,” kusho uCarl.