Under the contract, Walmart will pay $7.5 million for 24.67 acres of land at the former racetrack in Illinois to construct a 190,000-s.f. Supercenter.

Dominick said the sale was achieved without any tax or TIF incentives from Cicero taxpayers but will bring big benefits to the community.

“We’re very proud of the agreement and very excited to have Walmart bring their successful retail brand to our community,” Dominick said. “Wirtz Beverage Illinois is up and running and doing well. With Walmart now taking over most of the remaining property, we believe that the old vacant Sportsman’s property will become a powerful commercial hub that will strengthen Cicero’s economic engine.”

Cicero sold 35 acres of the vacant Sportsman’s Park in January 2011 to Wirtz Beverage Illinois, which has since built a $75 million, 600,000-s.f. state-of-the-art distribution center that employs more than 1,000 people.

As a part of that deal, Wirtz agreed to pay for the construction of a regulation-sized outdoor hockey stadium in Cicero Community Park. Since its opening in 2012, the ice rink has attracted thousands of children to the ice rink during winter months and for rollerskating during summer months.

The new Walmart is expected to generate more than $1 million a year in sales taxes for the town of Cicero, Dominick said, and it puts the property back on the tax rolls.

“The new Walmart Supercenter will also serve as a retail magnet to bring consumers who might otherwise drive to other Walmart locations to spend their money and that will benefit not only the town and the taxpayers, but also all of the local businesses,” said Dominick, noting that many of the customers who will shop at the new Walmart will be coming from outside of Cicero.

“This project will only help to strengthen all of our existing businesses,” he added. “It will bring new customers into the town and they will spend their money here. And that’s good for our residents.”

Walmart agreed to a request from Dominick to host a job fair to allow Cicero residents to compete for the jobs that the new store will create.

“We can’t guarantee that Walmart will hire anyone, but we wanted to make sure that Cicero residents had an equal chance to obtain any of the hundreds of new jobs that will be created,” Dominick said.

The new store is expected to create 400 new jobs and 200 temporary construction jobs.

Walmart’s Cicero store is expected to do well. The Cicero Sam’s Club was hailed last month as the No. 1 retail establishment in the Sam’s Club chain, which is a subsidiary of Walmart.

“The sportsman’s property remained vacant and an eye-sore for years. When Larry Dominick was elected president in 2005, he made it one of his top priorities to turn that land into productive, revenue-generating property,” said town spokesman Ray Hanania. “It was one of his priorities. The closing of the Walmart deal on Tuesday makes that promise a reality. A promise made and another promise to the residents that President Dominick kept.”

Cicero will continue to own 10 acres of the remaining Sportsman’s property, which is reserved for future retail expansion and development.

According to the report, in the age of the digital consumer, leading consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies and retailers benefit from responding to the speed of the connected consumer and balancing operational quality with innovation accordingly. Top-performing companies see success by identifying their consumers, engaging with them and focusing on innovation that directly reach their customers. The report explores how numerous digital channels, accelerated mobile adoption and direct-to-consumer approach are rewriting the rules of retailing and CPG manufacturing. The report also examines how companies can seize new opportunities by creating lasting brand value.

“This report shows that in the midst of a challenging economy, the food, beverage and consumer products industry continues to show great resiliency,” says Pamela G. Bailey, president and CEO of GMA. “By providing consumers with innovative products and convenient, cutting-edge shopping experiences, CPG companies are well positioned to enhance consumer loyalty and profitability.”

“CPG companies that engage with consumers directly through digital channels and build out their direct-to-consumer processes will have the best advantage for creating new growth,” says Steven Barr, PwC’s U.S. leader for the retail and consumer industry. “Fifty-two percent of U.S. consumers are already buying directly online from brands they trust, proving that CPG companies now have far greater opportunities to walk alongside their shoppers in real time while driving sales of existing and new products.”

In 2013, more than 40 percent of CPG companies expect to sell products directly to consumers, up from 24 percent in 2012. According to the report, direct-to-consumer is a potent vehicle for testing new products and reaching out to new consumers faster and more effectively than ever before, making the retail store aisle no longer the last mile in the purchase journey. Flexibility will be essential, as companies also will need to manage a new set of risks and security concerns.

“Consumers today share much more readily with each other and with the companies than in the past,” says Bert Alfonso, president of international for The Hershey Co. “Their input tends to be about your product’s characteristics and about what they like and don’t like. We see it in North America, China, Brazil and in other markets that have a high penetration of both mobile and Internet usage. And that’s a rich body of information for companies, which is much more spontaneous and actionable than what you would have had in the past.”

“Both the U.S. and global economies are marginally stronger than they were last year, and the continued slow recovery has led to correspondingly modest growth for the CPG industry,” adds Lisa Feigen Dugal, PwC’s North American advisory leader for the retail and consumer industry. “To drive profitability, providing consumers with the core product may not be enough. Today’s consumers want solutions, they want experiences and value. CPG’s and retailers can address this emergence through social media, innovation and direct-to-consumer channels, which will help them understand the wants, needs and values of their consumers.”

Now in its 17th year, the GMA-PwC Financial Performance Report includes analyses based on public information from 144 companies in the food, beverage and consumer products sectors as well as 69 retailers.

Among the key findings of the report:

• Total retail sales reached $1.1 trillion in 2012: $568 billion at grocery stores and $530 billion at food service and drinking establishments;

• While net sales had been slowly going up since the recession, both top- and bottom-performing CPG companies experienced a slowdown in net sales growth in 2012;

• Bottom performers are starting to hold onto their cash, which means they could be ready to start making more investments in research and development (R&D) and marketing to launch new products;

• Many companies are embracing the need for product innovation as well as understanding consumer and market needs as part of their R&D activities;

• One of the key issues faced by food manufacturers during 2012 was the continued rise of commodity prices as there is a growing gap between prices companies pay for raw materials and the prices they can charge for finished goods; and

• The food sector benefited from higher sales per employee while remaining flat on inventory turnover and cash conversion cycle, while the beverage sector also posted a strong performance, with return on sales continuing a steady upward pace. The household products sector experienced better results in 2012, with also a greater increase on return on sales.

The report further delves into how companies can gain greater understanding of their customers, as it highlights best practices for developing loyalists, determining appropriate social media channels that align with business goals, along with successfully identifying target segments within their organization. The report includes recommendations on how companies can improve existing internal organizational design, talent management and how to best utilize partnerships to build quality relationships with consumers.

“Growth Strategies: Unlocking the Power of the Consumer” will be presented via webcast by PwC and GMA at 1 p.m. (ET) Thursday.

According to Mark Jansen, Blue Diamond president and CEO, “the new Turlock plant supports the significant growth in our global almond ingredients business with a facility that sets new standards for food safety. While increasing our capacity and enhancing our capabilities, we are also able to produce efficiencies that allow us to confidently invest, knowing there is significant payback to growers for their investment.”

Designed to meet the world’s highest food quality standards, the 200,000-s.f. plant represents nearly half of a three-phased capacity enhancement project scheduled to be completed over the next 10 years. The first phase will yield over 300 jobs, including 100 direct jobs, an estimated 123 additional indirect local supplier-based jobs and 79 jobs induced from increased consumer spending in the community, according to Randall Svedbeck, research manager for the Stanislaus Economic Development and Workforce Alliance.

The first phase of expansion will meet growing global demand for value-added almond ingredients from the great food companies of the world. Cereals, snack bars, yogurt toppings, baked goods and candies are amongst the many destinations for products from this plant.

“Our brand has led the world tree nut industry in new product innovations,” says Jansen. “At the same time, value-added revenues for Blue Diamond’s Global Ingredients business exploded by 69 percent between 2009-2011 and almonds continue to rank No. 1 as the leading nut in new food products worldwide. Our expanded manufacturing capacity couldn’t come at a more critical time as record demand drives us to process at a faster pace to support our global customers in their growth.”

The Turlock plant is located on an 88-acre parcel of land at North Washington and Fulkerth roads.

Real Men Cook is a Father’s Day celebration of family, community and fatherhood at which “real men” cook up some delectable dishes and serious fun. The annual urban family food-tasting celebration benefited local nonprofit organizations.

Moo & Oink donated rib tips, turkey mild links, hot dogs, Polish sausage, High Five beef patties, turkey burgers, beef hot links, High Five barbecue sauce, spices and rubs.

Bob Green of Chicago prepares Moo & Oink Rib Tips.

Real Men Cook was founded to promote positive images of men in relationship to their families and communities. Annually, more than 1,200 men volunteer nationally to cook for nearly 30,000 attendees.

The Real Men Cook event has generated more than $1 million to community nonprofits. President Barack Obama, Congressman Danny Davis, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Lennox Lewis, Steve Harvey, Art Norman and hundreds of politicians, celebrities and athletes have participated over the past 24 years.With 3 pix

Moo & Oink Donates Products To ‘Real Men Cook’ Father’s Day Event

Moo & Oink was the official meat supplier for the 24th annual Father’s Day event “Real Men Cook” on Sunday at the Ray and Joan Kroc Salvation Army Center in Chicago.

Real Men Cook is a Father’s Day celebration of family, community and fatherhood at which “real men” cook up some delectable dishes and serious fun. The annual urban family food-tasting celebration benefited local nonprofit organizations.

Moo & Oink donated rib tips, turkey mild links, hot dogs, Polish sausage, High Five beef patties, turkey burgers, beef hot links, High Five barbecue sauce, spices and rubs.

Real Men Cook was founded to promote positive images of men in relationship to their families and communities. Annually, more than 1,200 men volunteer nationally to cook for nearly 30,000 attendees.

The Real Men Cook event has generated more than $1 million to community nonprofits. President Barack Obama, Congressman Danny Davis, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Lennox Lewis, Steve Harvey, Art Norman and hundreds of politicians, celebrities and athletes have participated over the past 24 years.

Moo & Oink provides an array of Chicago-style barbecue meats and grilling essentials, including meaty rib tips, chitterlings, hot and mild links, sausages, breakfast links and patties, breaded chicken tenderloins and nuggets and barbecue sauce.

The brand is owned and operated solely in Chicago and has been a staple in the Chicago community for more than 50 years. Products are now available in 300 stores in four states—Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan. In addition, Moo & Oink products can be shipped anywhere in the continental U.S.

In the featured photo at top: Kofi Moyo, co-founder of Real Men Cook, left, and Rael Jackson, newly appointed president of Real Men Cook, center, with Moo & Oink chef Dwight Evans II and the Moo & Oink mascots during the 24th annual Father’s Day event “Real Men Cook” on Sunday in Chicago.

Moo & Oink provides an array of Chicago-style barbecue meats and grilling essentials, including meaty rib tips, chitterlings, hot and mild links, sausages, breakfast links and patties, breaded chicken tenderloins and nuggets and barbecue sauce.

The brand is owned and operated solely in Chicago and has been a staple in the Chicago community for more than 50 years. Products are now available in 300 stores in four states—Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan. In addition, Moo & Oink products can be shipped anywhere in the continental U.S.

In the featured photo at top: Kofi Moyo, co-founder of Real Men Cook, left, and Rael Jackson, newly appointed president of Real Men Cook, center, with Moo & Oink chef Dwight Evans II and the Moo & Oink mascots during the 24th annual Father’s Day event “Real Men Cook” on Sunday in Chicago.

Archie Hubbard of Bellwood, Ill., cooks some Moo & Oink Turkey Hot Links.

The study was designed to uncover which gas stations consumers frequent the most, as well as why they choose one over another. Market Force first calculated the rankings based on total votes, and then factored in the number of locations for each chain for a weighted view of the results. Of the 53 chains studied, Shell initially amassed the highest number of votes, which can be attributed to the fact that it has more than 10,000 locations in North America. However, when viewed as a calculation of votes per location, Costco ranked first.

With their low prices and convenient gas pumps, grocers and wholesale clubs are continuing to take market share from national gas retailers. When asked where they most frequently fuel their cars, less than half (49 percent) said they go to a national gas station chain, and 21 percent said they visit a local gas station. Meanwhile, nearly one-third (30 percent) said they most frequently fuel up at either a grocery store or wholesale club. This is on par with the 2012 gas station survey by Market Force when 32 percent said they fill up most often at a grocery store or wholesale club.

Most popular gas stations by region

When the results were analyzed across four U.S. regions, Costco remained in the top spot in the West, garnering 17 percent of the votes, while ARCO/ampm came in second with 11 percent, and Chevron and Shell tied for third with 9 percent. Speedway was a clear winner in the Midwest with 15 percent, followed by BP (9 percent) and Shell (8 percent). In the South, Shell earned 13 percent of the votes, with Walmart ranking second (11 percent) and Kroger in third (10 percent). In the Northeast, Sunoco dominated with 12 percent, followed by Hess/Hess Express and Shell (tying for second with 8% of the votes), and Exxon Mobil in third with 7 percent.

It’s a matter of convenience

For most gas station visitors, it’s all about location. Convenience is the factor that consumers said they like most about their preferred gas station—in fact, it ranked slightly higher than fuel prices, which was second on the list. Other important factors included ease of entry and exit, a feeling of safety and cleanliness. Features like environmental consciousness and car wash promotions were lower on the list.

“It’s no surprise to fuel brands that consumers care most about price and convenience, but what this research also points to is that consumers also make decisions based on the service they receive at their favorite locations,” said Janet Eden-Harris, CMO for Market Force. “Cleanliness, friendliness, amenities—they all matter.”

Customer experience attributes steer drivers to gas stations

Market Force also wanted to find out how each chain fared individually in the five areas that consumers indicated matter most to them, and what drives them to frequent one gas station over another. When it analyzed the leading chains according to the top five attributes (convenient location, fuel price, ease of entry and exit, feeling of safety and cleanliness), QuikTrip and Costco snagged first and second place in nearly every area. Casey’s General Store took the top spot for convenient location and second place for ease of entry and exit, while Sam’s Club was second in highly important fuel price category. Phillips 66 was among the top three for feeling of safety, and RaceTrac performed consistently well across the board.

The survey also looked at nine other attributes—from fuel promotions to friendliness of fuel assistants to curb apparel—and asked consumers to rank the gas stations on those customer experience variables. QuikTrip again made a strong showing, leading in five of the nine categories. Phillips 66 fared well for the friendliness of its fuel assistant, amenities, car wash promotions and reliable window cleaning materials. Kroger’s fuel promotions were tops in consumers’ minds, while Chevron had the best brand reputation and the second best fuel quality (behind QuikTrip).

“In this survey, we found that nearly half of consumers were either unsatisfied or neutral in regards to their most recent trip to a gas station,” said Eden-Harris. “This presents significant opportunity for gas stations to increase their business by delighting their customers on several customer experience variables. Market Force has found that delighted customers are eight times more likely to recommend a business to friends, compared to neutral consumers.”

The Perrier screen prints created by Warhol are representative of the pop art movement and the artist’s fascination with depicting everyday consumer products in unconventional ways. He produced more than 40 works featuring the iconic Perrier bottle in 1983.

Taking inspiration from these images, Perrier glass bottles feature four different label designs and seven different Warhol inspirations, including some his most famous quotes: “In the future everyone will be world famous for fifteen minutes,” “Art is what you can get away with,” and “I have Social Disease. I have to go out every night.” Perrier PET bottles have four unique labels. The limited-edition Warhol series is available beginning June 24.

This year, Perrier celebrates its 150th anniversary and its history of pairing the brand with creative artistic talent.

“Warhol’s creativity and eccentricity are a great fit with Perrier’s brand personality so this was a natural way to bring the two together,” said Gauthier Gay, Perrier’s international brands group marketing manager. “Perrier has a long tradition of involvement in the arts so this is a fitting tribute in celebration of our 150th anniversary.”

“The Andy Warhol Foundation is delighted to partner with Perrier to commemorate 150 years of inspiration and originality by celebrating Warhol’s bold portraits of Perrier from 1983,” said Michael Hermann, director of licensing for The Andy Warhol Foundation. “Warhol’s inventive, open-minded spirit lives on through this unique and authentic project, which will contribute generously to the foundation’s endowment from which it distributes grants in support of the visual arts.”

In addition to offering the limited-edition Warhol bottles, Perrier also is offering the chance to win an original Andy Warhol work of art as part of the Take Home a Warhol sweepstakes. From June 24-Sept. 30 consumers can enter to win “Space Fruit: Lemons,” an original screenprint work created by Andy Warhol in 1978.

“Andy Warhol once said that Pop Art is for everyone,” Gay said, “and by giving away a Warhol piece of art Perrier is keeping this sentiment alive.”

The company’s 53-foot Meals that Matter mobile feeding unit left the company’s Springdale, Ark., headquarters the day after the tornado hit. Aboard the semi-trailer were thousands of pounds of food, ice and other essential supplies.

More than 70 Tyson employees from 18 different company locations were involved in the relief effort in Moore, working an estimated 3,000 man hours. They served three meals a day, which included anything from breakfast burritos, omelets, chicken sandwiches, pork loin, hot dogs, hamburgers and even steak.

The company worked closely with the National Guard and other organizations to distribute food into the affected areas and was one of the primary ice suppliers. At the end of a two-week, on-the-ground effort, the company served approximately 73,000 pounds of food and 90,000 pounds of ice, a combined value of more than $247,000.

Tyson team member Jason Betts, nurse manager from Noel, Mo., was one of the first responders on site in Moore.

“As a nurse and first responder, I’ve always cared for other people, and it’s an awesome feeling to work for a company that does so much to feed those affected in times of disaster,” Betts said.

Tyson also is providing financial support to the Oklahoma relief effort. The company is matching employee donations up to $100,000 to the American Red Cross.

“I am honored and humbled to receive this distinguished award,” Inman said. “I want to thank the entire team of store associates who make our store great for customers every day.”

In February, Inman was named Food Lion’s Store Manager of the Year. As a result, he became eligible for the Delhaize Group award, joining 11 other store managers representing the best from across the company.

“Charles is an excellent leader in his store, in the community and across our company,” said Beth Newlands Campbell, president of Food Lion. “He is an incredibly humble leader who inspires his team to deliver outstanding service to our customers, ensuring they are top of mind with everyone who works in his store. Charles continuously helps shoppers and praises associates for a job well done. He is also highly regarded as a strong developer of talent across the organization.”

Delhaize Group’s Store Manager Excellence Award is based on a number of areas, including financial performance, operational excellence, people management and Delhaize Group values, including integrity, determination, courage, humility and humor.

Inman joined Food Lion in 2002 as a cashier, and has held positions of increasing responsibility, including produce manager, office manager and assistant store manager. He resides in Cary, N.C.

Italian and Miso Ginger Vinaigrettes

These low-calorie dressings are vegan friendly and gluten free. Italian Vinaigrette mixes herbs and spices like basil, thyme, sage, marjoram, garlic and red pepper into light 25-calorie marinade. Miso Ginger Vinaigrette is 40 calories per serving and is reminiscent of hand-crafted Japanese steakhouse dressing. The flavor of rich miso combines with a hint of ginger.

Daily Greens

This vegetable-driven beverage is for those looking for an easy way to get more greens into their diets. Daily Greens is a nutrient-packed juice that includes a blend of spinach, cucumber and kale with a hint of lemon. At 90 calories per serving, one 15.2-oz. bottle of Daily Greens packs in nearly five servings of vegetables and 100 percent daily value of vitamins, including antioxidant vitamins A and C and minerals Manganese, Iron and Zinc.

Bold beverage flavors

Bolthouse Farms’ three latest beverage flavors include vegetable-filled Mango Ginger + Carrot Juice, antioxidant-rich Multi-V Goodness and protein-packed Salted Caramel Latte.

Inspired by the current carrot juicing trend, Bolthouse Farms Mango Ginger + Carrot smoothie delivers nearly four servings of fruits and vegetables, as well as 220 percent DV Vitamin A and 80 percent DV Vitamin C. Fresh ginger adds a kick to this sweet, tropical drink.

With 100 percent daily value of 12 essential vitamins, Bolthouse Farms Multi-V Goodness Smoothie is a grab-and-go cherry-flavored smoothie. Each serving packs in 8g of fiber and a host of nutrients like folate, along with 100 percent daily value of vitamins A and C, D, E, K, B6 and B12 as well as Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin and Biotin (based on a 2,000 calorie diet). The powerhouse blend of red fruits and berries includes cherries, strawberries, raspberries and pomegranates.

Bolthouse Farms Salted Caramel Latte offers an energizing coffee fix that also can be used as a pre- or post-workout boost for consumers with active lifestyles. This drink delivers 7g of protein, 660mg of potassium and a 30 percent daily value of calcium, with 130 calories per 8-oz. serving. Bolthouse Farms Salted Caramel Latte is a mix of Arabica coffee and caramel with a hit of real sea salt.

www.bolthouse.com

The organization is asking citizens to call their representatives today and ask them to oppose the cuts.

The cuts would decrease benefits by about $90 per month for 850,000 households, in addition to eliminating benefits for two million individuals. In addition, Feeding America says 210,000 children would lose their free school meals, since eligibility is tied to their family’s SNAP benefits.

According to Feeding America, the cuts would result in lost meals that food banks “simply cannot make up.”

“To put the extent of these cuts in perspective, if divided evenly across Feeding America’s nationwide network of 200 food banks, every food bank would have to provide an additional four million meals each year for the next 10 years. That is an impossible gap to fill,” says Bob Aiken, president and CEO of Feeding America.

Citizens can dial Feeding America’s toll-free hunger action line at 866-527-1087 to reach their members of Congress.

Farm Bill’s dairy program too costly, according to Cornell study

A new study from Cornell University shows that the proposed Farm Bill dairy program will cost more than a bipartisan amendment that will be offered this week by Reps. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and David Scott (D-Ga.). The study, “2013 Farm Bill Dairy Title Proposal Redistributes Program Benefits toward States with Larger Farms,” also finds that the proposed Dairy Security Act strongly favors large farms, according to a news release from the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA).

“As did the Congressional Budget Office, the Cornell report finds that the Dairy Security Act will cost taxpayers more than the alternative,” says Jerry Slominski, SVP of legislative affairs and economic policy for the IDFA. “The report also contradicts a previous study from the University of Missouri, which claimed the opposite.”

According to the Cornell report, “the government loss ratio is significantly higher for the [Dairy Security Act] proposal than the Goodlatte-Scott proposal,” also known as the Dairy Freedom Act.

The study also refutes the argument that the Dairy Security Act will help small farms, according to the release.

Both the Dairy Security Act and the Goodlatte-Scott proposal will replace the current Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program with a new margin insurance program for producers. Under both alternatives, larger producers will be provided an improved and effective safety net to help them through difficult economic times. But only the Dairy Security Act adds a second program intended to increase milk prices by imposing limits on milk production.