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.
Soo saarista C&C
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.
"Ganacsigayagu hadda wuu sii kobcay, waxaana ku koraynay laba-lambar sannadkiiba anagoo siinayna macaamiisheena adeeg iyo tayo aan caadi ahayn," ayuu yidhi Nick Conforti, Mulkiilaha C&C iyo madaxweyne ku xigeenka.
Shirkaddu waxay macaamiisha ugu adeegtaa 750-mayl raadis agagaarka Kansas City ah kaas oo fidsan Missouri iyo Kansas, koonfurta Oklahoma iyo Texas iyo woqooyiga ilaa Nebraska iyo Minnesota. Shirkaddu waxay ka shaqeysaa meel 200,000 cag laba jibbaaran ah, iyada oo alaabteeda ku rari doonta baabuurteeda qaboojiyaha ah. C&C Soo saar ilo kala duwan oo ka soo baxa beeralayda iyo baakadaha madaxa banaan, oo ay ku jiraan muuska, liinta, tufaaxa, baradhada, baradhada macaan, basasha, karootada iyo caleenta soo baxda.
Laakiin badi C&C Produce's stocks waa cusub, sidaa darteed ma aysan ahayn ilaa abuurista Cool Creations in ay bilaabeen u dhaqaaqista alaabada qiimaha lagu daro, oo bixisa hab cusub oo ay ugu adeegaan macaamiishooda tafaariiqda, iyo sidoo kale macaamiisha.
"Waxaan dareennay inay jirto baahi ka jirta Midwest, gaar ahaan magaalada Kansas, ee fursadaha cusub ee la gooyey, laakiin uma malaynayn inuu jiro qof daryeelaya dhamaadka tafaariiqda," ayay tiri Conforti. "Waxaan rabnay inaan ka helno maskax tafaariiqle oo ku saabsan midhaha la jaray."
Sannadkii la soo dhaafay si la yaab leh ayuu u guulaystay, in ka badan sidii ay labada shirkadoodba filayeen.
"Way ka fiicneyd sidii aan fileynay - waxaan fileynay inay si dhaqso ah u koraan, laakiin aad bay u labanlaabtay rajadayada," Conforti ayaa tiri.
C&C Produce waxay la xiriirtay Bob Carl, oo horey u lahaa 36 sano ganacsiga wax soo saarka, si uu u maareeyo shirkadda cusub. Shirkaddu waxay sidoo kale keentay Tess Brensing, oo dhawaan ka qalin jabiyay Jaamacadda Gobolka Kansas ee sayniska cuntada iyo warshadaha, hubinta tayada iyo badbaadada cuntada. In kasta oo C&C Produce iyo Cool Creations ay wadaagaan hanti isku mid ah iyo in badan oo ka mid ah macaamiisha isku mid ah, waxay ku shaqeeyaan meelo ka madax bannaan midba midka kale.
Gooyo cusub
Khudaarta iyo khudaarta qiimaha lagu daray ayaa ah badeecadaha asaasiga ah ee ay farsamayso Cool Creations, oo lagu bixiyo xulashooyin la jarjaray iyo la jarjaray oo lagu heli karo cabbirro tiro badan. Khudaarta waxaa ka mid ah brokoli, karootada, tufaax, celery, qajaarka, kaabajka, salaar, basasha, basbaaska, baradhada, dabocase iyo yaanyada, halka midhaha ay aad ugu xaddidan yihiin cantaloupe, cananaaska, qaraha iyo strawberries. Pico de gallo, yams, squash jaalaha ah, zucchini iyo walxaha la isku daray ayaa sidoo kale lagu heli karaa cabbirro xaddidan.
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.
"Halkii uu macaamiishaada caadiga ah iibsan lahaa bac 10-rodol oo baradho ah, waxay ku iibsan karaan xirmo cunto oo ay ku jiraan dhammaan maaddooyinka ku jira," Carl ayaa yidhi. "Macaamilkaada tafaariiqda ayaa geli kara, soo qabsan kara (qalabka), ku dhex tuur dheriga oo kari kara."
Badbaadada Cuntada
Badbaadada cuntadu waa fikradda wax-soo-saarka C&C iyo Abuuridda Qabow labaduba ay si dhab ah u qaataan. Waxay la shaqeeyaan hanti-dhawrayaasha qolo saddexaad si ay u xaqiijiyaan u hoggaansanaanta xeerarka badbaadada cuntada, shirkad kastaa waxay sidoo kale si firfircoon ugu lug leedahay dhaqamadeeda badbaadada cuntada iyo barnaamijyada ka hortagga cudurrada. Shirkad kastaa waxay nadiifisaa oo nadiifisaa qolalka wax lagu farsameeyo iyo qalabka, oo ay la socoto baaritaanka ka dib si loo go'aamiyo nadaafadda marka hawsha la dhammeeyo. Badeecooyinka ceeriin iyo kuwa dhammayska tiran ayaa loo diraa baaritaanka microbial dheeraad ah, gaar ahaan raadinta listeria, salmonella, E. coli, khamiirka iyo caaryada.
Waxa kale oo jira qorshe dib u yeedhis ah oo badbaadada cunnada ah oo loo diyaariyey xaaladdii ugu xumayd.
"Waxaan leenahay nidaam kombuyuutar oo kormeeraya meesha dhammaan badeecooyinka iyo wax soo saarka ay soo galaan iyo meesha aan ku soo dirno, markaa haddii ay jirto baahi loo qabo in dib loo soo celiyo, waan la socon karnaa," Brensing ayaa sidaas yidhi.
Kobaca Mustaqbalka
Marka ay shirkadu la kulmaan kobac kale waxay rajeynayaan inay u dhaqaaqaan jihooyin cusub. Taas waxaa ka mid ah in lagu daro macaamiil badan oo adeega cuntada ah liiskeeda sii koraya ee iibsada iyo kordhinta joogitaanka dukaamo tafaariiqeed oo badan, gaar ahaan iyada oo la kordhinayo baararka saladh ee dukaanka raashinka soo saara waaxaha si kor loogu qaado qiimaha iyo ikhtiyaarka habboon ee macaamiisha.
Laakiin diiradda ugu weyn waxay ku sii jiri doontaa macaamiishooda tafaariiqda, kuwaas oo ka caawiyay inay shirkadda u hogaamiyaan jihooyin cusub iyada oo loo marayo rabitaanka tijaabinta alaabada cusub, iyo sidoo kale amaahinta fikradaha badeecada ee suurtagalka ah ee soo jiidan kara macaamiisha.
"Waxaan la leenahay xiriir wanaagsan (tafaariiqleyaashayada), waxayna noo yimaadaan fikrado cusub oo kala duwan oo ay rabaan inay isku dayaan," ayay tiri Conforti. "Qaar ka mid ah alaabooyinka maaha kuwo guulaysta, laakiin alaabta lagu guuleysto, waan sii wadnaa iyaga."
Xataa marka shirkadu sii kordheyso, shaqaaluhu waxay ka taxadaraan inay si degdeg ah u koraan. Shirkadu waa inay sii wadaa u adeegida macaamiisheeda tafaariiqda xitaa marka ay la xiriirto macaamiisha cusub, Carl ayaa yidhi.
"Fikradayda shakhsi ahaaneed waa inaad leedahay korriin korriin ah - waa inaad tayada iyo adeegga ku ilaalisaa heer sare," Carl ayaa yidhi.
Sida diiradda saaraya tafaariiqda, waxay macno u leedahay shirkadda - dukaamada tafaariiqda ayaa had iyo jeer ahaa guushooda ugu weyn.
"Waa sii socoshada dhamaadka tafaariiqda warshadaha. Waxaan horeyba ugu joognay dariiqyada dukaanka raashinka oo ay ku jiraan miraha la jarjaray, marka horeba halkaas ayay u joogtaa," Carl ayaa tiri.