Trading Partners

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Associated Grocers, Inc., a grocery distribution company based here, plans to begin deploying data synchronization services to reduce information errors and improve the accuracy of supply chain data that's communicated among manufacturers, Associated Grocers, and its member stores.

SAN ANTONIO -- H.E. Butt Grocery Co. has implemented new food and beverage solutions at its Tortilla Plant and Bakery in Corpus Christi, Texas and its Floral Processing Center here, bringing the total number of operating plants to four.

SECAUCUS, N.J. -- Goya Foods, Inc., the nation's largest Hispanic-owned food company, noted yesterday it has added more than 400 new products in recent years, reaching a milestone of 1,500-plus high-quality offerings during its 70th year of operations. The manufacturer also laid out its business plans for 2006, which include launching a Goya eStore and expanding its current facilities in high-growth Hispanic areas around the world.

WASHINGTON -- The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) said yesterday that it's joining the National Restaurant Association/National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation to launch a one-of-a-kind, multi-faceted food safety education and food policy event later this year in Washington, D.C.

LUBBOCK, Texas -- United Supermarkets Ltd plans to install a supply chain and merchandising solutions specifically scaled for mid-size retailers and designed for rapid implementation.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Aiming to take a bite out of the growing market for organic foods, Supervalu cut the ribbon on its first Sunflower Market here. The 12,000-square-foot, value-priced natural and organic foods retail outlet carries 8,000 to 12,000 SKUs, and will serve as the prototype for a Supervalu expansion plan that includes opening 50 Sunflower Market stores in five years.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Grocery wholesaler/retailer Supervalu's record performance across both business units in Q3 2006 is a sample of what the company expects to see in the long term, according to chairman and c.e.o. Jeff Noddle.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Leading organic and natural foods retailer Whole Foods Market has made a landmark purchase of renewable energy credits from wind farms, to offset 100 percent of the electricity used in all of its stores, facilities, bake houses, distribution centers, regional offices, and national headquarters in the United States and Canada.