On a June afternoon last year, Kristopher Belken, a Business Development Analyst in the Ingredient Technology Group at Ocean Spray, picked up his son, Gali, from middle school. Kris told Gali that something embarrassing happened at work that day: he had been recognized with a community service award at the Cooperative’s Founder’s Day celebration in front of all the employees at Ocean Spray’s global headquarters. His 13-year-old son responded, “Why? Why are you embarrassed for being awesome?”

Kris is, in fact, an awesome guy, who has dedicated much of his life to volunteerism. From coaching softball to helping his town’s historical and finance committees to volunteering at a group home where he met his son, Kris follows his passions to help wherever he can. However, he is very humble in talking about his community service, noting that he was shocked to win the award.

“I didn’t think that what I was doing was all that extraordinary,” he said, modestly. “Many of my volunteer opportunities came to me because there was a need for someone to help; I was able to jump in, and, as result, I’ve had amazing experiences and met awesome people that I otherwise wouldn’t have met.”

Kris is the first recipient of Ocean Spray’s Good Neighbor Award, which was established in 2016 to honor employees who are committed to improving the quality of life for those in the communities where they live and work. Community is a central value at the Cooperative, which provides its employees two paid days per year to volunteer outside of work at charities of their choice and supports local nonprofit organizations with grants and product donations through its Community Fund.

The awards committee received several nominations from Kristopher’s peers, noting that he embodied the spirit of a good neighbor through his involvement in the local communities of Middleboro and Lakeville, MA. In Middleboro, Kris serves as Chairman of the town’s Finance Committee, on the Middleboro Historical Commission and, previously, on the town’s Police Station Renovation Committee. He is also passionately involved with the Freetown-Lakeville Athletic Association, organizing and coaching in the Instructional Girls Softball League for the Town of Lakeville.

Most notably, a year and a half ago, Kris became a foster parent to Gali, whom he is now in the process of adopting. Kris met Gali, who is originally from Ethiopia, in a group home for children where his sister Kara works. She asked Kris to volunteer to spend time with the boy as he didn’t have a dedicated resource and opportunities to venture away from the group home as the other children did. The two bonded instantly, and spending one day a week together quickly became every Saturday, Sunday and holiday. It wasn’t long before Kris invited Gali to be part of his family. “He’s an incredible kid, and I’m proud to be his dad,” said Kris. “I think we were meant to be together, and I have my sister to thank for that.”

As part of the award, Ocean Spray made a $1,000 donation in Kris’ honor to Sunshine Farm Sanctuary, in Bridgewater, MA, which offers children living in foster and group homes the opportunity to work with farm animals in a peaceful, welcoming setting. “My son and I experienced the great work this organization does to help kids in need firsthand,” Kris said. “I was proud to choose them to receive the donation to help them bring comfort to other children.” Kris also received an extra day to volunteer as the Good Neighbor Award winner, so he plans to spend a day or two at Sunshine Farm Sanctuary in the spring to help get the garden ready for the children to begin planting.

When asked why he volunteers, Kris, who was one of nine children, said that he learned a lot about helping others from his parents. His mother used to make time between cleaning the house, doing laundry and making dinner (usually more than one) each day to catch for him while he practiced pitching. Kris also looked up to his late father, who was the Chief Financial Officer at a local hospital, so much it led him to follow in his footsteps by pursuing an education and career in finance. “My father was also a very giving person, always going out of his way to help people around him: family, friends and strangers. He never said ‘no’” shared Kris. “Whenever I’m asked to help out or I see someone or something that needs help, I think back to all the things my parents did for others and I just try do everything I can to live up to their examples.”

On a frosty winter morning in Wisconsin Rapids, WI, Heidi Slinkman drops her three-year-old son, Luke, off at preschool and then takes 18-month-old Victoria on a short, scenic ride along the Wisconsin River to her office. Her family’s business is Gaynor Cranberry Company, a member of the Ocean Spray Cooperative since the 1950’s. There, Heidi works alongside her younger sister, Jenna Dempze, and their parents, Gary and Susan Dempze, on the 212-acre cranberry farm that celebrated its 140th anniversary last year.

The Dempzes’ business started in 1876 when the Gaynor Brothers began cultivating cranberries on the property. In the early 1900s, Jenna and Heidi’s great-grandfather, Charlie, worked on the farm as a young boy, along with his mother, Caroline. Charlie worked for the Gaynors until the passing of Margaret Gaynor in 1927, when he purchased stock in the company becoming the owner after nearly 30 years as a dedicated employee.

Heidi, who manages the office for the 140-year-old company, is excited for the opportunity to work with her sister. Jenna returned home last December after eight years in Oklahoma, pursuing her passion of showing horses. Away since her studies at the University of Northern Iowa, Jenna felt a calling to come home and learn the ropes of production and crop management to support the family business.

“In reflecting on what I wanted to do with my future, I saw this as a great time to learn from the 140 years behind us and to innovate for the future of the business,” said Jenna. “I am grateful for the chance to work with my parents and to partner with my sister to sustain it and, hopefully, make it even more successful.”

Bringing new ideas from around the country – and the world – has been an important component propelling this family farm forward for nearly a century and a half. Heidi also went out of state for college, studying business at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. She then travelled to Australia, Chicago and San Diego before returning to the business 10 years ago. It’s a family tradition that began when Heidi and Jenna’s grandfather Gordon left the farm to become a pilot during World War II, and continued with their father pursuing other business ventures before returning to work alongside his parents until becoming president of the company in 2006.

“These unique life experiences away from the farm provide us all with a broader perspective of why what we’re doing here is important,” said Heidi. “We bring fresh, new ideas back to the marsh and apply them to improve our business; I believe it’s a major part of why we’ve been able to stay in business for so many years.”

Fourth generation cranberry farmers Heidi and Jenna spent their childhood, along with their sister, Amy, taking nature hikes, catching frogs, riding four-wheelers, and, of course, working odd jobs on this farm – and now they are responsible for its future. They note that women have always played key roles in the history of the business, including their great-grandmother, Mary, Charlie’s wife; grandmother, Iris, Gordon’s wife; as well as their mother, Susan. “Our female relatives were in charge of payroll and accounts payable and also helped manage the crew,” said Heidi. “We now have the opportunity to manage the operation, and even to jump in the tractor and work alongside the men in the field if we choose to.”

As they look towards the future, Heidi and Jenna aim to have the best vines with the best yield, which will come from continued research. “We also want to ensure that we can develop the right size and color for whatever amazing Ocean Spray® products come out in the future,” said Jenna. Heidi added that, stemming from her international travel experience, she hopes that the health benefits of the cranberry continue to be realized and distributed globally to have a greater impact on those who need it most.

“We realize what a blessing and privilege it is to be part of something so unique, and that was amplified by being able to go out into the world before we came back to the business,” said Heidi. “We’d like to see our family farm and the cranberry industry going strong, and hope that our fifth generation maintains the tradition and drives it forward towards another 140 years of success.”

At Ocean Spray we like to say that “We are Cranberry Growers,” each responsible for igniting a passion for our cranberries around the world. While all employees embody this belief, each year a few stand out and are nominated by their peers to receive the Cooperative’s highest honor, the Board of Directors Award of Excellence.

This year, our Board of Directors has chosen to recognize three individuals who exemplify the values Ocean Spray was founded on 87 years ago. Receiving the 2017 Awards of Excellence are employees Lee Doleman, Sr. Manager Business Development; Bill Frantz, Sr. Manager Ag Economist and Government Relations and Tom Tritt, Plant Operations Manager – Wisconsin Rapids

“Our 2017 honorees are exemplary leaders who bring enthusiasm to their work each and every day setting a powerful example for our entire organization,” shared President and CEO Randy Papadellis. “While all of our employees embrace what it means to be cranberry growers these three honorees truly embody the Cooperative’s values of respect, ownership, innovation and collaboration.”

All three recipients were formally honored by the Board of Directors and Ocean Spray’s Grower-Owners during a ceremony at the 2017 Annual Grower Meeting.

Lee Doleman

Lee joined the Cooperative’s Ingredient Technology Group in 2005 as a Senior Business Development Manager responsible for the team’s European region. With a strong focus on customer service, Lee has spent the last 12 years growing the dried cranberry ingredient business exponentially, developing an agent model that has become the standard by which his team replicates around the world. Expanding his work portfolio, he took on the additional responsibility for the group’s Asia business in April 2016.

Exemplifying Ocean Spray’s values of ownership and collaboration Lee worked to launch “Project Consumption” in 2015. This program eventually evolved into the group’s hugely successful “Chocolate Loves Cranberries” initiative which resulted in several cranberry and chocolate product partnerships in the European market.

“Lee is the epitome of a road warrior who spends tireless hours traveling throughout Europe and Asia meeting with customers to share Ocean Spray’s ingredient story,” shared Tom Hogan, Director of Ingredient Technology Group Sales and Marketing. “His efforts over the years have produced outstanding results and led him to oversee one of the most profitable business groups at Ocean Spray.”

Bill Frantz

With a more than 30 year tenure at Ocean Spray, Bill is known for applying his vast experience and knowledge of agriculture, economics and politics to promote the Cooperative and Grower-Owners’ interests. Joining Ocean Spray in 1985, he began his time with the company developing environmental efforts that continue to be integral to the Cooperative’s current sustainability, grower outreach and government affairs programs.

With a long track record of supporting and advancing the Ocean Spray Cooperative as a whole, Bill transitioned into his current position in 2012. In this role, he has designed and led projects with the goal of educating government officials at all levels about the cranberry industry. Bill’s efforts have included overseeing the Cooperative’s USDA bids, the formation of the Cranberry Caucus as well as his work with the Cranberry Institute and Cranberry Marketing Committee.

“It is so great to see Bill achieve this amazing award. Anyone who works with him recognizes that he is an advocate not just for Ocean Spray, but for the entire Cranberry Industry,” shared Peter Seward, Director of Commercialization. “He develops trusting relationships internally and with so many who work in Government administration along with some of the strongest political figures that led our nation. He is absolutely deserving of this prestigious award.”

Tom Tritt

Tom began his career at Ocean Spray in 2011 where he served as the Operations Manager of the Wisconsin Rapids Plant. For three years he managed the plant’s 24/7 sweetened dried cranberries and concentrate operation all while providing leadership and development opportunities to his 130 employees.

His experience led him to take on the role of Operations Manager at the newly opened Ocean Spray Plant in Lanco, Chile at the start of 2014. Using his clear understanding of the Ocean Spray business in conjunction with his Spanish fluency, Tom worked to set strategic objectives for the Operations Team in Chile. His work produced significant results, leading to a steady increase in plant production, product quality and safety indicators.

During his three years in Chile, Tom managed installation of OSC equipment and technology and also had an appreciable impact on the development of the corporate culture at the plant. Working to integrate the employees into the Ocean Spray network, he implemented cross-training of the entire Chilean workforce prior to the plant’s start-up, including the development of a work exchange program between Chilean and Wisconsin Rapids employees. Tom relocated his family back to Wisconsin Rapids in December of 2016 to take on the role of Plant Manager.

“Tom is a living example of Ocean Spray’s values, not just through his daily efforts and professionalism but also through the commitment his family made relocating to Chile,” said Felipe Valenzuela, Plant Director, Chile. “Tom is a great ambassador of our company, sharing Ocean Spray’s vision and mission with different countries and cultures.”

Congratulations to Lee, Bill and Tom!

David Bain, a Training Platform Specialist at Ocean Spray’s beverage plant in Henderson, NV, is passionate about supporting his city’s senior center. The Henderson Seniors’ Auxiliary is a nonprofit that aims to improve the lives of the local senior population and seniors in need. David has volunteered to help with the center’s community events, such as festivals, dances and holidays meals, working with the Cooperative to provide product donations. So, when the organization was named a 2016 Ocean Spray Community Fund grant recipient, David was thrilled to see this important fixture of his city recognized by Ocean Spray, which employs nearly 150 people in the area.

“As an Ocean Spray employee, I was proud to see our senior center, as well as Mannion Middle School’s food and clothing pantry for underprivileged students and St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, which supports foster kids in our area, chosen to receive grants from the Ocean Spray Community Fund,” said David. “Ocean Spray is truly part of the fabric of our community and dedicated to seeing it succeed, and this is a wonderful way to reach out to grassroots organizations that help to do just that.”

Ocean Spray established its Community Fund in 2016 to help nonprofit organizations that strive to improve the communities where its Grower-Owners and employees live and work. The Fund hopes to distribute grants to support local programs in regions in which Ocean Spray operates, including Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Washington, Oregon, Florida, Pennsylvania, Texas and Nevada, as well as British Columbia, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Through funding and employee volunteer efforts, Ocean Spray is proud to serve the many places it calls home.

A call for applications last June through Ocean’s Sprays employee and Grower networks resulted in requests for funding from organizations in many of the Cooperative’s regions. A small committee reviewed each request, ultimately selecting 40 organizations to receive grants. The funded projects range from a playground renovation in Plymouth, MA, to technology that aids search and rescue dogs in Washington State, to educating culinary students in British Columbia about the importance of locally grown produce. In the fall, Ocean Spray granted funds to support these and other programs; some organizations also received product donations.

“As a Cooperative owned and operated by family farmers, Ocean Spray is committed to the communities where we live and operate, and, through our Community Fund, we extend a helping hand to support efforts to make these places stronger, better and safer,” said Dan Crocker, Vice President of Cooperative Development and Global Ingredients for Ocean Spray. “We enjoyed learning about the great work taking place at the local level in these areas and look forward to seeing our funds in action throughout the year.”

Stay tuned for this year’s Community Fund application period, which opens in April. If you are a 501-3c nonprofit organization in one of Ocean’s Spray key regions and would like to request funding, please visit Ocean Spray’s Community page for more information. We look forward to hearing more about the extraordinary programs and organizations that make our communities great places to call home.

For a full list of this year’s recipients, click here.

With the New Year upon us, we’re taking the time to reflect on a successful 2016 harvest season. Last year marked the 200th anniversary of the first commercial cranberry harvest and while our Growers worked hard on their farms picking the crop, Ocean Spray celebrated the season with pop-up bogs, festivals, tours and special events for everyone to enjoy and learn about our favorite fruit. 

A topnotch team is a necessity to achieve the title of the world’s leading producer of cranberry juices, juice drinks and dried cranberries and the Ocean Spray Manufacturing Team is just that. Members of network came together for the annual Manufacturing Recognition Event last month to reflect on the past year while celebrating their own.

“Our annual recognition event allows us the opportunity to honor the hard work, dedication and ingenuity of all of our employees within the Manufacturing network,” shared Mike Stamatakos, Senior Vice President of Operations. “These groups and individual employees deserve to be recognized for the outstanding job they do each and every day demonstrating our Cooperative values of respect, ownership, innovation and collaboration.”

Top honors included the Partnership Awards, Plant Director of the Year and Plant of the Year.

Matt Hofmeister, Manufacturing Network Engineering Manager from Wisconsin Rapids, took home the Internal Partner Award for his commitment to supporting projects across the network.

“Matt works tirelessly to deliver impeccable customer service to our manufacturing facilities,” said Tim Peoples, Wisconsin Rapids Plant Director and Food Network Lead. “He has earned a reputation of being a ‘go to guy’ who can solve and resolve issues and he does this with a high degree of personal sacrifice. It doesn’t matter what time it is, or where this issue might reside, Matt will be there to help if at all possible.”

Plant Direct of the Year went to Felipe Valenzuela from Lanco, Chile for his work on capitalizing unique opportunities for his facility. Valenzuela acceptance was met with a standing ovation in the room, a clear nod to his well-deserved win.

“Felipe was honored with the Plant Director of the Year award for all of his tireless work to fully integrate the Lanco plant into the Ocean Spray network,” explained Stamatakos. “He made this transition seamlessly, all while aiming to preserve the unique culture at the facility.”

Wisconsin Rapids was honored with the Plant of the Year Award. Peoples accepted the accolade on behalf of his team and shared:

“Being recognized as the Plant of the Year was a deeply humbling experience for me. Having the opportunity to work with such a phenomenal group of people day in and day out towards a common goal of delivering safe, quality, pounds, at the lowest cost is deeply rewarding to me. I couldn’t be more proud of the other 143 employees who work safely day in and day out to protect the Ocean Spray® brand by delivering a consistent, quality product. At the same time, they continue to find ways to achieve higher levels of productivity, all while being conscientious of our financial responsibilities.”

Eighteen employees were also nominated by their plant manager to receive awards for outstanding achievements. Many humbled by the recognition, Ocean Spray pride was apparent in all of the nominees with one sharing:

“I’m proud to work for the Ocean Spray Cooperative and I’d like to take a moment to thank the Grower-Owners for this stable job that helps me provide for my family.”

Congratulations to all of our 2016 Manufacturing Network Honorees:

Henderson, NV
Mark Davis, Blender
Dean Taylor, Labeler Operator

Kenosha, WI
Paul Gorski, Lead Journeyman – Maintenance Mechanic Tetra
Dave Williams, Operations Technician – Filler Operator

Lanco, Chile
Claudio Mansilla, Maintenance Supervisor
Nancy Morapasten, Fruit Delivery Lead

Lehigh Valley, PA
Telly Klados, Sr. Engineering Specalist
Robert Dunn III, Maintenance Planner

Markham, WA
Kevin Patrick, SDC Team Coordinator
Don Gerber, Maintenance Master Electrician

Middleboro, MA
David Thayer, Performance Improvement Operator
Eric Moquin, Machinist/Mechanic

Sulphur Springs, TX
John Hodge, Operations Technician
Jeremy Ferrill, Blend Utility

Tomah, WI
Diana Moore, Retail Packaging Operator
Matt Zeps, Processing Lead

Wisconsin Rapids, WI
Andres Devine, Maintenance Lead
Renee Haass, Quality Technician

Partnership Awards
Matt Hofmeister, Manufacturing Network Engineering Manager, Wisconsin Rapids
Gene Parish, Territory Manager Anderson Chemical

Plant Metric Award Winners:
Cost Award – Markham
Continuous Improvement Award – Sulphur Springs
Customer Service Award – Kenosha
Quality Award – Sulphur Springs
Safety Award – Wisconsin Rapids
Sustainability Award – Henderson
Throughput Award – Wisconsin Rapids

South American consumers have had a longstanding love affair with fruit. With the abundance of fresh, tropical options in the area it isn’t a surprise that those in the region enjoy fruit in all forms and with superfruits dominating the market these consumers continue to hunt for their next healthy fruit fix.

“The South American market has seen a shift over the past few years,” shared Rafael Belloso, Ocean Spray Brand Marketing Manager. “There is a revolution taking place around what people in this region are eating. They’re looking for healthier options, but ones that still taste good, and are open to trying out new flavors to meet this desire. It’s giving us the opportunity to present the taste, health and heritage of Ocean Spray® with this audience – introducing them to the many benefits of the cranberry through offering them a great new product in an appealing and tasty form.”

While consumers in the United States have a cultural relationship with the natively grown superfruit, other countries are far less familiar with the cranberry. South Americans’ had their first taste in the earliest 2000’s when Ocean Spray entered the juice market with an export model in key retailers. However, it was not until 2012 when the company actively marketed the brand in the region through in-store samplings, added value promotions and cranberry education. Establishing local production followed, in Peru in 2014 and Brazil in 2016. In recent months, the brand has ignited an extensive program to introduce its dried fruit to the area. The team is currently building distribution and working to have local re-bagging capabilities.

“Consumers in these markets are inundated with fruit options due to the advantageous climate and growing conditions in the region,” said Belloso. “The cranberry offers a new flavor into the mix, and so far the audience has been very receptive.”

Since the start of the year, Craisins® Dried Cranberries have launched in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru joining the beverage portfolios already available in these areas.

“With this shift toward healthier eating we’ve seen a demand for snacks that can help consumers stick to their diets,” said Belloso. “They’re looking for convenience and taste – something that Ocean Spray® Craisins® Dried Cranberries and single-serve beverages can offer them.”

Ocean Spray’s ingredient division represents another component of the brand’s venture in the region that continues to expand, selling the cranberry to other food and beverage manufacturers throughout South America.

“It’s obvious a taste for the cranberry has been bursting in the region with Mintel market research citing that 270 new products containing cranberries have launched in South America in the past two years,” shared Marion Burton, Ocean Spray Brand Marketing Manager of Global Business Development. “We will be showcasing our ingredient portfolio at the Food Ingredient South America exhibition, August 23-25 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. With several large food manufacturers expected to attend, this is an important venue for us to present the great taste and benefits of cranberries to other potential customers in the region.”

To keep up with the growing consumer base in these South American markets Ocean Spray has recently expanded its global team in the area.

“We have a huge opportunity in this region right now,” said Belloso. “Our team has been presented with a challenge to make cranberries the preferred superfruit with the people of South America. To make this a reality, we’ve built a team comprised of people with extensive knowledge of the cranberry industry as a whole, as well as a Spanish-speaking individual that specializes in consumer goods in the region. Team members Stefan Kubacsek, Sandra Marino, Kim Ionta, Marion Burton, Adena Barber and Alejandro Selvi are helping to make these opportunities into successes. The cranberry has a bright future ahead in South America.”

The next great idea can come from anywhere at any time and the teams at Ocean Spray are always looking for innovative and creative new ways to bring cranberries to consumers. Acknowledging the value of tapping the minds of rising stars in food science and culinary arts the Cooperative’s Student Product Development Competition was born.

“The program was established as a partnership between HR, R&D and Marketing,” shared Brianna Hughes, Ocean Spray Sr. Scientist and chair of the competition planning committee. “We were hoping to increase employment brand awareness among food science and culinary arts programs, to mentor up-and-coming food scientists by providing them with real world challenges and to spark internal thinking about new ideas, products and applications.”

Celebrating its second year, nearly 50 food science and culinary arts programs were invited to take place in the competition – triple the invitees from last year. The committee, made up of Ocean Spray employees: Hughes; Jen Locarni, Data Administrator; Rachel Toner, Scientist; Barbara Vazquez, Principal Process Engineer and Elena Barbosa, Associate Brand Manager, worked to coordinate and plan the event, making it a priority this year to broaden its visibility both inside and outside the Cooperative.

The competition asked student teams to create a new product utilizing cranberry concentrate targeted toward Healthy Strivers – an audience segment not necessarily defined by age or family makeup but instead comprised of those concerned about their overall health and wellness.

Of the invited food science and culinary arts programs, 15 submitted abstracts. Students spent months preparing for the competition, from ideation to testing and a technical paper submission.

“The greatest part of the competition process for me is seeing the students becoming so engaged in developing products with cranberry,” said Barbosa. “The awards night is my favorite, because the three finalists are all winners as we award 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.”

Unlike a typical group project students didn’t receive course credits for their work but instead to experience firsthand what it means to be a cooperative. The first round of judging narrowed the field down to three teams from Delaware Valley University, University of Florida and University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The finalists then traveled to the Cooperative’s headquarters to present their ideas to a panel of Ocean Spray senior leadership.

“The PD competition provides the students with the opportunity to interact with Ocean Spray Grower-Owners, senior leadership, hiring managers, go on comprehensive tours of labs, the plant and the bog all while pitching their creative solutions to the problem we posed,” explained Toner.

While each came with a different product concept all three teams shared similar feelings about the opportunities the competition offered them.

“Competitions are a great way to get first-hand experience with this industry,” commented Michelle Warner, culinary science student from University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “Coming to Ocean Spray’s headquarters was the best part of the whole experience. Going on the tours of the building and plant and seeing all of the R&D labs – it was really cool.”

“We both want to work in R&D after school and thought this was a perfect chance to get some hands-on experience,” explained Erin Nese, food science student at Delaware Valley University.

“This was such a unique opportunity,” shared Brittany Hubbard, doctoral candidate at University of Florida and member of the winning team. “I really enjoyed the camaraderie of working alongside other students I don’t normally get to work with.”

The competition not only provides a unique learning opportunity for students but for the Ocean Spray employees involved.

“The students’ concepts make us think about new technologies or applications in other industries or markets we currently are not in,” said Hughes. “Not only are we building recruiting awareness for the Cooperative but we’re being challenged to think about things in a new way and most importantly, encourage diversity of thought.”

From grab-and-go breakfasts to healthy desserts congratulations to all three exceptional teams that embodied great creativity in pursuit of the next big cranberry innovation!