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.
C&C Samfura
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.
"Kasuwancinmu ya ci gaba da girma, kuma mun girma cikin lambobi biyu kowace shekara ta hanyar baiwa abokan cinikinmu sabis na abokin ciniki na musamman da inganci," in ji Nick Conforti, C&C Produce co-mai kuma mataimakin shugaban kasa.
Kamfanin yana hidimar abokan ciniki a cikin radius mai nisan mil 750 a kusa da birnin Kansas wanda ke kan Missouri da Kansas, kudu zuwa Oklahoma da Texas da arewa zuwa Nebraska da Minnesota. Kamfanin yana aiki ne daga wani wuri mai murabba'in ƙafar ƙafa 200,000, yana jigilar kayayyaki ta hanyar sa na manyan motocin da aka sanyaya. C&C Samar da albarkatu iri-iri daga masu sana'a masu zaman kansu da masu fakiti, gami da ayaba, citrus, apples, dankali, dankalin turawa, albasa, karas da kayan ganye.
Amma yawancin samfuran C&C Produce sabo ne, don haka sai da aka ƙirƙira Cool Creations ɗin ya fara tafiya zuwa samfuran da aka ƙara ƙima, suna ba da sabuwar hanyar hidima ga abokan cinikinsu, da masu siye.
"Mun ji kamar akwai bukatar a tsakiyar yamma, musamman a Kansas City, don sabon-yanke zažužžukan, amma ba mu yi zaton akwai wani wanda ke kula da karshen kiri," in ji Conforti. "Muna so mu sami ra'ayin dillalan kan yanke 'ya'yan itace."
Shekarar da ta gabata ta yi nasara da ban mamaki, fiye da yadda kowane kamfani ke tsammani.
"Ya yi kyau fiye da yadda muke zato - muna tsammanin zai yi girma cikin sauri, amma ya ninka tsammaninmu sosai," in ji Conforti.
C&C Produce ya kai ga Bob Carl, wanda ya riga ya yi shekaru 36 a cikin kasuwancin samarwa, don sarrafa sabon kamfani. Kamfanin ya kuma kawo Tess Brensing, wanda ya kammala digiri na baya-bayan nan a Jami'ar Jihar Kansas a fannin kimiyyar abinci da masana'antu, don tabbatar da inganci da amincin abinci. Kodayake Samar da C&C da Cool Creations suna raba dukiya iri ɗaya da yawancin abokan ciniki iri ɗaya, suna aiki daga wuraren da ke zaman kansu daga juna.
Sabbin Yanke
'Ya'yan itãcen marmari da kayan marmari masu ƙima su ne ainihin samfuran da Cool Creations ke sarrafa, ana ba da su a cikin zaɓuɓɓukan yanki da diced kuma ana samun su a cikin ɗimbin ganga. Kayan lambu sun hada da broccoli, karas, farin kabeji, seleri, cucumbers, kabeji, latas, albasa, barkono, dankali, radishes da tumatir, yayin da 'ya'yan itacen ya fi iyakance ga cantaloupe, abarba, kankana da strawberries. Pico de gallo, dawa, rawaya squash, zucchini da cakuɗe-haɗe ana samun su cikin iyakantaccen girma.
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.
"Maimakon mabukacin ku na yau da kullun yana siyan buhun dankali mai nauyin kilo 10, za su iya ta hanyar kayan abinci tare da duk abubuwan da ke cikinta," in ji Carl. "Mai cinikin kantin sayar da ku na iya shiga, ya kama (kit ɗin), jefa a cikin tukunya kuma ya dafa shi."
Tsaron Abincin
Amincewar abinci ra'ayi ne na samar da C&C da Cool Creations suna ɗauka da mahimmanci. Suna aiki tare da masu dubawa na ɓangare na uku don tabbatar da bin ka'idodin amincin abinci, kuma kowane kamfani yana da hannu sosai a cikin ayyukan kiyaye lafiyar abinci da shirye-shiryen rigakafin rashin lafiya. Kowane kamfani yana tsaftacewa da tsabtace dakunan sarrafawa da kayan aikin sa, tare da gwajin bayan gwajin don tantance tsafta da zarar an gama aikin. Ana aikawa da albarkatun da aka gama don ƙarin gwajin ƙwayoyin cuta, musamman neman listeria, salmonella, E. coli, yisti da mold.
Hakanan akwai shirin tunawa da lafiyar abinci a wurin don mummunan yanayi.
"Muna da tsarin kwamfuta wanda ke lura da inda duk kayayyaki da kayayyaki ke shigowa da kuma inda muke jigilar su, don haka idan akwai bukatar a tuna da shi, za mu iya bin sa," in ji Brensing.
Gaban Gaba
Kamar yadda kamfani ke samun ƙarin haɓaka suna fatan motsawa cikin sabbin kwatance. Wannan ya haɗa da ƙara ƙarin abokan cinikin sabis na abinci cikin jerin masu siye da haɓaka haɓakawa da haɓaka kasancewa a cikin shagunan sayar da kayayyaki da yawa, musamman ta haɓaka hadayun sandunan salati a cikin sassan samar da kayan abinci don haɓaka ƙima da zaɓuɓɓuka masu dacewa ga masu siye.
Amma babban abin da aka fi mayar da hankali zai kasance a kan abokan cinikinsu na tallace-tallace, waɗanda suka taimaka wajen jagorantar kamfanin a cikin sababbin hanyoyi ta hanyar shirye-shiryen gwada sababbin samfurori, da kuma ba da rancen ra'ayoyin samfurin da za su iya jan hankalin masu amfani.
"Muna da kyakkyawar dangantaka da ('yan kasuwanmu), kuma suna zuwa mana da sababbin ra'ayoyi daban-daban da suke son gwadawa," in ji Conforti. "Wasu daga cikin abubuwan ba su yi nasara ba, amma abubuwan da suka yi nasara, muna ci gaba da su."
Ko da yayin da kamfani ke ci gaba da haɓaka, ma'aikatan suna taka tsantsan don kiyaye girma da sauri. Dole ne kamfanin ya ci gaba da yi wa abokan cinikinsu hidima duk da cewa ya kai ga sabbin abokan ciniki, in ji Carl.
"Ra'ayina na sirri shine dole ne ku sami ci gaba mai sarrafawa - dole ne ku kiyaye inganci da sabis a babban matakin," in ji Carl.
Amma game da mayar da hankali ga masu sayar da kayayyaki, yana da ma'ana ga kamfani - masu sayarwa sun kasance babban nasarar su.
"Wannan ci gaba ne na ƙarshen ciniki na masana'antu. Mun riga mun kasance a cikin hanyoyin kantin kayan miya tare da yankakken 'ya'yan itace, don haka ya riga ya isa," in ji Carl.