George Muller with Julie Eberly, CEO of Lemonade Day

The Official Lemonade Day Best Tasting Contest was held on Saturday, April 28 at CityCentre in Houston, Texas. Teams of more than 40 enthusiastic children from all over the city participated and served up some delicious as well as healthy and unique lemonade to a roster of 12 lucky judges, including George Muller, Vice President – Sales Planning, Supply Chain & Information Technology for Imperial Sugar Company.

The Best Tasting Lemonade Contest has become the popular kick-off event for Lemonade Day, an annual, free, community-wide program dedicated to teaching children how to start, own and operate their own business through the simple and time-honored act of building and running a lemonade stand. Since the event began five years ago, Lemonade Day has grown from 2,700 kids to more than 50,000 kids in Houston (not to mention 31 other cities).

Imperial Sugar has been a strong supporter of the Lemonade Day program since its inception. According to Muller, “At Imperial Sugar, we strongly believe that by starting, owning and operating their own business, kids of all ages learn to set goals, develop a plan, secure an investor and create a product. This meaningful activity helps prepare our future generation of business and community leaders.”

The teams of young entrepreneurs were up by 5 a.m. to arrive at the venue by 6 a.m. to set up colorfully decorated lemonade stands. One stand had a tropical theme and sold their lemonade in a premium, plastic pineapple shaped container. Another very young entrepreneur, donning a Dallas Cowboys football jersey, gave his stand a sports theme and named it “GameNade,” because Gatorade was a main ingredient in his lemonade.

Muller admits that he was not surprised at the number of children that proudly advertised they used only Imperial Sugar as the sweetener in their lemonade. “Imperial Sugar is such an important part of Houston’s heritage. Many of these children’s parents and grandparents grew up with Imperial Sugar so it was natural that this would be a staple in many of the lemonade recipes.”

As Muller visited the various stands, he had an opportunity to meet the children and learn more about their business. He quickly discovered that a large number of the participants were now veterans of Lemonade Day, some having participated since the inception of the event. One young lady with an exceptionally professional demeanor, explained to Muller how she uses her great grandmother’s famous lemonade recipe to set her apart from the competition.

The kids get to keep the money they make but are also encouraged to save a little, spend a little, and share a little with the community. Many of the children proudly displayed their charities on their stands during the contest. A team of siblings, seven-year old triplets, were donating a portion of their proceeds to the SPCA. Another stand indicated they were donating money to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

At the end of the Best Tasting Contest, Muller along with the other judges named the “best lemonade,” “the healthiest” and the “most unique” lemonade. The following winners were named:

Most Unique: 3rd – Alejo Oravananos, Patricio Oravananos, Jorge Ibarra and JP Ibarra, 2nd – Gayla Powell, Dakota Meriwether and Mary Powell 1st: Kaitlin Nunez

Healthiest: 3rd – Mari Oliver, 2nd – Isabelle Oravanoanos, Veronica Ibarra, Sofia Ibarra 1st – Maddie, Kensi and Luke (last name unavailable)

Best Tasting: 3rd – Nicholas and Sebastian Laureano, 2nd – Richard Wong, 3rd – Maria Maldonado and Itzi Castillo

This year Lemonade Day will be held on May 6.

“Promoting production of biofuels and embracing biobased products have helped reduce dependence on foreign oil to less than 50 percent and will continue to help reduce our reliance for years to come,” said Vilsack. “We should rely on innovative companies and the productivity of American farmers and ranchers to produce our household items and power our cars and trucks – not foreign oil. If we are able to produce more energy here at home and build a manufacturing economy producing biobased goods, we’ll generate middle-class jobs and strengthen our economy in the long run.”

Vilsack said America needs and is developing a reliable, sustainable, fuel supply.

“USDA and the Obama administration are working with private industry to strengthen and transition to a bioeconomy, with firms like Virent promoting biobased products, and with the bioenergy sector pursuing an ‘all-of-the-above’ energy strategy to promote American-produced renewable energy coupled with oil production,” Vilsack said. “Today, the development of both biofuels and bioproducts, using not just corn, but corn stover, soybeans, switchgrass, wood, camelina, energy cane (sugar cane), municipal solid waste, yellow oils, algae, and a host of other non-food feedstocks growing across the country are reducing our reliance on foreign oil.”

The increased ranking further demonstrates Accredo Packaging’s commitment to protecting the environment, and builds upon its existing partnership with EPA’s Green Power Partnership. Accredo Packaging is purchasing nearly 13 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of Green Power annually from TXU Energy. This demonstrates a proactive choice to switch away from traditional sources of electricity generation and support cleaner renewable energy alternatives.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,” said Rex Varn, Accredo’s Executive Vice President. “We have found that renewable energy is one of the easiest and most effective ways to minimize the impact of carbon emissions, and the increased cost of wind over fossil fuel-sourced power was minimal, considering the benefit achieved.”

This purchase also qualifies Accredo Packaging for EPA’s Green Power Leadership Club, a distinction given to organizations that have significantly exceeded EPA’s minimum purchase requirements. Green Power Leadership Club members must purchase ten times the partnership’s minimum requirement organization-wide.

Green Power is electricity that is generated from environmentally preferable renewable resources, such as wind, solar, geothermal, biogas, biomass, and low-impact hydro. Purchases of Green Power are recognized as helping to accelerate the development of new renewable energy capacity nationwide, and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector.

“The EPA congratulates Accredo Packaging for demonstrating environmental leadership through its use of clean, renewable energy,” said Blaine Collison, Director of EPA’s Green Power Partnership. “By doing so, Accredo Packaging is reducing harmful air pollution and demonstrating that using Green Power is smart for the environment and for business.”

According to the U.S. EPA, Accredo Packaging’s Green Power purchase of nearly 13 million kWh is equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of nearly 2,000 passenger vehicles per year, or the CO2 emissions from the electricity use of more than 1,000 average American homes annually.

Adds Varn, “We’ve sought to integrate sustainability into every aspect of Accredo’s business model. As one of our core values, sustainability is a critical consideration in the products we create, our worker safety initiatives and our environmental policies.”

Situated in Sugar Land, Texas, Accredo Packaging, Inc. is a fully integrated converting company producing flexible packaging with an emphasis on sustainability, with best in class production processes, primarily targeting the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) markets.

The USDA released an updated S&D figures for the US and Mexico on April 12, dramatically altering both the numbers and the prospects for a meaningful increase in the Tariff Rate Quota.

The numbers: The numbers are very simple. The 2011-12 beet estimate was increased by 130,000 tonnes based on the higher planted area in the prospective plantings report. It is interesting to note that the increase is not based on the excellent progress in planting in those states that have started, suggesting that there may be more to come if the Red River Valley sees similar results. The only other change to the US S&D is a 385,000 tonne reduction in estimated imports from Mexico. The Mexican S&D in today’s report shows estimated production of 4.900 million metric tonnes tel quel, a reduction of 100,000 tonnes from last month. More interestingly, the report shows an 188,000 tonne increase in Mexican consumption. For those keeping track, the estimate of Mexican consumption, which was 4.295 million tonnes in the January WASDE, was increased by 120,000 tonnes in February, reduced by 120,000 tonnes in March and then increased by 188,000 tonnes today. The figures, which are derived from consultation between US and Mexican government groups and are based on year-to-date trend, cannot inspire confidence within the USDA.

This net 250,000-ton reduction in US supply yields an ending stocks/use ratio for 2011-12 of 6.8 %, down from 9.0 % last month and 12.7 % at the end of 2010-11.

The template: Looking back at last April should theoretically be instructive. In reality, comparing the two years generates a massive cognitive dissonance. Last year, both the March and April WASDE reports showed a 10.4 % stocks/use ratio. Following the release of the April 2011 report the USDA announced a reallocation of the shortfall (estimated at 110,000 tons) and a 325,000-ton increase in the raw sugar TRQ. In the announcement, USDA noted that the reallocation and increase, when adjusted for slippage, would yield a 13.5 % stocks/use ratio.

In February of this year, the USDA announced that they would be taking steps to make management of the TRQ more transparent, employing a formulaic approach in determining the size of any increase in the TRQ. While no new program has been announced, let’s assume that the 13.5 % stocks/use ratio targeted last April was used to generate the figure for an increase in the TRQ this year. An ending stock figure of 1.573 million tons would provide for an ending stocks/use ratio of 13.5 %. This would require an increase in the TRQ, adjusted for any slippage, of 776,000 tons. An increase of this magnitude would completely blind-side the market. Consensus seems to be that the USDA will reallocate the 132,000-ton shortfall and perhaps announce a token increase of perhaps 200,000 tons.

Here’s where the dissonance kicks in for the USDA: an increase of 415,000 tons would yield an ending stocks/use ratio of 10.4 % – the level that last year justified a 325,000 ton increase and a shortfall reallocation. An increase of this magnitude would appear to represent a drastic change in the USDA’s management approach. Having pledged to manage the import program in a more transparent way, anything short of a 750,000-ton increase would represent less clarity and predictability. That said, it seems highly unlikely that an increase even approaching that figure is forthcoming.

April’s report clearly opens the door wide for an increase of some magnitude. The USDA estimated stocks/use ratio has jumped around as follows: December – 10.3 %, January – 5.3 %, February – 7.7 %, March – 9.0 % and April – 6.8 %. We would guess that the USDA will err on the side of caution given the volatility in the data and expect to see a shortfall reallocation and an increase of 200,000 to 300,000 tons, though our level of confidence is not high.

The funding, which comes through the Department of Homeland Security’s Port Security Grant Program (PSGP) and was approved last summer, is intended to support increased port-wide risk management.

“The grant provides us with additional funding to improve our critical infrastructure, which will result in better protection of our facility and the port area,” said Raylene Carter, VP of Manufacturing of Imperial Sugar Company.

Imperial’s Port Wentworth facility is located on the Savannah River, a major U.S. seaport. Dwayne Zeigler, Engineering Manager at the plant and the person who is responsible for overseeing the upgrades to the facility, explained the scope of the project.

He noted that Imperial has already completed the installation of new fencing around the perimeter of the 70-acre facility. The company is now in the process of installing new utility poles around the plant that will hold new lighting as well as security cameras.

The company will also build a new Incident Command Center on the premises that will utilize ResponderView™ software.

ResponderView is state-of-the-art software that tracks calls, dispatches, and responses, displaying active incident status on wall monitors and on live mobile web pages. Authorized command staff and emergency responders can access this information using their PC or mobile device, increasing and improving situational awareness and assisting them in the decision-making process concerning mutual aid, fill-ins, recall, and other tactical actions.

In addition to the new Incident Command Center, Zeigler also points out that Imperial will build a new entrance for trucks used for shipping with access from Grange Road. Completion of the project is anticipated by the fall of 2012.

Tom Wilson, Director of Quality, Food Safety and Technical Services

The process begins when a manufacturer of food, or other products that use sugar as an ingredient, indicate it would like ISC to become an approved supplier of sugar for the company. The request is usually made to the sales team who then share the request with Tom Wilson, Director of Quality, Food Safety and Technical Services. It’s Wilson’s responsibility to oversee the customer audit process and ensure that ISC meets all the necessary requirements to become an approved supplier.

Wilson explains how the audit works.

A potential new customer will submit a questionnaire to get background information on ISC. Next, Wilson, and members of his team, will tour the customer’s facility to see firsthand how their product or products are manufactured and packaged, as well as all the quality controls around these processes.

The customer will then conduct a physical audit, visiting ISC’s plant and reviewing all the programs ISC offers from a quality standpoint and discuss compliance protocols. There will be an exit meeting at the end of the day during which time the customer will share their findings and potential issues. ISC then responds with corrective actions they can take to address any issues and the timeframe involved. After any necessary corrective actions are completed, the customer will generally provide a final approval or a conditional approval.

Wilson adds that existing customers also schedule routine audits with their suppliers. For instance, one of the world’s largest food manufacturers and maker of many popular breakfast cereals with a nearby plant in, recently completed a scheduled audit to confirm ISC’s status as an approved supplier of sugar. Wilson points out that since sugar is a large volume commodity but fairly stable and not susceptible to microbial issues, it’s usually placed on a two to three year audit rotation.

“It’s always a good day to have a customer visit and show off the plant and the refining process.” said Wilson. “This provides us with an opportunity to assure our customers that we have placed all necessary controls in place to make sure they receive the exact product they requested.”
Wilson points out that most food manufacturers have fairly straightforward requirements for its suppliers. However, customers that use sugar in non-food products, such as pharmaceuticals, typically have a longer or more stringent list of requirements, which ISC is able to meet.

ISC also has completed the requirements of self audits, like the SQF (Safe Quality Food) and AIB (American Institute of Baking), both of which are widely recognized by food manufacturers. ISC has the paperwork to verify they meet the requirements of these world-class programs and is able to share these with customers who are not able to travel to the plant for a physical audit.

To read more, click here.

Source: Bloomberg Businessweek

Production in the 2011-12 season, which started in October, totaled 3.17 million metric tons through March 17, Conadesuca said in a report on its website on March 21. That compares with 3.64 million tons in the same period in 2010-11.

Mexico is expected to produce 4.8 million tons this year, down from earlier forecasts of 5.3 million tons and 5.183 million tons last harvest.

Under foreign trade deals, America provides duty-free access to at least 15 percent of the domestic sugar market to 41 foreign suppliers. Mexico has total duty-free access to the U.S. market.

For years, the U.S. has been the world’s second or third largest importer, trailing Indonesia and sometimes Russia. But an influx of sugar last year from Mexico and other trading partners propelled America to the top spot.

On March 9, the USDA released updated supply and demand data for the US and Mexican sugar markets, reversing important adjustments made in the February report to Mexican and US domestic consumption estimates and in the Mexican export estimate figure as well. The report shows an ending stocks/use ratio for 2011-12 of 9.0 %, up from the 7.7 % ratio in the February report. At last month’s SUA Colloquium in Orlando, Dr. Barbara Fecso of the USDA’s Farm Services Agency spoke to the volatility in the data set as each crop year progresses, and today’s report could serve as “Exhibit A” in that regard.

Looking at 2010-11, the ending stocks figure of 1.472 million short tons and the ending stocks/use ratio of 12.7 % were both unchanged from last month. This, however, masks the fact that there were minor adjustments made to the 2010-11 TRQ import figure, re-export import figure, the Mexican import figure and the domestic food use figure. As the changes offset and we are five months into the new year, there is no need to catalogue the changes, but it is interesting that last year’s data is still being fine-tuned.

Looking at the 2011-12 S&D, the Florida crop estimate was increased by a further 30,000 short tons to 1.790 million tons – the best crop seen in Florida dating back to the 2.154 million ton 2003-04 crop. The estimate has been increased by 160,000 tons since the January report. The estimate of imports under the re-export program was increased by a further 50,000 tons and now stands at 500,000 tons – the estimate has been increased by 150,000 tons from the January report.

Our story now takes us to Mexico. It would appear that either the data coming from Mexico is erratic, or something meaningful is being lost in translation. Last month, the estimate of Mexican domestic consumption for 2010-11 was increased by 46,000 tonnes tel quel, and the estimate for 2011-12 was increased by 120,000 tons. In today’s report, the estimate of Mexican domestic consumption for 2010-11 was reduced by 73,000 tonnes tel quel, and the estimate for 2011-12 was reduced by the same 120,000 tons. The estimate of Mexican imports was increased by a further 38,000 tonnes to 382,000 tonnes. This figure is 72,000 tonnes higher than the January estimate and, mindnumbingly, 67,000 tonnes lower than the December estimate. The Mexican import estimate has moved from 255,000 tonnes in October to 449,000 tonnes in November, 310,000 tonnes in January, 344,000 tonnes in February to 382,000 tonnes in today’s report. During this period, there has been little said or instituted in Mexico to indicate that the situation is in constant flux. The real issue is that Mexican ending stock figure is held fairly static at 10.7 weeks of consumption – just enough to bridge to the new crop – and exports are the balancing mechanism. Thus, the constant fluctuations in the Mexican data formulaically accrue to the export figure and to the US S&D. The estimate of Mexican exports to the US was increased by 301,000 short tons in today’s report. Such a massive increase in one month (nearly 37 %) is troubling, and even more so when one considers that the Mexican export figure was reduced by 219,000 tons just last month.

The USDA estimate of the Mexican crop was left unchanged from last month at 5.0 million tonnes tel quel. This represents a 3.55 % reduction from the prior crop. The Mexican harvest through March 3rd had produced 2.662 million tonnes of sugar, down 14.4 % from the 3.110 million tonnes produced in 2010-11. The amount of cane crushed is only seven percent lower than last year, and the amount of area harvested in down by only the low single digits. Sugar extraction rates were down by eight percent and agricultural yields were down by 4.7 % to under 70 tonnes per hectare. We are beyond the mid-point in the crop and the crop is not trending higher in any meaningful way. A final crop of 4.800 million tonnes tel quel would represent a reduction of 7.5 %. It will take a sky full of stars to align for the crop to finish much better than that at this point.

The amount of noise in the Mexican data renders the program largely unmanageable, assuming the USDA wishes to manage based on statistics. Interestingly, the variance in the Mexican export estimate from December to February – two months – was 767,000 tons. The variance for the June estimate to today’s estimate – nine months – is 40,000 tons.

The other important change in today’s numbers was an increase in the estimate of US domestic food use of 210,000 tonnes. Food use in the US is now estimated at 11.185 million tonnes, up 0.6 % over last year. The February estimate of 10.975 million tons was down 250,000 tons from the January estimate and represented a decrease of 1.29 % from 2010-11. Today’s estimate seems more logical in terms of trend, given last year’s 2.28 % increase in food use. In terms of statistical turbulence, the US Food Use estimate is a problem on a similar scale as Mexico’s. The WASDE is an important component for the USDA in determining the size of any quota increase. Today’s numbers reduce the likelihood that the USDA will take any bold steps in April due to the smaller deficit and the reduced level of confidence in the numbers.

We have been of the mind that an increase of 350,000 to 450,000 tons was possible for April, given the total estimated additional import requirement and a certain amount of confidence that Mexico will not overwhelm the US with exports. Our S&D, as displayed below, indicates a need for between 728,000 and 961,000 tons, depending on the USDA’s stocks/use target. Based on today’s report, if the USDA targets a 13.5 % ending stocks/use ratio, additional imports of 526,560 tons would do the trick. Given the volatility seen in the data in the past few months, we see little basis for confidence in the S&D, which will encourage a conservative approach. The current S&D shows a TRQ shortfall of 132,000 tons. The USDA may well see reallocating this quantity in April as a sufficient first step while they allow the data in the S&D to mature. We feel that such a conservative approach will set the stage for the July futures to move back to a 35.00 to 37.00 range and will allow for refined prices to settle back in above 45.00.

To read more, click here.

Source: Bloomberg

Go Nuts is known for its popular and delicious, fresh cinnamon-glazed pecans, almonds and cashews, all made with Imperial Sugar products. Now, for the first time, Go Nuts is also offering its customers a low-calorie version of its popular cinnamon-glazed nuts made with Steviacane®.

The rodeo is well-known for its fare of fried and high-calories foods. In an effort to provide a healthier snack option for attendees, Go Nuts, with the help of Imperial Sugar and Natural Sweet Ventures, has developed a tasty yet low-calorie recipe for its glazed nuts.

Developed by Imperial Sugar Company and marketed by Natural Sweet Ventures, Steviacane is a completely natural sweetener made of pure stevia and pure cane sugar. It has approximately one-third the calories of sugar, is 100 percent natural and non-GMO, and it tastes just like sugar. The result? The nuts made with Steviacane have proved popular among attendees to the rodeo.

“We are proud of the fact that we only use Imperial Sugar to prepare our popular cinnamon-glazed nuts and are excited to now use Steviacane,” said Kristy Allen, co-owner of Go Nuts. “I believe our customers appreciate that we use Imperial Sugar, which like the Houston rodeo, has a long Texas heritage. Thank you Imperial Sugar for your business partnership!”

As part of its presence at this year’s rodeo, Go Nuts has added prominent signage to its booth as well as labels on its products to make sure its customers know that they use only Imperial Sugar.

This year, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo runs from Feb. 28 thru March 18. Go Nuts can be found in the Reliant Center booth 1254.

As a lab analyst, she is expected to perform a wide variety of technical tasks in the company’s laboratories as well as preparing and maintaining the laboratory equipment to ensure it is operational and accurate.

Williams, who joined ISC a little more than a year ago, explains that she rotates between three other lab analysts who are each responsible for different functions at the plant, so her duties vary from day-to-day, a fact she enjoys.

Along with Lakeith Gilliard, Williams is in charge of analyzing the raw sugar that arrives via cargo ships at the plant’s dock. Immediately after a shipment of raw sugar arrives, a sample is brought to the laboratory for analysis. Williams or Gilliard will run some quality parameter analysis from the initial sample. This gives the engineering and production groups an idea of the characteristics of the raw sugar being unloaded and the best way to process it. After the initial sample is analyzed, additional samples are taken at regular intervals during the unloading of the raw sugar from the vessel.

Lakeith Gilliard & Maryann Williams

“There are so many factors that can affect the results of an analysis,” says Robyn Sevier, Laboratory Supervisor. “So the work that Maryann and the other analysts perform is critical to the process, and they are all doing a fantastic job of limiting the variables and producing very accurate reports.”

Williams also assists with environmental analyses, such as testing the effluent water streams water quality in the river adjacent to the plant to make sure the company is in compliance with state and federal environmental regulations, and as the quality analyst, she conducts testing on intermediate and finished products used in the mill and packaging facility.

After joining the laboratory team at ISC, Williams admits that the biggest challenge was just learning the terminology for the industry. Not only has she never worked for a sugar refinery but this is her first time to work for a food manufacturer. However, she brings considerable skills and expertise developed while working in laboratories for petrochemical products, agricultural and pharmaceutical companies.

She notes that she enjoys the environment better in food manufacturing. She also offers that it’s a privilege to work with so many talented and creative people and points out that a number of lab analysts have been employed at the Port Wentworth plant for many years, a few for more than 20 years.

“Everyone at the plant has an open door policy and I can feel comfortable approaching any of my co-workers at anytime for counsel,” says Williams. “I take advantage of their wealth of knowledge and experience in executing my duties.”

She laughs as she recalls how she viewed sugar as a product that just went from the field to the store shelf. “I had no idea of the complex process involved in making sugar. My view quickly changed once I began working for Imperial Sugar.”

While attending Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, Williams shares that she considered pursuing a career in law but was offered a prestigious NASA scholarship if she pursued a degree in science. She recalls that she quickly chose chemistry as her major because, thanks to a dedicated high school teacher, she had developed a strong interest in this area of science.

“I have always been an analytical thinker so this career is a perfect fit for me,” says Williams.

A native of Savannah, Williams is glad to be back home. She is an avid fitness enthusiast and frequently hits the gym in her free time. When asked about her biggest accomplishment, she doesn’t hesitate to list her close relationship with her 22-year old son, who she admits doesn’t need her as much but knows that he can always turn to her for support.

To read more, click here.

Source: Wall Street Journal