Resource Center

Crunchy crawlers is a new, break-though innovation. This product was a 2019 Sweets & Snacks Expo “Best in Show” winner! This product has a poppable shape with a thin, candy shell & chewy fruity center. There is a sour flavor combination of: Raspberry-orange, lime-cherry and strawberry-watermelon. Each piece is a mashup of two signature trolli flavors for an out of this world experience! Crunchy Crawlers will be a success at the shelf! 38% of consumers are eating more candy because of better textures. Sensory excitement is the largest consumer need, and sour candy is growing! Trolli’s owned social media channels will feature a series of rich interactive posts dedicated to the Crunchy Crawlers for a highly engaged audience and consumer awareness. Content will come to life with a variety of formats and drive awareness of product attributes and reasons to believe – all with a crunchy twist! Trolli brans has a ton of momentum, fueled by strong growth in core sales, brand awareness and marketing investment! If you’re interested in adding Crunch Crawlers to your store, talk with your Harbor Sales Rep!

Hunter started at Harbor in 2018 as an Order Selector and has held various roles since. Through his passion of learning new things and hard work, he transitioned to his current role as PM Warehouse Manager. Q: How did you make the transition from where you started to where you are now? H: My first role at Harbor was as an Order Selector, but I was given the opportunity to work in different departments throughout the warehouse. I also went out on routes with the Drivers for a week. With the cross-training that I had received I was able to float between different departments and help out where needed. After working for a few months I was offered the role of Order Selection Trainer. In this role I was partially responsible for the onboarding of new hires and helping them get acclimated to the flow of work in the warehouse. This position also helped me practice my leadership skills and begin to learn even more about the company. In addition to training new hires I was able to help Supervisors with some of their day-to-day tasks and learn more about what specifically went in to their job. Eventually I became a warehouse supervisor and for a few years supervised different warehouse departments before becoming the PM warehouse assistant manager. After the acquisition of Rich & Rhine wholesale I was offered the opportunity to lead that team as the distribution center’s operations manager where I oversaw warehouse and transportation operations. After a year working at the Portland distribution center, I was given the change to return to Lacey in my current role as the PM warehouse manager where I oversee outbound shipping operations. Management was very supportive of my desire to learn more about the company and to develop my leadership skills. The support from Operations leadership and my desire to learn more about Harbor is what allowed me to reach my current position. Q: How long have you been with Harbor? H: I have been with Harbor since 11/08/2018. Q: Any advice for advancing your career at Harbor? H: My advice for advancing your career at Harbor is to adhere to the company values of genuine, motivated, resourceful, and friendly. Q: What roles have you held at Harbor? H: I have been an Order Selector in various departments, an Order Selection Trainer, Freezer/Cooler Supervisor, PM Assistant Warehouse Manager, Operations Manager, and my present role as PM Warehouse Manager. Q: What do you think is the most important quality to have to get your career started at Harbor? H:  I think the most important quality to have is the desire to learn new things about Harbor and how it operates.

Joy started at Harbor in 2015 as a Credit Clerk. Through her years at Harbor, she’s worked in different roles within Customer Service eventually transitioning to her current role of Customer Service & Sales Support Lead. Q: How did you make the transition from where you started to where you are now? J: I made the effort to become an authority in my roles at Harbor. I learned everything I could about how the Customer Service Department works and how we interacted with other departments across the company. I want to be the best at what I do, and I never stopped learning. I made sure my supervisor was aware that I wanted more and was willing to put in the time and effort it would take to move forward. Q: How long have you been with Harbor? J: It will be 7 years in July Q: Any advice for advancing your career at Harbor? J: Be open to every opportunity that comes your way. You also have to take responsibility for your own growth. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to approach your supervisor about ideas, and never stop asking what else you can do. If you are willing to put in the effort you will get so much out of working here at Harbor. Q: What roles have you held at Harbor? J: I started as a Credit Clerk, then promoted to Customer Service Rep, then to Sales Support Admin, and finally I am now the Customer Service and Sales Support Lead Q: What do you think is the most important quality to have to get your career started at Harbor? J: Perseverance. Do the best you can every day. If you are showing that you want what is best for the company and you are growing, it will be noticed. It will not happen overnight, but Harbor is growing. I firmly believe that if you want it and work hard you will get there.

If you have ordered product from Harbor, then chances are you’ve interacted with someone from our transportation department. Our transportation team is vital to ensuring product makes it out the doors from our warehouse to the shelves of our customers’ stores. About The Team Between LDC & RDC distribution centers, the transportation team is 95 members strong. There are several roles that contribute to the success of the team. Delivery Drivers are the team members taking the product into stores. They take care of customers and safely negotiate the daily hazards of driving a semi-truck in and around gas stations or strip mall parking lots. The team also has Shuttle Drivers who travel the freeways getting the loaded trailers to the Delivery Drivers who live in other areas of the states we serve. Shuttle Drivers will also bring the empty trailers back to the distribution centers. Driver Assistants are often team members who have started in the Warehouse and want to start a driving career at Harbor. Driver Assistants help on the longer, heavier routes assisting Delivery Drivers unload. The transportation team also has a group of Administrative Professionals who are behind the scenes every day making sure stops are routed correctly, laying out how the trailer will be loaded, and communicating between departments and the transportation team. All of these individuals come together to ensure our customers are receiving on time and accurate orders. Delivery Drivers start at seven different satellite hubs in addition to our two distribution centers: Mount Vernon, Everett, Pasco, Yakima, Vancouver, Medford, Bend and Redding. How A Route Works Harbor’s routes start at all hours of morning and night. On an average day, a Delivery Driver working nights start around 10pm, whereas a day route Driver starts around 3AM. Before starting the route, the Driver will ensure his driving logs are up to date and accurate, ensuring no customers are missed on the route. He checks his paperwork to see if there are any special instructions, what stops he has that day, and how the load looks. Before heading out on a route, a pre-trip inspection of the entire truck is conducted. This is one of the most important action items a Driver will do before setting out on the route. This inspection ensures the truck and trailer are in working condition. At Harbor, we take our responsibility as professional drivers very seriously. The first stop for a Driver can be anywhere from ten minutes to three hours away. All routes are consistent, so our customers see the same friendly faces each week to develop relationships with their Delivery Driver. A Driver typically has anywhere from 12-15 stops on his route, and the entire load on the truck for these deliveries can weight up to 20,000 pounds! For most routes, everything is unloaded by one Driver, pushed into each store or restaurant one load at a time. Our team has grown a lot over the years, and like everyone, they rely on technology more than ever for safety and order accuracy. Our team has gone from filling out paper driver logs and manually counting every piece delivered, to electronic logs on an in-cab computer and scanning orders for proof of delivery. As we continue to develop our use of these technologies, consolidating systems and simplifying data will lead to even more efficiencies and serving our customers even better in the future.

About The RDC Sales TeamHarbor’s team members serve customers all throughout the Pacific Northwest from Northwest Washington to Northern California. This month, we are highlighting our Sales Team based out of our Roseburg Distribution Center (RDC). Our RDC team is focused on ensuring our customers have the right products in the right places and support customer foodservice operations. They are obsessed with our customer’s success! About The Newly Added NorCal TerritoryEarlier this year, we officially added NorCal as a territory in our business. Since being officially added, it has become the number one growth area on the RDC team. The NorCal team serves both chain and individually operated stores, helping both groups of customers grow their business’ and be as successful as possible. Mountain Market stores, who was featured earlier this year in the Retail Solutions book, is one of NorCal’s customers. Thank you RDC Sales Team for serving our customers and being obsessed with their success each and every day!

We recently sat down with Stephen Zirschky, Coffee Program Manager at Harbor, to learn more about our new coffee brand, Split Shift. Tell us a little about the development of Split Shift. I always like to say “your brand is your promise” – it’s a platform for you to create an opinion in someone’s mind about what you’re about. Whatever a person’s opinion of you…they’re right in their mind. Split Shift is about putting your nose to the grindstone and getting [it] done – a coffee for the working class, those that work a split shift and do what it takes to accomplish their dreams. We want to showcase the classic Americana mindset & entrepreneurial spirit in every avenue: in our customers and the end coffee drinker both. Who is the target audience of this new brand? I think I partly answered this in the question above, but we are putting a lot of focus on the American working class – we take a lot of pride in getting our hands dirty to do whatever it takes to meet our goals, and want to recognize those that do the same. That being said, we want this brand to stand in any circle of life…the first phrase we used to describe Split Shift was “everyone’s cup of joe”. Whether you’re working that split shift, have yet to enter the work force, or flying a private jet to your next big venture – we want this to be the coffee for you. How do I know if a store is a good fit for the new coffee brand? I would first ask what do you want to get from your coffee bar? Split Shift was built with the goal of sustainability & profitability in mind. We want to grow the bottom line through increasing the amount of people drinking your coffee. The industry itself is in a state of flux. Starbucks is invading the convenience space more than ever & major chains are all moving in the direction to imitate Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, and McDonalds in terms of quality, customization and variety. The old adage is going to ring true – “if you’re not first, you’re last”. If you’ve been serving the same thing for the last 3-5 years, it’s time to take a look at what’s new with us. What are you most excited about in regards to Split Shift? We’re extremely passionate about coffee (as you can tell). What I’m most excited about is that we are able to express that passion through Split Shift. Everything from the brand imagery to the origin & roasting was handled by us & tailor made to our specifications. What that means is that not only can you see our obsession, but that if anything doesn’t jive with what we want this brand to be…we can change it. That’s what’s so cool about the entrepreneurial spirit, right? Taking your destiny into your own hands? Tell us about the Coffee Blends for Split Shift, what are the different options? We have a small army of single origin & blends in our lineup as of today: Two types of “house blends” one for use with milk & one that tastes best blackTwo dark roasts, one meant for putting hair on your chest and the other as a dessert coffeeA light roast that showcases all the elements of a bright/light bodied coffeeTwo single origins (for now) – a Costa Rican and a SumatranThree “flavored” coffees for some of our markets that show an affinity to specific flavors (i.e. vanilla or hazelnut)While not caffeinated, we can’t forget about our decaf! We took the best elements of our “original” house blend and replicated the flavor profile Why should someone add Split Shift to their store? To touch on what I said a few moments ago – Split Shift was created to help grow business & give the end consumer the kind of quality they pay $3 more for in a drive-thru. We obsessed over the construction of this brand. With all the time, energy and passion it took, we did not want to do so just to add another notch to our portfolio, but to make a major difference in the industry. Now is the time to rebrand the term “gas station coffee”, as I like to say.

Fruit Valley Village is part of the Minit Mart family located in Vancouver, WA and selling Shell gasoline. This location recently underwent a major renovation. Owner and President Don Rhoads shared insights in what drove this renovation and how they continuously are focused on their community. About Fruit Valley VillageSince the early 1930’s, there has been a store at the Fruit Valley Village location. Minit Mart acquired this location in 1968, and it has been part of the business ever since. The store was originally a 2,800 sq. ft. Superette grocery store but eventually transitioned to the convenience model.Minit Mart is a family owned business much like Harbor. They have roots in the Pacific Northwest and are true partners with the areas that their locations serve. About The RenovationIn 2018, Fruit Valley Village underwent a major renovation which was recently completed. The building built in 1968 went from 2,800 sq. ft. to a 12,000 sq. ft. shopping center to better accommodate the local community’s needs. The store itself added 1,500 sq. ft., adding a 1,200 sq. ft. kitchen with foodservice, including a teaching kitchen and commissary for the community. With the renovation, Minit Mart brought back the Superette grocery store model offering an expanded product selection and more grocery and fresh options for their customers. The decision to incorporate this model was based on the communities needs for quick, convenient, fresh food selections. “With this renovation we’re symbolizing the community’s unique identity. From the physical design of the store and building, to the products we sell. Everything is focused on the Fruit Valley identity.” – Don Rhoads, Owner & President Community ResourcesIn addition to updating the Fruit Valley Village location, tenant locations were added on property in the 12,000 sq. ft. expansion. A credit union, housing resource center, and foodbank are all tenants in the building. The overall theme of this location is to lift up the existing local populations and provide resources to help them thrive in the community.  Thank you Fruit Valley Village and Minit Mart for partnering with Harbor!

LACEY, Washington. September 11, 2019 – Harbor Wholesale Foods (Harbor) headquartered in Lacey, WA announced Harbor’s acquisition of a significant portion of the Food Services of America (FSA) Seattle business, including FSA’s 250,000 sq. ft. distribution facility in Kent, WA.  Harbor will assume a portion of the customer base currently served by the Kent facility, including roughly 1,700 independent restaurant operators throughout 10 counties in Western WA.  FSA Seattle’s executive leadership and several experienced and dedicated associates will be joining Harbor, creating a combined team of nearly 700 people. Harbor and FSA share similar backgrounds as family companies and a common passion for associate growth and customer success. “The acquisition of a portion of FSA’s Seattle business aligns well with our existing culture and values,” said Harbor CEO Justin Erickson.  “We’ve grown our business over the years through our dedication to serving our independent and locally owned customer base. Our success is the result of empowering our team members to best serve our customers at every interaction. We’ve been serving NW communities for 96 years and the FSA Seattle business provides a platform to expand our presence and positive influence throughout the region.” Acquiring FSA’s Kent Distribution Center achieves Harbor’s goal of becoming the Northwest’s premier foodservice distributor.  Harbor has roots in foodservice distribution dating back 96 years.  “As our company evolved, we shifted our focus to retail grocery and convenience store distribution. As foodservice has become the primary focus of convenience stores over the past 10+ years we’ve expanded our capabilities in foodservice to retain and grow our position as the NW’s leading convenience store distributor,” said Justin Erickson. The Harbor location in Kent, WA will continue to be led by the current FSA executive leadership team, utilizing the same familiar systems, tools, and technology that customers and associates rely on today.  “The goal is to make the acquisition as seamless as possible, much of how Harbor and FSA do business today will not change,” Harbor CFO Jim Winkle said in a statement. As a locally owned and operated business, with 96 years of excellent service to their customers, Harbor is the perfect distributor to fill a huge and important void in the foodservice market.  “We bring industry-leading technology, operational excellence, and competitive buying power. We put our customers first, and we’re committed to providing food and solutions to help their businesses flourish,” said Justin Erickson. “As a local distributor, we have a unique opportunity to partner with local suppliers, providing a unique mix of products versus the larger broad line distributors. The restaurant industry is more competitive than ever, and operators are looking for a way to stand out from the crowd.”