North Bay Produce Announces Annual Dividend to Grower Owners; Nick Osmulski Shares
TRAVERSE CITY, MI - North Bay Produce is showing its respect for the grower owners that make its operations possible by investing back into them through annual dividends. This year, the cooperative has returned $8,354,883, bringing the total return since 1993 when reinvestments to shareholders began to $70,245,730.
“North Bay’s cooperative model is somewhat unique in the produce industry, and we believe in reinvesting in our growers to help them grow and advance in all different aspects of their farms,” said Nick Osmulski, President. “We know that our customers demand commitments to quality, assurance of supply, food safety, sustainability, and social accountability, and North Bay’s alignment with our growers assures that.”
Year over year, North Bay has seen steady gains, resulting in greater investments in the business, a release explained. Recently highlighted programs include varietal development, sustainability, a commitment to greater technology on the farms and in the company itself, as well as the continued search for new growers to help support the growth.
“At North Bay, we regularly speak about the membership and the employees as being a family. We mean that, as it is essential that we work with growers that share our values and have outstanding farming practices,” added Osmulski. “Partnering with new growers is not just about finding growers that can handle our demands but identifying growers that do things the right way and that are good people.”
In the new fiscal year, North Bay predicts record growth. The company will be offering new varieties of blueberries and blackberries, known as SEKOYA and Erandy, respectively. There will also be substantial increases in supply for both categories, and more raspberries and strawberries will be available.
The company’s apple and vegetable programs will also see gains this year, with additional acres and hectares offering more and better varieties.
“The future looks bright, but that means that there is a lot of work to do. The good news is we are confident that we have the right group of growers and team to do the job,” continued Osmulski.
Cheers to North Bay and another successful year!
