Our co-chairs and Planning Committee have completed our agenda for the 62nd Annual Food Shippers of America Conference at the Hilton Bonnet Creek Resort.

The tournament will be held at the Waldorf Astoria Golf Club adjacent to the conference hotel on Sunday, March 5, 2017. There will be two consecutive rounds: 7:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. tee times. Register early for your preferred tee time when you register for the conference.

Chief executives from PepsiCo and Starbucks on Thursday called for a renewed commitment to inclusion following a presidential campaign that exposed racial and ethnic fault lines in the U.S. PepsiCo chief executive Indra Nooyi, who backed Democrat Hillary Clinton, said she hoped President-elect Donald Trump's controversial statements on immigrants and minorities during the election battle were "just campaign rhetoric." "Our employees, especially our employees who are non-white or who are LGBT, are asking, 'Are we safe?'" said Nooyi, who was born in India.

Due to overwhelming response, our 2017 Sponsorship availabilities are almost sold out. Remaining sponsorship selections are available during the conference registration process or by contacting Nancy Newbourne, treasurer at treasurer@foodshippersofamerica.org or Royce Fisk Executive Director at rfisk@foodshippersofamerica.org.

ARL Transport/ARL Logistics has created a strategic partnership with Paws and Stripes to run a program over the next year which will generate charitable donations to benefit veterans. Moon Township, PA, November, 2016: ARL Network, a logistics provider based just outside Pittsburgh, PA, is proud to announce that it has teamed up with Paws and Stripes, a nonprofit organization that pairs veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and brain injuries with shelter dogs to train as their service animals. From Veterans Day 2016 and running through Veterans Day 2017, ARL is running its, "Make a Shipment Save-a-Vet" program where it has pledged to make a monetary donation to Paws and Stripes to help the veterans and the service dogs in their program. ARL also welcomes any of its customers to help support the organization and make contributing donations of their own.

Just as America’s tastes have evolved from meat and potatoes to craft beer and artisan cheese, so too have its supermarkets. This week’s Grocery Tracker has the latest on how supermarkets are trying to whet the consumer’s appetite for grocery shopping, including Kroger’s growth strategy, how grocery stores are improving online shopping and offerings, as well as changes at the top for two major grocers.

Albertsons   www.albertsons.com 

Dean Foods (NYSE: DF), the nation's number one provider of fresh milk, was recently recognized by Progressive Grocer as the 2016 Category Captain for Fresh Dairy. The award reflects the company's ongoing commitment to change the face of the dairy category through innovation, brand investment and category thought leadership.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. & LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SUPERVALU INC. (NYSE:SVU) and America’s Food Basket (AFB) today announced that SUPERVALU has been selected by AFB as a grocery wholesaler and supplier. The parties have entered into a long-term agreement for SUPERVALU to supply the AFB member stores with traditional grocery products across a range of categories including meat, deli, bakery, grocery, fresh produce, frozen foods and dairy. SUPERVALU will distribute AFB’s "Ideal Brands" as well as provide AFB stores with the ability to offer SUPERVALU’s private brand products, including Essential Everyday®, Wild Harvest®, and Culinary Circle®.

Behind this assessment is the fact that the new president won’t take office for three months, and then any proposed legislation will take time to move through the legislative branch of government. According to Noël Perry, transportation economist at FTR, "There are certainly particular risks that arise any time there is a change in elected power, but there is little near-term change in the outlook for the U.S. economy, as budgets are set and policies are intact until later in 2017."

More than $22,500 in awards will be presented, and the top applicant will be invited to attend the conference and accept the award in person. Eligible applicants are children or dependents (including spouses) of a supply chain department employee whose company's FSA membership dues are current. If you have any questions, please contact Nancy Newbourne, treasurer, at treasurer@foodshippersofamerica.org. Please click on the learn more below for more information about the John J Murphy 2017 Scholarship Application. Completed applications must be received by December 31, 2016.

The U.S. surface transportation network, particularly the Class 8 truck segment, is faced with numerous challenges – a grow-ing FMCSA regulatory burden, changing driver demographics, questions about the sustainability of the independent contrac-tor model, ever tougher environmental regulations and grow-ing insurance coverage concerns.

Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG), formerly known as ConAgra Foods, Inc., has completed the previously announced separation of its Lamb Weston business. The company’s name change has also become effective.

WhiteWave Foods Co. (WWAV): Godsey Gibb Associates has sold out all of its stake in WhiteWave Foods Co. during the most recent quarter, according to the disclosure filed by the company on Nov 1, 2016, with the SEC. The investment management company has sold out 252,780 shares of WhiteWave Foods Co., which is valued at $13,688,037.

Nasdaq continues our new blog series featuring posts from Nasdaq-listed company leaders. This month in support of #NasdaqCares, David P. Yeager, chairman and CEO, Hub Group (Nasdaq: HUBG) describes the transportation management company’s commitment to community and causes, and how they’ve utilized their fleet of drivers and freight containers to mobilize a movement. Hub Group started in a one-room office over a flower shop in Hinsdale, Illinois, in 1971. My father, Phil Yeager, a railroad veteran, launched the business based on a strong work ethic and unparalleled integrity. With my mom Joyce by his side, he developed business strategies that helped the company grow to become a publicly-traded $3.5 billion multimodal solutions provider today.