Gourmet News

Hy-Vee CEO Edeker Stepping Down, Names Wiese as CEO

Published July 28, 2022

Hy-Vee Chairman and CEO Randy Edeker has named Aaron Wiese as Hy-Vee’s next CEO, effective Oct. 1. Wiese is vice chairman of Hy-Vee, Inc. and president of the company’s supply chain and subsidiaries.

Jeremy Gosch will remain as president and chief operating officer of Hy-Vee, overseeing all of the retail operations for the business.

“Both Aaron and Jeremy have been trusted leaders of our executive team for many years, and I am thankful for the leadership they continue to provide our great company,” Edeker said. “With this announcement, I can continue to focus on Hy-Vee’s strategy and evolution in today’s changing environment while Jeremy can focus on overseeing our stores and Aaron can focus on the day-to-day operations of the overall company.”

Wiese and Gosch will continue to report to Edeker, who will continue to serve as Hy-Vee’s chairman of the board.

Wiese started his Hy-Vee career in 1993 while in college. After graduating, he served in various operations leadership roles. In 2012, Wiese joined Hy-Vee’s executive staff as director, real estate strategic planning, and in 2013 became director, health/wellness strategic planning.

In 2014, he was promoted to assistant vice president, specialty pharmacy, and then vice president, business development, at Amber Specialty Pharmacy. Over the next six years, Wiese was instrumental in leading multiple facets of Hy-Vee’s health and wellness division, as well as serving as president of Hy-Vee subsidiary Amber Specialty Pharmacy for several years.

He was promoted to the executive vice president level in December 2020, and became president of digital growth and co-chief operating officer in April 2021. He was promoted to his current position in December 2021.

Wiese received his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Northern Iowa.

Gosch began his Hy-Vee career as a part-time clerk at the Lantern Park Plaza Hy-Vee in Coralville, Iowa, in 1995, and spent the next 12 years moving into retail operations management roles, including that of store director at multiple locations. In 2012, he joined Hy-Vee’s executive staff when he was promoted to assistant vice president, operations, northeast region.

Over the next six years, he held several executive leadership roles and in early 2018, he was promoted to executive vice president, co-chief operating officer, chief marketing officer, and later that year he transitioned into chief operating officer.

In April 2021, Gosch became president, retail operations and co-chief operating officer. He was promoted to his current position in December 2021.

Gosch earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Iowa. Gosch is only the fifth president in Hy-Vee’s 92-year history.

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Coors Light Thirst Trap Captures Mosquitoes

Published July 27, 2022

Summer is in full swing, but along with the heat comes the ultimate buzzkill to your backyard chill sesh – mosquitoes. A study shows that drinking just 12 ounces of beer makes you more likely to get bitten by mosquitoes. That does not make for a chill summer day.

Coors Light, the official beer of everything unofficial, is giving mosquitoes some beer of their own so you can kill their buzz with the new Coors Light Thirst Trap, a mosquito trap designed to rid your summer days of pesky bugs.

“Warm weather, outdoor activities, and laidback chilling are some of the reasons why summer is undeniably the best season of the year. But with the good also comes the bad, and pesky mosquitoes can be a buzzkill,” says Marcelo Pascoa, vice president of marketing for the Coors Family of Brands. “The Coors Light Thirst Trap is an attachment designed to fit on a 12 ounce can of Coors Light and will lure mosquitoes into the can with no way out.”

Once you drink most of your beer, snap on your Coors Light Thirst Trap and only sacrifice a few sips of your delicious brew to the mosquitos. They can enjoy their own Coors Light while you crack open your next one, without the bother of buzzing mosquitoes. Watch the video to see how it works.

Starting July 27, consumers can enjoy their summer mosquito-free with the Coors Light Thirst Trap, available for purchase for $5 at shop.coorslight.com. Coors Light will release a limited number of traps each day at 10 a.m. CST from July 27 through Aug. 5 (Monday-Friday only).

As the beer of everything unofficial, Coors Light is celebrating the best moments of summer, like enjoying an evening outside bug-free. In May, the brand released a new national TV spot, introduced new packaging, and is rewarding consumers with experiences, prizes and more.

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General Mills Invests $2.3M for Regenerative Agriculture in Canada

Published July 27, 2022

General Mills and ALUS will support farmers and accelerate regenerative agriculture in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Canada – key regions where General Mills sources oats for brands such as Cascadian Farm, Cheerios and Nature Valley.

The $2.3 million investment enables ALUS to grow its community-led programming with a focus on soil health through its new Growing Roots pilot program, offering both technical and financial assistance to farmers. The partnership aims to remove barriers to entry and maximize benefits for local producers, communities, and the environment.

“We were drawn to ALUS’ grassroots approach with farmers at the center,” said Mary Jane Melendez, chief sustainability and global impact officer, General Mills. “Now, interested farmers in these communities can gain a greater understanding of regenerative agriculture and how best to apply those principles to their farm’s unique environmental, social and financial context, along with the power of peer knowledge-sharing and community support.”

ALUS supports General Mills’ commitments to advance regenerative agriculture on one million acres of farmland by 2030, reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions – 60 percent of which are from agriculture – across its value chain (scopes 1, 2 and 3) by 30 percent by 2030, and ultimately achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

The investment from General Mills provides robust support to increase farmer mentorship and fund in-field projects that follow regenerative agriculture techniques. Funding also provides enhanced data collection, scientific research, and the sharing of this critical information with key stakeholders.

“ALUS has been interested in developing a comprehensive on-field program focused on soil health for years and we’re delighted that General Mills, a leader in this area, has become our foundational partner,” said Bryan Gilvesy, CEO, ALUS. “We believe the creation of this program is a catalyst for engagement from other corporate, government and philanthropic partners interested in ALUS programming and its outcomes and impact across Canada.”

Each organization encourages farmers, companies, and others who may be interested in growing the regenerative agriculture farmer-led movement in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Canada to visit ALUS.ca or reach out to Nicole Baldwin at nbaldwin@alus.ca to learn more.

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