PRESIDENT’S CORNER
“GROWING TOGETHER” ANNUAL MEETING 2024
CEO’s Speech It was a pleasure to talk with so many of you at our recent Annual Meeting in Modesto. As I approach the end of my second year as Blue Diamond’s CEO, I reflect on how much we have achieved together, and also how much success and growth still lies ahead of us. For those of you who didn’t manage to attend the meeting, I would like to recap what we discussed together. Firstly, I would be remiss if I didn’t give a huge thank you to Steve Van Duyn and all our board members for their support over the last year. They really could not be a better group to work with, and they are working hard for you all year round. What I’ve enjoyed most over the last year is getting out there and meeting with you, our growers. I met with many of you while I was out on the road at district meetings, in your homes, and coffee shops. At the end of the day, it’s all about Growing Together , and this happens best when we engage and have meaningful conversations. Ultimately, what drives us every day is to deliver the highest return for your almonds. It’s been a tough year, and we’ve faced weather challenges, pest issues, and rising production costs. Like I’ve said before, volatility is the new normal, but we remain steadfast on our plans for growth. At the Annual Meeting, I was joined onstage by Carmen Bourgaize, Chief Commercial Officer, Tony Laurenzana, SVP Ingredients and International Branded Sales, and Steve Schult, VP Global Supply. We shared some of the positive returns from our strategic plan. This plan was developed to diversify our portfolio, and to reduce our dependence on our two product categories.
Kai Bockmann President & CEO
Strengthening our Value-Added Business: This is essentially our core business — Almond Breeze ® and snack nuts. Accelerating our International Footprint: We have some great early success stories to share here, particularly around Japan and Canada. Food Service Expansion: The food service market is huge, globally, at $3.5 trillion. There’s a lot of runway to grow in this space.
Drive Innovation: We can’t tell you everything just yet because we don’t want our competitors to know, but we have new products, new flavors, new customers, and new segments. This is an exciting space for us! Creating Enablers and Efficiencies: This one is all about doing more with less and being cost effective.
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ALMOND FACTS
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