PRESIDENT’S CORNER
2025 has brought us face to face with new complexities and we are navigating the shifting dynamics of the current trade environment. This evolving landscape is being shaped by federal administration policies, where market volatility has become the new normal. While this can present challenges, we remain focused on staying ahead of the changes that may impact our business. Even amid these obstacles, we are dedicated to adapting and finding new opportunities to execute our strategic plan. We are seeing some promising results, and there is much more to come.
Recently, we have embarked on a range of exciting business opportunities. I’m thrilled to share that we’ve launched our new Produce Snack Almonds line—a bold step forward in bringing our snacks to new consumers, right where they shop for fresh, healthy options. We’ve now secured dual placement in the produce section of over 400 stores nationwide , and that number continues to grow. Key retail partners include Roundy’s (Kroger), Jewel (Albertsons), Giant Eagle, HyVee, AWG, Sendik’s, Lunds, and Gelson’s. Most of these accounts have embraced all six SKUs, a strong vote of confidence in both the product and the strategy behind it! We’re also expanding our digital and specialty retail footprint. We’ve started shipping to Amazon , with a new item program launching soon to drive consumer reviews. OTG , a premium airport retailer, will begin carrying Blue Diamond product in April, and we’re actively engaged in conversations with Costco and Sam’s Club . Additionally, as I have mentioned before, Europe is a target market for us and a few weeks into March we received our first of many orders of branded snack nuts to be shipped out over the Atlantic! It’s still early days for European business, but we are beginning to see our hard work pay off. Europe is not the only new market with exciting growth opportunities. We are building on our approach to doing business in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and we have partnered with a new distributor, further expanding our reach in
this growing market. Our new partnership is a significant step toward strengthening our global presence and ensuring that Blue Diamond products are accessible to even more consumers worldwide. We are bringing the goodness of almonds to new places in a way we never have before. In addition to expanding in Europe and the UAE, our continued efforts to expand internationally are paying off, with new opportunities for Snack Nuts opening in places like South Africa. Our almonds are making their way onto more shelves, and we are confident that these markets will be pivotal to our growth over the coming years. Our marketing team has already had a very full year, and I cannot wait for you all to see what we have in store. We have rolled out several new campaigns that have already seen lots of success, driving both brand awareness and customer engagement. Our recent digital marketing initiatives have obtained impressive results, particularly with targeted social media campaigns that speak directly to our core consumers and new audiences. We have made it a point to expand our presence across major platforms to reach customers in new and exciting ways. Closer to home, we partnered with Urban Roots ® Brewery & Smokehouse in Sacramento, to celebrate National Almond Day in Sacramento on February 16. With more people than we anticipated in attendance and local news media coverage, the event was a success from start to finish. Several members from our local community organizations joined in the fun and the Nutty Cruiser was a huge hit!
Kai Bockmann President & CEO
6
ALMOND FACTS
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker