“We have used the egg-shaped Anjou in imagery with Easter baskets for years,” Kevin Moffitt, President and CEO stated. “We have now borrowed an idea from our kids Halloween stickers and have developed these fun, colorful stickers for kids to decorate pears like Easter Eggs.”

Individual sheets, bulk-packed for easy distribution, have been made available to retailers and supermarket dietitians to hand out to their consumers. “They will also be distributed at consumer events taking place around Easter each season,” Moffitt added.

The post A Sweet Alternative to Decorating Eggs for Easter appeared first on USA Pears.

The responsibilities in his role as President include developing and overseeing the strategic communication, research, marketing and promotion programs designed to help bring profitable returns to the 700 grower families located in Washington and Oregon by increasing awareness and consumption of fresh pears.

Moffitt will relinquish day-to-day duties as president and CEO as of July 1, 2024. To help ensure a smooth transition for his successor, he will continue in a part-time mentoring and training role until the end of the 2024/25 season.

Moffitt will also be transitioning out of his role as manager of the Fresh Pear Committee of USDA’s federal Marketing Order 927’s, overseeing all regulatory functions for the nation’s longest-running marketing order. In the most recent grower referendum, held in 2023, 99% of voting producers favored continuing the order.

Moffitt joined Pear Bureau Northwest in 1989 as the director of international marketing. In this position, he developed and managed marketing programs for USA Pears in more than 30 countries. He also drew on his prior experience as a banana ripening technician with Dole to compile pear ripening research and develop the industry’s first ripening guidelines and handling manual in 1999; this manual is still the go-to guide today. Moffitt has continued to advocate for conditioning pears, working with a 3^rd party consultant since 2001 to train shippers and retailers on best practices and advantages for conditioning pears to increase consumer satisfaction and repeat sales of fresh pears. The program has grown exponentially under his guidance and today, there are 58 retail banners in the US and Canada carrying conditioned pears.

Moffitt was named president and CEO of the bureau in 2001, and he immediately began to encourage more creative thinking and entrepreneurial attitudes among the staff. “As president, I led the Pear Bureau team to embrace change, as it is inevitable, and to adapt and evolve to stay relevant to consumers, the retail trade and our industry,” described Moffitt.

As one of his earliest major innovations, he began experimenting with online shopping site promotions in 2001 with Webvan, one of the first online grocery delivery companies in the United States. He and his team evolved and refined these initiatives over the years, and activations such as sponsored search and shoppable recipe ads are now a cornerstone of the organization’s retail promotions.

Also in the early 2000s, he developed consumer how-to guides for using pears in decor and created a wine, cheese and pear pairing wheel. In addition, he invented and patented the reusable, recyclable Pear Packer to protect delicate, easily bruised pears. Other accomplishments include petitioning the USDA to declare December as National Pear Month, introducing the first World Pear Day and having pears named as the official state fruit of Oregon.

Educating consumers has been a priority for USA Pears under Moffitt’s leadership. He developed the USA Pears website to be the world’s largest website dedicated to pears, adding innovations such as making every recipe in the site’s deep database shoppable, so consumers can download and order all the ingredients in the recipe to be delivered to their home. Marketing activations have also had a strong educational component. For example, in 2022, he developed an augmented reality activation as a fun and innovative way to demonstrate the versatility of pears in recipes and provide consumers with helpful information on ripening and storage.

“Kevin has embraced the role of being an advocate for growers and a champion for pears,” said Jordan Matson, chairman of Pear Bureau Northwest. “During his 23 seasons in this position, he has served as president for one-quarter of the bureau’s 93-year history. Throughout this time, he has demonstrated a passion for creative marketing with a high level of execution. He has been agile and open to change, ready to make bold moves and stay ahead of trends. We thank him for his decades of dedication and effective leadership as he moves into his next chapters in life.”

Over the years, Moffitt has also been actively involved with national and international produce associations. His past and present appointments include chairman of the World Apple and Pear Association, chairman of the United States Agricultural Export Development Council, member of the Board of Trustees of the Produce for Better Health Foundation, member of the board of United Fresh Produce Association, member of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Technical Advisory Committee for Fruit and Vegetables, and chairman of the Produce Marketing Association’s International Trade Conference Committee.

The post Pear Bureau Northwest Announces Departure of President and CEO Kevin Moffitt appeared first on USA Pears.

MILWAUKIE, Ore. (January 25, 2024) – Bosc pears are a favorite among pear lovers due to their crisp, sweet flavor as well as their versatility in recipes from salads to baking. Kicking off the new year, Pear Bureau Northwest highlighted the most popular Bosc pear recipes from 2023 in a social media campaign in January entitled “Begin the Year with Bosc”. This is being followed up with a landing page with links to all of the top Bosc recipes on the world’s largest website dedicated to pears: usapears.org.

The recipes highlight the versatility and deliciousness of Bosc pears by unveiling the top Bosc recipes in categories from breakfast through dinner and dessert based on views on USAPears.org and the organization’s Pinterest page (@USApears).

“The web traffic speaks for itself,” says Jim Morris, Marketing Communications Manager. “We reviewed our web traffic data and our top Pinterest pins for the 2023, and Bosc clearly stands out.”

Popular recipes run the gamut, from an oatmeal recipe for breakfast to a sheet pan recipe for dinner. “And don’t forget to leave room for dessert,” Morris added. Recipes for tarts and cakes also made the list. From sweet to savory, the top seven dishes include: pear tarts, baked chips, sheet pan chicken, oatmeal, salad, upside-down cake and a pear and gorgonzola pizza.

“From enticing snacks to indulgent desserts and wholesome dinners, these recipes showcase the incredible range of possibilities that Bosc pears bring to the table,” stated Kevin Moffitt, Pear Bureau President and CEO.

“This campaign is not only about celebrating the culinary delights of Bosc pears; it’s a collective effort to encourage everyone, from chefs to home cooks, to explore and savor the versatility that Bosc pears offer,” added Moffit.

The post Seven Popular Bosc Recipes Consumers Loved in 2023 appeared first on USA Pears.

MILWAUKIE, Ore. 

“For the eighth annual World Pear Day celebration, USA Pears will once again be partnering with the online platform, Kittch, to showcase six popular chefs preparing a variety of global dishes,” says Jeff Correa, International Marketing Director, PBNW. The six hour long live demo pear-a-thon will feature recipes from Mexico, Canada, India, SE Asia and the US. Headlining the event will be a demo by Chef Mariano Sandoval from Mexico.

Kittch will live stream six hours of interactive demonstrations beginning at 12:00 PM Pacific to 6:00 PM. PBNW has also invited industry members and influencers to participate during the virtual chef’s table during the event. Following the event, a downloadable cookbook featuring the new recipes will be available at usapears.org.

Pear lovers around the world will also be able to celebrate by posting their own love of pears using #worldpearday and #nationalpearmonth.

“Our vision for World Pear Day since its inception has been to launch national pear month and to get people thinking about and eating tasty, healthy pears all around the world,” stated Kevin Moffitt, President and CEO of Pear Bureau Northwest. “It is very gratifying to see how the interactions have grown with many organizations worldwide, enhancing pear’s image as the affable and approachable celebrities of the fruit world that they are,” he concluded.

December is an optimal time to celebrate National Pear Month due to the abundance and variety of USA Pears, which are at their peak and available worldwide. The more than ten varieties of pears grown in Washington and Oregon include: Bosc, Green Anjou, Red Anjou, Bartlett, Starkrimson, Comice, Concorde, Forelle, Seckel and Red Bartlett.

The post World Pear Day 2023 Celebrated on December 2 appeared first on USA Pears.

“Pear growers are in full harvest mode right now hand picking a new crop of beautiful, tasty pears starting with Bartletts and Starkrimson,” stated Kevin Moffitt, president and CEO of PBNW. “There will be a full range of sizes available, including large-sized fruit as well as smaller sizes to fill the popular pouch bags as well as sizes to fulfill export market demand. Our team has been working hard to initiate innovative and effective promotions to get the season off to a good start. Retailers are engaged and optimistic about the pear season.”

Across all regions, harvest started in late-August for summer varieties like Starkrimson and Bartletts, with growers beginning to pick Bosc, green and red Anjou in early- to mid- September. Specialty pears like Comice, Seckel, Forelle and Concorde pears will also be available in September, to provide an exceptional assortment of unique and flavorful pear choices for shoppers in an array of shapes and colors to enhance any produce department display.

The organic pear estimate is expected to come in at 1.9 million standard boxes equivalents, or 12.5% of the total projected Northwest crop.

“Our growers and shippers understand that consumers buy with their eyes but flavor is what brings them back for more. The industry is driven to provide consumers with the best possible eating experience,” stated Moffitt. “To meet consumer demands for sweet and juicy pears to enjoy one to three days from purchase, the industry continues to expand and promote the conditioning program, which is proven to increase retail sales and enhance the consumer eating experience,” Moffitt continued.

Bob Catinella, PBNW Director of Merchandising added, “As shoppers continue to adapt to shopping on digital platforms, the Pear Bureau has seen success in reaching consumers online as well as in-store. We’ve been working closely with retailers to introduce new omni-channel programs to motivate purchase.”

DOMESTIC PROMOTIONS

Capitalizing on the latest trends and innovations in digital marketing as well as in-store, PBNW is initiating fresh promotions across the U.S. and Canada. The 2023-24 season will kick off with an updated social campaign by updating last season’s successful ‘Meet the Pear’ creative, while inspiring consumers with simple ways they can add fresh pears to their everyday dishes. PBNW will also continue to expand online shopping programs at retail with sponsored search, shoppable recipes and other shopper marketing promotions.

“Pears are incredibly versatile and can be used in a wide variety of cooking applications,” said Jim Morris, Marketing Communications Manager. “This season we’re excited to create fun ways to help kids in the kitchen with a new e-book that offers several simple recipes they can prepare on their own.”  The e-book will be available at usapears.org in October. Other special promotions for the season will include our annual celebration of World Pear Day on December 2 and new recipes, including one for World Diabetes Day on November 14, helping to promote pears as a ‘sweet you can eat.’

INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS

The PBNW export team also continues to look for new, innovative ways to reach consumers and to build on the success of the past season with its digital consumer outreach activities in markets around the world.

“Improving shipping conditions should lead to a brighter export outlook for the NW pear industry this season,” said Jeff Correa, International Marketing Director. “Mexico, Canada and Central America will be the key targeted markets and the Pear Bureau has plans to increase its advertising activities and consumer outreach events earlier in the season to get off to a strong start in these markets.”

“A return to in-store sampling in the Mexico market will help complement the added digital programs and advertising activities planned in that market. With shipping transit times returning closer to normal and container costs coming down, PBNW expects the industry to look to move more export volumes to key offshore export markets like Taiwan, UAE, Israel, Colombia and India than they did in the 22/23 season.”

The post Northwest Fresh Pear Industry Announces 2023 Crop Estimate and Promotions appeared first on USA Pears.

Commenting on the results of the referendum vote, Kevin Moffitt, Manager of the Fresh Pear Committee of Marketing Order 927 and President and CEO of Pear Bureau Northwest said, “Federal Marketing Order 927, established in 1939, is the oldest continuously running federal order in the county. We are pleased to gain the continued support and confidence of our grower members. While the votes in favor of continuation have been in the mid to high 90% range in the last four referendums since I assumed the leadership role of the marketing order 22 years ago, this vote, with 99% approval, is the best result in the history of the order.”

The marketing order enables the industry to conduct production and marketing research, and promotional initiatives as well as setting regulations to help ensure the best eating quality for pears, all under USDA’s oversight.

The Fresh Pear Committee, made up of elected pear growers and shippers from all four growing districts, has the authority to set the assessment rates each year that support consumer and pear agricultural research as well as advertising and promotion. The advertising and promotion funds are passed through to the Pear Bureau Northwest who conducts marketing programs to help increase consumption in the US and worldwide.

“The industry has been working together for over 90 years to increase the consumption of fresh pears among consumers around the world. While consumer behaviors and preferences in produce continually change, we strive to keep pears relevant, providing custom category analysis to retailers and capturing consumer attention with innovative and effective promotions and initiatives. It is gratifying to see from the most recent data from the USDA, that per capita pear consumption increased by 25% recently, rising from 2.5 pounds in 2015 to 3 pounds per person in 2021, the latest year available from the USDA.” Moffitt continued.

More about Federal Marketing Order 927:

Authorized by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, marketing orders are industry-driven programs that help producers and handlers achieve marketing success by leveraging their own funds to design and execute programs that they would not be able to do individually.  USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, AMS, provides oversight to fruit, vegetable, and specialty crop marketing orders and agreements, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.

More information about the marketing order regulating the handling of pears grown in Oregon and Washington is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service’s web page.

The post Fresh Pear Continuation Referendum Passes with 99% Approval appeared first on USA Pears.

“Pear growers are in full harvest mode right now, hand picking a new crop of beautiful, tasty pears starting with Bartletts and Starkrimson,” stated Kevin Moffitt, president and CEO of PBNW. “There will be a full range of sizes available, including popular large-sized fruit as well as smaller sizes to fill the popular pouch bags as well as sizes to fulfill export market demand. Our team has been working hard to initiate innovative and effective promotions to get the season off to a good start. Retailers are engaged and optimistic about the pear season, as is our team and the sales organizations we have coordinated with during recent strategy calls.”

Across all regions, harvest started in mid-August for summer varieties like Starkrimson and Bartletts, with growers beginning to pick Bosc, Green and Red Anjou in early- to mid- September. Specialty pears like Comice, Seckel, Forelle and Concorde pears will also be available in September, to provide an exceptional assortment of unique and flavorful pear choices for shoppers.

The organic pear estimate is expected to come in at 1,823,000 million standard boxes equivalents, or 11% of the total projected Northwest crop.

“Our growers and shippers understand that consumers buy with their eyes, but flavor is what bring them back for more. The industry is passionate about providing consumers with the best possible eating experience,” stated Moffitt. “To meet consumer demands for sweet and juicy pears to enjoy one to three days from purchase, the industry continues to expand and promote the conditioning program, which is proven to increase retail sales and enhance the consumer eating experience,” Moffitt continued.

Bob Catinella, PBNW Director of Merchandising added, “As we emerge from pandemic restrictions, the Pear Bureau has been successful with in-person planning meetings with retailers nationwide.”

“The produce industry values personal relationships,” he said. “Some of this was lost the last couple of years, so we are working hard to reconnect and to develop creative programs that continue increasing consumption of the northwest pear crop.”

DOMESTIC PROMOTIONS

Capitalizing on the latest trends and innovations in digital marketing as well as in-store, PBNW is initiating fresh promotions across the U.S. and Canada. The 2022-23 season has kicked off with the launch of a new augmented reality experience, inspiring consumers to simply add pears to their every day meals, a new social campaign designed to continue elevating pears with a fresh perspective, all while leading up to Halloween promotions that include spooky snack boards. PBNW will also continue to expand online shopping programs at retail with banner ads and other shopper marketing promotions.

Updated display bins with bright, attractive graphics will be distributed to retailers across the U.S. These bins feature QR codes, which lead shoppers to short videos introducing the growers of USA Pears and to our online collection of more than 400 recipes.

“Consumers continue to be very interested in knowing where their food comes from and who grows it. These videos bring them right into the beautiful orchards of the Pacific Northwest to meet the growers who take such great care and pride to bring fresh Pears to the marketplace,” said Moffitt.

“While pears are incredibly versatile and can be used in a wide variety of cooking applications, we are focusing on showcasing the simple application of pears to everyday dishes as a way to enhance recipes for any meal,” said Jim Morris, Marketing Communications Manager. Special promotions will include our annual celebration of Pear Pizza during October for National Pizza Month, World Pear Day on December 3rd, and baking and entertaining during the holidays.

INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS

The PBNW export team continues to look for new, innovative ways to reach consumers and to build on the success of the past season with its digital consumer outreach activities in markets around the world.

The Northwest pear industry will rely heavily on key exports markets like Mexico, Canada and the Central American region to once again successfully move the 2022 NW Pear crop. “PBNW has bolstered the promotion budgets in these top export markets to continue to reach consumers in new and innovative ways through digital consumer outreach activities,” said Jeff Correa, International Marketing Director, adding, “As Covid restrictions are lessening in many countries, PBNW will also look to return to more in-person promotion activities, like in-store sampling promotions, which are very effective promotions for encouraging purchase.”

ABOUT PEAR BUREAU NORTHWEST

Pear Bureau Northwest is a non-profit marketing organization established in 1931 to promote the fresh pears grown in Washington and Oregon , home to 84% of the US commercial fresh pear crop. The Bureau represents over 700 grower families and partners with outlets throughout the world in an effort to increase overall success with the pear category. The organization provides marketing and merchandising expertise that is customized specifically for each retail organization, using its pear consumer research findings as well as individual store analysis using an in-house data system that measures pear category performance nationwide and third-party research to show retailers how they perform versus their competition. Retailers who are interested in partnering with Pear Bureau Northwest should contact them at info@usapears.com or 1 (800) 547-4610, as well as visit the retail trade site Trade.USAPears.org or consumer site, USAPears.org

Pear Bureau Northwest prohibits discrimination in all of its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, political beliefs, or disability. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the Pear Bureau at (503) 652-9720.

To file a complaint of discrimination, write the USDA, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 9410, Washington, DC, 20250-9410, or call toll-free at (866) 632-9992 (English) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-8642 (English Federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish Federal-relay).

The post Northwest Fresh Pear Industry Announces 2022 Crop Estimate and Promotions appeared first on USA Pears.

Milwaukie, Ore. (June 14, 2022) – Pear Bureau Northwest (PBNW) is pleased to announce that Bob Catinella has been promoted to Director of Merchandising.

Catinella started at PBNW in 2012 as one of the organization’s five Regional Marketing Managers and has been continually taking on new responsibilities including adding national account responsibility for some of the country’s top retailers and becoming Lead Regional Marketing Manager in 2019. Prior to joining PBNW, Catinella was Manager of Retail Sales for Progressive Gourmet.

“I am really excited to have the opportunity to work even more closely with our team of regional mangers and to continue developing and implementing innovative and compelling initiatives,” says Catinella. “The Pear Bureau has given me an opportunity to grow personally and professionally, and I am truly grateful.”

As more consumers have begun shopping online in the past couple of years, PBNW has rapidly shifted to more digital activities to create truly omni-channel promotions. Catinella has played a key role in the development and execution of these programs.

Kevin Moffitt, President and CEO, says, “Bob is a people person with a strong work ethic. He not only leads by example, he also relates well to people at all levels and brings energy and ideas to the team. I look forward to working with him in his new role as we continue to bring creative ideas and effective solutions to help retailers build their pear categories.”

Bob Catinella earned a BS in Business Management and Computer Science from the University of  Massachusetts, Boston. He resides in Massachusetts, where he enjoys his family and the outdoors.

The post PBNW Promotes Bob Catinella to Director of Merchandising appeared first on USA Pears.

PORTLAND, Ore. – October 7, 2021

Morris brings over 12 years of combined retailer and marketing experience to the Pear Bureau Northwest team. Most recently, Morris created and executed omni-channel marketing programs for key accounts and specialty retailers at Keen Footwear, where he worked as the Retail Marketing Manager for three years. His experience covers many areas in the consumer goods category and he brings a unique perspective on the retail world to Pear Bureau Northwest.

“I’m excited to combine my broad experience in marketing and communications with my passion for studying consumer behavior, especially during a time of such rapid change. I’m also proud to represent an industry that is vital to my adopted home in the Pacific Northwest. I feel very much at home here and am honored to join this team,” said Morris.

Pear Bureau Northwest President and CEO Kevin Moffitt points out that Morris’ cross-section and depth of experience is highly complementary to the organizations commitment to launching innovative promotions and keeping Northwest pears top of mind for consumers. “We are very pleased to have Jim join our team. His experience will allow us to continue progressing as we enter our 90th year and I believe he will be a valuable asset to helping our team push boundaries in our promotions at retail as well as our PR and advertising aimed at increasing consumption of fresh pears across the board.”

Morris earned a B.S. in Technical Journalism, with a minor in Earth Sciences and a specialization in Corporate Communications. He lives in Portland, Ore., where he pursues photography, hiking and cycling throughout the region.

The post Pear Bureau Northwest Welcomes New Marketing Communications Manager appeared first on USA Pears.

PORTLAND, Ore. – September 30, 2021 – Just in time for National Pizza Month, USA Pears is bringing back its pear pizza takeover campaign. Following a successful execution the past two seasons, resulting in greater consumer awareness of pears on pizza, the organization is bringing the campaign back for its third year. The latest iteration of the campaign includes a consumer contest on social media, influencers and bloggers creating and sharing their pear pizza recipes, and major retailers posting pear pizza content for their shoppers.

The natural sweetness and soft texture of pears is a perfect complement to the savory flavors of pizza, and USA Pears is committed to showing consumers across North America how delicious and accessible this combination can be. With many consumers still staying home and looking for simple recipes, and many others venturing out to restaurants, pizza continues to be a popular meal option.

This season’s #pearpizza campaign kicks off October 1 with a consumer social media contest, where entrants are required to share a picture of their own pear pizza creations or their orders at restaurants. The campaign also includes influencers and brand ambassadors sharing pear pizza content on the USA Pears social media channels and retailers promoting the usage of pears as a topping.

“Every year we see more and more consumers and restaurants using pears as a pizza topping in their personal kitchens and on menus. Adding fruit on pizza can still be a hot button issue for many people, but the approachable sweetness of pears, especially the 10 varieties that come from the Northwest, makes them ideal for using in savory dishes such as pizza,” said USA Pears Creative Marketing Manager Neil Ferguson. “The application of pears to the dishes we eat every day can elevate them from simple and basic to flavorful and sophisticated, not to mention adding nutritional value. There are so many delicious flavor possibilities when it comes to using pears as a pizza topping, all of which have the ability to present this classic dish in a new light.”

Though they are sometimes overlooked in savory dishes, pears are a versatile ingredient that can be used in a variety of recipes. The multi-faceted campaign is an effective way to engage consumers with pear content and offer an easy and delicious way to eat more pears and add more healthy produce to their pizza.

The post #PearPizza Campaign Generates Pear Excitement During National Pizza Month appeared first on USA Pears.