Supply Chain Analysis for Grower-Based Distributors: Feasibility of Bagged Frozen Produce for Sale in Grocery Chain Retailers

Team: Ambica Pilli, Bhavna Narang, Dinesh Gopalakrishnan, Phil Sloate/Fall 2014

There is a great deal of interest by grower-based distributors in utilizing excess local product to freeze and bag. The issue is whether or not the operation would be economically feasible. The student team conducted a consumer web-survey to measure potential consumer demand, interviewed store managers at three grocery retail chains, and conducted a profitability analysis for investment and operation of a freezing/bagging operation at two different grower-based distributors in North Carolina: Feast Down East, and Pilot Mountain Pride.

Pilot Mountain Pride Cost Analysis; Feast Down East Cost Analysis (costs/return analysis spreadsheets)

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