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Keurig Announces 9% Price Increase ▶ Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. (Keurig) announced a price increase of up to 9 percent on all portion packs sold by Keurig for use in its Keurig ® brewing systems and on all its traditional bagged, fractional packs and bulk coffee products. This price increase will be effective beginning Nov. 3, 2014. The price increase is in direct response to several factors affecting the cost environment in the coffee and consumer packaged goods industries, including a sustained increase in the price of green coffee and cocoa, along with increases in packaging materials, energy, and transportation costs. Over the past year, green coffee prices, alone, have increased approximately ffty-fve percent. USG Announces Membership Seminars ▶ Unifed Strategies Group (USG) is announcing mem- bership seminars to assist the co-op members to better utilize the Web-based tools being developed by USG and to introduce the many new supplier programs initiated during 2014. USG member- ship seminars have been scheduled for Oct. 2 in Myr- tle Beach, SC, in conjunction with the ACE Convention and Nov. 11 in Dallas, TX, in conjunction with the NAMA CoffeeTea&Water; show. NAMA Releases Its 2014 Annual Operating Ratio Report ▶ NAMA announced the release of the association's Operating Ratio Report for 2014. The report's variable data includes metrics for typical and high-performing companies, including sales per employee, costs of goods and services, operating expenses, inventory turnover and accounts receivable. The 2014 Operating Ratio Report provides key insights on high-proft companies and how they operate. Hav-A-Cup Coffee Service Celebrates 34 Years In Business ▶ Hav-A-Cup Coffee Service, locally-owned and family-run, is celebrating 34 years in business. The business provides coffee and breakroom supply delivery service to companies and offces in the Asheville, Charlotte, Winston-Salem and Hickory areas in North Carolina. Hav-A-Cup credits their success to dedication to service and family values. Red Bull To Pay $13 Million To Settle Lawsuit ▶ Red Bull GmbH has agreed to pay more than $13 million to settle a New York federal court proposed class-action lawsuit for alleged false advertising, according to Law360. The energy drink company agreed to a settlement that would provide consumers the option of a $10 cash reimbursement or two complimentary Red Bull products with a retail value of $15. People in the News Mondelez International Appoints New Chief Growth Offcer Mondelez International named Mark Clouse as chief growth offcer. In this newly created position, Clouse will be accountable for all of the key areas of the company's growth strategy, and will oversee the teams responsible for corporate strategy, global categories, global marketing, global sales, and research, develop- ment and quality. Michigan State Rep. Dan Lauwers Visits All Star Services Jeffery Smith, All Star Services CEO, hosted Michigan State Representative Dan Lauwers, R-Brockway Township, for a site visit on Aug. 19. Rep. Lauwers met with All Star Services staff, along with Michigan Distributors & Vendors Association (MDVA) President Polly Reber and Gov- ernmental Consultants Lobbyist Steve Young. Vianey Anguiano Joins Dole Packaged Foods, LLC Dole Packaged Foods, LLC. announced Vianey Anguiano has joined the Dole Foodservice team as Western regional sales manager. Anguiano will be working closely with brokers, distributors and operators, develop- ing strategic partnerships and providing targeted, high impact fruit solution programs for the com- pany's customers. Dan Cox To Give CTW Opening Keynote Dan Cox, owner and president of Coffee Enterprises, will be the opening keynote speaker at the NAMA CoffeeTea&Water; (CTW) show on Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 4:00 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Dallas. Server Products Promotes John Rayburn Server Products has promoted John Rayburn to director of engineering and product development. Rayburn has been with Server Products for 10 years, most recently as director of product development, and has spent 28 years in the industry, holding various operations management positions at restaurant chains. Clouse Lauwers Anguiano Cox Rayburn September 2014 VendingMarketWatch.com Automatic Merchandiser 11 T O P N E W S