Supplier Spotlights: Blackhawk Network, Henny Penny & The J.M. Smucker Co.

This recognition highlights the company's commitment to transforming the fresh produce industry through disruptive packaging, product innovation and digital engagement — all while staying rooted in its 110-year legacy of quality and sustainability, Bolthouse said.

Fast Company's annual ranking showcases organizations redefining their industries with bold innovation and strategic growth. The editorial team assessed these organizations' capacity to drive meaningful change, introduce groundbreaking products and influence broader industry trends.

"This honor from Fast Company reflects our team's relentless pursuit of innovation and excellence, from the fields where our carrots are grown to the way they are packaged and enjoyed by consumers," said Timothy Escamilla, CEO of Bolthouse Fresh Foods. "We are constantly pushing the boundaries of what's possible in fresh produce, whether by reinventing snacking and mealtime, making fresh food more dynamic and shoppable, or leading the way in farming and packaging solutions that challenge industry norms."

Bolthouse Fresh is pioneering advancements in packaging sustainability, rolling out the first-of-its-kind TUV-certified compostable packaging in the fresh produce category.

At the consumer level, Bolthouse Fresh is making fresh produce more intuitive and accessible. Its color-coded packaging and clear messaging help shoppers incorporate carrots into different meal occasions, such as juicing in the morning, snacking in the afternoon, cooking at dinner or entertaining on weekends. 

Fiserv Inc.

Fiserv acquired CCV, a payment solutions provider in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. The acquisition enables Fiserv to accelerate the deployment of its Clover platform and operating system across Europe, while providing enhanced capabilities and innovation to an expansive, combined merchant and partner base.

Founded in 1958, CCV is a pioneer in payments, facilitating the first electronic payments in the Netherlands in the 1970s and growing substantially to become a prominent player in the omnichannel payment solutions sector. The acquisition optimizes the existing operational and client support models of both Fiserv and CCV to create a robust omnichannel offer allowing more businesses across Europe to seamlessly accept payments with Fiserv’s suite of products, the companies stated.

"The addition of CCV enables Fiserv to accelerate the deployment of our Clover platform and operating system, providing enhanced capabilities and innovation to our clients across Europe," said Katia Karpova, head of the EMEA region at Fiserv.

GK Software

GK Software, a leading provider of commerce solutions for global retailers, acquired Nomitri GmbH, a deep-tech startup for computer vision. This transaction will expand GK's commerce capabilities with complete out-of-the-box self-checkout and store operations solutions to expand the company's global portfolio of leading retail customers.

Germany-based Nomitri will continue to exist as a wholly owned subsidiary of the GK Software Group. Founders Trinh Le-Fiedler and Max Fiedler will remain in management positions. 

The company had already been part of the GK partner ecosystem for several years. The Nomitri solutions will be presented as a new product suite within GK’s product portfolio under the name GK Vision. 

GK Vision software allows retailers to take a cost-effective, retrofit approach, leveraging existing hardware and linking it directly to the cloud services of GK. The embedded computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities of GK Vision enable age verification as well as fruit and vegetable recognition at a self-checkout kiosk. 

"The acquisition of Nomitri signifies GK's commitment to our purpose of making interactions in retail simple. We can extend GK's range in this strategically important area even more and increase the speed of deployment while reducing costs for our customers," said Matthias Blodig, executive vice president, Ventures and Strategy at GK Software.

Henny Penny

Henny Penny is partnering with Strata GPO, a dealer buying group serving the foodservice industry, to support dealers and operators with top-tier equipment and exceptional distributor service, ensuring even more value for Strata members, the companies stated.

As part of the agreement, Strata dealers will have access to Henny Penny's full lineup of foodservice equipment, such as open and pressure fryers, combi ovens and holding cabinets, along with dedicated support. 

"With Strata's extensive dealer network and our unmatched distributor support, we are confident that this partnership will deliver immense value to foodservice operators across the country," said Jake Bronson, director of sales – Americas at Henny Penny. 

Mini Melts USA

Mini Melts USA's signature frozen novelty treats are now available in nearly 300 Royal Farms convenience store locations across Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

"As Mini Melts continues to grow its presence in the convenience retail space, partnering with a brand like Royal Farms is a natural fit," said Dan Kilcoyne, president and CEO of Mini Melts. "Both of our brands are committed to quality, innovation and delighting customers, and we’re excited to introduce Mini Melts to even more consumers looking for a fun and delicious frozen treat during their daily routines."

Royal Farms locations now include Mini Melts grab-and-go freezers, offering six fan-favorite flavors with a bundled price of two for $7.

"We're always looking for new ways to enhance the Royal Farms experience, and Mini Melts are a fantastic addition to our lineup of grab-and-go treats available year-round," said Eric Price, director of retail operations for Royal Farms. 

Founded in 2004, Mini Melts is one of the fastest-growing ice cream novelties in the U.S., offering a premium beaded ice cream experience made with 14% butterfat for flavor and quality. 

Modernwash

Car wash and retail designers Modernwash introduced new Virtual Walk + Thru software, revolutionizing the design experience for car wash owners. Now, clients can explore their future building in detail via computer or virtual reality headset, ensuring confidence in design choices before construction begins, the company said. 

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The software allows for faster turnaround on architectural sets, improved accuracy in the field, reduced risk of changes during construction and speedier construction, according to Modernwash.

"Having Virtual Walk + Thru as a resource will help to expedite all phases of the construction, especially the frame erection," the company said. "This along with the Modernwash prefabricated bolt-together components will allow the structure to be erected much faster than traditional methods. This reduces the overall time spent on-site, leading to earlier project completion."

NRS Petro

NRS Petro is partnering with point-of-sale (POS) and retail automation solutions provider Fiscal Systems to streamline fuel dispenser integration and improve payment processing, boosting efficiency for gas station operators.

Fiscal Systems' fuel dispensing management system integrates with the NRS Petro POS system to ensure compatibility with major fuel dispensers and payment hardware. This streamlined solution enables gas station owners to modernize their operations cost-effectively, reducing the need for complex and expensive system overhauls. 

"Partnering with NRS Petro allows us to extend our fuel dispensing expertise and deliver comprehensive solutions that enhance operational efficiency while reducing costs for our clients," said James Spahn, executive vice president of Fiscal Systems.

NRS Petro's POS system and Fiscal Systems' fuel dispensing expertise enable gas station owners to manage their entire business from a single platform, the entities said.

"Our partnership with Fiscal Systems ... allows us to offer seamless, secure, and affordable gas station POS technology while continuing to lead the market in affordable EMV upgrade solutions. Direct integration with fuel dispensers makes managing a gas station easier and more efficient," said Elie Y. Katz, founder and CEO of National Retail Solutions.

The J.M. Smucker Co.

The J.M. Smucker Co. is continuing its work to re-energize the iconic Hostess brand, introducing a unique brand platform that is being celebrated with a new marketing campaign. Created in partnership with PSOne, Publicis' Power of One solution for The J.M. Smucker Co., creatively led by BBH USA, the "Speakie Snackie" campaign is designed to bring a fun, playful new voice to the snacking world.

"Speakie Snackie" is a brand platform that turns Hostess treats into a language of their own, making snack time more fluffie, cakie and fun than ever, the company said.

The campaign will launch with animated online videos, social media, radio and a strategic Spotify partnership, engaging snack lovers where they already are. Big cultural activations will extend the campaign throughout the year.

The campaign embraces witty, irreverent, snackable content that stops people in their tracks — whether on billboards, social, in-store or digital platforms — while showcasing the Hostess lineup, including Twinkies, Ding Dongs, HoHos and more, according to Hostess.

SPINS

SPINS, a leading provider of data and intelligence for the natural products industry, has partnered with retail intelligence and commerce technology platform Stackline to equip brands with an integrated view of online and in-store market measurement. The move delivers a more comprehensive view of product and attribute performance, driving smarter decisions and strategic growth in today's dynamic marketplace. 

Over the past five years, grocery shopping has rapidly become an omnichannel activity; shoppers increasingly purchase both online and in-store for a variety of categories. This behavior has raised the bar for measuring performance and assessing opportunity, and has made a consolidated view both increasingly complex and increasingly mandatory. Brands selling across multiple channels often face critical blind spots, particularly on platforms like Amazon where competitive benchmarking, product hierarchy and attribution data are frequently fragmented, inconsistent or incomplete, the companies pointed out. The SPINS-Stackline partnership is designed to eliminate these gaps, providing brands with a unified, omnichannel perspective to confidently navigate the changing retail landscape. 

"For many brands, ecommerce is an increasingly essential channel, but it comes with numerous complexities," said Jay Margolis, CEO of SPINS. "SPINS' partnership with Stackline strengthens our commitment to provide the most comprehensive, actionable insights to brands about their portfolio. Together, we can help understand and optimize performance and drive growth across every channel."