On-Ground Services
RJO provides value today in two ways - established on-ground representation and through comprehensive sales/marketing services.
On-Ground Services - RJO acts as our retail customer's agent in the field with the promise to provide them with the best information to get the best products at the best price. RJO inspectors (RJO Bird Dogs) are their eyes and ears, enforcing their quality standards, protecting their interests; their brand…helping them compete more effectively. Our clients rest assured and trust that we are always looking out for their best interest.
In order to deliver on our promise and keep this trust, we invest heavily in a key component of our services, inspection. RJO Bird Dog inspectors play a critical role in helping RJO deliver value. They do this in two ways:
1. They enhance the information we receive from suppliers with on the spot, objective, professional product assessments, complete with quality specifications, sensory data, and high-resolution digital images of product in the box.
2. They work closest with our suppliers to ensure that the product they inspect is the product the customer receives.
Because it’s impossible to deliver on our promise without the support of our suppliers, RJO works hard to build strong relationships with them through honest, open and fair business practices.
RJO Bird Dog App
The Bird Dog App™ is an extension of RJO’s highly acclaimed Bird Dog Inspection Program and is able to instantly track crop quality in the field. It allows RJO Bird Dog inspectors to photograph, collect, and instantly classify the quality of any fresh produce they are inspecting. The system allows the Bird Dog™ to input a broad range of quality characteristics for each commodity and variety; from size, color and solidity to brix and overall appearance.
An extension of the App is the ability to track product quality today and over time via the Bird Dog Quality™ Scoring System (BDQ™) where each characteristic is instantly coded and assigned a BDQ™ Score.
Product scoring algorithms have been reviewed and modified to allow adjustments based on customer specific quality specifications. BDQ™ scores reflect the key attributes determined by the customer to measure their desired quality against the market and over time.
Comprehensive Sales & Marketing Services
RJO has invested in tools, training and technology to help customers understand their business from the consumer’s perspective through smart category management and strategic brand development. We believe the industry will someday accelerate their move to this new model. RJO not only intends to lead this movement, but to re-define it in a way that adds greater value for RJO and our customers. This is just one of our key strategies.
RJO is a service company. Customers are the people we serve, not just those paying us. As such we classify our customers as both, retailers and suppliers. We understand category management from both perspectives, use real time data, and work hard to achieve and exceed our customer’s sales objectives. Simply stated, if our customers aren’t successful we aren’t successful. We drive for the quality solution to each customer’s issues as if they were our own. It’s the only way we know how to do business.
RJO Fresh Pics
The “RJO Fresh Pics™” program leverages QR code technology to promote the retailer’s brand.
Retailers customize their consumer messaging to include nutritional information, recipes and growing region information. RJO’s Fresh Pics™ field based teams shoot customized video shorts that take customers from the produce department direct to the fields where their selected produce is grown and harvested using their smart phone.
These video shorts are hosted by highly trained and personable RJO Bird Dog Inspectors who introduce customers to the growing region, reinforce freshness, nutritional and quality attributes.
Additionally they suggest unique uses for the specific variety and reinforce the consumer purchase decision. The RJO Fresh Pics™ program brings a unified QR code format across all categories in the produce department and updates material weekly.
Logistics
RJO has strategically aligned with Fisher Brothers Logistics to ensure our clients have the best possible transportation service and rates available. FBL has staff on-site within the RJO headquarters building.
Fisher Brothers Logistics (FBL) is well known and respected in the produce transportation industry. Their knowledge and experience in the warehousing and logistics sector has provided them a unique understanding of the importance of moving sensitive freight. As a leader in produce transportation, they know the importance of timely communication. A Fisher Brothers Logistics customer rests easy – receiving frequent updates via email and phone - with knowledge of where their freight is every step of the way. Dispatchers are available 24/7 to handle all freight inquires and last minute requests.
FBL has expanded its offerings outside of the produce industry as well, to include frozen product, permitted loads, flatbed loads and general merchandise shipping to the lower 48 states and Canada. The company operates in unison with their sister company Fisher Brothers Trucking - their asset based fleet, comprised of refrigerated, dry and flatbed trailers shipping any product, at any temperature, nationwide.
RJO Bird Dog Internship Program
The RJO Bird Dog Program is a one-of-a-kind internship program created by RJO - and partnering with CSUF and other universities – allowing Ag science and produce industry majors a real-life experience not found in the classroom. Aside from helping to educate the future of our industry, the program provides critically important quality control by inspecting products prior to shipment to RJO clients throughout the United States.
Bird Dogs provide an independent assessment of market conditions and act as our clients eyes and ears in the field - thoroughly understanding our customers category goals and ensuring their strategic goals are being met.
RJO field offices services add to the Bird Dog’s offering by supplying retail quality audits and price checks in support of the entire Produce Team.
RJO works with various universities to provide real life experience in the agriculture and food industries. Seasonal, full
time, and part time internships are available at various times of the year in various locations. There are field inspection internships as well as retail support internships. In both cases, students have the ability to work directly with growers in the field or in the corporate produce department of retail grocers. Along with the invaluable experience, most students also receive course credits. It is RJO’s vision to train tomorrow’s leaders with the core values and instill a culture that will lead them not only to a successful profession, but rewarding life.
