Sunday, March 26, 2000
TIPSHEET
Top banana leaves Chiquita
The head of the North American division of Chiquita Brands International Inc. left the company last month, before Chiquita unveiled a corporate reorganization at its downtown Cincinnati headquarters.
Benjamin Paz was president of Chiquita's North American operations. He reported to Robert Kistinger, head of the company's banana unit.
Mr. Kistinger will be head of the new Chiquita Fresh division that handles all fresh produce.
Another departure from the corporate ranks was Anthony Battaglia, formerly president of the processed food group. He will stay with Chiquita for several months to help explore opportunities in electronic commerce.
One of Chiquita's main competitors in Europe, Fyffes plc, already has funded a venture called world
offruit.com. Launched in September 1999, the Internet company has started two trading products to help business-to-business fresh-fruit trading globally.
Fyffes was an original backer of the Internet company, which now is looking for venture capital to expand.
— Cliff Peale
Unions seek closer ties
Mimicking General Electric's own global business strategy, the unions representing GE workers are also taking a world view.
More than 100 members of unions representing GE workers in 20 countries met for the first time last week in Washington, D.C. The goal: to support the Coordinated Bargaining Committee (CBC), representing GE's U.S. unions including those at Evendale's GE Aircraft Engines. The CBC, representing 40,000 workers, launches contract talks in May aimed at the June 25 contract expiration.
Countering what they say has been GE's practice of pitting unions in one country against those in another, the unions said they plan to share information and coordinate their efforts.
“Solidarity and close communication are essential if GE unions are to meet the challenge of GE's globalization strategy,” said Marcello Malentacchi, general secretary of the International Metalworkers' Federation.
With GE's worldwide unions talking, is worldwide bargaining a possibility someday?
Ed Fire, CBC chairman, thinks so.
Noting it took years and a court case to get GE to agree to coordinated bargaining in the United States, he said, “I don't believe it's an insurmountable problem. Hopefully in our lifetimes we see that happen.” — Mike Boyer
Meijer gets U-Scans
When Kroger Co. signed a contract with a Canadian firm to install hundreds of self-checkout systems, it was buying a way to improve service. But it didn't get market exclusivity.
Meijer stores also have been installing the same U-Scan checkout systems in their stores in Greater Cincinnati. Meijer signed a deal to install 100 to 150 U-Scan systems with maker Optimal Robotics in January, but has been putting the system in area stores since last year.
By week's end, Meijer in Fairfield is to unveil four express-lane U-Scan systems. Stores in Tylersville and Fields-Ertel already have U-Scans.
The selling point of these systems is they allow shoppers to check out and get out faster, because users ring up, bag and pay for their own groceries. Also, U-Scans can take the place of a worker. — Lisa Biank Fasig
Schools tops on list
In a never-ending quest for clients, American Express this month offered its first “Voices from Main Street” poll — no matter that precious few towns even have a viable Main Street anymore, companies having long since left for a suburban strip center.
That was no impediment for the folks at American Express Small Business Services, though, which surveyed 1,100 small businesses on issues important to them.
Improving schools topped the list at 82 percent — followed by affordable health care for employees at 77 percent. Third on the list came in at 76 percent, and there was no surprise about the topic either: “Affordable health care for business owners.” — John Eckberg
Items for Tipsheet are gathered by Enquirer business reporters and compiled by Lisa Biank Fasig of the business staff.
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