Four stories aggregated from around the web in this month’s E’ville Biz digest. Clif Bar has appointed a new CEO to help their anticipated next stage of growth. Zymergen was recently tapped by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and UCSF to help develop a next-generation COVID-19 testing kit.
Grocery Outlet reported a 25% jump in sales in the first quarter compared to a year ago and appears to be among the companies benefitting from the ongoing shelter orders. Perfect Day, who develop animal-free dairy protein products, debuted their highly-anticipated $20 pint of vegan “ice cream.”
Coronavirus: East Bay biotech company uses robots to help develop COVID-19 test kits
By David Louie
The Bay Area’s reputation as a biotech research hub is proving to be a valuable asset to ramp up novel coronavirus testing. An East Bay laboratory has stepped in to help.
Robots are being used for surgery, guided by human hands. They’re also adept at doing repetitive chores. That’s how the company Zymergen is using them to develop a better COVID-19 test kit.
Read More on ABC7News.com →
COVID-19 gave Grocery Outlet a big first quarter boost
By Douglas Fruehling
Grocery Outlet Holding Corp., the Emeryville supermarket company that went public last June, saw a 25% jump in sales in the first quarter compared to a year ago, according to preliminary results released Monday. It can thank the COVID-19 pandemic.
Same-store sales, the metric most used in comparing retail sales, jumped 17% in the period, the company said, citing “pantry loading” as consumers stocked up on food and other items as many jurisdictions issued shelter-in-place orders in March.
Read More on SF Business Times →
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You can now try Perfect Day’s high-tech, cow-free ice cream in Bay Area
By Janelle Bitker
Emeryville food tech company Perfect Day made national headlines last year when it debuted ice cream made with real dairy proteins but no cows.
The company quickly sold out of 1,000 orders — at $20 per pint — online, drawing in consumers who want the flavor and texture of real ice cream without the ethical and environmental consequences of using dairy cows. Unlike most vegan ice creams, Perfect Day’s frozen dessert doesn’t carry a nutty or coconut aftertaste — that’s because it’s actually dairy, though it’s engineered to be lactose-free.
Read More on SFChronicle.com →
Clif Bar Names Sally Grimes Chief Executive Officer
Clif Bar & Company today announced that Sally Grimes has been named the company’s new Chief Executive Officer, effective June 1, 2020. Grimes joins Clif Bar at a pivotal time as the long-time category leader is poised for the next stage of growth. As CEO, Grimes will apply her 25-years of experience as a food industry leader to Clif’s purpose-driven “Five Aspiration” business model, focusing on sustaining People, Community, Planet, Brands and Business. With the appointment of Grimes, Clif Bar founder, owners and current co-CEOs Gary Erickson and Kit Crawford will remain on the company’s Board of Directors.
Read the full release on ClifBar.com →
What a horrible picture of her. I’ve seen many photos of her and none are this bad. Have you ever seen a face that orange before? I mean, beside the president’s. The amount of foundation makes that the definition of a “pancake face”