Ballantine Produce's RFID Vision Bears Fruit With Manhattan Associates

Manhattan Associates®, Inc. (Nasdaq: MANH), the global leader in providing supply chain execution and optimization solutions, has teamed with Ballantine Produce Company, one of the largest, most respected companies producing and marketing tree fruit and grapes, to help it become among the first in its industry to meet the RFID compliance mandates of its retail customers. Ballantine purchased Manhattan Associates' Integration Platform for RFID and its Warehouse Management solution in order to better track the movement of goods throughout the company's supply chain with RFID.

In an industry where daily and even hourly variations in temperature can affect a product's shelf life, Ballantine anticipates that RFID will revolutionize the tracking of its produce movement. By deploying Manhattan Associates' RFID-enabled supply chain execution and optimization solutions, Ballantine aims to realize increased order accuracy and inventory visibility and to reduce operational costs supporting its goal to always deliver the highest quality produce to its customers. With a plan of action already in place, the large produce supplier has been able to volunteer to meet its retail customers' RFID compliance initiatives.

"We were searching for the best partner, one who had experience in our industry and a track record for successfully leveraging RFID technology within supply chains," commented David Silva, director of IT at Ballantine. "Manhattan Associates has a solid reputation in the RFID marketplace and is the world leader in warehouse management. By leveraging a single integrated source for our RFID and warehouse management requirements, we will be well positioned to meet and exceed our customers? demands."

Manhattan Associates' Warehouse Management solution provides extensive supply chain execution functionality for Ballantine's distribution center and will seamlessly integrate with Manhattan Associates' Integration Platform for RFID to track Ballantine's produce throughout the supply chain. The solution will support code date rotation, track date ranges, such as First In First Out (FIFO), of produce and integrate with Ballantine's order management system to process orders and allocate shipments.

"Ballantine is an innovator in its industry. It understood that an automated, integrated supply chain plays an essential role in executing on its commitment to quality," said Jeff Mitchell, Manhattan Associates' executive vice president, Americas. "Ballantine is the first company in the fruit wholesale business to have a significant plan and process in place to implement and benefit from RFID. The company's commitment to go the extra mile underscores its reputation as a leader in its market."

About Ballantine Produce, Co.
For more than 50 years Ballantine Produce has provided the produce industry with quality treefruit and grapes. With the motto "Service First," Ballantine has grown into one of the largest, most respected companies producing and marketing tree fruit and grapes in California and beyond. This longevity and continued growth is due to constant attention to the science and art of farming, the demands of customers, disciplined management practices and an eagerness to stay abreast of the trends affecting all aspects of the produce business. Established in 1943 as a partnership between a grower, a marketer and a wholesaler, Ballantine Produce was designed to meet the overwhelming demand for fresh produce at the end of World War II. Ballantine has progressed from its first year production of 50,000 cartons to a distribution of over six million packages, representing over 200 varieties of plums, peaches, nectarines, white flesh, apricots, grapes, Asian pears, quince, pomegranates, persimmons, and apples.

About Manhattan Associates, Inc.
Manhattan Associates, Inc., is the global leader in providing supply chain execution and optimization solutions. It enables operational excellence through its warehouse, transportation, distributed order management, reverse logistics and trading partner management applications, as well as its RFID, performance management and event management capabilities. These Integrated Logistics Solutions leverage state-of-the-art technologies, innovative practices and our domain expertise to enhance performance, profitability and competitive advantage. Manhattan Associates has licensed more than 900 customers representing more than 1,600 facilities worldwide, which include some of the world's leading manufacturers, distributors and retailers. For more information about Manhattan Associates, visit www.manh.com.