Blue Book Partners with Lockton to Bring Employee Benefits Strategy to the Fresh Food Industry

CHICAGO — October 23, 2026 — Blue Book, the most trusted name in fresh food since 1901, today announced a partnership with Lockton, one of the world’s leading employee benefits consultancies, to give its member companies access to benefits strategy work that has largely been out of reach for businesses their size.

Health plan costs have climbed for several years running, and for most produce companies the annual response is a negotiation with whichever carrier is already in place.

The partnership gives Blue Book members a different starting point: Lockton’s benefits consultants, working on plan design, funding strategy, pharmacy spend, claims data and compliance, which is the work that sets what a plan costs the following year.

“Every cost line our members carry has moved the wrong way, from freight and labor to what it takes to finance a receivable,” said Jeff Cartwright, Chief Growth Officer at Blue Book. “Health benefits are one of the heaviest of those lines, and most companies in this industry are handling it alone with whatever broker they inherited. Lockton does the upstream work that actually changes the number, and now our members can get to it through a company they already know.”

“We routinely meet middle-market employers that have spent years operating under fully insured arrangements without ever taking a comprehensive look at how their health plan is funded or what is driving pharmacy costs,” said Joe Lacher, Senior Vice President at Lockton.

“For family-owned businesses in particular, every dollar matters, yet many lack the visibility needed to identify opportunities for meaningful savings and improved outcomes. Blue Book’s deep relationships with their operators create an important opportunity to bring greater transparency, data-driven decision making, and long-term sustainability to employee benefits programs.”

Blue Book members with at least 100 benefits-eligible employees can request a complimentary, no-obligation strategy review with Lockton’s team.

The two companies will also host a webinar, “Healthcare Costs Are Rising. Here’s What Employers Can Do,” on Thursday, November 19 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern.

Full details are at bluebookservices.com/lockton-employee-benefits.