Strategic Sourcing International, parent company to PRO*ACT and PRO*FRESH, named Robert Rossi as the new managing director of PRO*FRESH Sourcing. He will lead the efforts to expand PRO*FRESH into warehouse consolidation, product merchandising and product sourcing solutions.

Fruit World has embraced a delayed start to stone fruit season to ensure ideal ripening and fruit quality, now shipping the ripest early cherry varieties — Hazel and Royal Lynn — with the Coral variety soon to follow.

I was shopping at the grocery store and wanted some grapes. Not seeing any, I remembered the decreased supplies. So I asked my friendly produce manager if he had any. He told me there were none available and that I probably already knew that. He was correct, but I just wanted to confirm that the stores were unable to get supplies. I checked three other stores and there were no grapes in those produce departments either.

FreshEdge acquired Panama Banana, a wholesaler and distributor of fine produce in the Chicago International Produce Market. For nearly a century, Panama has built a solid reputation as one of Chicago’s leading distributors of produce.

Panama is housed in a state-of-the-art facility that offers ripening rooms, cold coolers, climate-controlled docks, produce packaging and repacking, and logistical support.

Following its annual strategic planning meeting in January 2023, which featured industry leaders, government officials, and retail influencers, Measure to Improve identified several initiatives for the company to achieve in 2023. To date, MTI has achieved B Corporation Certification, completed an industrywide pilot program and is now rolling out a suite of services developed to help companies achieve their sustainability goals. 

Consumers are in for a dose of happiness with the National Watermelon Promotions Board’s new campaign soon to launch called the Slice of Happy Project, according to Stephanie Barlow, senior director of communications for the NWPB.