J&C Tropicals has hired Tom Coufal to lead its sales and business development division. He will report directly to Adrian Capote, vice president of sales and revenue for J&C Tropicals.

Mission Produce Inc. has a twofold approach to maintain supply reliability and quality amid the Mexican avocado crop transition: 1) leverage its owned Peruvian supply to complement Mexican size availability, and 2) lean into its mastery in the art of ripening to expertly ripen fruit at various maturity levels.

It was in 1887 that Peter Sambrailo came to California from Croatia to try his luck at mining gold at Angel Camp in “Gold County.” Though that was one of the richest gold mining regions, Sambrailo was not very successful. Instead, he moved to Watsonville, which had a significant Croatian population, and got into the fruit business.

1-800-FLOWERS.COM Inc., a leading provider of gifts designed to help inspire customers to give more, connect more, and build more and better relationships, announced CEO Christopher McCann stepped down on July 3 for personal health reasons. To ensure continuity going forward, Jim McCann resumed his role as CEO and remained as a chairperson.

In December, veteran produce expert Adrian Paco came aboard The Salad Farm as its new president. The family-owned operation is based in Salinas, CA and is committed to growing, processing and selling the best quality tender leaf greens. 

Paco has had a wealth of experience in the industry, working for Earthbound Farm, Taylor Farms and Fresh Express over a more than 25-year career. Now, he’s at the helm of a company making a big impact on both the organic and conventional markets. 

Sensegen, the pioneering biotechnology-based solution provider in taste, smell and beauty, has launched its highly anticipated Exotic Flavors collection.

Sensegen has created a range of captivating flavors for food and beverages. The collection features six unique exotic true-to-fruit flavors: lychee, guava, papaya, yuzu, dragon fruit and violet.