The fresh produce industry is mourning the loss of Jerre Paxton, owner and president of Kwik Lok Corp., who died from an apparent heart attack Jan. 25 in Seattle, where he had gone to attend simulcast racing at Emerald Downs. He was 76.

Mr. Paxton assumed leadership of Kwik Lok, headquartered in Yakima, WA, in 1968 following the retirement of his father, Floyd. The company is an innovator in the field of bag closures, and the locks are easily visible in fresh produce departments today.

California avocado season is getting under way, and the California Avocado Commission has updated its production forecast to 327 million pounds for its fiscal year 2014-15. CAC also announced that Timothy Spann has returned to the commission staff and now serves as research program director.

Each year a variety of awards are presented at the Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition in Fort Lauderdale, FL. According to the Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association, the show’s producers, a judging committee walked the floor on the first day of the show and chose the outstanding booths from among the exhibitors.

The 2015 Best of the Show booth was awarded to United Nursery in Homestead, FL, and the Most Unusual Plant Specimen Award was given to Deroose Plants in Apopka, FL, for its bromeliad Vriesea “Naomi.”

As we begin 2015, one of the food top trends reported by the National Restaurant Federation is sustainability, and this will certainly affect the grocery aisle. So how does this make its way to the floral department? Waste reduction, sustainability and social responsibility are all terms that are considered throughout store operations and important to consumers when making purchases.

According to Dan Fisher at Fitz Design, a distributor of floral jewelry and accessories, florists can significantly increase their prom sales if they start going after it in February, as stated in a news release. He suggested that floral departments take the following steps this month.

• Find out prom dates for schools in your area and who serves on the committees in charge.

• Contact administrators and prom committee members at each school and ask if you can sell on-site.

Unless you’ve lived under a rock for the last decade, you know that prom is not what it used to be. Long gone are the days of the simple corsage worn to a dance held in the high school gym. Today’s teens spend months preparing for the big night, and for some, it is one of the most major events in their young lives. Are you and your store prepared to help them celebrate in style?