The United Fresh Produce Association has hired Mary Coppola as its senior director of marketing communications, effective Nov. 24. Coppola will lead the association’s member communications and marketing functions, filling the position formerly held by Ray Gilmer.

SALINAS, CA — TMD, a marketing and design firm on the Monterey Peninsula, recently won a MARCOM award, the premier arbiter of effective communication and design in the advertising world. TMD received the MARCOM Platinum Award for the creation of D'Arrigo Bros. Co. of California's website, www.andyboy.com, featuring the branded produce arm of D'Arrigo Bros.

“The New York Produce Show has always proven to be a vital source for connecting to our local customers and vendors,” said Donald Souther, sales and marketing executive for both sister companies; Vision Produce Co. and Vision Import Group.

“In this new world of digital communication and social media, the opportunity to connect in person is invaluable.”

The company was founded in 1980 under the name APB INC., doing business as Tavilla Sales Co.

“We are excited to be featuring, for the first time, our ‘Chef Jose Andres four-bulb Heirloom purple Spanish Garlic’ package at our exhibition booth at the New York Produce Show,” said Bruce Klein, director of marketing for Maurice A. Auerbach in Secaucus, NJ. “It is an upscale item with a great flavor profile with which we expect to do very well.”

Avocados from Mexico, the number one selling avocado in the United States, has announced successful results for its Hungry for Football promotion.

The campaign launched Sept. 8, and within the first five weeks had already brought in over 92,000 consumer sweepstakes entries. Additionally, retailers have ordered roughly 9,500 promotional pieces and over 9,000 co-branded bins.

In 2013 fresh produce was permitted to arrive into Florida ports for the first time in several decades under a pilot program agreed to by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It was a great success and today fresh fruits and vegetables are flowing freely from offshore countries.