Transportation continues to be an ever-increasing expense across all segments of the floral industry. Prime Inc., headquartered in Springfield, MO, and one of North America’s busier trucking companies for over 40 years, services the floral supply chain by transporting fresh cut flowers and plants nationwide in temperature-controlled vehicles and considers productivity to be a key issue.

As kids head back to school this month, many will be singing “The wheels on the bus go round and round,” but for most of the floral industry the song is really “The wheels on the truck go round and round.” With transportation comprising a major component of cost of goods across all sectors of the industry, this month’s Floral Marketing section examines transportation from several different perspectives.

The Quebec Produce Marketing Association held its 67th annual convention in scenic Charlevoix, QC, at the Fairmont Manoir Richelieu Aug. 21-24. Under the umbrella theme “People at the Heart of the Industry,” more than 500 guests attended the banquet, and attendees enjoyed unique networking events, business sessions, meetings and motivational speeches. The 2013-14 QPMA president, Marie Gosselin of Les Serres du St-Laurent (Savoura), and her husband, Marc Boutet, along with Convention Chair Enrico Charest of Sobeys Quebec Inc.

GloriAnn Farms announce the return of its “Corn for the Cause” campaign for the third consecutive year. In each of the past two years, the campaign has raised almost $20,000 for the National Breast Cancer Foundation Inc. Taking place the entire month of October, for every case of corn sold to participating retailers, GloriAnn Farms will make a donation to NBCF.

Allegiance Retail Services LLC announced the expansion of its supermarket base with the Sept. 5 grand opening of two new supermarkets.

Allegiance's newest members are Miguel Garcia, who celebrated the grand opening of Big Deal Food Markets in the Bronx, NY, and David Rosa, who along with Garcia celebrated the grand opening of Orchard Fine Foods in Forest Hills, NY. Both will cater to the specific customer base situated within their current markets.

CENTER, CO — Despite not shipping into the interior of Mexico, Skyline Potato Co. continues to see brisk movement with its customers within the 26 kilometers that remain open for potatoes from the United States.

Skyline General Manager Les Alderete told The Produce News in mid-August, “Mexico is still a good market, and we’re shipping mostly conventional russets to buyers there.”

As Skyline prepared for the 2014 crop to come in the first week of September, the industry veteran said all signs point to good quality and increased volume.