Steve Circle, sales director at Sunrise Growers Inc. in Placentia, CA, will be leaving Sunrise and joining Main Street Produce Inc. in Santa Maria as director of strawberry marketing and sales. "He is going to work here starting in February," Main Street's President Paul Allen told The Produce News.

Two new lettuce varieties from Mann Packing Co. — Scarlett Butter and Honey Gems — are selling well and were served in the hospitality suites at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, during the Super Bowl.

Alvaro Luque, who was previously vice president of marketing of Mission Foods, has been named president of Avocados From Mexico, the industry organization responsible for promoting Mexican avocados within the United States.

Avocados From Mexico was formed last year as the combined marketing arm of two Mexican avocado organizations — MHAIA and APEAM. MAHIA is the organization representing U.S. importers of Mexican avocados while APEAM represents growers of Mexican avocados.

The North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services will unveil a new retail promotion across the state in February in honor of Sweet Potato Month.

The promotion, 52 Ways to Love Sweet Potatoes, will highlight the versatility and nutritional benefits of sweet potatoes. Components of the program include in-store displays, a branded website and a social media contest for consumers.

The promotion will take place in February at 155 Lowes Foods, Piggly Wiggly and Ingles stores in North Carolina.

Anna Weiss and Charlotte Cutler of Race-West Co.European Flavors, which supports promotional efforts for European produce in other countries, offered the first sampling of the newly introdu

Employees at Crunch Pak showed their support for their favorite team when the entire company of more than 500 staff donned 12th Man t-shirts.