Complejo Beta, a grower of Peruvian grapes, and Alpine Fresh Inc., a packer-shipper-distributor of grapes, made history Dec. 2 for importing the first shipment of Peruvian grapes through the Port of Miami.

Purfresh Inc., an innovator of the perishable supply chain, announced the return of John Harnett as senior sales director.

Harnett brings over 29 years of experience in international transportation business with a focus on refrigerated container movements. "John is ideally suited in his role of expanding our account base within a varied group of transport providers from ocean carriers, ports, terminals, logistics providers and growers," the company said in a press release.

Matt Curry, president of Curry & Co., said industry feedback regarding the company’s year-round onion program has been outstanding. “We received a lot of positive comments about our onion programs during this year’s Fresh Summit,” he told The Produce News. “We introduced our Curry & Co. onion and sweet onion boxes this past year, and we’ve had a very favorable response to them.

Demand for onions is high going into the holidays and new year, and Sweet Clover Produce Sales Manager Bill (Sweet Willie) Brownfield said his Walla Walla, WA-based sales office was seeing brisk movement in its Red Wing reds as well as its yellow hybrid and sweet onions.

Bartolotta opened its Glassboro, NJ, facility in October 2012. “I am very pleased with how that operation is going, primarily because my manager there, Damon Twomey, is highly motivated,” Kevin Bartolotta, president of Bartolotta Inc. in Torrington, CT, told The Produce News.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture initial forecast for the Florida citrus season shows yet another in a series of declining annual production totals due to the effects of Huanglongbing, or citrus greening disease. But the Sunshine State’s industry overall remains strong with 532,000 acres in production, representing 65 percent of the U.S. citrus crop at an annual value of some $9 billion.