NEW BRIGHTON, MN — H. Brooks & Co. LLC is continuing a focus on food safety and innovation. “It is a continuation of what we do,” said Phillip Brooks, chief executive officer of the firm, based here. “Our emphasis is how to help people who work with us through the supply chain to sell more products that are healthy, taste great and are food-safe.” Brooks said these three factors are all critical points of emphasis for his firm.

“Beans is all we do” had almost become something of a slogan for JMB Distributing Inc. in Nogales, AZ, which for a number of years had done nothing else.

This fall and winter, however, JMB has diversified just a bit, adding some soft squash to the program, according to President Harry Spragia.

The bean deal this year is “exactly the same” as it has been, Spragia said. “The warehouse is the same. All the personnel are the same. We’ve been doing this for 47 years” and have had the same grower for 18 years.

Big Chuy Distributors & Sons Inc. in Nogales, AZ, is in the watermelon business 12 months out of the year. Jesus (Chuy) Lopez Jr., president of Big Chuy Distributors, said the company prides itself on being able to assure customers of constant availability of product, in addition to a strong focus on quality and service.

“Our customers can know that day to day we have watermelons for them, year-round,” he said.

The melons are packed mainly under the company’s “Chuy’s Pride” label. They consist primarily of seedless melons and some mini melons.

Malena Produce Inc. in Nogales, AZ, has added some new items to its diverse lineup of Mexican grown produce items for the 2013-14 season, according to Gonzalo Avila, chief executive officer. The new items are sweet corn and European cucumbers.

Malena specializes in eggplant, bell peppers, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, pickles, chili peppers, grapes and melons. The company is perhaps best known for its eggplant and has been a leading supplier of eggplant in North America since the 1950s.

Javier (J.J.) Badillo, who was previously director of diversified products for Santa Paula, CA-based Calavo Growers Inc. and ran that company’s Nogales operations, has joined Delta Fresh Sales LLC in Nogales as general manager.

Prior to his involvement with Calavo, Badillo had been a partner in Maui Fresh International. He came into the Calavo organization with the acquisition by Calavo of Maui Fresh International in 2003.

The Nogales, AZ, division of The Giumarra Cos., which markets an assortment of Mexico-grown fruits and vegetables under the “Nature’s Partner” brand and various other labels, will have production increases on essentially all products for the 2013-14 season, according to Gill Muguia, division manager.

“Our acreage is up overall on pretty much all items,” Munguia said Nov. 18. That includes conventional, organic and Fair Trade certified products.

“We have expanded our organic line, and we have also increased our Fair Trade fruit and vegetable offerings,” Munguia said.