Growers Express debuted its newest leaf lettuce category offering -- living butter lettuce -- under the "Green Giant Fresh" brand.

Living butter lettuce is known for its consistent quality and attached roots, giving it significantly longer shelf life than other fully harvested lettuces.

Locus Traxx Worldwide, a leader in continuous monitoring and real-time reporting assuring the delivery of safe and secure fresh food, introduced a revolutionary new device, the SmartTraxx go.

The Oppenheimer Group announced the hire of CAROLYN CHANG and the promotion of NICOLE LAPINS on Oct. 16.

Chang, based in Los Angeles, joined Oppy in mid-September. She first began working in the produce industry in 1990, when she spent a decade as a produce buyer for Safeway, Inc. in Honolulu, HI and later in Watsonville, CA. She also spent five years in senior sales for Well-Pict Berries of Watsonville, before leaving the industry to pursue senior management roles in import and export, and run her own business.

The California Avocado Commission, based in Irvine, CA, will focus on California avocado proximity to the U.S. market and the commission’s marketing programs to support retail sales growth at this year’s Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit Convention and Exposition.

Frank Dandrea, president of Dandrea Produce Inc., headquartered in Vineland, NJ, told The Produce News that the company is exhibiting at the Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit in New Orleans Oct. 18-20.

Its primary strategy at the show is to continue its pursuit of its business model in terms of growing its sources, importing new and interesting high-quality products, and continuing its goal of partnering with new companies.

For Rodney Van Bebber, his San Joaquin Valley broccoli plants can't grow fast enough.

As the Mendota, CA-based Pappas & Co. sales manager surveyed his fields at least a week away from harvest on Oct. 16, he also was looking at a broccoli sales in the $28-35 range for bunches and crowns.

"For years, we used to get started on Oct. 5, but we never had an October market," he said. "We'd break even in November and make our money in December."