Because of supply issues with some Chilean grapes this year, promotions were scarce, which should bode well for California's 10-week Coachella Valley deal.

At least that is the view of Andy Economou, general manager of Unifrutti of America and a longtime player in both the Chilean and California grape deals. He told The Produce News that Chile had some "miserable weather in all production regions except the north. So after we finished up with the northern grapes, we had big challenges on conditions all year."

Kegel's Produce, a distributor and fresh-cut produce processor , celebrated its 65th anniversary April 17 with an open house at its headquarters facility in Lancaster, PA. The open house featured tours of the facility and vendors were on hand handing out samples of products.

More than three-quarters of voting New York apple growers have elected to continue the state's marketing order, in a referendum conducted by the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets. The vote also continues the work of the New York Apple Association Inc., which the department contracts to carry out the marketing order's activities.

Crown Jewels Produce Co. in Fresno, CA, which handles a wide assortment of produce out of California and elsewhere, “has been in the cherry business now for at least eight or nine years,” according to Atomic Torosian, a partner in the company. “We don’t have a big presence, but it is a nice presence.”

Fresh Farms in Nogales, AZ, is a major distributor of fresh table grapes from Mexico, and the company’s grape program continues to grow on a steady basis, according to Jerry Havel, director of sales and marketing.

The Molina Group in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, which owns Fresh Farms, is one the larger grape growers in Mexico, growing a wide assortment of fresh table grape varieties such as Perlette, Flame, Sugraone, Red Globe, black seedless and Summer Royal.

Chiquita Brands announced the appointment of Rick Frier as the company's senior vice president and chief financial officer. Mr. Frier will be responsible for all aspects of the company's financial operations worldwide. He will assume his new position immediately upon the filing of the company's first quarter financial report and will serve as senior vice president, finance, until that time. He succeeds Brian W. Kocher, who, as previously announced, will become chief operating officer for Chiquita.