“We are anticipating over 200 exhibitor booths at this year’s NEPC Produce & Floral Expo,” Laura Sullivan, executive director of the New England Produce Council, told The Produce News in early March. “We are very excited about our theme, “County Fair,” which will also be the theme for our booth-decorating contest and the overall show décor.”

The 2013 New England Produce & Floral Expo is the NEPC’s 14th annual event. It is being held  Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in Boston.

Joe Klare of Castellini Co. with SPC President Andrew Scott.

“We have exhibited at the New England Produce Council Expo often, and it is important to us because it has a more mature market,” Jamie Schapiro, director of marketing for Galaxy Nutritional Foods, headquartered in North Kingstown, RI, told The Produce News.

“The focus for us at the expo will be to explain to visitors that Galaxy Foods is now ‘GO Veggie!’,” he added.

“Giorgio’s ‘D’Lightful’ Portabella Caps and portabella sliced products will be featured at our NEPC Expo booth,” said Bill Litvin, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Giorgio Fresh Co. in Temple, PA. “Our specialty mushroom line will also be featured at the event.

“Giorgio’s D’Lightful Portabella vitamin D-enhanced mushrooms are treated to artificial sunlight to enhance the already naturally occurring vitamin D in mushrooms,” he continued. “With this treatment, Giorgio’s vitamin D mushrooms provide 100 percent of the recommended daily allowance.”

Pexco Produce Sales is notching up the positives.

J.T. Guida, president of Pexco Produce Sales in Pompano Beach, FL, said the company has held onto its superior rating of 98 percent from Primus Labs since its first rating several years ago.

The company also started a value-added program in the past few years.

With distribution facilities located throughout the United States and multiple offshore sourcing regions, HLB Specialties is able to provide its customers with reliable supplies of tropical produce items throughout the year.

Lorenz Hartmann de Barros, director of sales for the Pompano Beach, FL-based importer-distributor of tropical and speciality produce, said that while papayas are the firm’s signature item, it has branched out in recent years with increased volumes of mangos, limes and avocados, as well as a small but robust rambutan program.