“Bananas and plantains are now our biggest items,” Emil Serafino, vice president of the Exp Group LLC, in North Bergen, NJ, told The Produce News on Feb. 23. “We currently have six rooms in operation and construction is underway now for an additional eight. Within the next 12 months we will have 21 ripening rooms in operation.”

Mr. Serafino noted that growth in the tropical fruit and vegetable category is being spurred by ethnic groups that have immigrated to the United States.

Santa Maria, CA-based Azzule Systems announced the hire of KERRY BRIDGES as director of the PrimusGFS Scheme Feb. 25.

In her new role at Azzule, Ms. Bridges will develop, coordinate and direct the PrimusGFS auditing scheme on a global scale. She will focus on ongoing development of the scheme in coordination with the Global Food Safety Initiative — working closely with current and future certification bodies, and driving the global expansion of PrimusGFS within the fresh produce and fresh food industries, according to the company press release.

West Coast Tomato Growers is ramping up volumes of its “Oceanside Pole” brand tomatoes. Looking ahead to its second season marketing them, the Oppenheimer Group estimated that volume could jump to roughly 4.5 million cases between July and November.

Calavo Growers Inc. announced that it has created FreshRealm LLC, a cloud-based technology company that is building a platform that will allow participants, such as traditional retailers, large and small enterprises, communities and food banks, to plug into an ecosystem resembling a national fresh food cooperative.

Westlake Produce Co., headquartered in Los Angeles, with East Coast operations in Winter Haven, FL, expects to move 2.5 million pounds of Florida blueberries this season with a great crop and superb sizing already on the bush.

Westlake’s Florida deal could begin as early as mid-March barring any damage from a mild March 4 freeze that nipped at the edges of central Florida groves. The deal should reach volume by April 1.

The three arms of Vision Produce Co. launched a new mango program a year ago, and this year it is paying dividends.

Ben Brittain, executive vice president of the Texas arm, which goes by the moniker Vision Produce Partners of Texas, is anticipating a 30 percent increase in Mexican mango volume this year.

He said the companies, which include Vision Produce Co. in Los Angeles and Vision Import Group in River Edge, NJ, have their own buyers and quality-control people in place in Mexico to implement the model.