Virtually every year retailers can count on having Sonora spring grapes available in good supplies for the Fourth of July pull. Memorial Day, however, is generally another story. While some grapes from Mexico are usually in the market by Memorial Day, there is rarely sufficient volume for promotions in the period approaching that holiday.

This year, the earliness of the season will provide retailers with an unusual opportunity, as an anticipated early start to the Sonora grape deal, as much as two weeks ahead of normal, should assure promotable volumes for both holidays.

Jewel-Osco announced that Scott Hays has been named vice president of operations for the Chicagoland grocery store.  Most recently a district manager with Albertsons LLC’s Southern division, Hays will lead the operations team to support Jewel-Osco’s marketing and merchandising initiatives, including the company’s upcoming remodels and opening its five newly acquired locations.

Organic Alexander Lucas pears are back this spring, brought to the North American market by Viva Tierra Organic Inc. This heirloom variety has a dedicated following among pear connoisseurs who look forward to its brief season.

Sage Fruit Co., long-time sponsors of Kasey Kahne Racing, just announced a new associate sponsorship with JR Motorsports, the professional race team owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr.  Based in Mooresville, NC, JR Motorsports fields multiple teams and tours nationally in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

As part of the agreement, the Sage Fruit logo will have placement on the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet for all of Chase Elliott’s races, as well as placement on Kahne’s No. 5 Great Clips Chevrolet at Talladega (May 3) and No. 5 Hellmann’s Chevrolet at Daytona (July 4).

The national finals for the 2014 USA Pears “Pear Excellence” Canadian Culinary Student Recipe Competition were held April 8 at The Dirty Apron Cooking School in Vancouver. Five culinary student finalists from highly competitive regional competitions faced off before a panel of esteemed judges for the National Grand Prize title.

Although the California contribution to aggregate avocado volume in the United States will be a bit under 20 percent this year compared to nearly 30 percent last year, the marketing strategies for California fruit at Calavo Growers Inc. in Santa Paula, CA, are “fairly similar” to what they were in 2013, according to Rob Wedin, vice president of fresh sales and marketing.