The Kroger Co. promoted Mark Tuffin to senior vice president of retail divisions. He succeeds Michael Ellis, who will become Kroger's president and chief operating officer Jan. 1.

Victor Tokar, who was one of the pioneers of pre-ripening avocados, died on Sunday, Dec. 15, after a defiant battle with cancer. “Vic worked with my cousin Gil Henry to open up the very first avocado-ripening room in California,” said Phil Henry, president of Henry Avocado. “Vic was an expert in not only ripening but all cold storage technology. He worked with many different crops. He was a very, very nice man.”

OAKDALE, MN — At first adding a warehouse here, in a suburb on the east side of Minneapolis, was a matter of logistical strategy for Maglio & Co., which is based near Milwaukee in Glendale, WI. But the new, food-safe Minnesota operation with 25,000 square feet has proven to be much more useful and productive than was originally anticipated, according to Sam Maglio, who owns the firm.

The Michigan Apple Committee’s Healthy Living program — a great fit for consumers who will use the new year as an opportunity to commit to a healthier lifestyle — aims to educate consumers about the health benefits of eating Michigan apples on a regular basis.

The program will run from January through March everywhere Michigan apples are sold, and it will feature a sweepstakes where consumers have the chance to win one of three treadmills.

A holiday promotion from Avocados From Mexico, which started in November and runs through Jan. 3, is going exceptionally well and there has been much interest in the organization's next major promotion, which starts late December and runs through February, Maggie Bezart Hall, vice president of trade and marketing, told The Produce News Dec.. 20.

In Texas, cowboys do not retire — they ride off into the sunset. John McClung, president and chief executive officer of the Texas International Produce Association since 1999 and a former United Fresh and national government official, recently packed his saddlebags and has officially turned over the reins of TIPA to Bret Erickson, who had already been serving in that capacity for the past year-plus.