Bellevue, WA-based Pacificpro Inc., which handles a full range of Northwest commodities including apples, pears, potatoes and onions, hired MICHAEL LOSH as sales associate.

In his new position, Losh will be responsible for sales, procurement and transportation to all regions nationally, with a focus on California commodities such as citrus, grapes, melons and avocado.

C.H. Robinson will showcase a new brand and packaging during this year's Produce Marketing Association's Fresh Summit in New Orleans. The new product offerings and innovative solutions are designed to drive fresh produce sales.

Fletcher Street, director of sales and marketing for Olympia, WA-based Ostrom Mushroom Farms, commonly referred to as Ostrom’s, said that there is always market stress on mushroom availability during the holidays. She pointed out that the closing of California Mushroom Farm in Ventura, CA, in September, is leaving a void of about 20 million pounds of mushrooms a year, which could be most strongly felt during the holidays.

Fifty years ago, an ambitious young produce man named Hiram Folds convinced his boss to let him try to sell a single load of bananas in addition to the potatoes and onions the company specialized in.

The move proved so successful that within a few years, Folds had purchased General Produce Inc., now one of the nation’s top distributors and the 2013 winner of the prestigious Georgia Family Business of the Year Award from the Cox Family Enterprise Center at Kennesaw State Cole College of Business and Georgia Trend magazine.

After more than two years of asking consumers to check Pink Lady apples for trademark assurance, the association supported by its growers is seeing positive signs at retail where, in fact, it’s also hearing from retailers that they too are paying attention.

“It’s very gratifying for our growers to see the program they’ve helped to build being supported by consumers and now retailers who are looking more closely at the price look up stickers on their apples,” John Reeves, general manager of Pink Lady America LLC in Yakima, WA, said in a press release.

Gills Onions, a California-based market leader in fresh-cut onions, announces the launch of two new prepared onion products, Caramelized Red Onions and Grilled Yellow Onions, available in eight-ounce jars.