Rainier Fruit Co., headquartered in Yakima, WA, is in an interesting position, Marketing Director Suzanne Wolter said Nov. 14 to The Produce News.

“Rainier has established a tremendous following for our cherries due to our reputation for quality and service throughout the U.S., Canada and some export markets,” she stated. “Even as our volume has grown, we’ve found ourselves in a demand-exceed situation daily each season.”

With its promotional campaigns in place and movement brisk for both apples and pears from the Northwest, Oneonta Starr Ranch Growers, a Wenatchee, WA, grower-shipper, is targeting a broad consumer base this season.

Dan Wohlford, national sales representative, said that Oneonta’s popular Pear the Taste and kid-friendly snaQ promotions are seeing good response from retail, and 2011’s smaller fruit-size profile is lending itself to both programs.

Good volume and excellent quality are traditional hallmarks of the Red Wing single-center onion from Sweet Clover Produce in Walla Walla, WA, and Bill (Sweet Willie) Brownfield said that this year’s crop lives up to the reputation.

Austin, TX-based Whole Foods Market Inc. is recording rising sales and booming profits as it continues to expand its global reach. The company opened five new stores last quarter, grew its footprint in the United Kingdom by opening its first store in Scotland Nov. 16, and has plans for future expansion in the United States and abroad.

The Texas Rangers might not have repeated as World Series champs this year, losing the defense of their 2010 title to the St. Louis Cardinals, but the team again proved itself to be one of the best in baseball — and that is where Curtis Gilmore, owner of Gilmore Produce Ltd. in Dallas, draws inspiration.