A statement from Mann Packing
Officials at Mann Packing Co. Inc. released the following statement July 18: SALINAS, CA -- The sudden passing of Joe Nucci, president and CEO of Mann Packing, has touched all of us deeply. It has also given us time to reflect on what a gifted leader and manager Joe was.
California industry conducts food-safety tour
More than 20 health officials from the United States and Canada participated in a food-safety tour of California fields and production facilities July 12-14.
The tour, organized by Watsonville, CA-based Alliance for Food & Farming, provided an opportunity for these officials to see first-hand how California cantaloupes, tomatoes and lettuce are grown.
New service deal a boon for Ellis Fleisher and the Philadelphia produce market
PHILADELPHIA -- Ellis Fleisher Produce Co., a distributor on the Philadelphia Regional Produce Center, here, has extended its business through a new affiliation with Liberty Foods Inc., also based here.
Liberty Foods is a distributor of 45 food categories, serving a region ranging from Washington, DC, to New York state.
FreshPoint acquires Connecticut produce distributor
FreshPoint Inc., a leading specialty produce distributor based in Houston, has signed a purchase agreement to acquire The Fowler & Huntting Co. Inc., a full-line fresh fruit and vegetable distributor headquartered in Hartford, CT.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close by July 30.
Fowler & Huntting was founded in 1865 and supplies foodservice operations and retail customers throughout Connecticut, Rhode Island, western Massachusetts, southern Vermont and eastern New York.
DRC adds transportation dispute resolution
ANNAPOLIS, MD -- Companies in Canada, Mexico and the United States that are members of the Fruit & Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corp. can now turn to the DRC to resolve transportation disputes for the first time under a new resolution agreed to by top DRC officials during a July 8 meeting, here.
More than 90 percent of DRC members surveyed recently said that they supported expanding the company's negotiating power to transportation disputes, Matt McInerney, DRC chairman and executive vice president of Western Growers Association, said at the meeting.
Stemilt cherry mascot a hit in retail stores
Combine Stemilt Growers' sweet cherries with one of the more popular children's characters and the result is a dynamite promotion that's attracting cherry customers across the nation.
Stemilt's Elmo cherry display, featuring the popular Sesame Street character, is having a definite positive impact on cherry sales, according to Roger Pepperl, marketing director for Stemilt. Retailers have Elmo in produce sections nationwide, and consumers are flocking to the displays for plump Stemilt cherries.
Northwest cherry sales soar with cherry-picked Taiwanese pop icons
Picture this: eVonne, one of Taiwan's pop sensations, strolling under the midday sun through a Yakima Valley cherry orchard. MTV Asia award-winning music video director Kuang Sheng Fu trains his camera on eVonne's expressive face, but also carefully frames in hanging clusters and crates full of shining Bing cherries.
Salmonella find triggers cantaloupe recall
Eagle Produce LP in Scottsdale, AZ -- a division of Scottsdale, AZ-based Martori Farms -- has recalled 685 cases of cantaloupe because it had the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.
Idaho potato industry loses Max Herbold
BURLEY, ID -- Idaho potato pioneer Max Herbold, one of the founders of Idaho Potato Processors, died on his 91st birthday June 23 at Highland Estates care facility in Burley, ID.
According to Dennis Herbold, president of Max Herbold Inc., his father's passion "was the potato business and the many friends and associates he made along the way."
Obregon to expand HAB's Network Marketing Center
Veteran international produce distribution and marketing executive Jose Luis Obregon has become the first managing director of the Hass Avocado Board's pioneering Network Marketing Center.
Mr. Obregon was appointed based on his extensive international marketing experience, a requisite for expanding the reach of the boards state-of-the-art NMC and its intranet site, avoHQ.com. The center provides in-depth and timely information on crop volume, shipments, markets and promotions accessible from anywhere in the world.