The Fresh Wave LLC is currently undergoing a major expansion program that is increasing the number of sources and inventories it maintains, Tommy Consalo, vice president of the Vineland, NJ-based company told The Produce News.

“We have outstanding new partnerships,” said Mr. Consalo. “We are expanding in all growing areas in New Jersey, as well as throughout the East Coast. This year we doubled our blueberry production areas, and we plan to increase another 50 to 100 percent in the coming year. One deal is set in stone and we’re in negotiations with another.”

Earlier this year, Maglio & Co., headquartered in Glendale, WI, expanded its operations after opening the doors to a new facility in Oakdale, MN. “It opened for cross-docking in January 2012 and production in May,” Owner and President Sam Maglio told The Produce News on Nov. 8.

Members of the second and third generation of Levin family members in one of M. Levin’s first pressurized banana-ripening rooms in the late 1980s.

The rails at the port of Quincy, WA, are humming. Cold Train, operated by Rail Logistics of Overland Park, KS, has developed a transportation model that allows fresh producers in the Pacific Northwest to take advantage of refrigerated rail service that moves commodities to Chicago and points beyond in a timely and efficient manner.

“We have a different model,” said Pat Boss, public affairs consultant to both the port of Quincy and Cold Train.

At the annual fall San Gennaro Feast of Los Angeles, held Sept. 28-30, the focus, in addition to raising funds to benefit children in Southern California, is certainly the amazing Italian food.

Hronis Inc. was pleased to be included again this year with its highly requested "Hronis Ranch" table grapes, and to find their grapes called upon as a key ingredient in one of the events' most-requested beverages.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Re-invention was the key to growing Trader Joe’s from a glorified regional convenience store to a nationwide specialty retailer, and that might just be the most important thing in the supermarket business.