Rejuvenating business is the theme of Produce Marketing Association's 2010 Fresh Summit International Convention & Exposition, and the opening session keynote speaker has proven that he knows how.

A.G. Lafley, former chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Procter & Gamble, turned the global company around after taking over in 2000, doubling its sales and more than doubling its portfolio of billion-dollar brands. Mr. Lafley will explain how he did it during the convention opening general session on Friday, Oct. 15.

Prime Time Sales LLC, the exclusive sales representative for Prime Time International in Coachella, CA, is a long-time exhibitor at the Produce Marketing Association's foodservice expo, to be held this year Aug. 1 in Monterey, CA. But for Mike Aiton, who joined the company in November 2009 as marketing manager after 22 years with King Soopers and 18 years with Sun World International, this will be his first time at the show representing Prime Time.

The Idaho Potato Commission in Eagle, ID, which has been exhibiting at the Produce Marketing Association's foodservice expo for "at least the 21 years" that Don Odiorne has been with the commission, will be there again this year at the Aug. 1 expo in Monterey, CA.

“What we are featuring at the booth is a mini-version of what we did at the National Restaurant [Association] Show,” said Mr. Odiorne, the commission’s vice president of foodservice. At the NRA show, which was held May 21-24 in Chicago, “we introduced a new web site that is targeted towards a younger audience.”

PHILADELPHIA -- "Dredging is underway as we speak," said Robert Blackburn, the senior deputy executive director of the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority, based in Philadelphia.

On June 22, he spoke of work by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to deepen the Delaware River channel to 45 feet. The port authority had a leading role in deepening the channel. This concept eventually overcame resistance from environmentalists and some political sectors in New Jersey and Delaware, which also face the river.

R.D. Offutt Co., based in Fargo, ND, on July 12 acquired the assets of Ryan Potato Co., which is described in the July 20 edition of the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association's Potato Bytes publication as "an East Grand Forks, MN-based buyer of washing-quality reds, whites, russets and yellow-flesh varieties of potatoes."

Potato Bytes further said that Ryan Potato "is a nationally recognized name in the fresh table potato industry with over 100 years of experience in the potato industry."

SALINAS, CA -- Mann Packing Co. Inc. recently hired John Haydock as senior vice president of sales.

Mr. Haydock has spent his entire career in the food business. He began as a sales representative in 1980 with American Home Food Products. He then moved to Good Humor-Breyers Ice Cream Co., a division of Kraft, from 1985 to 1999. While there he led sales for the "Breyers," “Light n Lively,” “Good Humor,” “Popsicle,” “Klondike” and “Minute Maid” brands.