Dave Eldredge, president and chief executive officer of Salinas, CA-based NewStar Fresh Foods LLC, relinquished those titles in mid-December.

Mr. Eldredge, who remains a partner in NewStar, retains his role on the board of directors of the California Leafy Green Handler Marketing Agreement and serves on that board's communications committee.

Albert's Organics announced that its Albert's Twin Cities General Manager Leonard Bibb has been promoted to the position of national operations director, a new position. Mr. Bibb will report to Greg Cota, vice president of operations.

Mr. Bibb, a fourth-generation food industry veteran, spent 18 years at Fleming, where he held various positions including division president, prior to joining Albert's in 2006.

Santa Maria, CA-based Red Blossom Farms and Fresno, CA-based ASG Produce Inc. have merged companies to form Red Blossom Sales Inc. in Santa Maria. The merger was effective Jan. 1.

ASG Produce has been the sales arm for Red Blossom Farms, and after working as a team for three years, Red Blossom Farms and ASG have joined forces to build a seamless marketing company with in-house sales. The merger creates administrative and service synergies for Red Blossom Sales as well as for the firm's growers and customers.

The National Watermelon Promotion Board increased its assessment by 50 percent to six cents per hundredweight from four cents on Jan. 1, according to NWPB officials.

A lengthy two-and-a-half year process culminated with the U.S. secretary of agriculture reviewing and approving the increase recommended by the NWPB board of directors, Mark Arney, the board's executive director, told The Produce News Jan. 4.

TRAVER, CA -- In late 2007, several members of the California stone fruit and grape industries came together to form a new fruit shipping and marketing organization called Scattaglia Growers & Shippers LLC with offices located at the New Leaf packing and cold storage facility here.

The partners and marketing staff of SGS formally announced the company's formation on Tuesday, Jan. 8, although SGS had actually opened for business during December.

Madison, ME-based Backyard Farms, one of the larger New England greenhouse growers of high-quality vine-ripened "Backyard Beauties" tomatoes, has appointed Roy Lubetkin president and chief executive officer.

Mr. Lubetkin, 50, will be responsible for leading the company's strategic growth efforts with ongoing "best-in-class" production process improvements, evaluation of new sustainable energy technologies, development of new varietals, exploration of new crop introductions and pursuit of wider geographic reach.