Southern Innovations 2025 celebrates in the Queen City
Southern Innovations 2025 celebrates in the Queen City
CHARLOTTE, NC — The Southeast Produce Council welcomed the fresh produce industry to its annual Southern Innovations conference and trade show Sept. 10-13, combining many of its popular traditional events with some new and exciting features.
Among the changes instituted at SI 2025 were moving the start date back by one day so that attendees could return to their families and still enjoy the weekend, offering the social networking events earlier in the week, eliminating the traditional closing party and giving more time for buyers and sellers to explore the expo.
educational session, with moderator Hilary Long of Frey Farms.
Looking at very early numbers, total attendance was about 1,475, of which about 500 were retail, foodservice and wholesale buyers, according to David Sherrod, the council’s president and CEO. “We were excited to have that many buyers,” he said midway through the expo. “We feel that it’s a really good ratio of buyers to sellers. And it’s showing right now; the floor is still busy, and there’s still lots of buyers walking the aisles.”
Following the board of directors meeting and the VIP reception Tuesday, Sept. 10, Southern Innovations 2025 officially kicked off the following day with the Martin Eubanks Sporting Clay Classic, the Founders Memorial Golf Tournament, the Queen City Comedy Bus Tour and — new this year — the Cool Cucumber Pickleball Classic. The Welcome Reception took place that evening.
Thursday, Sept. 11, saw two educational sessions: “Sustainability: It’s Good for Business,” followed by “What’s New.” After that, the Southern Roots Women’s Luncheon and the Good Seeds MENtor Program took place.
The day concluded with the Chairman’s Dinner Dance. During this event, Mike Roberts of Harps Food Stores Inc. and Gary Baker of MDI, co-chairs of the STEP-UPP Retail Program, presented certificates to that program’s graduating class. They also announced Lance Philyaw of MDI as the recipient of the Faye Westfall Award for highest grade in the class.
Rob Bonghi of Fresh Alliance then introduced the STEP-UPP Foodservice Program graduates as Dave Verdrager of RPE and Heather Hart of Baldor Specialty Foods passed out certificates to that program’s class.
The Chairman’s Dinner Dance is always a bittersweet event at SI, as some board members roll off the board of directors while others begin their term. This year, Kim Andreason, Jeff Cady, David Wilson and Kristin Yerecic Scott rolled off the board, while Shana Cox, Blair Greenhill, Matt Hubbard and Melissa Thrasher began their term.
SEPC President David Sherrod at the Chairman’s Dinner Dance.
In her final address as board chair, Scott said, “I want to start by thanking God for opening this door and giving me the chance to be part of something as special as SEPC. Being in this role has given me connections that feel more like family — and that has truly been one of the greatest gifts of my life.”
She added, “To our SEPC staff — David, Molly, Anna, Paige and Jess — you all are the heartbeat of this organization. The work you do behind the scenes is nothing short of incredible, and it’s what makes SEPC events so full of energy, innovation and connection. David: thank you for seeing something in me all those years ago to advocate for my place on the board. I am forever grateful.”
She continued, “When I chose ‘Produce Means Family’ as my platform, it wasn’t just because I am passionate about encouraging families to sit down together at the table. It was also because this industry is a family. SEPC has been with me through my hardest times and in some of my best moments. That sense of belonging — that feeling that we show up for one another — is what makes this council so unique.”
She concluded, “And now it’s my privilege to welcome Sloan Lott, your incoming chairman, to the stage. Sloan is a kind and thoughtful leader, deeply committed to SEPC, to the produce industry and to the farmers who built America. I know he will lead this council with heart and with vision.”
Faye Westfall Award, with SEPC’s Faye Westfall.
Lott, of Bland Farms, began, “It’s a true honor to stand before you tonight as the new chairman of the Southeast Produce Council board of directors. When I joined this board six years ago, I came eager to learn — and I’ve had the privilege of learning from some of the finest leaders in our industry.”
He added, “Brandon Parker and Harold Paivarinta guided us through the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic. Raina Nelson brought us vision and structure, helping us future-proof this organization. Tim Graas challenged us to keep sustainability front and center as we look toward feeding future generations. Mike Roberts reminded us of the true unseen heroes in our industry. And Kristin Yerecic Scott championed the importance of family meals, all while expanding her own family during her term.”
Lott continued, “We are incredibly fortunate to have David Sherrod leading the way. His commitment to SEPC is unmatched. While we all know he bleeds Red and Black (Go Dawgs!), he truly lives and breathes SEPC. This work is truly his ministry, and his impact can be seen in every corner of our organization.”
Lott then said, “Our theme this year is ‘From Fields to Families: Nourishing Our Nation.’ At the heart of this theme are the farmers — the hard-working men and women who plant, nurture and harvest the food that feeds America. They face unpredictable weather patterns, persistent labor shortages, complex regulations and market volatility — yet they remain steadfast, innovative and resilient.”
Foodservice Program.
He added, “But these individuals are more than just growers. They are entrepreneurs, innovators, environmental stewards and key players in global trade and national food security. They are the backbone of our industry and our country. This year, I want to amplify their stories and celebrate their contributions.”
The full 2025-26 board of directors was then called on stage, and the officers were officially announced: Sloan Lott of Bland Farms as chairman, Gary Baker of MDI as vice chairman, Derek Ennis of L&M Cos. as secretary and Maclaren Oglesby of Sbrocco International as treasurer.
The evening ended with a performance by the tribute band called Queen Legacy.
On Friday, Sept. 12, the keynote brunch began the day, with a presentation by author Erik Qualman.
The majority of the day was devoted to the expo, where one of the more significant changes was evident: the retail and foodservice attendees had early access to the gold-level and silver-level exhibitors from 11 a.m. to noon. The actual ribbon-cutting took place at noon, at which point all attendees were invited onto the full show floor.
Chairman Sloan Lott, Vice Chairman Gary Baker, Secretary Derek Ennis and
Treasurer Maclaren Oglesby.
Asked about midway through the expo for his initial impressions of this change, Sherrod stated, “We think it went really well. It was two-fold. We were able to give our gold and silver sponsors an added benefit this year by letting only the retail and foodservice operators come in an hour early. And the buyers had asked to have a little bit more time on the show floor. So it gave them an extra hour to go around and see some of our premier sponsors.”
He added, “The floor is still busy, Gordon. We have retailers still going around seeing all the exhibitors. We’re excited about how many of the retail and foodservice buyers have shown up here today.”
Regarding SI 2025 in general, Sherrod said, “It’s just been outstanding. There was a real laid-back feeling this year. I think everybody is comfortable here. I don’t feel like anybody was rushed. We did add some time into the schedule; that was intentional. We’re not cramming too much into one day anymore. I think that was a welcome addition.”
He continued, “I also want to mention that we were able to give our retail-foodservice buyers a gift of AI. [It was a note-taker that attaches to a cellphone.] We feel like Southern Innovations is getting its own identity now. We thought of giving those buyers a gift that could help them with their work and that is really innovative. That’s something that we’re going to try to do every year. That’s part of what Southern Innovations is all about. It’s about bringing these new technologies to the forefront and bringing these new technologies to the industry.”
Exhibitor comments
As this year’s expo was taking place, The Produce News spoke to a few of the exhibitors, who shared their thoughts on Southern Innovations, the expo and the council in general.
Jocelyn Gerard of Stemilt Growers said around 3:30 p.m., “The traffic’s been very good — steady all throughout. It’s starting to get a little quiet. But everyone started to come by right at the beginning and we’ve had really good visits with customers.”
Asked what she enjoys about Southern Innovations, she replied, “The size of the show is very approachable. It’s a nice, friendly, comfortable show. The organization is very welcoming. It’s a nice pace to meet with people.”
She continued, “SEPC in general [has] well-attended shows. The one in March is very well attended. We wouldn’t want to miss that. And the time of year for this show is good, too, for the apple and pear crops coming in.”
Norman Barao of Sierra Produce said, “The traffic was wonderful, a lot of retail participation, good foodservice participation; over all, a very strong, good show.”
Asked about the retailers at the expo, he was seeing “a lot of good buyers” and having “a lot of good conversations.” He added, “They’re stopping, they’re interacting. Good participation.”
Barao attended both of the educational sessions on Wednesday. “They were both very educational, well-done sessions, with good speakers,” he said. “I learned a few things on sustainability that I didn’t know,” he said of the first session. “And then getting all the numbers in the second session was really interesting.” Referring to Anne-Marie Roerink who presented the “What’s New” session, he stated, “She did a wonderful job. She was killing it.”
He continued, “I thought this show was very intimate, [although] it’s bigger than what it’s been over the past few years. The one in March is really nice. You get a lot more people. But again, they laid things out really well to make the whole week go, one thing after another. They do a wonderful job. It’s been nice to be part of something that’s growing year after year.”
Shannon Curry of Pero Family Farms said, “Traffic’s been very steady and consistent throughout the day. We were able to meet many of our retail clients as well as a lot of our foodservice clients. So we’ve been very pleased with the show and the traffic and the opportunity to be here. We really appreciate the smaller format — it gives you more one-on-one time with the clients than some of the other larger shows.”
Regarding SEPC in general, he stated, “I like that it seems like we’re all family. I definitely appreciate that it’s faith-based, as well as the 10-by-10 booths that keep everything equal on a level playing field. You’re able to spend more intimate time with your clients –- not just at the show but all the other events surrounding the show.”
Curry attended the keynote brunch and the Good Seeds MENtor Program. “I enjoyed both of those,” he said. The MENtor session “has become one of my favorite things at the show.” He added, “I always look forward to the spring show, and I really appreciate everything the council does for our business and our industry, as well as what they do outside to help others in the industry.”
Charlie Eagle of Southern Specialties said, “It’s been a really good show, an outstanding show for us in that it’s the first time that we’ve seen them open the show early for retailers and foodservice distributors. So we got an extra hour as a silver sponsor to be able to see some of our customers and potential customers. It’s been a benefit for us.”
He added, “The show over all is a good show. My only question is will the crowd dissipate earlier than it has in past years. My understanding is that attendance is about on par with what we saw last year. Up to now, we’ve seen a lot of our existing customers and some potential customers.”
He continued, “Like all the other Southeast Produce Council events, it’s a great blend of enrichment programs, leadership programs, and opportunities for educating young produce professionals. It’s a great over all experience, and we love being part of it. As far as our booth goes, we’re exhibiting all those products — in both bulk and value-added formats — that we bring to market under our Southern Selects label.”
Asked about the traffic around 2:30 p.m., he stated, “Yes, we’re still getting good traffic. In fact, I had to interrupt this interview to grab one of our retail customers. So yes, we’re getting good traffic. And we still expect to meet with a few other retailers.”
With Southern Innovations drawing to a close, Sherrod offered some final comments. “Seeing the new board of directors is always a highlight,” but watching the board members who roll off is always bittersweet. “We’re just so happy for their dedication and the time they’ve invested in the Southeast Produce Council. And I will tell you, they will never leave; they will always be part of this family. I know they will continue to be cheerleaders for this organization.”
He concluded, “You have to keep young blood coming in, and you have to keep teaching them the values of what this organization is all about. You have to respect and honor what this organization was built upon. Those are the things that have been the key to the Southeast Produce Council’s success.”
