With 119 years of providing outstanding service and now led by fourth-generation owners Jake and Drew Billmeyer, Ben B. Schwartz & Sons continues to be a go-to company for produce.

Working from the Michigan Produce Terminal in Detroit, the company’s distribution network reaches most of the United States and into Canada, with an increased presence in Toronto in recent years.

Soon, the company will be heading to the Viva Fresh show where it expects a lot of great things to happen.

GLC Cerritos, a Mexican avocado company with a U.S.-based sales operation in Oxnard, CA, just completed its first full year in the Fairtrade campaign registering sales in excess of 2 million pounds.

It was a decade ago that the Texas International Produce Association launched the Viva Fresh Expo as a regional produce show dedicated to celebrating the vital role of the Tex-Mex corridor as a key trade route and production hub for fresh produce.

“It was a game changer for the association and the industry,” said TIPA President and CEO Dante Galeazzi, who was on the founding committee as an industry member.

Mexus Inc., a freight services provider and licensed broker based in Laredo, TX, celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2024 and has plans for further growth as it begins year 26.

Among the highlights of Mexus’ expansion plans is obtaining their FSIS certification earned from USDA as well as the addition of a warehouse within the same industrial park it operates in Laredo.

Jason Brown, a man of faith, a former professional athlete and a community advocate, spoke to more than 300 men at the Good Seeds MENtor session on Friday afternoon, March 7. The session was part of the Southeast Produce Council’s Southern Exposure 2025, held March 6-8 in Orlando, FL. The mission of the Good Seeds MENtor Program is to plant seeds that will encourage industry leaders with faith-based principles in the workplace, at home and in their communities.

ORLANDO, FL — The Southeast Produce Council welcomed the fresh produce industry to the Orlando World Center Marriott March 6-8 for its flagship event, Southern Exposure 2025, where attendees enjoyed a wide array of educational and social activities while celebrating the significance of family meals and the importance of eating together.