David and Gloria Kasparian, owners of Diamond K Produce in Deming, NM, are excited about the coming green chile crop, saying that growing conditions have been great this season.

"This year, weather has been no more unusual than normal," Ms. Kasparian said.

Chiles are grown in the Las Uvas Valley near Deming, and Ms. Kasparian said that the growing region affords the grower some natural protection.

Southern Specialties has completed its facility expansion project at its headquarters in Pompano Beach, FL. The company now operates out of approximately 100,000 square feet of warehouse space with expanded office and meeting areas.

In May, Hannaford Bros. Co. proudly announced that it was the first "traditional supermarket in the Northeast" to achieve the designation of a certified organic retailer.

According to Barbara Houmann, spokesperson for the Organic Trade Association, Hannaford has joined a very select group of retailers that have gone through this certification process. "There's not many," she said. "It's more than a handful -- maybe two handfuls."

Sunkist Growers teamed with supermarket chain Hy-Vee Inc. in support of Sunkist's award-winning Take a Stand national cause-marketing campaign.

In its fourth consecutive year, the Take a Stand program has empowered thousands of kids throughout North America to give back to their local community by raising money for a charity of their choice through an old- fashioned, freshly squeezed lemonade sale.

Turbana Corp., headquartered in Miami, announced that it will move its port and warehousing operations to Philadelphia in the spring after 20 years of operating in Bridgeport, CT. Turbana cited a shift in business and new opportunities in the marketplace as reasons for the move.

Pro*Act, a leading fresh produce supplier to the foodservice industry based in Monterey, CA, announced that Tarantino Foods LLC in Buffalo, NY, has joined the company's distribution network.

Tarantino Foods, a second-generation, family-run business established in 1947, operates from a 50,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility, distributing fresh produce and perishable foods to foodservice operators in Buffalo and Rochester, NY, as well as other areas in the western and southwestern regions of the state.