BRADENTON, FL -- Nine years ago, Joseph Esformes, a principal in the Sunripe family of companies comprised of Pacific Tomato Co., Pacific Triple E Packing, Pacific Collier Fresh, Pacific Pre-Pack and Heller Bros., visited the University of South Florida's College of Education in Tampa at the urging of his close friend and former marketing director, William Gross, who was ebullient about the programs in place at the school.

Building on its highly successful educational seminar last year, Indianapolis Fruit Co. in Indianapolis delivered yet another energetic and educational seminar and product showcase in March.

With well over 350 industry-leading retailers, grower-shippers and produce agencies in attendance, Indianapolis Fruit hosted its third annual educational seminar and product showcase titled Winning at Retail III: Customer Service I.D.E.A.S. for Better Sales & Profit.

WASHINGTON -- Dynamic Western Hemisphere port development activity became readily apparent at the spring conference of the American Association of Port Authorities, which is based in Alexandria, VA.

The association's spring meeting was held March 31 at the Willard Inter- Continental Hotel, here. Presenters from the United States and other countries spoke April 1 at the conference, which ended with the Mexican port administration hosting a social engagement at the Organization of American States.

Much like the way its product is activated, Pak Sense Inc. believes its new Ultra Labels will make the ordering process for the product a snap.

The Boise, ID-based manufacturer of sensory solutions for packaging recently released the Ultra Label, a new line of standard configurations for the firm's award-winning temperature-monitoring label.

The new Ultra Label simplifies the ordering process for PakSense's customers and provides quicker turnaround time on orders, according to Amy Childress, its marketing programs director.

New nursery asparagus planted two years ago is coming into production this season for Nyssa, OR-based Owyhee Produce, and General Manager Shay Myers said in late March that he anticipated good volume throughout the mid-April to mid-June shipping season.

Farming 100 acres of asparagus as well as onions and mint, the multi- generation family operation ships its grass under the "Family Farms" label.

Grapes from Sonora, Mexico, are the first North American grapes of the season to hit the market, and they typically start in early May. This year, many shippers expect to start their earliest varieties around May 5-10.