Kent Kuwata has spent all his professional career in the retail produce industry, primarily on the West Coast, a long, long way from the Millen, GA, headquarters of the Southeast Produce Council.

The National Mango Board has named Big Y Foods as the recipient of its prestigious Retailer of the Year Award. This award, presented Jan.

Dole is one of only a handful of brands to be ranked as most trusted in multiple food and beverage categories in the 2025 BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards Presented by Newsweek.

Dole was named the No. 1 most-trusted brand in the fresh fruit and salad kit categories and the No. 2 most-trusted brand in fresh berries. Winners were determined by more than 29,000 U.S. shoppers who shared their insights on which brands they trust most and why.

Paul Gianetto has been promoted to president of Raley’s Operating Division. Gianetto will oversee the performance and growth of Raley’s 119 stores across California and Nevada, as well as the Natomas Distribution operations.

In a prominent position in Costco’s headquarters building in Issaquah, WA, stands a stainless steel sculpture featuring five salmon and the retailer’s famous Salmon Story.

It is a story that highlights the company’s Mission Statement of continually providing its customers with high quality products at the lowest price level. A search of the internet reveals that this story has been broadly circulated and has come to exemplify the Costco experience.

The Fresh Produce Association of the Americas annual Spring Policy Summit will be held on April 2 at the Tubac Golf Resort & Spa followed by the North American Produce Food Safety Summit on April 3 at the same location.