Fred Recchiuti, general manager of Avondale, PA-based Basciani Mushroom Farms, told The Produce News that the company continues to work diligently on its food-safety audit and related initiatives.

Basciani’s most recent third-party quality assurance and HACCP audit score was 99.24 percent, said Recchiuti. And it continues to be keenly conscious of sustainability as it continually looks for ways to reduce its carbon footprint.

After only 10 years in business, Mike and Mikes Inc. has seen substantial growth, resulting in a $1 million investment into rebranding, expanding and repackaging.

As of September 2014, the company will be called Mike and Mikes Organics.

Its Woodbridge, Ontario, facility will double in size to 43,000 square feet.

The company’s secondary brand, Organic Select, will be retired and all products will be sold under the Mike and Mikes Organics™ brand name. This includes nuts, dried fruits and mixed fruit and nuts.

The Scotlynn Group has been investigating alternative sales channels for its products, testing some items in a number of new locations. This year, the company will be selling pumpkins at several Ontario Canadian Tire stores, using a guaranteed sales program for the first time.

Noting the company has always focused on retail and foodservice, Scotlynn Value Chain, Inc. Executive Vice President Savvas Tsoukalas pointed out that the modern retail landscape is changing, as businesses broaden the range of items being offered.

According to company President Fred Koornneef, Koornneef Produce continues to enjoy steady growth in 2014. He named spreading knowledge of the business and a new complete packing line as key factors driving that growth.

The company specializes in greenhouse vegetables and local tender fruit. The packing line packages mini-cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers under the Koornneef and private label brands. Koornneef Produce has also added some well-received new products this summer.

Brampton-based WaudWare is celebrating 25 years of steady growth in the software development field. The company has two flagship products focused on the produce industry: Produce Industry Control System and Produce Industry Control System for the Web. The comprehensive software offers everything necessary to run a business and is particularly adept at handling traceability and case labeling requirements. According to company President F. Charles Waud, that expertise is paying off for the business.

Ontario Produce Marketing Association has had a busy year engaging with regulatory issues, diversifying its Produce Made Simple website, delivering Quality Assurance Training seminars and collaborating with other regional associations on its “New Fast Food” posters. All the activity paid off as the association’s membership grew again in 2014.