Fifty years ago, an ambitious young produce man named Hiram Folds convinced his boss to let him try to sell a single load of bananas in addition to the potatoes and onions the company specialized in.

The move proved so successful that within a few years, Folds had purchased General Produce Inc., now one of the nation’s top distributors and the 2013 winner of the prestigious Georgia Family Business of the Year Award from the Cox Family Enterprise Center at Kennesaw State Cole College of Business and Georgia Trend magazine.

After more than two years of asking consumers to check Pink Lady apples for trademark assurance, the association supported by its growers is seeing positive signs at retail where, in fact, it’s also hearing from retailers that they too are paying attention.

“It’s very gratifying for our growers to see the program they’ve helped to build being supported by consumers and now retailers who are looking more closely at the price look up stickers on their apples,” John Reeves, general manager of Pink Lady America LLC in Yakima, WA, said in a press release.

Gills Onions, a California-based market leader in fresh-cut onions, announces the launch of two new prepared onion products, Caramelized Red Onions and Grilled Yellow Onions, available in eight-ounce jars.

A longtime San Joaquin Valley grower-shipper is one of the many farms that is featured in a new Northern California Safeway campaign highlighting its ties to local farmers.

The roots of Modesto, CA-based Ratto Bros. date back to the turn of the last century when Antonio Ratto began farming on Bay Farm Island near Oakland, CA, in about 1905. His kids continued the operation and today the company is run by four grandsons of the founder.

Giumarra Borquez, the Giumarra Cos.’ vertically integrated asparagus partnership, is projecting excellent volume for the upcoming fall and winter seasons.

Whether it’s her family, friends, clients or customers, Monica Robles of Gourmet Trading Co., a Los Angeles-based grower and distributor of fresh green, white and purple asparagus, blueberries and SuperBlues, always puts people first.

“In this industry, and especially with asparagus being scarce for the most part of the year, it is essential to have a good relationship with the growers,” Robles told The Produce News.