On Aug. 23, David Weinstein, sales manager for Heath & Lejeune Inc. in Los Angeles, told The Produce News that the company is moving to a new, cutting-edge facility over the Labor Day weekend. The new facility is only 10 minutes away from its original location.

"Our old facility is 17,000-square-feet with six loading docks and between 8,000 and 9,000 square feet of cooler space," said Mr. Weinstein. "The new facility is 43,000 square feet, it has 18 loading docks — providing us with an unbroken cold chain — and it has 15,000 square feet of cooler space."

San Francisco-based Veritable Vegetable Inc. is one of the longest-running organic produce distributors in the United States. "We have operated since 1974, and we have always focused on organic fruits and vegetables," said Karen Salinger, co-owner of Veritable Vegetable.

Roger Pepperl, director of marketing for Stemilt Growers Inc. in Wenatchee, WA, said there’s a catch phrase in Washington that may describe the dynamics of the coming apple season. “Big crops get bigger. Small crops get smaller,” he told The Produce News on Aug. 20. Hard data about the impact of a July 20 hailstorm and other weather-related events in Washington will not be determined until later in the season. But Mr. Pepperl said the numbers have begun trending upward, and this is a hopeful sign.

The apple harvest is underway at Columbia Marketing International, located in Wenatchee, WA. “We’re packing our first Galas today,” Vice President of Marketing Bob Mast told The Produce News on Aug. 21.

As is true for other Washington apple producers, CMI has only begun the process of assessing actual damage to its 2012-2013 crop following the July 20 hailstorm. “We had a good-sized crop,” he commented. “We’re looking to get a good read on what can make it into the box. We’re optimistic there’s a nice crop out there to work with.”

Pacificpro Inc. is not expecting any major disruption to its apple marketing program this season. “Pacificpro works with a large percentage of the preeminent growers and packers statewide,”   said Vice President Randy Hartmann.

Suzanne Wolter, director of marketing for Rainier Fruit Co. in Yakima, WA, said apple producers continue to assess the condition of their crops in the aftermath of recent storms in Washington.