SAYREVILLE, NJ -- Although the United States is in the midst of the worst economy it has experienced since the Great Depression, Gene Shvedov is upbeat.

Mr. Shvedov, vice president of business development for National Refrigerated Trucking, told The Produce News at the firm's headquarters in this central New Jersey town that "my grandfather told me, 'In business, you have to help people. You can figure out how to make money later.' We live in a time that presents challenges and opportunities. If you have not been hit, you can benefit."

Founded in 1932, Caruso Inc. is a privately held storage, distribution and re- pack company located in Sharonville, OH. Jim and Steve Caruso now own the company that Sam Caruso, their grandfather, founded 77 years ago. For three generations, Caruso has been re-packing and distributing a variety of products - primarily produce - throughout a 12-state region.

Pete Aiello remembers the first time he walked into Uesugi Farms Inc.'s then newly built, 5,400-square-foot cooler at its new facility in Gilroy, CA, in the mid-1990s.

"I remember walking in that cooler and wondering how we were going to grow enough stuff to actually fill it up because our original cooler in Morgan Hill, California, was only about 1,500 square feet," he told The Produce News. "Lo and behold, it didn't take long for it to be bursting at the seams."

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced July 8 that DHS will be proposing a new regulation rescinding the Social Security Administration's No-Match Rule, a regulation issued by the Bush administration in August 2007 and enjoined by a U.S. District Court since it was introduced.

Watsonville, CA-based California Giant Berry Farms just spent a week in Rockefeller Center bringing the authentic Wimbledon experience to fans in the heart of New York City as part of a promotion with the HSBC Presents Wimbledon 2009 at Rockefeller Center event.

Throughout the week, partners in the promotion gave fans a taste of all the tournament has to offer including the famous tradition of enjoying fresh strawberries and cream.

WASHINGTON -- By the end of the month, the government will issue commodity-specific guidelines for tomatoes, melons and leafy greens - just one of several new food safety initiatives announced July 7 by the Obama administration.

Top officials, including Vice President Joseph Biden, announced the findings of the Food Safety Working Group at a White House press conference. Created in March to advise President Obama, the group has been working on ways to improve food-safety regulation and coordination among the 13 agencies that regulate foods.