Verdant Partners LLC in Champaign, IL, announced that Paul G. Bennett has joined Verdant as a director.

Mr. Bennett has spent most of his career in senior management positions in the global fresh produce industry. His primary focus at Verdant Partners will be the development of new business in the fresh produce industry.

Bill Wilkinson, a San Francisco foodservice wholesaler, died Monday, July 19, of melanoma at his home in San Francisco. He was 68.

At the time of his death, Mr. Wilkinson was co-owner of Greenleaf on the San Francisco Wholesale Produce Market. He bought the company in 1993 and built it into one of the top suppliers of produce, especially to the hotel foodservice industry, which was his first love.

"We continue to expand our artisan lettuce, living lettuce and artisan red onion lines," Rick Antle, chief executive officer for Tanimura & Antle Inc. in Salinas, CA, told The Produce News. “These items are well suited to foodservice because of the great creativity they offer to chefs. The artisan lettuce is a blend of Gem, Tango and Oak lettuce varieties. For foodservice, we offer them in a nine-pound pack.”

Mr. Antle explained that the artisan lettuces are fully mature, so they provide better flavor, texture and body than baby lettuces.

Gilroy, CA-based Christopher Ranch, a mainstay exhibitor at the Produce Marketing Association's Foodservice Conference & Exposition, will have both a new product and new packaging on display at this year’s show.

Christopher Ranch’s new product -- green garlic -- is garlic harvested during its growing stage, before the bulbing stage. Until now, consumers seeking green garlic mostly relied on farmer’ markets for the item.

Jeff Olsen, vice president of The Chuck Olsen Co. Inc., headquartered in Visalia, CA, said that the company will be introducing a few new pack styles for its citrus and grape lines at the Produce Marketing Association Foodservice Conference & Exposition, scheduled for July 30 to Aug. 1 in Monterey, CA.

The company will be exhibiting at expo booth No. 6.

Steve Church, director of operations for Church Brothers LLC in Salinas, CA, told The Produce News that the company will be demonstrating its newly launched "Teen Green" leaf lettuce at expo booth No. 18 at the Produce Marketing Association Foodservice Conference & Exposition in Monterey, CA, set for July 30 to Aug. 1.