YORK, PA -- Oprah Winfrey would call it an "aha!" moment for Jason Bross. While on a trip to Australia several years ago, Mr. Bross visited a firm that was offering a line of salads that he termed "innovative."

"I felt there was an opening in the market here," Mr. Bross told The Produce News.

Seasoned produce professional Lloyd Rosen joined M&M Tropicals in Homestead, FL, March 1. Previously with William Manis Produce Marketing in Plant City, FL, Mr. Rosen has nearly 40 years of experience in the produce industry.

"I had been watching M&M for a while and enjoying its growth and its involvement in taking its Latin product line into the Anglo-American marketplace," said Mr. Rosen. "The company is strong in marketing, merchandising and in broadening its customer list to accommodate the growing influence that the Latin community is exerting."

WASHINGTON -- Produce companies, particularly growers, will have to brace for major cost increases in 2014 as a result of the just-passed health care reform measure unless Congress tackles the seasonal worker issue.

The new law (H.R. 3590), which passed the House of Representatives March 21 by a 219-214 vote, was signed into law March 23 by President Obama. With the ink barely dry on the 2,400-page law, Democrats working on another piece of legislation (H.R. 4872) composed of tax and revenue "fixes" that were being debated on the Senate floor at press time.

Since the early 18th century, the manner in which goods were arranged was found to be very important to attract people and entice them into making purchases. This visual merchandising principle is not new, as it is still practiced even today throughout the retail industry all over the world - especially in supermarkets.

CARMEL VALLEY, CA -- At its annual membership meeting held here March 22, the Fresno, CA-based California Grape & Tree Fruit League presented Dennis Parnagian, president of Fowler Packing Co. Inc. in Fresno, with its 2010 Mentor Award in recognition of his dedicated service and committment to the California fresh grape and deciduous tree fruit industry.

There will be no exception to U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service rules on Chilean fruit grade standards.

David Holzworth, general counsel for ASOEX, the Chilean Exporters' Association in Santiago, announced March 24 in a brief memo to the trade that "USDA has decided not to suspend Table Grape Import Regulation No. 4. However, other alternatives are still under consideration."

Chilean importing interests had requested the suspension on humanitarian grounds to help Chilean growers recover losses from the Feb. 27 earthquake.