Over the past year, The Produce News has run numerous stories about traditional retailers diversifying and entering into different niche markets or reinventing themselves in one way or another.

-- Dick's Supermarkets in Wisconsin and Illinois launched an extensive promotion campaign redesigning and touting its produce departments.

-- Sixty-eight Food Lion stores in the Charlotte, NC, area are being remodeled and redesigned to tailor their offerings to fit customers' specific needs.

Don Coker, chief of state markets for the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Affairs, oversees the state's 13 farmers markets. He said that the Pompano State Farmers Market had about $70,000 in damage caused by Hurricane Wilma last October.

"The majority of the damage was to the old administration building, and most was to the roof," he said. "We have patched it up temporarily, and as soon as FEMA comes through with funding, the permanent repairs will be underway."

Ken Green, who spent most of his produce career with the Great A&P Tea Co. Inc., based in Montvale, NJ, has joined J&D Produce Inc. in Edinburg, TX.

Mr. Green said that he was looking for an opportunity with a "quality firm with a high degree of ethical standards. I contacted Jimmy Bassetti, who I have known for a long time, and told him I was looking at the supplier community."

Shortly thereafter, the two men had a deal that will allow Mr. Green to work for the Texas shipper from his New Jersey location.

Foreign citrus suppliers likely will recognize his name and face, but they might do a double-take when he mentions his company.

Bill Weyland, well known in the produce industry and who most recently worked for DNE World Fruit Sales in Fort Pierce, FL, has been named director of imports at Seald-Sweet International. Mr. Weyland, who joined the Vero Beach, FL-based company March 27, will remain in New Jersey and head a marketing office in the New Brunswick area in the central part of the state.

ELTOPIA, WA -- With fresh asparagus acreage in Mexico down by double-digit percentage points, and cool rainy weather flummoxing some California growers early this season, Washington state's estimated 33 percent increase in volume could be met by solid demand and good prices.

FRESNO, CA -- Crown Jewels Marketing & Distribution, here, has recently expanded its staff with the addition of Robbie Mathias and Leslie Telles, both of whom come from families that are heavily involved in the U.S. produce business.

Mr. Mathias is the son of Rob Mathias, president of Crown Jewels. Another uncle, Ryan Mathias, also works for Crown Jewels. Another uncle, Rodney Mathias, works for a tomato company, and his grandfather, Rich Mathias, is a buyer for Sobey's.