Craig Messmer and Ashley Berlinger have joined Capespan North America as sales executives. 

Messmer has over 23 years’ experience in the produce industry, most recently as key account manager for a major fresh fruit importer and distributor where he managed numerous national programs over a range of product lines. He lives in Portland, OR.

In an upcoming In the Trenches column, featured in The Produce News' Feb. 9 issue, Ron Pelger writes about produce managers keeping an open mind when it comes to new products and ideas. Breaking routine is hard — for retailers as well as consumers.

Splendid by Porvenir, a leading importer and distributor of mangos, is anxious for fruit volume to ramp up to meet demand that has been on the rise in recent weeks.

According to a mango crop report released by the National Mango Board, at the conclusion of Week 4 fruit volume from Peru and Mexico combined was just under 1.9 million boxes, with Peru accounting for 1.7 million of those boxes. For the season to date, Peru has shipped just under 12.5 million boxes.

Family Tree Farms has promoted Doug LaCroix to vice president of sales and marketing. LaCroix has been a foundational member of the Family Tree Farms leadership team for more than 20 years, guiding sales and marketing strategy that has supported the company’s growth across domestic and international markets. 

In his expanded role, LaCroix will continue to lead sales strategy and help shape the company’s brand direction as Family Tree Farms builds on its reputation for quality and innovation. 

Giant Eagle has partnered with NationsBenefits, a leader in healthcare fintech and integrated benefit solutions. Eligible health-plan members can pay for fresh produce, pantry staples and over-the-counter wellness items at more than 200 Giant Eagle supermarkets, where item-level eligibility is validated at checkout in just milliseconds. The collaboration also further connects food as medicine benefits directly to where families shop, while giving health plans privacy-safe insights to refine program design and member outreach.

Nash Produce has built a nationally recognized sweet potato program by focusing on consistency, planning and long-term relationships across the supply chain. 

Operating as a packer-shipper, the Nashville, NC–based company works with a broad network of growers to ensure reliable, year-round supply while maintaining the quality standards customers expect.