The Food Marketing Institute is exploring partnership opportunities for its trade show, but that should not negatively affect the United trade show, which runs at the same time, according to United President and CEO Tom Stenzel.

"We see it as a positive thing," Mr. Stenzel told The Produce News on Wednesday, Aug. 9, as he was traveling to the Texas produce industry's convention and trade show.

New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Charles M. Kuperus announced that the Jersey Fresh advertising and marketing program will soon get a fresh approach. The department recently awarded its three-year Jersey Fresh advertising, marketing and promotional contract to CMD & Partners in Fairfield, NJ.

WASHINGTON -- The Fruit & Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee will meet for two more years to advise the U.S. Department of Agriculture on government policies that can affect how produce companies do business.

Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns renewed the charter for the four-year-old advisory committee, allowing it to operate until 2007, and is now seeking the names of nominees to help guide the U.S. Department of Agriculture on pressing issues.

Vero Beach, FL-based Seald-Sweet announced the opening of Seald-Sweet West International Inc. in Visalia, CA. In making the announcement, Seald-Sweet Senior Vice Presidents David Mixon and Mayda Sotomayor also announced that David Muse has joined the company and will immediately assume the position of vice president of operations, sales and marketing at the new location.

Several board members of the three-year-old Chicago International Produce Market indicate that the move from the historic, but highly antiquated, South Water Street Market was an extremely good one.

Rodger Wasson, president of the California Strawberry Commission since May 2002, announced his resignation from the commission, effective Sept. 15.

Mr. Wasson told The Produce News that his decision to resign was reached mutually with the executive committee of the commission and that he had alerted them at several points during his tenure that he felt the day would come when the commission would be better served by finding his replacement.

The commission is a state government agency that represents an industry of about 510 growers and 75 shippers and processors.