He continued, “Our theme was Produce Means Family, and as I walked throughout this whole weekend, just thinking about where we came from and where we’re going, if anybody had one word to describe who we are, it is ‘family.’ People feel like there’s something different about our conferences. Even though it was Kristin’s theme, it’s something that’s been a theme of the Southeast Produce Council since 1999.”
Thoughts from the expo
The Produce News spoke to some of the exhibitors during the closing hours of the expo to ask what they thought about Southern Exposure 2025.
Tim Harrington of Stemilt Growers, who has been to the expo since its inception, said, “It’s a terrific show. So much engagement by the retail community, seeing all our colleagues from the grower-shipper side of the business. It’s really a great time to network and show some of your beautiful product off to the customers.”
Asked how the traffic was, he replied, “I would say the traffic is probably the most I’ve ever seen, based on the amount of people I’ve run into and the amount of booths I’ve seen set up. It’s been really, really well attended.”
He added, “We’re seeing a lot of our already established customers and partners. Lots of key retailers as always. You want to see as many as you can down here. I think this venue is probably also one of the best venues we’ve ever had as far as gatherings, dinners, the halls. It’s been really great.”
At the Stemilt booth, “We are featuring and discussing Cosmic Crisp apples,” he said. “It’s a new rising star in our category. It’s right on the heels of Honeycrisp and Gala apples. It’s a year-round available apple, which is fantastic for the retailers. We have it both conventionally and organically.”
He continued, “Another thing we’re talking about at this show is the Pink Lady apple this year –- probably the best looking Pink Ladies I’ve seen in years.”
Regarding the SEPC, Harrington said, “I really like the programs they put on. It’s a little bit more of a leisure type of show, a little less formal but super-effective. People seem to be very relaxed and engaging. I really love this show.”
Maclaren Oglesby of Sbrocco International said that traffic “has been tremendous,” adding, “It really has been non-stop from as soon as the ribbon was cut. We had all of our customers coming by in a steady stream, more than we hoped for. It’s been a really tremendous show.”
Sbrocco of Sbrocco International Inc.
He continued, “We’re just so pleased with the attendance; it’s one of the unique experiences about this because it’s easy for them to navigate so their time is easy to give. And for us as a sponsor of this show, it’s really important that we are able to see our retail partners, and it’s been like that all afternoon. It's been really awesome to see.”
Asked what he thought some of the highlights of Southern Exposure 2025 were, Oglesby replied, “I think number one has been the amount of education and networking opportunities there are for those who are up and coming in the industry, those who may be being introduced into the industry, and those who are seasoned in the industry.”
Another highlight is “how much the SEPC cares and gives back to its communities,” he said. “I’ve been able to see the donations that are made on behalf of the charities that SEPC supports. And to know that as a member, we’re doing good work in the community by supporting SEPC, is really important.”
Asked about the new venue this year, he offered, “I think a hotel and convention center all being in one location is super functional and easy for us as exhibitors, and the retailers have said the same. The facility itself has been top notch, the staff has been really accommodating, and you’re in Orlando at the beginning of March!”
He concluded, “This is our best yet. It just keeps getting better and better. Record attendance, record traffic, and for us it just re-energizes us to know that we’re making our investments in the right places with the right people. This is a destination event for our industry.”
Lyra Vance of Village Farms Greenhouse Grown said that “the traffic this year has been outstanding. It’s been steady all day long. There’s been very few gaps; we’re at the back of the room, and it’s been very steady.”
She added, “I was at the Southern Roots luncheon, which was awesome. Dominique Dawes was an amazing speaker. That’s the great thing about SEPC; they really have great speakers that enlighten and make you think about different things than produce. She was excellent, and she reminded us that the heart of all of it is family. SEPC always focuses on family, but she did it in a little different way. She’s always been part of a team, so she talked about the produce team, your work team and then your family team. It’s kind of cool to think about it and be reminded that family comes first.”
She continued, “I always enjoy the Healthy Family Project Reception. It’s such a good cause, right? And Anne-Marie [Roerink] does a great job” at The Power of Produce education session, “always analyzing the numbers, which is really an important part of our business. It’s nice to have somebody who’s so eloquent” who explains everything so well.
She concluded, “SEPC runs a very tight ship; they run a very good show. They communicate well in advance, over and over, on different events. They do a really good job, and they’re super kind. And there’s always a bit of faith instilled.”
Bonnie Lundblad of Sunny Valley International said of the event, “It was great, it really was. There was a lot of traffic, there was a lot of excitement. Everybody who was walking by would stop and say hello. I was really impressed with the enthusiasm and support.”
She added, “A lot of retailers were here, and they were all gracious enough to stop and visit, talk for a few minutes. No one was passing by without stopping to say hello.”
Asked about the council in general, she stated, “I think SEPC gets the participation. You feel like you’re at a happening when you’re here. They do have wonderful educational programs. I know that every year they have great speakers that are able to tie everything back to what we’re doing within our industry.”
Asked about the new venue, she said, “I love this venue. I’m impressed. I think they really did their homework to get here. I would recommend coming back. Whenever they come to Orlando, I would say go right back to this same place.”
She concluded, “The produce industry is very, very special. We’re a close-knit family, and you can feel that here at the SEPC expo.”
Tom Curtis of Riveridge Produce Marketing Inc. said, “We’ve had pretty steady traffic all day. Right away when we got here, people were lined up to come in. We’ve seen a lot of the people that we planned to see. This is a great event.”
He was seeing a lot of retail and foodservice buyers. “We’ve seen several that we’re doing business with already, and we have made a couple of very good contacts with people that we would really like to do some business with in the future,” he stated.
“We went to the keynote lunch, which was awesome. We appreciate the speakers they had,” he said. And the expo “has always been a favorite of Riveridge’s.” He added, “This is a super venue here. What we like about this show is everybody has the same booth size. That’s the key, everybody’s on a level playing field. It’s a small show so everybody has time to come by and see us. It’s very important for our company to come to this show.”
Bruno Luis of Southern Specialties.
He concluded, “In my opinion, this is the number one show that I want to come to. It just works well for us. And it gets us down to the Sunshine State. We really enjoy this show very much, and we look forward to coming every year.”
Charlie Eagle of Southern Specialties said, “It was an excellent show. We’ve been exhibiting at this show since the very first show in Lakeland, FL. And the show continues to be one of the highest value shows that we participate in. It’s always exciting to engage with those people we do business with and people that we hope to do business with in the future.”
At the company’s booth this year, “We showcased our Southern Selects line, all of our foodservice items. But probably more importantly, we’ve been able to engage in an organization that creates value in the region that goes beyond just being able to attract potential customers. So we’re delighted to be part of the Southeast Produce Council. We think it’s one of the best organizations in the produce industry. It continues to create value for us, and we hope that we’re part of the growth of the organization and the success of the charities that they support.”
He continued, “I think the opening reception last night was incredible. The expo facility is excellent. The hotel accommodations are great. And those people that want to bring their spouses or their family, the hotel offers them plenty of opportunities to enjoy themselves outdoors.”
On the expo, he offered, “We had good traffic from the point that the show started. The show was over all a success. We brought some team members that haven’t experienced the show before, and they thought it was wonderful.”
Of SEPC itself, he added, “We love the organization. The staff does an amazing job. The enrichment programs are special. The leadership programs have exceeded beyond the retail program and now they have the foodservice tour. Everything about the organization continues to enhance value to the members and their team.”
