“Mastronardi Produce/SUNSET” will definitely be exhibiting at the 2014 Southern Exposure conference and expo,” said Daniela Ferro, communications coordinator for the company headquartered in Kingsville, ON. “We’ll be at booth number 907. “As always, we will have a good representation at the show from our sales team.”

Mastronardi Produce is a leading grower, shipper and marketer of high-quality greenhouse produce. The company provides its customers with year-round supplies from its numerous greenhouse locations in North America and Mexico.

The company has been a member of the Southeast Produce Council, which holds the Southern Exposure event, for six years, and it has exhibited at the event every year since joining.

Ferro said that the company will be engaging visitors at the event with the company’s newest product, the “Y.E.L.O.” brand cocktail tomatoes.

“We are featuring unique and flavorful recipes using ‘Y.E.L.O.’ and other signature ‘Sunset’ products,” she said. “We will also feature ‘Sunset’ Top Seal packaging. This is an innovation in packaging that we introduced to the market four years ago with our ‘Mimi’ candy tomatoes. It is a sealed clamshell with a preprinted film, which minimizes overall packaging. We have now advanced this innovation to reduce plastic and include almost all pack sizes.”

She added that the new packaging design also allows for more efficient shipping and is 100 percent recyclable.

“As always, flavor is above all our most important message,” stressed Ferro. “At Mastronardi Produce we pride ourselves on being leading industry innovators. Everything we do is ultimately inspired by flavor.”

She also noted that “Y.E.L.O.” is also an acronym for youth, energy, life and “Om,” a mantra and mystical Sanskrit sound, making it the ideal tomato for consumers with healthy eating in mind and in soul. She said those who are curious should stop by the company’s booth at Southern Exposure to say hello to “Y.E.L.O.”

Ferro explained that in this competitive market, Mastronardi Produce/Sunset looks for opportunities to better understand how it can effectively meet retailers’ needs by offering a broad range of solutions in fresh quality produce, packaging and logistics. It is involved in numerous trade organizations as a show of its support of the industry.

“As members of Southeast Produce Council, we are able to exhibit at this high-ranking trade show and have the opportunity to engage with customers face to face,” said Ferro. “Our team will participate in several events, including the golf tournament and sponsored opening gala. We feel it is important to continue to grow our relationships so we can continue to meet customer expectations.”

Mastronardi Produce is a silver level sponsor of Southern Exposure and it will be sponsoring the opening gala at this year’s event.

The company also announced a new key staff member. James Holden was recently hired as the company’s vice president of sales.

“James has an extensive background in consumer packaged goods,” said Ferro. “We are happy to welcome him to our team.

We also welcome Doug Dobbs, who is our new vice president of supply chain,” she added.

Mastronardi Produce’s Kingsville headquarters has been undergoing a major expansion over the past six months to accommodate its growing business. Its Coldwater, MI, greenhouse expansion project has broken ground and will be doubling in size to accommodate the demand for the company’s locally grown product. It expects completion of the expansion this summer.

Ferro noted that consumers’ increasing desire to live a healthy lifestyle, reduce obesity and promote healthy in-school programs has been a great asset to the greenhouse business.

“The many varieties that Mastronardi Produce carries under our “Sunset” brand inspires retailers to look to us as industry leaders in fresh produce because we deliver fresh and flavorful produce while reducing food miles year-round,” she said.