Tavilla Sales Co. of Los Angeles, which is headquartered in Los Angeles and has branch offices in Nogales and Phoenix, AZ, has recently opened a new company called Vision Produce Partners of Texas LLC in Pharr, TX, near McAllen.

LOS ANGELES — Third-party food-safety certification is not a new thing for D. DeFranco & Sons, here. The company has been AIB certified for some years. However, in spite of the excellent reputation of the AIB certification, some customers, it seems, prefer that their suppliers have food-safety certification through Primus Labs.

Del Fresco, based in the Kingsville/Leamington, ON, area, grows and ships staple, experimental and niche gourmet greenhouse items. Since the start of operation over 35 years ago, the company has increased the size of its acreage to over 50 times that of the original acreage.

Westlake Village, CA-based Dole Packaged Foods LLC announced RYAN HOWARD as its regional sales manager in June.

Mr. Howard will be working closely with brokers, distributors and operators, building relationships and sales to targeted industry segments.

Benton Harbor, MI-based Gem Tomato Sales Inc., is gearing up to come into its Michigan tomato season in July. “The Michigan season is going well,” President Gary Margolis told The Produce News on June 19. “We’ve had an excellent growing season.”

Kurt Zuhlke Jr., president and chief executive officer of Bangor, PA-based Zuhlke & Associates, said consumers demand for recyclable packaging materials for fresh produce has never been higher.

“Consumers are feeling more comfortable with the increased use of recyclables in the marketplace,” he told The Produce News on June 18. “It’s good for everyone.”