“We look forward to exhibiting at the Southern Exposure annual conference and expo this year,” said Peter Wilder, marketing director for To-Jo Mushrooms in Avondale, PA. “To-Jo will be exhibiting at booth number 415, and manning it will be Tony D’Amico, president; Paul Frederic, senior vice president of sales and marketing; Michael Wood, vice president of fresh operations; and Todd Kostka, sales and marketing specialist.”

To-Jo Mushrooms has been a member of the Southeast Produce Council, which organizes and hosts the Southern Exposure event, for six years, and it has exhibited all six years.

Wilder said that building off of the company’s 2014 “Best Overall Mushrooms” victory at the Pennsylvania Farm Show, visitors to Southern Exposure should look to To-Jo’s full line of products.

“The line includes five-ounce sliced Shiitake, four-ounce Exotic Blend as well as our 24-ounce whole white and 20-ounce sliced baby bella club packs that have been enjoying a nice lift in certain markets,” said Wilder.

To-Jo Mushrooms will also be featuring two new innovative concepts that will change the way buyers look at mushrooms.

“We can’t let this cat out of the bag yet,” Wilder noted, “but it is something that people will be talking about.”

To-Jo will also be sampling its “Bella Blended” line of mushroom meatball products; showcasing a one-ounce mild product that is now available for the healthcare and non-commercial foodservice segments.

“And of high importance, To-Jo will be promoting the upcoming ‘Swap it or Top it’ recipe and retail merchandising promotion that will be starting later this spring in conjunction with The Mushroom Council,” Wilder added.

He pointed out that the Southern Exposure event enables the company to have great engagement with the large number of retailers in attendance.

“And it gives us a chance to meet with many of our existing customers in a smaller show format,” he said. “Being a partner that is committed to quality, the small format puts everyone on an even playing field, allowing our products to really speak for themselves and shine above the rest.”

To-Jo also participates in sponsorship for the Southeast Produce Council and Southern Exposure. It has been sponsoring the opening gala for the past three years.

“And we are proud to support the efforts of the council and its commitment to the growth of the industry,” Wilder added.

The company also announced a new staff member, John Cunningham, who was recently hired as a national account manager to help develop To-Jo’s full line of value-added mushroom products for the foodservice industry. Cunningham will be based out of the company’s Avondale headquarters.

The company is always looking for ways to improve its operational efficiencies so it can offer its customers the freshest products and an unsurpassed customer service experience. Facility improvements and updates are a normal part of To-Jo’s business.

Wilder said [on Feb. 4] that with coldest temperatures behind, it was anticipating a nice uptick in the foodservice segment.

“As the weather improves consumers start to venture out to enjoy some of their favorite dining spots, allowing the segment to close the gap on the retail market that had seen some nice lift through January,” he explained. “People had been hunkered down and cooking at home during the seemingly eternal cold snap that had gripped the country this winter.”

He also noted that To-Jo is looking forward to the growth that the mushroom industry is starting to see as more chefs begin to adopt the “Blendability” concept.

“This is evidenced by the increase in the number of mushroom blended menu items in the foodservice segment,” he said. “The diligent efforts of the Mushroom Council have really started to take hold, and we should all be able to reap the benefits of increased demand in the coming year.”