Rice Fruit Co. values involvement in Southern Exposure
Rice Fruit Co. values involvement in Southern Exposure
Brenda Briggs, vice president of marketing at Rice Fruit Co. in Gardners, PA, said that she and Maggie Reid Travis, sales director, would be manning the company’s exhibition booth, No. 607, at the 2016 Southern Exposure “Produce in Paradise” expo and conference on March 3-5 in Hollywood, FL.
“Maggie and I will be showcasing Rice Fruit Co.’s high-graphic pouch bags, ‘KIKU’ five-case and two-case shippers,” said Briggs. “And we will be offering samples of our delicious premium eastern apples.”
The company has maintained membership of the Southeast Produce Council for seven years and has been exhibiting at Southern Exposure for four years.
“We greatly value our involvement in the Southern Exposure show,” Briggs noted. “We look forward to personally connecting with several of our most important customers and partners. Our participation in the show helps us establish a presence in a region that is very important to our company. And of course, we feel that Florida — the Sunshine State — is the perfect setting to gather with others in our industry during the cold winter months.”
She added that she looks forward to participating in the Southern Roots Women’s Luncheon, which recognizes women in the produce industry. The motivating and engaging keynote speaker for the 2016 luncheon will be U.S. Navy Fighter Pilot, Carey Lohrenz.
“It’s exciting to attend a luncheon specifically highlighting the women in our industry,” said Briggs.
Rice Fruit staff members also participate in the opening dinner gala and Sneakers for Charity, which supports feeding America’s hungry in the southeast and engages the country in the fight to end hunger.
“We are strong supporters of the industry and look forward to networking with our colleagues,” added Briggs. “This will be Maggie’s first experience at Southern Exposure. She comes to Rice Fruit Co. with a diverse agricultural background, which includes her family’s farmers market, Reid’s Orchard & Winery, four years with Penn State Research and Extension and two years as director of sales for a local packing house.”
Rice Fruit Co. added 10 controlled atmosphere rooms to its facility for the 2015 harvest, bringing their total storage to 41 rooms on site.
“We filled the rooms to capacity this year, and added two new sales employees to the sales office,” noted Briggs.
“While the apple season started a little slow due to the apple surplus spill over from the 2014 harvest, we have experienced a strong apple market for the past many months,” she continued. “Fruit quality is excellent and sales have been strong and steady. A strong market will mean better returns for our growers, and that is ultimately our goal.”
