A division of labor that keys in on commodity groups and geographic territories is serving the staff of Muller Trading Co. Inc. well, according to Account Manager/Sales Manager Sarah Miller. “We have a sales person for each of the following groupings: tomatoes, potatoes and onions, California vegetables, citrus and melons, and peppers and squash,” she told The Produce News on March 29.

The Libertyville, IL-based distribution company opened its doors in 2000. Muller Trading works to find the best possible produce at optimum price.

Jeff Olsen New for The Chuck Olsen Co. Inc.

There was no official crop estimate yet for the 2012 Sonora spring grape deal when The Produce News talked to William (Bill) Sykes, president of The Sykes Co. in Nogales, AZ, April 4. He had just been to a meeting of people in Nogales who are involved in the Sonora grape deal, at which the crop was discussed, but no official estimates were announced. “They said they’d have them in a week or so,” he said.

Ethnic communities are growing in Chicagoland, and consumers are increasingly interested in the health benefits of ethnic cooking. Everyday Fresh Produce Inc., a leading ethnic wholesale produce distributor located at the Chicago International Produce Market, is there to make sure that the best quality produce moves into the marketplace to meet demand.

“That’s one of the reasons we’re doing so much better,” President Steve Chmelovsky told The Produce News on March 30.

Customers asked, and Produce Pro Inc. responded. Last October, the company unveiled its new smartphone checkout app at the PMA Fresh Summit in Atlanta.

Chicago-based Testa Produce Inc. is celebrating its 100th anniversary of operation during 2012.

“We will be having an event this summer, although nothing is officially set,” Marketing Coordinator Angela Bader told The Produce News on April 2. “We have added an ‘100 year’ banner to our marketing pieces to announce the anniversary.”