Already among industry leaders in pears, Stemilt Growers has elevated its pear program with the debut of Thermal Tech Tarpless ripening rooms at its Miller Street facility in Wenatchee, WA. The new rooms will enhance the company’s “RipeRite” pear-ripening program, which has been a feature for Stemilt pears for nearly a decade.

With an understanding that everyone from customers and consumers to employees and job-seekers are looking to connect on-line and in real time, Sun World International has launched a new web site that will look to enhance users’ on-line experiences.

Sun World will officially launch the new site (www.sun-world.com) at the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit convention in Atlanta.

On June 13 of this year, Hollandia Produce LLC, which grows and packs the “Live Gourmet” brand of living lettuce, launched a test market of a novel clamshell design that, because of its unusual shape, was given the name “Squircle.”

Recently, the new Squircle clamshell and its accompanying “harness-style shipping carton” were named “one of 28 finalists in the 2011 PMA Impact Awards Excellence in Packaging competition,” according to a Sept. 28 Hollandia press release.

The board of directors at Blue Diamond Growers approved a plan to purchase 88 acres in Turlock, CA, as part of a 15-year capacity expansion plan that includes ongoing operations at the Sacramento and Salida-based plants, with upgrades planned at both facilities.

In response to consumer demand for a better understanding of their food sources, Yakima, WA-based First Fruits Marketing is launching a new promotional campaign in October. The Know Your Grower campaign will grant both consumers and the trade a glimpse into the people behind First Fruits Marketing and the orchards they support.

Lone Star Citrus Growers in Mission, TX, is celebrating its fifth season as a company, but its roots in Texas produce stretch much deeper than that.

The company will proudly be part of the “Texas Town” section at the Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit in Atlanta. Lone Star Sales Manager Trent Bishop said that affiliation reflects the way Texas citrus growers do business — and the deep Rio Grande Valley roots they all share.