The Vidalia Onion Committee in Vidalia, GA, announced the 2006 winners for Hall of Fame and Grower of the Year at its annual Growers' Celebration Feb. 3.

The 2006 Grower of the Year award was presented posthumously to Wayne Douberly of Vidalia. Mr. Douberly died in October; his wife, Frances, accepted the award on his behalf.

Temperatures that dropped to about 27 degrees Feb. 17 in Belle Glade, FL, and then to 30-31 degrees Feb. 19 caused losses to sweet corn and green beans that are expected to reach into the millions of dollars.

Chiquita Brands International in Cincinnati has appointed Michael J. Holcomb, 47, vice president of corporate sales and customer development. He will be responsible for the company's global sales organization and will report to Fernando Aguirre, chairman and chief executive officer. He will also serve on the company's management committee.

Two sister produce companies, Coastal Sunbelt Produce Co. and East Coast Fresh Cuts Inc., which share a large facility in Savage, MD, have been acquired by MCG Capital Corp., a publicly traded business-development company based in Arlington, VA.

MCG's management team is also a buyer in this deal, which was completed Jan. 8. MCG Capital indicated that it has $1.3 billion in total assets.

John R. Catlin, who spent some 20 years with the Irvine, CA-based Western Growers Association as the organization's PACA representative, died Jan. 27 in Olympia, WA. He was 90.

Born July 9, 1917, in Platte, SD, Mr. Catlin graduated from South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD, with a bachelor of science degree in animal husbandry. He spent four years in the U.S. Army during World War II, taking part in the Normandy invasion and landing on Omaha Beach on D-Day.

Frontera Produce Ltd. in Edinburg, TX, has added a new transportation group as part of its growth plan for 2007.

Realizing the need to reduce freight costs and develop a more efficient method of securing transportation, the company turned its focus to developing an in-house team dedicated to timely and reliable deliveries. To manage this program, Larry Stone and Dewayne Finn have joined the company, bringing with them an extensive background in transportation and logistics.