With the annual cranberry harvest kicking off in mid-September, Ocean Spray has geared up to move a crop that mirrors last season’s strong production. The grower-owned cooperative is implementing new programs to extend the fresh cranberry season through the Christmas holiday. Additionally, Ocean Spray has worked hard to meet the needs of its customers by improving keeping-quality techniques and focusing on later varieties.

Southern Specialties Inc., a Pompano Beach, FL-based grower-packer-marketer-shipper, launched its newly designed, interactive and graphically appealing website, which features a fresh and updated look for the company's online presence.

"We set out to match the fresh look of our packaging and products," said Charlie Eagle, vice president of business development for the company, which is known for high-quality year-round supplies of specialty and gourmet fresh produce items.

EuroFresh Farms, a year-round producer and marketer of greenhouse-grown tomatoes and cucumbers located in Willcox and Snowflake, AZ, has an exclusive new snacking tomato variety heading to the market.

Under the newly created “ArtiSun Farms” label, Redi Bites are packaged in a greenhouse inspired clamshell that allows consumers to rinse, eat and store these grape-sized tomatoes.

Today’s berry market is versatile. It involves not only fresh soft fruits, but also dried products, extracts, juices and beverages, oils and other highly specialized ingredients. The growing trends of convenience, naturalness and intrinsic health benefits compute to mean that the role of berries is more important today than ever. The category is experiencing strong growth in all areas of commerce.

At the July 2012 American Pistachio Grower’s Annual Grower’s luncheon, Executive Director Richard Matoian opened up with the problem and the opportunity facing pistachio growers.

“Production is increasing dramatically and we need to increase marketing and consumption, because the production increase is expected to continue,” Mr. Matoian said to the crowd of over 250 in Visalia, CA.

Since August, industry veteran Martin Maldonado has been in charge of the tropical program for Southern Specialties, which is headquartered in Pompano Beach, FL.

Charlie Eagle, the company’s vice president of business development who operates from its Atlanta office, said Mr. Maldonado has been hired to expand the firm’s tropical category. He said tropicals are an important part of the Southern Specialties mix but the company is known as a diverse player with a wide array of products.