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.”

Scattaglia Growers & Shippers LLC in Traver, CA, which is in the grape business year-round, expects a substantial volume increase in its Mexican grape program this year, according to Louis Scattaglia, managing partner.

John Galvan and his brother, Louie Galvan, partners in Fruit Royale.Fruit Royale in Delano, CA, expects a good volume of gr