Sam Skogstad, sales and marketing manager for Harvest Sensations LLC in Miami, told The Produce News that the company is a year-round importer of Peruvian asparagus.

“We have longstanding, strong relationships with growers in Peru,” said Mr. Skogstad. “We also import a full line of herbs from Peru and Colombia. Our Guatemalan line of items includes sugar snap peas, sno peas and a variety of baby vegetables, such as baby squash and baby carrots.”

Ralph Tejeda, vice president of the Exp Group LLC in North Bergen, NJ, told The Produce News that the company was currently importing all of its basic tropical items.

Central American Produce Inc. in Pompano Beach, FL, is considering expanding it domestic line to supplement some imported items.

In late January, Michael Warren, president of the firm, said that it was importing cantaloupes, honeydews, seedless watermelons, mangos, pineapples, green onions, leeks, radicchio, bunched radishes, cucumbers, Persian cucumbers, okra and butternut squash into the United States.

The Perishable Specialist Inc. is solely dedicated to the produce industry, and so its business is streamlined to handle perishables exclusively.

Owned by husband-and-wife team Frank and Ana Ramos, the customs brokerage firm in Miami deals repeatedly with the government agencies and departments, vendors and the steamship lines.

Southern Specialties recently completed the expansion project at its headquarters in Pompano Beach, FL.

The company now operates out of approximately 100,000 square feet of warehouse space with expanded office and meeting areas.

The facility has 10 temperature- and humidity-controlled coolers designed to optimize storage conditions for a variety of products. Three computer- controlled ripening rooms have also been added. All staging areas and loading docks are refrigerated, and new energy-efficient lighting has been installed.

Last year, John Moauro, owner of Mor Gro Inc., in Kingsville, ON, bought out his partner in their greenhouse business and consolidated it to the Moauro family. Today he heads up the business with his wife, daughter, son-in-law and brother-in-law on its 50-acre greenhouse.