ANAHEIM, CA — Jack Gyben of Progressive Produce in Los Angeles and Deborah Jackson of Supervalu/Albertsons received the top annual awards for produce and floral, respectively, at the Fresh Produce & Floral Council Expo, held July 19, here.

Mr. Gyben, who is a partner at Progressive and also is the firm’s vice president of marketing and business development, was cited for his tireless devotion to the industry and particularly to the FPFC. He has served several terms on the board of directors and was chairman of the organization in 2006.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service has cleared Peruvian avocados to enter the United States without cold treatment.

"This approval by APHIS will go a very long way toward the development of the U.S. market for Peruvian avocados in the May-through-September marketing window," Mark Greenberg, senior vice president of procurement and chief operating officer of Fisher Capespan in Montreal, told The Produce News July 19, the same day the announcement was made.

At California Giant Berry Farms, staff and executives alike rolled up their sleeves recently to host a community barbecue supporting three local charitable organizations.

This year marks the 7^th annual Skirt Steak Fundraiser BBQ held at California Giant offices in Watsonville, CA, and proved to be the biggest one yet.

Richard Sambado, director of domestic sales for Primavera Marketing Inc. in Linden, CA, told The Produce News that the company packs and ships approximately 1.4 million of the 2.2 million boxes of apples produced in California annually.

The 2011-12 potato season is shaping up nicely for Wahluke Produce Inc. in Mattawa, WA. “We had a wet, cool spring and a very mild summer so far,” Sales Manager Scott Nesbit told The Produce News July 22. “Growing conditions have been almost perfect for growing potatoes this summer. But we still have August to get through. Anything can still happen.”

The harvest was anticipated to ramp up on Aug. 8, which Mr. Nesbit said is two weeks behind typical timetables. “We are hoping for a great crop this year,” he went on to say. “We expect good sizing and quality on our storage crop.”

By paying close attention to the needs of its customer base, Green Tree International Inc. continually validates its reputation as an innovative broker and supplier of quality potatoes from the Pacific Northwest.

“We deliver to individual specs required by our customers,” Co-owner Cary Crum told The Produce News Aug. 1.