Two more executives leaving Chiquita
Cutrale-Safra completed its acquisition of Chiquita earlier this year, and since that time several executives have left and the company announced it will be closing its headquarters in Charlotte, NC. Brian W. Kocher, who had been serving as Chiquita's president and chief executive officer, and Joseph B. Johnson, the company’s vice president and chief accounting officer, are the latest to announce their departures from the company.
Kroger names new president of Dillons
The Kroger Co. has promoted Marlene Stewart to president of the company's Dillons division. She replaces Joe Grieshaber, who was recently named president of Kroger's Columbus division.
Stewart currently serves as vice president of merchandising at QFC, based in Seattle.
Geena Davis featured speaker at Women's Fresh Perspectives Conference
With the April 26-28 PMA Foundation Women's Fresh Perspectives Conference at Loews Coronado Bay Resort in San Diego just around the corner, organizers are confident the some 225 participants will benefit from a powerhouse speaker lineup as well as sessions geared toward three career stages and a unique mentoring program that pairs lesser experienced women with industry veterans.
Family business inspires Joe Fierman to succeed even greater than generations he succeeds
Joe Fierman and fiancée Casey Smith, one minute before he proposed marriage under the Broken Arch at Arches National Park in Moab, UT.
The great success of Duda’s Ready-to-Eat radish line
Duda Farm Fresh Foods Inc., headquartered in Oviedo, FL, is reporting that all of the company’s Florida spring crops are on schedule with no notable weather events.
Jason Bedsole, eastern sales manager for Duda, said, “We are shipping celery, organic celery, cello radishes, value-added radishes, Romaine, Romaine hearts, cello lettuce, green leaf, red leaf, endive and escarole. All products are grown, packed and shipping out of the Belle Glade Farm in Florida.”
Canadian market very important to New Jersey
The New Jersey Department of Agriculture will be promoting New Jersey’s agricultural products to one of its very important markets — eastern Canada — at the Canadian Produce Marketing Association’s 90th annual convention and trade show, scheduled for April 15-17 in Montreal.
“Traditionally, our markets look northward,” Al Murray, New Jersey’s assistant secretary of agriculture, told The Produce News Thursday, March 19.
United Fresh honors Wegmans’ Bill Pool
Bill Pool, Wegmans Food Markets manager of produce safety, has been named the United Fresh Produce Association’s 2015 Technical Award recipient. The award is presented to an individual who has made significant technical contributions to the fresh produce industry.
Year-round Honeycrisp within reach
Year-round availability of Honeycrisp apples will soon become a reality for some retailers and their apple-loving customers. Honeybear Marketing, owner of the commercial rights to the Chilean Honeycrisp, will bring its largest crop of Southern Hemisphere Honeycrisp apples to the United States in late April. This will enable Honeybear retailers to carry Honeycrisp until the grower’s domestic harvest is available in early Fall.
McEntire Produce debuts ChefBuddys Southern Slaw
McEntire Produce, a leading family-owned, fresh-cut produce company based in Columbia, SC, is expanding its value-added “ChefBuddys” product line with the introduction of Southern Slaw, Coleslaw with a southern accent.
Approximately $23 million available for citrus greening research
At an Orlando grocery store filled with Florida citrus, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the availability of $23 million in USDA funding to support research and extension projects for producers fighting citrus greening disease.
Huanglongbing, commonly known as citrus greening, threatens the future viability of the citrus industry in the United States, having infected more than 75 percent of the Florida citrus crop. This funding is available through the Citrus Disease Research & Extension Program, part of the 2014 farm bill.