L.A. LIVE alive with flowers at this year’s World Floral Expo
In the heart of downtown Los Angeles is L.A. LIVE, the sports and entertainment district that surrounds Staples Center and Nokia Theatre, featuring sports and music venues, nightclubs, the Grammy Museum and several movie theaters. On March 11-13 it was also alive with the 16th edition of the annual World Floral Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center and it was a busy few days for members of the floral industry, networking and conducting business with each other.
Mother’s Day task lists can help achieve competitive edge in floral
With over 85 million moms in the United States, chances of having a successful Mother’s Day are on your side. With advanced planning and flawless execution, this high-pressure holiday can easily bring optimum sales.
According to the National Federation of Retailers, Mother’s Day accounts for about one-fourth of yearly holiday floral sales. In 2014 it said 66.6 percent of those celebrating Mother’s Day bought mom flowers, spending a total of $2.3 billion.
Memorial Day Flowers Foundation to decorate veterans’ graves
The Memorial Day Flowers Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, unites the flower industry to place roses and other flowers on the graves of fallen veterans for Memorial Day. Since 2011, it has been honoring the nation’s war dead in Arlington National Cemetery and in hundreds of communities across the country.
Retailers shifting apple displays to accommodate new varieties
Produce executives at supermarkets are responding to the rapid growth of branded apples by rethinking shelf and distribution strategies. Scan data reports for U.S. supermarkets indicate that while supermarkets are generally maintaining displays of mainline apple varieties, many of the legacy and niche varieties are losing space to the emerging apple brands.
Mike Reed to lead business development at SunSelect
With greenhouses in California and British Columbia nearing peak production — and significant expansion on the horizon — SunSelect Produce has strengthened its team with the expertise of industry veteran Mike Reed.
Though ‘no two years are the same,’ G&R Farms looking at another good Vidalia crop
Robert Dasher knows a thing or two about growing Vidalia onions. He brought his first crop to market 53 years ago. Sure, it was just a single acre. Then again, he was only 10 years old.
The Dasher family has been farming in the Vidalia region since 1945. Robert and his brother, the late Gerald Dasher, followed in their father’s footsteps and partnered up as G&R Farms in Glennville, GA, in the 1960s. In 2013, Gerald was inducted posthumously into the Vidalia Onion Hall of Fame.
Continental Fresh remains committed to serving its customers and community
This past year has been a challenging one to say the least, according to Albert Perez, managing partner of Coconut Grove, FL-based Continental Fresh LLC.
“The repeated attack of winter storms has impeded us from generating the sales that we are accustomed to on the East Coast,” he told The Produce News in early March.
Despite the challenges, Perez remained optimistic, noting that the winter weather hasn’t resulted in all bad news.
Weis-Buy imports bolster overall manifest, customer satisfaction
For the past five years, Weis-Buy Farms Inc., located in Fort Myers, FL, has placed a strong emphasis on developing its overall programs for fresh fruits and vegetables. “Our efforts have borne fruition,” Owner Chuck Weisinger told The Produce News. “This year in the fall we will add mini-cukes and Roma tomatoes to our import base.
Texas spring onion season looks promising
As March was coming to an end, the Mexican onion deal was winding down, which is very good news for South Texas onion growers and shippers.
California announces mandatory water restrictions because of ongoing drought
With a dry, brown mountain location as a backdrop on Wednesday, April 1, California Governor Jerry Brown announced mandatory water restrictions on cities and towns across the state designed to reduce water usage by 25 percent.