SpartanNash promotes two executives
SpartanNash Co. has promoted two executive vice presidents to key positions within the company. Dave Staples, SpartanNash's current executive vice president and chief financial officer, has been appointed chief operating officer, and Derek Jones, executive vice president of food distribution, has been promoted to president of wholesale and distribution operations. Both appointments were effective March 1.
U.S. fruit exporters to benefit from Trans Pacific Partnership deal
WASHINGTON — Lifting tariffs as high as 40 percent on U.S. fruits is one of the reasons the Obama administration is advocating for the Trans Pacific Partnership, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said recently.
U.S. trade negotiators are trying to hammer out the biggest trade deal on the TPP with Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.
USDA pointed to key commodities that would benefit from the trade deal.
Southern Specialties shipping Florida blueberries
Southern Specialties has started shipping Florida-grown blueberries in six-ounce "Southern Selects" clamshells. This year’s blueberry crop will include Farthing, Flicker, Chickadee and Meadowlark varieties. Florida blueberries, Southern Selects blackberries and premium Adelita variety raspberries are distributed from the company’s Pompano Beach, FL, distribution facility.
OriginO poised for excellent season in greenhouse organics
A mild winter in British Columbia’s lower mainland is setting the stage for an outstanding season at the region’s top organic greenhouse grower, Origin Organic Farms in Delta, BC, according to a company press release.
“With no prolonged cold spell over the last few months, the plants are thriving beautifully,” Raymond Wong, company president, said in the release.
Utah facility reinforces Houweling’s position as a greenhouse industry leader
Houweling’s Tomatoes continues to reinforce its position as an innovative world-class leader with the addition of its new greenhouse facilities in Mona, UT.
“The Utah expansion is a significant addition to Houweling’s portfolio, as both a year-round supply of USA-grown tomatoes and as a model for sustainable agriculture,” David Bell, chief marketing officer, told The Produce News.
Documentary touts honeybee rebound
ORLANDO, FL — “Save the Queen,” a documentary video on the disappearing honeybee and Colony Collapse Disorder, brought the good news about the apparent rebound in bee colonies in recent years as efforts were mounted to stem the losses.
Stop & Shop exec resigns
Ahold USA announced the departure of Joe Kelley, president of the Stop & Shop New England division, effective March 2. The company said he has resigned from his position to pursue other career opportunities.
Don Sussman, division president of Stop & Stop New York Metro, will also oversee the Stop & Shop New England division on an interim basis. Sussman, who earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from Cornell, as well as his MBA from Cornell Business School, has held his current position with Ahold since late in 2011.
Quebec-based Savoura files for bankruptcy
On Thursday, Feb. 5, major creditors of the Savoura trademark, which claims to be the largest greenhouse tomato producer in Quebec, asked the court to appoint a receiver under the Bankruptcy & Insolvency Act.
The company, founded under the name Les Serres du St-Laurent Inc., and headquartered in Portneuf, QC, began in business in 1988 headed by the Gosselin and Gauvin families.
PrimusLabs sells auditing division to former employee
Primus Group Inc. announced the sale of its auditing division to Javier Sollozo, the former director of auditing operations at PrimusLabs.
The sale of the auditing division has been in the works for over a year and was prompted by a new requirement of the Global Food Safety Initiative’s Benchmarking Committee in response to Azzule Systems’ request to re-benchmark the PrimusGFS version 2.1.
The deal was reached March 1, and Sollozo’s company, JS Audit Group Inc., will do business as Primus Auditing Operations.
Homegrown Organic Farms launches new sustainability program
Homegrown Organic Farms has launched a new sustainability program to showcase the company’s efforts in caring for the land, the environment and its communities.
The Committed to Caring program was created to share stories from Homegrown growers and team members that illustrate the company’s value for these relationships.
“For us, it’s always been about relationships — relationships with our customers, our team members, our communities and the land,” Cherie France, marketing manager for Homegrown Organic Farms, said in a press release.