PMA president touts healthy eating at FPFC meeting
CERRITOS, CA — Nearly 300 Southern California produce professionals turned out April 23 for the Fresh Produce & Floral Council's membership luncheon, held at the Sheraton Cerritos Hotel, here. The guest speaker for the event was Catherine Burns, president of the Produce Marketing Association.
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CAC launches snacking campaign
As part of on-going efforts to encourage expanded California avocado consumption, the California Avocado Commission launched a new snacking campaign featuring dozens of avocado snack ideas. The program includes retail programs, public relations, social media, email and online communications.
Stevco finds success with Coachella & Mexican grapes
For Stevco, which is based in Los Angeles, but has offices in the grape growing regions, selling both Mexican and Coachella Valley table grapes works very well for its customers.
“We have customers that want fruit out of California and we have others that are not as concerned about the country of origin,” said David Clyde, president of the firm.
Mini peppers helping to grow category, Prime Time says
The one- and two-pound bags of mini sweet peppers have become a main stream item at many supermarkets helping to grow the category and increase sales.
At least this is the view of Mike Aiton, marketing manager at Prime Time Sales Inc., which is located in Coachella, CA, and is one of the nation’s premier growers of sweet peppers.
He said sales of this relatively new item probably cannibalize traditional bell pepper sales for some consumers, but overall they represent a boost in sales for the pepper category, which has been on a growth curve for at least a decade.
Several factors point to great season for Tudor Ranch
Several factors, including great weather, an improved cultural system, increased marketing opportunities and an early crop, have George Tudor very optimistic about this year’s Coachella Valley grape season.
“The weather has been very steady. Since January, it has not been overly hot and we haven’t had any cold weather,” he said. “On average it has been about 5-10 degrees warmer every day.”
Desert Fresh plans for ‘fast and furious’ season
They plan for it for a year and then the season is over almost before it starts. But for Tony Bianco and Blaine Carian, two third-generation Coachella Valley grape growers and marketers, that’s how they planned it when they started Desert Fresh in 1993.
Bianco, who serves as the company’s president and handles the marketing of the crop grown mostly by his partner, said it is a “fast and furious” season. “We try to get in and out in about six weeks,” he said.
Pasha Marketing continues veg deal for 15th year
In 2000, Nick Bozick, the president of Richard Bagdasarian Inc., based in Mecca, CA, and his Vice President of Marketing, Franz DeKlotz, launched Pasha Marketing as a vegetable entity to complement their grape and citrus lines.
“It continues to be a profitable business,” said DeKlotz in mid-April as the company was launching its 15th year and 30th season in the vegetable growing and shipping business. “We have two distinct seasons (each year),” said DeKlotz.
Steve Root: From coach, to teacher, to grape salesman
The three professions listed in the headline above may not seem as if they are related, but they were the path Steve Root, president of East West Unlimited LLC, in Coachella, CA, took to his current perch as a grower-shipper of table grapes in California’s Coachella Valley.
Root grew up in the valley in Indio, CA, and went to high school at Coachella Valley High School. He excelled at football, which led to a spot on the roster at the University of Alabama where he played linebacker under the legendary Bear Bryant.
Wegmans to build two stores near Richmond, VA
Wegmans Food Markets Inc. confirmed that the family-owned supermarket chain plans to build two stores in the suburbs of Richmond, VA. The stores will be similar in size and design to Wegmans’ current Virginia stores, which range in size from 120,000 to 140,000 square feet.
Interfresh Inc. adds Steven Beyer to its sales staff
Orange, CA-based Interfresh Inc., a national supplier of fruits and vegetables, announced the addition of Steven Beyer to its sales staff in Vernon, CA.