Quinn keeps pumping great New York apple information out to consumers
In 2002, the New York Apple Association took a major bite out of a ripe, juicy apple opportunity when it hired registered dietitian Linda Quinn to be the association’s spokeswoman in order to promote the health benefits of New York apples. She is passionate, proactive and professes to be a major apple believer for all the right reasons.
Procacci’s success built on PRIDE
Passion. Respect. Integrity. Determination. Excellence. Each can be a factor for a business to be successful. But when a business is built on a foundation of all five, great things are bound to happen.
Joe Procacci knows this all too well, which is why the stated core values of Procacci Bros. Sales Corp. use the acronym PRIDE to represent each tenet.
A&P CEO leaves the company
Sam Martin, who in July 2010 joined the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. Inc. as its president and chief executive officer, has left the company. "We all thank Sam for his time at A&P and wish him well in his future endeavors," the company said in a statement.
At this point Martin's successor as CEO has not been named, but Greg Mays, who has more than 35 years of experience in the supermarket industry, will head the company in the interim.
HBF International announces new leadership roles
Leading produce supplier HBF International announced that owners Doug Perkins and Mark Hurst will be expanding their responsibilities with an eye toward future expansion and opportunities within the industry.
Perkins is now chief executive officer of HBF International, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the company. He formerly served as managing director and director of export sales.
Volume of Peruvian mangos increasing for Kingston Fresh
Kingston Fresh announced that its mango crop from Peru is off to good start and volume is expected to climb with arrivals starting in mid-January.
‘Healthy Living’ is Michigan Apple’s consumer focus
“Healthy Living” is the new positioning of the key promotion of the Michigan Apple Committee. The 2014 marketing effort is running from January to March.
In previous years, the program was run as “Health and Fitness” but the committee decided to emphasize lifestyle over a promotion that sounded more like a diet, indicated Diane Smith, executive director of the Michigan Apple Committee, which is based in Lansing, MI.
Pear Bureau Northwest, partners unite at Fruit Logistica under U.S. Fresh Fruit banner
For the fourth year, the Pear Bureau Northwest will co-locate with other partners at the U.S. Fresh Fruit Booth during Fruit Logistica.
“This allows us to have a larger, more centrally located presence and provide private meeting space for our industry members,” said Lynsey Kennedy, international marketing manager of the Pear Bureau Northwest. “It also makes our booth more of a destination within the USA Pavilion.”
Big Y donates 126,000 pounds of food
In a chain-wide effort to help the hungry within their local communities, Big Y’s fourth annual Sack Hunger/Care To Share program brought 15,741 bags of food to local charities.
Super Bowl leading surge in avocado consumption
The Hass Avocado Board has estimated that avocado consumption around the Super Bowl weekend (Feb. 1-2) will top 100 million pounds this year, representing a 30 percent increase over 2013.
“We have seen consistent growth for many years,” said Emiliano Escobedo, HAB executive director. “Since 2000, consumption [during the Super Bowl time period] has increased 1,200 percent.”
Potandon Produce LLC plans to shake up its marketing approach in 2014
Ralph Schwartz, vice president of innovation and marketing for Potandon Produce LLC, said the company plans to roll out a fresh new approach to its marketing in 2014. “We will continue our sampling trailer tours across America, and we have some cross promotional partnerships in place that will be extremely engaging for consumers,” he told The Produce News.