Windset Farms greenhouses in full swing
Windset Farms, grower of greenhouse produce items, headquartered in Delta, BC, has completed the 64 acre expansion of its greenhouses located in Santa Maria, CA, bringing the total acreage to 128 that is now in full production.
Awe Sum Organics to offer organic seedless grapes this winter
Awe Sum Organics, a leading importer of organic apples and organic kiwifruit, will supply organic red and green seedless grapes to the United States and Canada beginning in late December.
Baloian Farms introduces new hard squash merchandising bin
Baloian Farms has recently introduced a merchandising bin for hard squash.
The goal of this new bin design is to provide a single merchandising source that will display various varieties of hard squash in one easy-to-access location on the retail floor, as well as make retail ordering and store merchandising easier.
MountainKing rolls out Steakhouse Roasters
Crispy, wedge-cut fries served in America's finest steakhouses are now making their way to kitchen tables as younger, health-conscious shoppers are seeking a fresher alternative to saturated fat-ridden frozen french fries.
MountainKing, based in Houston, has introduced its new Steakhouse Roasters, a slender, thin skin, tubular-shaped fresh potato variety that doesn't require peeling and cooks up fast to create steakhouse-quality, oven-baked wedge fries.
Fire at Hunts Point damages Mendez International Tropical Foods facility
A Nov. 20 fire at the Hunts Point market in the Bronx, NY, began at Mendez International Tropical Foods Inc., which occupies units 158 through 162 in Row A of the market.
The fire broke out shortly after 11 a.m. and quickly escalated into a four-alarm blaze.
The first alarm reached firefighters at 11:15. They had to force their way into the building due to a steel beam that blocked their path to the source of the blaze, ultimately causing them to retreat to their fire ladders to fight the flames.
FreshPoint to pay $4.2 million for overcharging Defense Department
Houston-based FreshPoint Inc. has agreed to pay $4.2 million to resolve allegations it overcharged the Defense Department for fresh fruit and vegetable purchases after the government was tipped off about the fraud case through a whistleblower lawsuit.
Owned by Sysco Corp, FreshPoint is a leading distributor that operates 31 distribution facilities throughout the United States and western Canada. The government contracts at issue were awarded to East Coast Fruit Co. but later performed by FreshPoint when the company acquired East Coast in 2007.
‘Lil Snapper’ a big deal at retail for Stemilt Growers
The “Lil Snapper” brand of apples, pears and citrus created by Stemilt Growers LLC continues to provide retailers with ongoing opportunities to boost sales while helping children eat more healthily. “The big deal is still our ‘Lil Snapper’ line,” Director of Marketing Roger Pepperl told The Produce News. “We are really pushing the Gala/Navel mixed bag for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We are lining up a lot of customer demand for this bag and feel it will be a homerun.”
Christopher Ranch announces relocation of Northeast facility
Anthony M. DeAngelis, director, Northeast Division for Christopher Ranch, headquartered in Gilroy, CA, told The Produce News that the company recently relocated its Northeast facility to 78 Mayfield Ave., but it is still in Raritan Center in Edison, NJ.
Fire breaks out at Hunts Point market
A four-alarm blaze occurred the morning of Nov. 20 at the Hunts Point market in the Bronx, NY. The blaze started at 11 a.m.
About 200 firefighters were on the scene, with reports of four firefighters suffering minor injuries.
Hunts Point officials said operations were expected to continue normally, according to a NBC News report.
C&K Market files Chapter 11, plans to emerge in 2014
C&K Market Inc. has filed a voluntary petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to address legacy costs, sell or close underperforming stores and resolve debt issues. C&K’s operations are expected to continue as normal throughout the bankruptcy process as it develops a reorganization plan.