Sweetbay and Reid's to be rebranded as Winn-Dixie and BI-LO
Bi-Lo Holdings LLC will rebrand the Sweetbay and Reid's banners as Winn-Dixie and BI-LO respectively. The changes will take place following the close of its transaction with Delhaize Group in early 2014. Harveys will also be acquired as part of the same deal, but Bi-Lo will continue to use that banner.
Chilean fruit industry assessing frost damage
Evaluations are under way to determine how much damage has been done to Chile's winter fruit crop as a result of recent frosts.
Mike Rodgers, director of East Coast operations for Giumarra Vineyards, told The Produce News Oct. 9 that "it is too early to tell" what damage cold weather has done in Chile. "Most of the damage is to stone fruit and cherries. Grapes have been hit, [but] we don't know how bad."
Rodgers, whose office is in Wilmington, DE, said there were two freezes six days apart.
Tanimura & Antle greenhouse lettuce certified as pesticide-free
Tanimura & Antle, a leading grower-shipper based in Salinas, CA, had its greenhouse-grown butter lettuce independently certified as Pesticide Residue Free.
Lettuce packages will feature a new certification mark alerting shoppers to this unique product benefit. Tanimura & Antle said it is the first to obtain this certification for greenhouse-grown lettuce.
Kingston getting an early start on Ecuador mango program
Kingston Fresh announced that its mango crop from Ecuador will get an early start this year, which is fortuitous timing considering the high customer demand for the fruit.
Les Alderete new general manager at Skyline Potato
Center, CO-based Skyline Potato Co., which handles organic and conventional red and russet potatoes, hired LES ALDERETE as general manager.
New ozone system puts Nash at the forefront of sweet potato technology
With a network of farmers spread across a 120-mile radius in eastern North Carolina, Nash Produce of Nashville, NC, is already widely known in the sweet potato world. And now, the company is making moves to strengthen its position in the market.
Nash recently installed an ozone system “to extend the shelf life of our sweet potatoes as well as eliminate residue from the product,” said Director of Marketing Laura Kornegay.
Nickey Gregory Co. business booming on Atlanta market and in Miami
The Nickey Gregory Co. LLC of Forest Park, GA is on a roll. Business has boomed in recent years, leading to regular expansion of the company’s headquarters on the Atlanta State Farmers Market and a mushroom operation and second warehouse in Miami.
Gregory also recently launched its “Cheryl’s Best” line of tomatoes, named after Gregory’s wife and the company co-owner, Cheryl Gregory.
Center for Produce Safety awards $3 million to 16 projects
The Center for Produce Safety at the University of California-Davis announced 16 new grant awards valued at $3 million.
The research awards are directed at answering critical questions in specific areas of food-safety practices for fruit, vegetable and tree nut production; pre-harvest, harvest and post-harvest handling; and co-management of food safety and the environment. The objective is to provide the produce industry with practical, translatable research data that can be used at all levels of the supply chain.
Sunsweet president adds CEO title
Sunsweet Growers Inc., a leading marketer of prunes, specialty dried-fruit products and fruit juices based in Yuba City, CA, announced that Dane Lance, the company's president, has taken on the additional role of chief executive officer, effective Oct 6.
Arthur Driscoll II, chief executive officer since 2004, is retiring after a distinguished tenure with Sunsweet. During Driscoll's time at Sunsweet, the company achieved record-setting revenue and grower-member crop returns.
Veto puts California governor at odds with citrus industry
California Gov. Jerry Brown's veto of a bill designed to protect the state's citrus growers against the spread of Huanglongbing, or citrus greening, has roiled the members of the state's citrus cooperative.