Country Sweet Produce bolsters facilities and increases organic onion acreage
Country Sweet Produce is a fairly young marketing company that continues to make strides every year to improve the quality and efficiency of delivering every type of onion to the industry. Country Sweet is a sister company to Valpredo Farms, longtime Bakersfield vegetable growers.
“We will be shipping onions of all colors and all sizes, all summer long in conventional, organic and sweet onions,” Country Sweet Produce President Michael Valpredo said.
By adding acreage to the organic program, Country Sweet will also be shipping organic onions through August.
For second consecutive season Oso Sweet expands its acreage in Central California
Saven Corp., headquartered in Savannah, GA, has been producing flat yellow Vidalia-type sweet onions for around 26 years under the “Oso Sweet” brand. It now offers “Oso Sweet” onions year-round, with production in various Northern and Southern Hemisphere growing areas. “This is our second year in California in the Central Valley deal,” said Mark Breimeister, a shareholder in the company and national sales director.
Exp Group eyes expansion into banana market
Exp Group LLC is poised to expand its banana import operations in the near future and is increasing its ripening operations to accommodate future business. Vice President Emil Serafino said a total of 17 new ripening rooms will be fully operational in 2013.
“One third of the rooms are done already,” he told The Produce News on May 29. With the approaching summer, he said two-thirds of the rooms will be fully functional. The balance of construction will be completed by the end of the year, when the company will have its final business plan in place.
Sun Pacific launches recruiting campaign to support demand for Cuties
VISALIA, CA — Sun Pacific, which markets its clementines and mandarins under the popular "Cuties" label, hosted a luncheon meeting June 11 at the Visalia Convention Center, here, that drew more than 200 citrus, nut, raisin and tree fruit growers, as well as investors, who came to hear the latest about the clementine and murcott industry and learn about the possibility of packing for Sun Pacific under the "Cuties" label.
Pouch bags gain traction at retail as more shippers make the new pack style available
They go by many names, but gusseted stand-up bags, mostly high graphic and many of them with handles, referred to now with increasing frequency as “pouch” bags are unquestionably gaining in popularity as an alternative form of grape packaging with many retailers.
New website helps Domex Superfresh Growers connect with end consumer
Domex Superfresh Growers, a global leader in growing and marketing fresh apples, pears, cherries and apricots, announced the launch of a new website, Superfreshgrowers.com.
Farm Fresh Produce making a name in summer vegetable deal
Take a young couple with strong roots in the produce industry and a determination to build a business that evolves and expands with every season, and you have Farm Fresh Produce in Faison, NC.
Husband-and-wife owners Steven and Bethany Ceccarelli may be young, but they know their business and they are packed with energy to build what has already become a well-known supplier of summer vegetables.
Southern Specialties continues expanding sales team
Southern Specialties, a grower, importer, processor and shipper of specialty produce from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America and South America, announced June 10 the hiring of Robert Saake as key account manager.
Saake has eight years experience in the produce industry, most recently in the sales department of Hugh Branch Inc. in Belle Glade, FL.
PRO*ACT adds Canadian distributor
North American Produce Sales, a produce distributor based in Vancouver, BC, has joined PRO*ACT, a leading fresh produce supplier, based in Monterey, CA.
Founded in 1938, North American Produce Sales services retail and foodservice customers from a 22,000-square-foot, third-party inspected distribution center.
North American originally was two separate entities, Tom Yee Co. and Tom Yee Produce Inc. Those companies were merged and repositioned as North American Produce Sales in 1994 by third-generation owners Dennis, Harry and Peter Tom.
Longtime United Supermarkets floral director retires, replacement announced
Rex Henderson, who built a great team and department during two decades of excellence as director of floral, was honored with a retirement party May 31, his last day as a member of the management team at United Supermarkets LLC.
“It’s just been a wonderful honor being part of this company,” Henderson said during the ceremony. “It’s truly amazing how much our company has grown in the last 20 years. It’s just been phenomenal to see it and to be a part of it.”