Next generation of Collotti family taking on more responsibilities
Collotti & Sons Inc. occupies units I-7 and I-8 at the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market. The company took occupancy at the when the market opened in June 2011.
Jack Collotti, company president, told The Produce News that his two sons, John age 27, and Brian, age 25, now work full time at the company and they are continually taking on increasingly more responsibilities.
Mr. Collotti is the second generation, and he works with his brothers, Vince and Chris Collotti. The third generation is represented by sons of the three brothers.
Curry set to market quality blues crop
Curry & Co., headquartered in Brooks, OR, has entered its seventh year in the California blueberry deal. The company will build upon its prior successes with increased volume and good quality during 2013.
Crown Jewels eyes expanded blueberry production
The sales team at Crown Jewels Produce Co. in Fresno, CA, is excited about future prospects for California blueberry production. “Crown Jewels Produce is pursuing the expansion of our locally grown California blueberries, some of the most desirable in the market,” Managing Member Atomic Torosian told The Produce News.
T.H. Heckel, head field representative for Crown Jewels Produce Co., examines the Star blueberry variety grown in the foothills north of the Fresno District. (Photo courtesy of Crown Jewels Produce Co.)
M. Levin & Co.’s banana ripening rooms are booming
“Our state-of-the-art banana ripening rooms here at the new Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market employ the latest technology,” said Mark Levin, chief executive officer of M. Levin & Co. Inc. “They are getting a real workout because as fast as we fill them, they’re emptied again.”
PWPM: A food hub and generous donor to those in need
More than a wholesale market that services retailers, foodservice operators and other industry categories, the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market is a true food hub, and it invites the public to come to the market to make purchases.
“It is such an inviting place for people to visit,” Fran Carfagno, director of sales for T.M. Kovacevich International told The Produce News. “It’s nice to see consumers coming in to buy a case of product.”
Perfect storm weather conditions create outstanding blues for Gourmet Trading
Scott Hulsey, vice president of procurement for Gourmet Trading Co. in Los Angeles, said prospects are bright for the 2013 California blueberry season.
“This season has provided ideal growing conditions for the California blueberries,” he told The Produce News. “We had very little rain through our flowering period and no pre-harvest freezes, which can typically have a negative impact on the overall crop load.”
PWPM combines lessons learned with benefits gained
The Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market opened on June 5, 2011; mere days away from the planned formal closing of the previous wholesale market located just a few blocks away. The previous market was an open dock building, much like many of the older terminal markets that still operate across the country today.
It is said that the PWPM is the most advanced cutting-edge fresh produce facility in the world. The many tours people from around the world take at the market are a sure signal that produce professionals are trying to learn from the best.
Family Tree Farms gets jump on blueberry season
By the time the month of February is torn off the wall calendar, Family Tree Farms Marketing LLC has picked its first limited volume of conventional blueberries. “We start quite early, picking very sporadically as early as late February,” Marketing Coordinator Dovey Plain told The Produce News. “But in real terms, we get going in mid-April. May is our peak harvest period and then we’ll trail off through mid-June.”
Volume up for California Giant
The blueberry season is shaping up well for California Giant Berry Farms. “We have more acreage this year than last year and are expecting about a 15 percent increase in overall volume,” Director of Marketing Cindy Jewell told The Produce News.
The company is headquartered in Watsonville, CA, and markets blues to its global customers under the “California Giant Berry Farms” label.
Shuman Produce readies ‘RealSweet’ Vidalias for upcoming summer season
While seed stem is problematic across the Vidalia onion growing region this year, John Shuman of Shuman Produce Inc. in Reidsville, GA, is optimistic that the area will still ship several million boxes of the popular sweet onion this summer.
While volume will be diminished, consumers are ready for Vidalia onion season. And even though Shuman has grown into a year-round supplier of sweet onions from multiple locations, Vidalia is where it all started.