The Oppenheimer Co.’s Walt Breeden to take the reins at CPMA
Incoming CPMA Chair Walt Breeden is the director of sales and citrus category manager, Canada, for The Oppenheimer Group. His new responsibilities will include supporting key priorities and focus areas within CPMA’s 2013-14 strategy.
Conditions generate optimism at Weis-Buy
Chuck Weisinger, president of Weis-Buy Farms Inc., had nothing but positive comments about the outlook for fresh produce in 2013. “I’m more optimistic about 2013 than in many years,” he told The Produce News March 13. “Nationwide people are eating more fresh fruits and vegetables and that means business will continue to improve.”
The company is headquartered in Fort Myers, FL, and Mr. Weisinger has been in the produce business for more than 50 years. Weis-Buy specializes in tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers and watermelons.
New Jersey Department of Agriculture enjoys symbiotic relationship with Canada
Al Murray, assistant secretary of agriculture for the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, headquartered in Trenton, NJ, told The Produce News that the upcoming Canadian Produce Marketing Association Convention & Trade Show, being held in Toronto April 17-19, presents a great opportunity for the department to promote the state’s agricultural products.
Canadian Potato Museum beneficiary of Potato Lovers Month
The Canadian Potato Museum is the happy recipient of a $49,500 donation from a joint promotion between Prince Edward Island Farm, W.P.Griffin Inc. and Sobeys.
During the February Potato Lovers Month promotion, Sobeys and Foodland outlets throughout Atlantic Canada sold 10-pound bags of W.P. Griffin potatoes, donating 25 cents from every bag purchased to the museum.
W.P. Griffin Inc. supplied the Heritage Netted Gems. The farm, located in Elmsdale, is a family-run operation, with approximately 3,000 acres dedicated to potatoes, grains and soybeans.
Convention Chair offers warm welcome to largest CPMA to date
Canadian Produce Marketing Association Convention Chair Bernadette Hamel, vice president of national procurement-produce for Metro Richelieu Inc., is ready to welcome the industry to the largest convention in CPMA history. Ms. Hamel — along with CPMA staff and the 12 committees tasked with bringing the annual convention to life — has been working hard to make Toronto’s event one that shouldn’t be missed.
Canadawide-Frescadel to feature new product line
Canadawide will be setting up shop at Booth 305 at the 2013 CPMA Convention April 17-19 to showcase its new Frescadel product line. The line features a new convenient clamshell used for a variety of products, including kiwifruit, grapes, clementines, peaches, plums and nectarines.
With today’s consumers looking for fresh produce full of flavor, packaging is a concern.
Jim Hyatt continues status quo
Jon Hyatt, son of the company’s namesake, who runs Jim Hyatt Produce Co. Inc., along with his brother Paul and General Manager Mike Goettsch, admits not much has changed for the firm over the years.
“I’d say we are pretty much the same as we were last year,” he said. “We’re one of those companies that’s just the same thing over and over again. It’s been the same since we began many years ago.”
Exhibitors mainly happy at WFE
Oren Shapiro had a booth along one of the main aisles of the World Floral Expo at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, and handled a steady stream of interested buyers at the show. Mr. Shapiro, president of Mrs. Bloom’s (Thai) Direct, pronounced himself satisfied with the foot traffic and the interest shown by buyers. “It was a great show for us,” he summarized.
Robert Ilsink, a director of Interplant Roses in Holland, was not unhappy with the show, but he wanted more. “There could be more people here. There could be more exhibitors here,” he said.
Floral trade show sponsor at home on industry stage
NEW YORK — Dick van Raamsdonk was only 24 when he staged his first flower trade show, in Taipei, Taiwan, in 1985. He was calm, with nerves of steel. It was when he came to his home country of Holland to put on his second show that he got stage fright.
“I was very nervous about opening a flower show in Holland, my native country,” he said at the World Floral Expo, here, almost 200 shows and three decades later.
New products in the limelight at international floral trade show
NEW YORK — New products such as green orchids and spray roses 100 or more to the stem in startling new colors and double-sized blossoms were introduced at the World Floral Expo, here, March 13-15.
Arie Van Vugt, president of Plainview Growers in Pompton Plains, NJ, is one of three growers in the United States licensed to use a patented Dutch infusion technology to produce brightly colored orchids. A blue orchid came out about three years ago; lavender, two years ago; yellow last year; and this year, he introduced a bright green orchid called Limelight.