‘Go Veggie’ promotion of newly developed products being met with great responses from retailers and consumers alike
“We have exhibited at the New England Produce Council Expo often, and it is important to us because it has a more mature market,” Jamie Schapiro, director of marketing for Galaxy Nutritional Foods, headquartered in North Kingstown, RI, told The Produce News.
“The focus for us at the expo will be to explain to visitors that Galaxy Foods is now ‘GO Veggie!’,” he added.
Giorgio Fresh to display ‘D’Lightful’ Portobello mushrooms at NEPC
“Giorgio’s ‘D’Lightful’ Portabella Caps and portabella sliced products will be featured at our NEPC Expo booth,” said Bill Litvin, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Giorgio Fresh Co. in Temple, PA. “Our specialty mushroom line will also be featured at the event.
“Giorgio’s D’Lightful Portabella vitamin D-enhanced mushrooms are treated to artificial sunlight to enhance the already naturally occurring vitamin D in mushrooms,” he continued. “With this treatment, Giorgio’s vitamin D mushrooms provide 100 percent of the recommended daily allowance.”
Pexco Produce Sales seeing success on multiple levels
Pexco Produce Sales is notching up the positives.
J.T. Guida, president of Pexco Produce Sales in Pompano Beach, FL, said the company has held onto its superior rating of 98 percent from Primus Labs since its first rating several years ago.
The company also started a value-added program in the past few years.
HLB Specialties looks to better serve customers as one-stop tropical shop
With distribution facilities located throughout the United States and multiple offshore sourcing regions, HLB Specialties is able to provide its customers with reliable supplies of tropical produce items throughout the year.
Lorenz Hartmann de Barros, director of sales for the Pompano Beach, FL-based importer-distributor of tropical and speciality produce, said that while papayas are the firm’s signature item, it has branched out in recent years with increased volumes of mangos, limes and avocados, as well as a small but robust rambutan program.
Edward L. Myrick Produce adding new items, launching new logo
“We opened an office in Plant City, Florida, last July,” Jimmy Myrick, vice president of Edward L. Myrick Produce in Pompano Beach, FL, told The Produce News. “That office is being staffed by Carl Boyles and Donald Buti. Both men previously worked for Crown Harvest Produce in Plant City. They are highly seasoned professionals who come to our company with many years of experience.”
Mr. Myrick said that the new office will be handling the company’s traditional product line, but it will also be expanding into new items.
Farewell to Wendy Brannen: VOC executive director moving on after eight years of marketing triumphs
No one ever knew quite how she did it.
When Wendy Brannen took over the helm of the Vidalia Onion Committee in Vidalia, GA, in July 2005, she inherited a favorable situation. Market penetration and consumer awareness of Vidalias were already considerable.
But she also took on the formidable task of raising that bar even higher, despite working with tight budgets and a U.S. economy that ranged from disastrous to sluggish during her eight year tenure.
Herndon Farms ready for excellent Vidalia season
Last year, Herndon Farms LLC of Lyons, GA, dodged a bullet in the form of downy mildew that took as much as a third of some growers’ crops but did not impact the Herndon deal. This year, Herndon dodged raindrops; 14-17 inches of rain soaked the region in late February, but strong winds came in and tidied up the excess water in quick fashion.
The Shuman family: From tragedy and loss to triumph and an international sweet onion empire
A successful farmer in Reidsville, GA, and a friend to all, Buck Shuman’s fortunes took a turn for the worse when his kindheartedness left him overextended in the early 1990s. While his farming efforts never failed, as the owner of Shuman Fertilizer, Inc., he sold other farmers everything they needed to plant, grow and harvest a crop — often on credit, a practice that would cost him dearly. By 1994, after putting his four children through college, he was stone broke.
Grower of the Year Award is a bonus for Ray Farms
Ray Farms Inc. of Glennville, GA, has been in the Vidalia onion deal for more than 40 years and the family owned company has always done things one way. Apparently, that is the right way. This year, Ray Farms was selected by its peers as the Vidalia Onion Grower of the Year.
Rio Queen plans ahead with extra acreage of Rio Sweets
While other Texas growers were cutting back on their acreage after two tough seasons, Rio Queen in Mission, TX, took a calculated risk and actually increased production. It was a gamble, but perfect weather and proper planning meant an early start to the season and the company will increase yields by 50 percent over 2012.
“We started shipping sweet Texas onions Feb. 16 so we are extremely early,” said Rio Queen President Mike Martin. “We did that by design. We stepped out and took some chances and made an effort to be early and Mother Nature cooperated.”