Unique Cold Storage’s full line of services benefits shippers and receivers alike
“We offer a unique niche,” Brian Osborne, general manager of Unique Cold Storage in Pompano Beach, FL, told The Produce News. “We are uniquely qualified to handle offshore products in our facility, which can efficiently accommodate a variety of fresh produce items, each in their ideal temperature and humidity to ensure maximum shelf life and quality.”
Big Chuy continues to make improvements in its squash and watermelon varieties
Big Chuy Distributors & Sons Inc. in Nogales, AZ, which is in the watermelon business year round and in hard shell squash, sweet corn, Italian squash and some other items seasonally, will have “pretty much the same program as we have in past years” for “the winter deal this year,” according to Jesus (Chuy) Lopez Jr., the company’s president.
“The volume hasn’t changed,” Mr. Lopez continued. “We will maintain about the same.”
Florida Citrus Hall of Fame selects 2013 inductees
The selection committee for the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame announced five distinguished leaders will be inducted during the 51st Citrus Celebration Luncheon Feb. 27 at Florida Southern College in Lakeland.
Homer E. Hooks of Lakeland and J. Brantley Schirard of Ft. Pierce, FL, will be honored along with three others who will be inducted posthumously: Col. Francis L. Dancy, Paul L. Harding and Mathew K. Veldhuis.
Tweten: 2012 potato season a mixed bag for NoKota
Steve Tweten, chief executive officer for NoKota Packers, provided The Produce News with his comments and observations about the 2012 potato production season.
“We, at NoKota Packers, harvested the tonnage we expected to and filled our storage completely,” he stated. “The Red River Valley, as a whole, is right at the five-year average for storage volume.”
NoKota Packers is headquartered in Buxton, ND, and has more than three decades of experience storing, washing and packaging tablestock potatoes for resale.
Veggies Inc. moves into new, larger warehouse and office facility with better location
“We finally moved into our new facility,” said Marco Barreda, vice president of Veggies Inc. in Nogales, AZ, in an interview with The Produce News.
The new facility is 25,000 square feet in size, with a fully refrigerated warehouse and “a tremendous amount of office space compared to before.” The facility is about double the size of the company’s previous warehouse and offices, Mr. Barreda said. It is Primus-certified and includes “a special room where we have everything set up for our repack line.”
Ocean Spray's new VP of global partners, developing markets
Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. announced the promotion and appointment of Keith Benoit to vice president of global partners and developing markets. Mr. Benoit was formerly the director of international/Latin America markets and director of special markets. He will now be overseeing all business development in the Latin America and Asia Pacific regions, and will also manage Ocean Spray’s North America alliance with PepsiCo.
Utah State University Aggies take home the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl trophy
During the award presentations following the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Coach Gary Andersen said, "The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl belongs to the Aggies," as he accepted a trophy shaped as a crystal bowl loaded with Idaho potatoes.
After scoring 28 points in the fourth quarter, the Aggies won their second-ever bowl game by defeating the Toledo Rockets 41-15.
COI membership increases, services in demand
Membership in Certified Onions Inc., a not-for-profit corporation that provides testing for chemical residue as well as pathogens on onions in the Treasure Valley area of Idaho-Eastern Oregon, continues to grow as food-safety protocols are expanded by buyers.
According to Kay Riley, general manager of member company Snake River Produce and president of COI, said in late November that members now number more than two dozen, with two new companies coming in during 2012.
Consistency characterizes this season for Calavo’s Nogales operation
“The wonderful part about our program this year, for the 2012-13 season is we continue the same operation out of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico” as in past seasons, said Javier (J.J.) Badillo, director of diversified products, who runs the Nogales, AZ, operation of Santa Paula, CA-based Calavo Growers Inc.
“We continue with our greenhouse and shade-cloth” operations as well as some open field production, but most of the production is now in protective structures, he said. There is “very light open-field production these days.”
Joint potato conference a win-win for Northwest industry
Potato producers will have an opportunity to learn more about the state of the industry at the 2013 Washington-Oregon Potato Conference. The event will be held Jan. 29-31 at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick, WA.