Grant Stanton Produce Co. finds perfect niche in category niches
Grant Stanton Produce Co. Inc., located at the New England Produce Center in Chelsea, MA, was started in 1996. Today the company is owned and operated by Shawn Grant. He told The Produce News that the company handles a full line of mushrooms, all of which are sourced from Pennsylvania producers.
“We also handle greenhouse-grown English cucumbers and peppers,” said Mr. Grant. “The majority of our greenhouse produce is from Ontario and Mexico, depending on the season.”
Del Rey has strong organic, conventional Mexico programs
“Del Rey gets Mexican fruit from two major suppliers in Mexico, and we are very happy with the relationship,” said Bob Lucy, president of Del Rey Avocado Co. Inc. in Fallbrook, CA, in an interview with The Produce News. “They pack the ‘Del Rey’ box for us, so there is a continuity for our customers” who see the “Del Rey” label 52 weeks a year. “That is helpful in marketing.”
Oppenheimer promotes East Coast director of sales
Brett Libke, The Oppenheimer Group’s East Coast senior sales representative, has been promoted to the role of East Coast director of sales.
“Brett has proven to be a very strategic thinker, is well regarded throughout the industry and possesses invaluable leadership qualities,” David Smith, the company’s senior vice president, North American sales and categories, said in a press release. “His experience and knowledge of the business will complement the sales efforts made by many of Oppenheimer’s veteran salespeople on the East Coast.”
Salad bars take center stage in California
FPFC members and volunteers came out to support the salad bar dedication Oct. 17 at Earl Warren Elementary School in Sacramento, CA.
Green Giant Fresh adds new items to retail product line
Green Giant Fresh announces Oct. 19 the addition of 15 new fruits and vegetables to its retail product line. The items will be unveiled at the company's PMA Fresh Summit booth No. 1238. Rounding out 33 produce department categories, these products will be available year-round for national distribution:
California Avocado Commission partners with TMA+Peritus
Staff members of the California Avocado Commission and TMA+Peritus in an avocado grove recently as members of the Wisconsin-based marketing firm were in California to meet with handlers, packers and shippers to become more
FoodLink acquires TRUETRAC
FoodLink, the buying platform that connects fresh food retailers and wholesalers to a network of over 2,000 supplier companies, announced a definitive agreement to acquire TRUETRAC, a leading provider of mobile traceability solutions to growers, harvesters, packers and shippers of fresh produce.
The combined company will be the food industry's first integrated network for the Produce Traceability Initiative that links crop planning, harvesting, packing, order management, shipping, receiving and individual item tracking from the field to the supermarket checkout line.
Community-Suffolk says trends today are connected to value
Community-Suffolk Inc., located at the Boston Market Terminal in Everett, MA, is a full-line hardware vegetable house. Its line includes year-round supplies of celery, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, onions, and a full line of citrus items including oranges, limes, lemons, radishes, garlic, apples, iceberg lettuce, salad savoy and leaf vegetables. The company’s citrus division is based on a developed partnership with Sunkist, and it also labels oranges under its “MF” brand.
JU Fresh bursts onto Mexican avocado scene with $2 million in early sales
Seven weeks ago, Joaquin Urias worked for someone else. Today, he is executive vice president of a company, JU Fresh Produce in Pharr, TX, that has done $2 million worth of business in 42 days.
Fresh Directions
Central Coast row crop shippers were seeing modest to moderate demand on most key items. Russet supplies far outpace demand. Onion shippers were expecting a bullish undertone and potentially a strong seller’s market during the winter season.
WEATHER
The second hot spell in as many weeks was expected to continue through Oct. 18 in Salinas, CA, with daytime highs in the mid-80s. Temperatures were expected to drop into the mid-60s by Oct. 21 then settle into the low 60s Oct. 23. There is a 40 percent chance of more rain Oct. 22-23.