Gourmet Trading president dies at 48
Chris Martin, president of Gourmet Trading Co., headquartered in Los Angeles, died July 23 while on a trip with his wife, Sharon, and their four daughters. He was 48 years old.
Maui Fresh adds fruit department, makes other changes to keep business growing
LOS ANGELES — It has been just under 14 years since Francisco Clouthier, vice president of Maui Fresh International LLC, here, first began working in the Los Angeles produce industry. That is not a long time by the standards of many who have been part of the Los Angeles produce scene for decades, some for well over half a century. And yet in just those short 14 years, Mr. Clothier observes that he has seen dramatic changes in the business.
In fact, the business has changed a great deal in just the last four or five years.
Fruit Distributing hires two young people, expands into California citrus
COMMERCE, CA — “Where are all the young people [in the produce industry]?” asked Jeff Weisfeld, president of Fruit Distributing Corp. of California, here.
Paramount acquires Healds Valley Farms
In a press release dated July 24, Delano-CA-based Paramount Citrus announced that it had acquired Healds Valley Farms, a Texas-based citrus company that represents nearly 50 percent of that state's citrus market. Paramount Citrus, commonly referred to as PCA, is the largest grower of fresh citrus in North America.
Additional units give Ryeco room to grow
Philadelphia wholesaler Ryeco LLC has acquired two additional units on the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market, expanding its product line and ability to service customers.
"We acquired two units previously owned by the Lipman Company and operating under Colace," John DiFeliciantonio, a partner with Ryeco, said in a press release.
Stevco will have volume growth in Scarlet Royal, Vintage Red and Autumn King
Stevco Inc., which is headquartered in Los Angeles and has branch offices in Nogales, AZ, and in Coachella and Bakersfield, CA, has seen its California grape program increase steadily at a rate of more than 10 percent a year over the last four years. This year, the growth continues, with much of the increase being in three varieties, according to Jared Lane, vice president of sales and marketing. Those varieties are Scarlet Royal, Vintage Red and Autumn King.
Services of Fresh Buyers Inspections Inc. have greater value as inventories build
On-ground inspection of grapes always has value, but there are less likely to be problems with the fruit in market situations in which demand is strong and movement brisk and the grapes move out of the cooler quickly. It is when inventories start to build that inspection services really show their worth, according to Kevin Beno, owner of Fresh Buyers Inspections Inc. in Visalia, CA.
FBI is a quality control company specializing in the on-ground inspection of grapes, tree fruit, citrus and melons out of California and Southern Arizona. The company has been in business since 1991.
Crown Jewels offers wide assortment of grapes from various growers
FRESNO, CA — Atomic Torosian, one of the owners of Crown Jewels Produce Co., here, said that the company “prides itself in having a lot of varietal mix” in its table grape program out of the San Joaquin Valley.
Pandol Bros. to make a big push on new Sweet Celebration variety
Sweet Celebration is a new proprietary red seedless table grape variety from International Fruit Genetics that is being offered this year by Pandol Bros. Inc. in Delano, CA.
While the variety is not exclusive to Pandol, “we have a lot of it, where no one else really has very much of it yet,” said John Pandol, a director of the corporation.
Pandol Bros. made “a big splash” with Sweet Celebration at Asia Fruit Logistica last year, Mr. Pandol said. “We introduced it in a big way in Asia and around the Pacific” and to “certain U.S. retailers.”
Anthony has significant acreage of Sweet Scarlets planted, conventional and organic
BAKERSFIELD, CA — Anthony Vineyards, here, will see increases this year, and in future years, in several varieties of grapes, as young plantings come into production, according to John Harley, vice president of sales and marketing. Much of the growth will be in newer mid and late season varieties, and much of it will be from organic vineyards.
“A lot of the increases will be in our fall varieties that may start harvesting the latter part of August and run through September and into October,” Mr. Harley said. “That is where most of our growth is.”