INDUSTRY VIEWOINT: 'Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas!'
Let me be the first to echo what the iconic sign at the end of Las Vegas Boulevard has said for years: "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas!" The 2009 United Fresh convention and expo promises to be the best yet. We look forward to a house packed with attendees fully immersed in new technologies, innovations and solutions that will revolutionize the produce industry.
West Pak sales team looks forward to United convention workshops
Doug Meyer, vice president of sales and marketing for West Pak Avocado Inc. in Temecula, CA, told The Produce News April 9 that he is looking forward to attending the United Fresh Produce Association convention April 21-25 in Las Vegas, NV, because of all of the "wonderful seminars and workshops" that are going to take place.
Produce Careers, AgCareers.com partner on payment package data
Arroyo Grande, CA-based Produce Careers Inc. has partnered with on-line recruitment service AgCareers.com in a move that will extend the reach of AgCareers.com's Compensation Benchmark Review, an extensive agribusiness salary survey.
Produce Careers is an executive search firm for the produce, food and wine industries. The recruitment company targets "middle to senior management," said David Stornetta, a principal of the company.
Eric Spell, president of AgCareers.com, said that his company serves employers and employees in North America.
SunnyRidge joins forces with Michigan blueberry shipper
SunnyRidge Farm, based in Winter Haven, FL, has entered into a partnership with Leduc Blueberries LLC, based in Paw Paw, MI. The firms will be working together to promote high-quality Michigan blueberries to a wide range of valued customers.
The new partnership will be called BlueberryRidge LLC and will be packing under the "SunnyRidge Farm" label.
United looks to keep it fresh at Las Vegas convention
WASHINGTON -- While food-safety recalls and third-party audits may be top issues at this year's United Fresh 2009 convention in Las Vegas, the networking opportunities still offer value for attendees during tough economic times, according to organizers.
Hard-hit commodities urge Obama to resolve Mexican trucking dispute
WASHINGTON -- U.S. exporters are hoping for a quick resolution to a trucking dispute with Mexico that has resulted in retaliatory tariffs affecting $900 million in U.S. agricultural products, but they don't expect the issue to be resolved during President Obama's trip to Mexico the week of April 13.
Onions and music both seeing great production by Grigg family
While onions have been grown for generations in biblical proportions by the Griggs of Quincy, WA, it's only recently that family roots have gone in a completely different -- but still faith-based -- direction.
USDA issues slight reduction in Florida orange crop estimate
The U.S. Department of Agriculture released its April orange crop forecast for the 2008-09 season, slightly reducing the total orange estimate by 400,000 boxes, to 157.6 million boxes.
Idaho potato veteran John Stanger has died
John Gary Stanger, a prominent Idaho potato shipper and marketer as well as a founding partner in Wada Farms Marketing Group in Idaho Falls, ID, died April 9 at his home in Idaho Falls from bone marrow cancer. He was 70.
Born March 3, 1939, in Idaho Falls, Mr. Stanger attended the University of Idaho and graduated from Brigham Young University in 1961 with a degree in business. After graduating, Mr. Stanger joined his father in the family potato business, Idaho Bonded Produce, which by the mid-1970s had become one of the larger potato-shipping warehouses in Idaho.
Mission Produce will feature three products at United Fresh show
Mission Produce Inc. in Oxnard, CA, "has been involved with the United convention for a number of years," said Ross Wileman, vice president of sales and marketing. "We see it as a valuable tool to get our message out with our customers and another chance to meet with those people" as well as with "potential new customers that are out there."