New focus at RJO since Rob O'Rourkes return
FRESNO, CA -- When Rob O'Rourke, former president of RJO Produce Marketing, here, and a founding partner of the company, left to work for Topco in Chicago nearly four years ago, his brother John O'Rourke, also a founding partner, stepped into the position of president at RJO.
About nine months ago, after spending three years with Topco, Rob O'Rourke returned to RJO as senior vice president of retail development.
Promotions announced at Sobeys Quebec
Three promotions have recently taken place in the senior produce ranks at Sobeys Quebec.
Pat Calabretta, the former director of produce merchandising, was promoted to senior director of produce merchandising and buying. Simon Faucher was promoted to head buyer, and Francis Berube was promoted to head merchandiser.
In his new position, Mr. Calabretta, who has been with Sobeys Quebec for the past 11 years, will be in charge of merchandising, procurement and quality control.
Albert's Organics and Strube strike distribution deal
CHICAGO -- The Organic Trade Association's All Things Organic Conference & Trade Show, held here April 26-29, was a perfect venue for Albert's Organics, a leading U.S. wholesale distributor of organic produce, and Strube Celery & Vegetable Co., the oldest established produce distributor in Chicago, to announce their new partnership that will have Strube distributing Albert's Organics' products throughout the Chicago area.
Gilmore joins Four Seasons
Four Seasons Produce Inc. in Ephrata, PA, announced that industry veteran John Gilmore joined the organization April 28 in the role of director of procurement.
4M Fruit expands with three new bays at the NEPC
BOSTON -- Mark DeFrancesco is quite proud of 4M Fruit Distributors' new space here at the New England Produce Center. "We're on the move again," Mr. DeFrancesco told The Produce News. "This is an addition that we have been trying to make for the last few years, and like the old saying goes, location and timing are everything.
L&M Cos. steadfast in continued growth and development
"L&M continues to enjoy steady growth," said Bobby Creel, director of business development for the Raleigh, NC-based company. "We are always adding to our line of high-quality products and staying on the cutting edge of produce trends and demands."
Mr. Creel said that the cherry crop in Washington state had a full bloom in early April, so a good program is anticipated through the month of June. "We are now finishing our organic apple crops in Washington," he said. "Then we'll start with organic and conventional apricots, peaches and nectarines for the summer."
United Fresh: Co-locating meeting is scoring big returns
Locating the Fresh Tech and Fresh Marketplace expos together in Las Vegas is already paying off as the United Fresh Las Vegas 2008 show is anticipating record attendance in part due to the success of representing the entire supply chain under one roof, according to the group.
United Fresh Las Vegas 2008 is the first show to merge the two expos, allowing attendees to talk with packaging machine suppliers and with marketers of value-added and organic produce. The new focus is a result of the merger between United and the International Fresh-cut Produce Association.
Media tour educates food editors on California avocado industry
VALLEY CENTER, CA -- Food editors from various consumer publications around the country, from Southern Living to Sunset, had an opportunity April 26 to tour avocado groves in Southern California, meet with growers, visit a small on-farm packing operation and a large commercial packinghouse, have their questions answered by industry experts, and sample some creative dishes using avocados as an ingredient.
Las Vegas restaurants look to L.A.
Ever since the infamous Bugsy Siegel opened the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas in 1946, people from around the world have flocked to the city in increasing numbers every year.
Today, the city offers 124,270 hotel rooms to provide accommodations for over 37 million annual visitors, on top of the resident population of about 60,000. It hosts 3,749 conventions every year.
Any way you cut it, Las Vegas has a lot of mouths to feed.
Mission Produce to debut high-pressure treated avocados at United
Mission Produce Inc. will introduce a new processed avocado product line at the United Fresh exposition in Las Vegas May 5-7, according to Ross Wileman, vice president of sales and marketing.
The new line, which will initially consist of two flavors of guacamole, employs high-pressure technology that extends shelf life by destroying the bacteria in the product. "It basically pasteurizes the product to give you a 30-day shelf life," Mr. Wileman said.