Allen Vangelos named president and CEO of Sun World
The board of managers at Sun World International LLC, which is headquartered in Bakersfield, CA, has named Allen Vangelos, who is a member of the company's board of managers, "to the additional positions of president and chief executive officer on an interim basis." He will oversee all company operations. The announcement was made in a Jan. 18 company press release.
Mexican avocado exporters group sues CDFA
An association of avocado growers in Mexico best known by its acronym APEAM has filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Food & Agriculture, claiming that the department impeded the marketing of Mexican avocados in California. The suit was filed Jan. 11 in Sacramento County Superior Court.
Seald Sweet reels in a great catch in Patrick Norris
Deal-making was his game, and now the citrus industry is likely to be his fame. When 29-year-old Patrick Norris was interviewed by David Mixon, chief marketing officer, and Mayda Sotomayor, chief executive officer, of Seald Sweet, headquartered in Vero Beach, FL, they expressed enthusiasm over the prospect of welcoming into the industry a young person who did not have experience in the produce industry.
Dole makes changes to marketing teams
Dole Fresh Fruit and Dole Fresh Vegetables, subsidiaries of Dole Food Co. Inc., announced enhancements to their marketing operations.
Yvonne Rentmeester has been promoted to the position of marketing services manager for Dole Fresh Fruit. In this position, Ms. Rentmeester will expand her role currently managing the technical services department to encompass banana ripening and product handling from warehouse all the way through the retail store. She will assume direct responsibility for Dole Fresh Fruit's marketing representatives and the merchandising program.
IN THE TRENCHES: Factors to watch in the days ahead
As the U.S. presidential primary races continue, one of the debate topics has been "change." The candidates are being challenged with questions about change. But how will any changes influence business, especially the food industry?
What will happen in produce? Do growers, shippers and retailers have any idea of what lies ahead? Is change expected to have an impact on today's management, or will it be business as usual?
Coastline's Grant Oswalt dies at 50
Grant Oswalt, a senior sales representative at Salinas, CA-based Coastline, died Friday evening, Jan. 11, after a brief illness.
Mr. Oswalt spent some 25 years in the fresh produce industry, having joined the Coastline sales team in October 2005, where he was a senior sales representative. Mr. Oswalt came to Coastline from produce broker Fresh Network in Salinas.
Prior to that, he had been a sales manager at Duda's California operations, Salyer American Fresh Foods Inc., Capurro Farms and Apio Inc., all in California.
Steering committee makes progress on traceability standards at first meeting
WASHINGTON -- Three produce associations moved one step closer to adopting industrywide traceability standards, an effort that the groups acknowledge won't come cheap to a company's bottom line but is urgently needed.
CO2 Activ-pad technology proven effective for strawberries
The benefits of using carbon dioxide to displace oxygen and ethylene in a pallet of strawberries during shipment has long been known, and the technique of enclosing the pallet in a bag and flushing out the oxygen and ethylene by using carbon dioxide has been widely used in the strawberry industry for some 25 years.
Industry out in force for Atlantic Coast Agricultural Convention & Trade Show
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ -- Nearly 1,000 attendees came to network, learn and see the newest products and services available to vegetable growers from over 100 speakers and vendors at the Atlantic Coast Agricultural Convention & Trade Show, held here Jan. 15-17 at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort and sponsored by the Vegetable Growers Association of New Jersey.
Originally known as the New Jersey Annual Vegetable Meeting & Trade Show, the annual event used the aptly phrased slogan for this year's convention, "Making changes. Growing stronger."
Ocean Mist seeks to educate shoppers about 'frost kissed' artichokes
As a result of the recent widespread frosts throughout the growing regions of California, highly flavorful artichokes known as "frost kissed" artichokes are now in stores for a short time.
"The impact of frost on artichokes is similar to how human skin reacts to sunburn," Kori Tuggle, marketing manager for Ocean Mist Farms, said in a press release. "Frost turns the outside layer of the artichoke dark brown, and then it flakes and peels."
Once cooked, the brown outer layer is gone, resulting in the soft green artichoke that is familiar to people.