Fresh From The Start's Janna Fitje has the 'write stuff
Janna Fitje got her start in produce quite by chance. The 23-year-old, who graduated from Fairfield University in Fairfield, CT, in 2005 with a degree in English and philosophy, basically "stumbled upon" her current position as a sales assistant at Fresh From The Start LLC, a grower- shipper that is a division of ADS Management in Riverhead, NY. "It's nothing that I ever thought I would be into," Ms. Fitje said about her first job in produce. "Honestly, at first I had no idea what to expect because I had never worked with anything like this before."
PMA Education Foundation to roll out career web site
MONTEREY, CA -- The PMA Education Foundation plans to launch a produce industry job bank on the Internet in the fall. The web site (www.producejobsource.com) will include free resume searches and resume posting. The main goal of the project is to recruit students new to the fresh produce industry, said Cindy Seel, point person on the project for PMA Education Foundation.
Diamond K Produce prepares for strong green chile crop
David and Gloria Kasparian, owners of Diamond K Produce in Deming, NM, are excited about the coming green chile crop, saying that growing conditions have been great this season.
"This year, weather has been no more unusual than normal," Ms. Kasparian said.
Chiles are grown in the Las Uvas Valley near Deming, and Ms. Kasparian said that the growing region affords the grower some natural protection.
Southern Specialties facility expansion completed
Southern Specialties has completed its facility expansion project at its headquarters in Pompano Beach, FL. The company now operates out of approximately 100,000 square feet of warehouse space with expanded office and meeting areas.
RETAIL VIEW: Organic certification offers marketing advantage at retail
In May, Hannaford Bros. Co. proudly announced that it was the first "traditional supermarket in the Northeast" to achieve the designation of a certified organic retailer. According to Barbara Houmann, spokesperson for the Organic Trade Association, Hannaford has joined a very select group of retailers that have gone through this certification process. "There's not many," she said. "It's more than a handful -- maybe two handfuls."
Sunkist and Hy-Vee 'take a stand' for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
Sunkist Growers teamed with supermarket chain Hy-Vee Inc. in support of Sunkist's award-winning Take a Stand national cause-marketing campaign.
In its fourth consecutive year, the Take a Stand program has empowered thousands of kids throughout North America to give back to their local community by raising money for a charity of their choice through an old- fashioned, freshly squeezed lemonade sale.
Turbana to move port operations to Philadelphia
Turbana Corp., headquartered in Miami, announced that it will move its port and warehousing operations to Philadelphia in the spring after 20 years of operating in Bridgeport, CT. Turbana cited a shift in business and new opportunities in the marketplace as reasons for the move.
Tarantino Foods joins Pro*Act network
Pro*Act, a leading fresh produce supplier to the foodservice industry based in Monterey, CA, announced that Tarantino Foods LLC in Buffalo, NY, has joined the company's distribution network.
Tarantino Foods, a second-generation, family-run business established in 1947, operates from a 50,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility, distributing fresh produce and perishable foods to foodservice operators in Buffalo and Rochester, NY, as well as other areas in the western and southwestern regions of the state.
CMI promotes Bob Mast
Bob Mast has been promoted to vice president of marketing at Columbia Marketing International, based in Wenatchee, WA. He assumed the position formerly held by Mike Hambleton, who will continue to work on an array of special projects for CMI.
Mr. Mast came to CMI as its director of marketing in 2003. Prior to his relocation to Wenatchee, he served as assistant produce director and produce category manager for 100 stores in the Fry chain in Arizona. He graduated from Arizona State University in 1995 with a bachelor's degree in management.
Marketing programs pack punch for Washington potatoes
The Washington State Potato Commission continues to fund a number of projects that help promote the value of potato consumption for consumers and professionals alike. The commission's potato-related material is promoted through school programs, recipe booklets and posters, industry brochures, and related publications.
Assistant Executive Director Karen Bonaudi said that the commission's marketing committee continues to look at funding a number of projects. "We have some programs we like a lot," she told The Produce News.