Mark Overbay leaves United
Mark Overbay, manager of communications for United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association in Washington has resigned from the association. His last day was Friday, Feb. 17. Mr. Overbay, who joined the association in July 2004, "has played an important role in United's communications efforts for the past several years," United said in a statement. "For personal reasons, Mark is moving out of the Washington, DC, area, and will therefore be resigning his position."
Maui Pineapple Co.'s Maui Gold gets new look
Updated product tags and boxes featuring a new design for Maui Pineapple Co.'s extra sweet Maui Gold Pineapple hit grocery stores in January. "The new product packaging better reflects Maui Pineapple's authentic Hawaiian heritage and values, and helps bring the magic of Maui to our customers on the mainland," Howard Nager, vice president of sales and marketing, said in a statement.
Florida Strawberry Growers Association plans to enter Florida's strong tourism industry
The strawberry history of Plant City, FL, began over a hundred years ago when the first railroad was extended to the western coast of the state. Since that time it has evolved into one of the world's larger and more advanced producing areas. The Florida Strawberry Growers Association, headquartered in Dover, was formed in 1982 as a way for growers to become "partners in research, promotion and member-community service." Today, 16 million flats of strawberries are produced annually in the state. The association has also evolved tremendously over the years.
Wal-Mart adds bagged Pink Lady apples for February promo
Valentine's Day took on an added dimension this year when Wal-Mart, the nation's largest food retailer, introduced bagged "Pink Lady" brand apples to its produce departments. The limited-time promotion was detailed by Pink Lady America Director of Marketing Alan Taylor, who told The Produce News that Wal-Mart "made available another option in its selection of Valentine's Day presents, a selection that already included flowers, gift baskets, personalized gifts, candy, fragrances and lingerie."
Four Seasons enlists Maggie Bezart for marketing overhaul
Ephrata, PA-based Four Seasons Produce Co. has enlisted the services of produce industry veteran Maggie Bezart to help recast the company's image and marketing efforts.
Nunhems opens new service center in Mexico
Nunhems, a major global producer of vegetable seeds, has opened a new service center in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico, according to Clark Huffman, director of marketing and sales for Nunhems USA. "Our objective is to be able to provide our customers with services that are more responsive than ever and to take advantage of Leon's strategic central Mexico location and interior port and transportation capabilities as an excellent hub for distribution to the rest of the country," Mr. Huffman said in a statement.
Early California strawberry volume well ahead of 2005
Early strawberry volume from Southern California districts as of late January was running significantly ahead of a year ago when a series of rainstorms caused problems with the crop.
Balancing work and family drives Classic Salads' Danielle Carter
Danielle Carter knows a good mix when she sees one. The 26-year-old sales assistant at California-based Classic Salads LLC is finding that her job there meshes nicely with her roles as mother to six-year-old Ethan and wife of exactly two years this Valentine's Day to her husband, Nick. Ms. Carter, who commutes 20 miles and back every day from Salinas, CA, to Classic's Watsonville, CA, cooler, has worked in the industry for about three years. "I just like the produce business, how it works, how [product] grows," she said.
Baby Vidalias -- like sneaking (and snacking) an early delight
As far as specialty produce items are concerned, Vidalia onions are about as special as it gets. But pull them from the ground a couple of months early and the item climbs the specialty scale even more. Retailers and consumers alike attest to this by buying up every Baby Vidalia that becomes available to them. Delbert Bland, president of Bland Farms in Vidalia, GA, a grower of the prized onion named after its growing region, said that many growers do not like to pull the golf-ball sized immature onions from the ground.
Oppenheimer Argentine pear program features West Coast arrivals
The relaxation of U.S. Department of Agriculture cold treatment requirements will bring more Argentine pears to the U.S. West Coast this season. For the first time in several years, the Vancouver, BC- based Oppenheimer Group will receive its Argentine pears not only into East Coast ports, but also into the ports of Los Angeles and Seattle.