Personnel moves fortify Oppenheimer's organic and East Coast operations
In early October, The Oppenheimer Group welcomed Barry Parisotto to its Los Angeles sales team. He fills the newly created position of organics category manager for the Vancouver, BC-based marketer. And, sales representative Josh Leichter was promoted to become Oppenheimer's director of sales-East Coast, another new position.
"Expanding our organic product line has been part of our strategic vision for a long time," John Anderson, Oppenheimer's president, chairman and CEO, said in a statement. "Barry's expertise can help take us to the next level."
'Apprentice' villain a sweetheart when it comes to new tomato preference
She was the "The Apprentice" candidate that TV-viewing audiences loved to hate when Donald Trump's reality series first aired on NBC in 2003.
River Ranch to roll out redesigned 'Popeye' line
No Wimpy allowed. No Olive Oyl, Swee'Pea or Nana Oyl either. Just Popeye.
Salinas, CA-based River Ranch Fresh Foods has decided to pin its hopes on Popeye's massive forearms by introducing a repackaged line of Popeye Fresh! Foods using Popeye's image only.
Unlike the old packaging, the redesigned packaging will allow the consumer an ample view of the product inside the bag. There's also a new color scheme and consumer-friendly descriptions of product that make it easy to understand what's in the bag and how the product is used.
Montreal's Michel Desjardins files proposal under bankruptcy act
Michel Desjardins Ltd., one of Montreal's larger wholesalers and importers of fruits and vegetables, filed a proposal under the Canadian Bankruptcy & Insolvency Act Oct. 17, the Dispute Resolution Corp. announced in a statement.
Alain Gravel, vice president of Michel Desjardins, told The Produce News Oct. 24 that the company was still operating and that it was business as usual while its lawyers and trustees worked to resolve what he termed "a bump in the road."
Nickelodeon to run healthy-eating PSAs with former President Clinton
While in office, he wasn't well known for eating healthy, but former President Bill Clinton has signed up with Nickelodeon in a campaign to reach children in the fight against obesity.
Nickelodeon, the children's television network that has committed more than $28 million and 10 percent of its air time to health-and-wellness messaging, plans to run new public service announcements featuring Mr. Clinton and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckebee as they encourage kids to eat healthy and stay active.
RETAIL VIEW: Kroger said to be eyeing Albertsons
If it happens, the Kroger Co. would become the nation's largest supermarket with sales approaching, if not topping, $100 billion. If it happens, Kroger would receive about $1 of every $5 America spends at the supermarket. What the "it" is, of course, the potential sale of the No. 2 supermarket-specific chain in the United States to the chain occupying the No. 1 slot in that category. Though those rankings can be disputed, depending upon who is counting and what is counted, there is no doubt that the resulting firm would be No. 1 by a large margin.
Malena Produce adds veterans to its sales staff
Malena Produce Inc. in Nogales, AZ, announced changes to the sales staff starting with the fall-winter vegetable season.
Malena sales executive Danny Stoller will take over as sales manager for the company's full product line. Saul Gonzalez joins the Malena sales team as senior sales executive.
Congress to vote on delaying COOL until 2008
WASHINGTON -- House and Senate negotiators agreed Oct. 26 to delay the controversial mandatory country-of-origin program another two years for all commodities except seafood.
If it gains final approval, the bill would not require grocers to display origin labeling for fresh fruits and vegetables until September 2008.
"We are pleased with the delay because the existing law is so untenable," said Kathy Means of the Produce Marketing Association. But this doesn't fix anything, she said. "This is not a panacea or a silver bullet."
INDUSTRY VIEWPOINT: One person's hero may be another's villain
Hardly a week goes by without hearing about concerns from local domestic producers about the negative impact of consolidation and the lack of support from their customers, notably retailers, for the domestic industry - not just here in Canada but worldwide. What is also interesting is how folks determine what is local and domestic. Local to one producer often takes on a different definition depending on where he or she lives and what he or she sees as "their" market.
New Zealand master class showcases Zespri green and gold kiwifruit
New Zealand cuisine took center stage recently at the Culinary Institute of America, when about 150 future chefs at the prestigious Hyde Park, NY, campus attended a New Zealand food and beverage master class featuring Zespri green and gold kiwifruit.
The two-evening class, "New Thinking, New Zealand," brought together the flavors for which the South Pacific country is renowned. Experts on kiwifruit, venison, shellfish, apples and wine shared key culinary information, while New Zealand chefs Grant Jackson and Graham Brown prepared signature dishes.