Lorri Koster, the current chief executive officer and co-chairman of the board of Mann Packing Co., believes the Salinas, CA-based company’s 75 years as a successful shipper can be attributed to its ability to adapt to change. But perhaps even more important, the firm has found a niche by going left when everyone else goes right.

An industry friend called me not long ago and told me about his recent store visits. He explained that his trip took him to seven supermarkets and every one of the produce departments looked the same. They all had the usual displays of bananas, lettuce and apples. He claimed that he did not see anything new or different.

On March 15, RM Investors Inc. announced it is acquiring 20/20 Produce Sales Inc., located in Heyburn, ID. The new company will be known as 20/20 Global Inc. In connection with the acquisition, its directors and shareholders were elected as directors and officers of RM Investors Inc. The new board of directors consists of Mark D. Williams, Robert T. Williams, Tom Wason and Colin Gibson. The board also approved changing the name of the company to 20/20 Global Inc.

The Sunshine Sweet Corn Farmers of Florida are growing their marketing support for retailers this spring with their first-ever television advertising campaign. As part of a partnership with the Florida Department of Agriculture’s Fresh From Florida campaign, ads featuring Sunshine Sweet Corn will air in Indianapolis, IN, Buffalo, NY, and Raleigh-Durham, NC, from April 14 through May 11.

In the fall of 2013, Freska Produce International Inc., based in Oxnard, CA, inked a two-year tie-in deal with the Consumer Products Division of the Disney Corp. to link the firm’s mangos with the most popular, iconic Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.

Since opening its South Florida facility in 2004, after cultivating papayas on the Pacific Coast of Guatemala since the 1990s, Ecoripe Tropicals has quickly become a leader in setting the standard for high-quality Asian and Hispanic specialty items in North America.

In order to keep pace with its fast growth and expansion, the company opened its new facility in Medley, FL, in 2010, complete with food-safety certification, cold storage, sales and administrative offices.