RIO RICO, AZ — SunFed is celebratiing its 20th anniversary in 2014.

Second-generation family owner Matt Mandel has worked for the company for seven years and has seen the firm’s sales volume triple in that time. The 33-year-old Mandel is the firm’s vice president of sales and marketing.

The firm’s elegant office, which was built in 2005 and is highlighted by black stone wall etchings of the company’s name and trademark “Perfect Produce,” speaks to high standards pursued by SunFed.

Red Sun Farms and its sister companies JemD Farms and Agicola El Rosal celebrated being named one of five finalists last week at a gala event held in Berlin, Germany.

The Tomato Inspiration Event honored the world’s best in the greenhouse tomato industry. Judging criteria was based on marketing, distribution and growing as HoritBiz honored the best in the world at the event.

Last fall, Produce for Kids teamed up with ACME Markets, Meijer Stores, Publix Super Markets and more than 20 fruit and vegetable suppliers for the second annual Healthy Families, Helping Kids campaign. During the 2013 campaign, more than $190,000 was raised to benefit local health and wellness classroom projects through DonorsChoose.org.

Steven Danner, operations manager for Eastern Propak LLC in Glassboro, NJ, is the 28-year-old son of Jeff Danner, the general manager for the highly regarded packing operation. The company handles New Jersey peaches and other state-grown produce, summer citrus and a wide range of other products.

“I worked for the company after graduating from high school, but in 2005 I felt that I needed to try something different and so I went to work for a construction firm,” said Danner. “In 2007, I decided to rejoin the company, and my dad and our owners welcomed me back.”

“Synchronicity” is an important term in Maj. Dan Rooney’s life. A fighter pilot with three tours of duty in Iraq and a golf pro who owns a Robert Trent Jones-designed course, Rooney believes everything happens for a reason.

And in his life, everything that’s happened to now has simply led to a means for him to help others.

“Our customers — the importers — are currently bringing in blueberries from Chile, asparagus from Peru, assorted vegetables from Guatemala and mangoes from Peru, among other items,” said Ana Ramos, co-owner with her husband Frank of The Perishable Specialist, a leading customs brokerage firm headquartered in Miami. The company handles fresh produce exclusively.