CHICAGO — In early August, Anthony Marano Co. applied established apple-grading technology to its tomato business.

In an Aug. 20 warehouse walk, Anton J. Marano, vice president of operations and the son of company owner Anton T. Marano, showed The Produce News two shiny-new tomato-grading lines that had only been in use for two weeks.

The Compac-brand lines provide a number of efficiencies, Marano said.

CHICAGO — The sales mix for Mandolini Co. on the Chicago International Market has somewhat shifted toward retail in the last couple of years, according to Greg Mandolini, who owns the firm.

The mix of retail and foodservice was previously about even, but it shifted as consumers moved to “more home entertaining” as opposed to going out to eat. Thus retail customers now buy about 60 percent of Mandolini sales.

“This affects our product mix and changes how you approach things,” Mandolini noted.

CHICAGO — The Miami headquarters of Infinite Herbs & Specialties is the firm’s key distribution point. It also has food-safe refrigerated warehouses in Chicago and Everett, MA.

Camilo Peñalosa, a partner in the company, noted that transportation efficiencies are critically important, especially when shipping light-density items like herbs.

Therefore, he indicated that sales along the long transportation corridors from Miami toward Chicago and the Boston area are very important. Of course sales surrounding those regional hubs are also critical to his company’s success.

CHICAGO — Food-safety assurance procedures are important to Steve Serck, a leading wholesaler on the Chicago International Produce Market and a board member of the Wholesaler-Distributor Board of the United Fresh Produce Association. At the market, Serck is president of JAB Produce, Jack Keller Co. and SAS Cartage LLC and acts as treasurer on the Chicago International Market Board of Directors.

Food-safety measures “are not a requirement yet by anybody,” he said. “But if someone gets sick” from food coming from the terminal market “it will hurt everybody.”

LIBERTYVILLE, IL — Success for a produce brokerage such as Muller Trading Co. Inc., “is all about providing more value,” according to Eric Muller, who started the company here in 2000. “It’s all about maintaining relationships and service. We have to provide service from start to finish.”

Transportation accounts for a broker’s problems “nine out of 10 times,” he said. His firm has been in business long enough to be associated with good trucking resources. Still, problems do arise. Then, “you do all you can to rectify the problem and you find ways to make the customer happy.”

David R. Peterson, a past president of the Texas Vegetable Association and a founding partner in Red Starr and Tex Starr Distributing of Alamo, TX, died while out of the country Sept. 7.