Vision Import Group, a produce importer and distributor based in River Edge, NJ, announced the opening of a Southeast branch office located in Lakeland, FL.

Bruce Letchworth has been named to lead the sales team and will be assisted by Lindsay Love, both of whom previously worked in the Lakeland office of Supervalu and have wide produce experience and a strong record of customer service.

Lisa Hightower has joined United Fresh Produce Association as the association’s new communications manager. Hightower will produce the Inside Fresh United weekly online newsletter, develop content for United’s website and social media sites, work with news media, and promote awareness of United Fresh events, including the upcoming Washington Public Policy Conference.

The Idaho Potato Commission has stepped up its global marketing efforts with the addition of Traci Hiebert as its new international marketing director.

“I think one of the things that makes us successful is that we are year-round suppliers of garlic, both organic and conventional, from all growing regions,” said James (Jim) Provost, managing partner of I Love Produce LLC in Kelton, PA.

“We try to have a combination of supply areas for people that prefer non-Chinese garlic, which would include, California, Argentina and Mexico,” he said. “If we combine those three supply areas, that gives us a year-round supply of in-season, new-crop Chinese garlic.”

There are “some fun things going on” at Index Fresh Inc. this year, according to Dana Thomas, president of the company. One of those is a new bagging program called “AvoBuddies,” which was rolled out to help move the abundance of small fruit being harvested in California this spring

When buyer-segment demand spurred Tanimura & Antle to reintroduce it's field-fresh packaged leaf lettuce, the Salinas-based company had a trick up its sleeve, or at least on its packaging: a personal trip from T&A's fields through its shipping process, into the grocery store and then the kitchen.