John Vena Inc., based in Philadelphia, announced the hiring of three new employees to its team.

Wayne E. Bailey Produce Co., a major sweet potato producer, marketer and shipper in Chadburn, NC, markets its foodservice items under the “George Foods” label.

“We also use this brand for our convenience items, which are mostly retail products,” George Wooten, president of the company said.

“Ronnie Mercer, our sales representative, and I will be at the PMA Foodservice Expo at booth 51 to greet customers and prospective customers,” he continued. “We’ll have our full line of sized sweet potatoes-from fingerlings to jumbos.”

Think of it as designer lettuce. A round leaf that fits a hamburger bun with no waste, with bright green frilly edges nearly full circle extending beyond the edges of the bread, a thin mid-rib, a little crunch throughout the leaf, and a sweet flavor, without the bitterness found in some lettuces. These are, according to Rick Russo, director of foodservice and customer solutions at Mann Packing Co. Inc. in Salinas, CA, characteristics of a new lettuce variety exclusive to the company and introduced to the foodservice trade late last fall under the trademark name “Better Burger Leaf.”

Staying on top of popular trends in social media, Well-Pict Berries has launched its Berry Tasty Dash interactive game for the summer of 2013.

The Berry Tasty Dash is a virtual race from coast-to-coast with a cast of colorful berry contestants, each as vibrant and unique as Well-Pict's varieties of premium, proprietary berries.

While the contest will primarily be on Facebook, Well-Pict followers on Twitter and Pinterest will also be able to participate in a wide variety of challenges, such as:

Armed with specific research about what foodservice customers are looking for in their salads, Mann Packing Co., based in Salinas, CA, is expanding its whole leaf lettuce line to include four proprietary items that offer a different take on the traditional foodservice lettuce offerings.

As decision-makers within our companies, we’re routinely asked by vendors and customers to contribute to all sorts of causes. For my company, Produce Marketing Association Foundation for Industry Talent represents a cause we can champion because it’s very much our own cause, not just somebody else’s.

The leaders of Progressive Produce are all in our 50s. We needed to pay more attention to who would be filling our shoes; however, when left to our own devices it was too easy to push that effort behind seemingly more immediate needs.