“It is nice to pick up new business,” Bruce Klein, director of marketing for Maurice A. Auerbach, located in Secaucus, NJ, told The Produce News. “But our priority has always been to first service our existing, loyal customer bank. We have many customers in New England, and the New England Produce Council’s annual Produce and Floral Expo provides us with a great opportunity to meet with produce buyers and managers whom we would otherwise seldom have the opportunity to see.”

Kathy Hearl, marketing promotions manager for Fort Pierce, FL-based DNE World Fruit LLC said that the company will be exhibiting at the 2013 New England Produce & Floral Council Expo at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in Boston at booth number 327.

“Tom Cowan, South African sales manager and Stu Monaghan, national marketing manager and Australian sales manager, will both be at the show to greet and meet with visitors,” said Ms. Hearl. “DNE is currently promoting Florida grapefruit and Valencia oranges. We will have some of both on hand at the expo.”

“We are anticipating over 200 exhibitor booths at this year’s NEPC Produce & Floral Expo,” Laura Sullivan, executive director of the New England Produce Council, told The Produce News in early March. “We are very excited about our theme, “County Fair,” which will also be the theme for our booth-decorating contest and the overall show décor.”

The 2013 New England Produce & Floral Expo is the NEPC’s 14th annual event. It is being held  Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in Boston.

Joe Klare of Castellini Co. with SPC President Andrew Scott.

“We have exhibited at the New England Produce Council Expo often, and it is important to us because it has a more mature market,” Jamie Schapiro, director of marketing for Galaxy Nutritional Foods, headquartered in North Kingstown, RI, told The Produce News.

“The focus for us at the expo will be to explain to visitors that Galaxy Foods is now ‘GO Veggie!’,” he added.

“Giorgio’s ‘D’Lightful’ Portabella Caps and portabella sliced products will be featured at our NEPC Expo booth,” said Bill Litvin, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Giorgio Fresh Co. in Temple, PA. “Our specialty mushroom line will also be featured at the event.

“Giorgio’s D’Lightful Portabella vitamin D-enhanced mushrooms are treated to artificial sunlight to enhance the already naturally occurring vitamin D in mushrooms,” he continued. “With this treatment, Giorgio’s vitamin D mushrooms provide 100 percent of the recommended daily allowance.”