Ray Farms Inc. of Glennville, GA, has been in the Vidalia onion deal for more than 40 years and the family owned company has always done things one way. Apparently, that is the right way. This year, Ray Farms was selected by its peers as the Vidalia Onion Grower of the Year.

West Pak Avocado Inc. has completed its relocation from Temecula, CA, to a new 115,000-square-foot facility in Murrieta, about four miles from the company’s previous location.

“This facility is our company headquarters and also houses packing, bagging, ripening and distribution facilities,” according to Doug Meyer vice president of sales and marketing. “It is going to be a nice compliment to the California crop” for the season just getting under way.

While other Texas growers were cutting back on their acreage after two tough seasons, Rio Queen in Mission, TX, took a calculated risk and actually increased production. It was a gamble, but perfect weather and proper planning meant an early start to the season and the company will increase yields by 50 percent over 2012.

“We started shipping sweet Texas onions Feb. 16 so we are extremely early,” said Rio Queen President Mike Martin. “We did that by design. We stepped out and took some chances and made an effort to be early and Mother Nature cooperated.”

Glassboro, NJ-based produce distributor, Sunny Valley International, which specializes in New Jersey blueberries and peaches, announced the hiring of CHAD R. PUSCHEL as a new sales associate and account manager.

For its 25^th anniversary, Sidney, OH-based Freshway Foods, a processor, repacker, distributor and logistics provider, is celebrating with tremendous growth, positive change and a longstanding commitment to creating a clear value proposition.

The California strawberry industry had record production in 2012 and is looking at an acreage increase of around 6.5 percent this year, with the clear potential, weather permitting, of setting another volume record.