Valentine’s Day fell on a Thursday this year, a day in the week that one industry veteran described as “the sweet spot,” and that seemed to lead retailers and growers to issue sunny sales bulletins, with records broken in most companies surveyed and sales widely up by double digits.

Among growers, importers and retailers, 12- and 16-hour days were not unheard of.

It all came together to make Valentine’s Day 2013 a record-setter. One of the biggest floral sales days of the year fell on a Thursday, when couples are less likely to go out to dinner or entertainment and flowers are the preferred gift. The weather was generally sunny, so shoppers were free to roam and the supply chain remained intact. There was no dockworkers’ strike in the United States, and no big floods or freezes in South America.

ORLANDO, FL — The Southeast Produce Council Southern Exposure conference is underway at the Caribe Royale Resort, here.

Attendance is expected to exceed previous records with a “Back to the ‘80s” gala planned for March 1 and a keynote address from legendary college football coach Lou Holtz March 2 among numerous other networking and educational opportunities.

It has been a busy 12 months for Herndon Farms LLC of Lyons, GA. The perennial Vidalia onion powerhouse has beefed up its sweet onion deal with increased Peruvian imports, expanded its offerings in other categories and launched a new label for its booming baby Vidalia onion category.

Produce wholesalers and distributors will have more opportunity to network at this year's United Fresh convention in San Diego after the association announced that its Wholesaler-Distributor board will host a new reception May 14.

Ciruli Bros. LLC continues to push the yellow-skinned Ataulfo variety mango that it markets under its proprietary “Champagne” moniker.

Chris Ciruli, chief operating officer at the Nogales, AZ-based company, said that the Champagne mango makes up the vast majority of sales for the longtime importer, though the firm does sell some red-skinned Kent variety mangos later in the season.

“Yellow mangos are growing at about a 10-15 percent clip per year,” said Mr. Ciruli. “And we expect to continue that growth this year.”