The year 2012 started on a good note as importers continued to receive their Andean Trade Preference & Drug Eradication Act duty refunds that were granted in November 2011. This provided a great confidence boost for the industry in the beginning of the year.

The 2012 Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day season did not have the weather-related issues that the floral trade had been faced with in previous years. This allowed the industry to feel confident about the great product it was providing to the consumer.

WAYNESBORO, VA — While solving the problem of how to prolong the life of flowering bulb products, Joep Paternostre created a new floral category. With his wife, Lilian, he brought to the industry a method of growing live bulbs, bringing them to market in their early stages, with a system that keeps them fed and blooming longer.

For the third year, the Pear Bureau Northwest, headquartered in Milwaukie, OR, will exhibit at Fruit Logistica as part of the U.S. Fresh Fruit pavilion.

International Program Coordinator Lynsey Kennedy said this co-location enables the bureau to have a larger, more centrally located presence and provide private meeting space for pear industry members.

"It also makes our booth more of a destination within the USA Pavilion," she told The Produce News.

Lane DeVries, president and chief executive officer of Sun Valley Group in Arcata, CA, was reelected chairman of the California Cut Flower Commission at a commission meeting Dec. 12. Mr. DeVries will serve a one-year term ending in December 2013, according to a commission news release.

Consumers in 2013 are seeking a return to life’s basics, to be in harmony with nature. Taking time to smell the roses may be more than just a cliché for 2013. Positive energy and “happy-nomics” are also part of the 2013 success matrix.

In the sustainability arena, consumers are quite savvy about repurposing and up-cycling. They are looking for similar and transparent corporate values that align with their green thinking.

Victoria sits in her green and red plaid flannel pajamas, pondering where to find classic “Ball” brand canning jars to use as floral containers. Suddenly, she receives a message on her tablet. The local market is offering a special on “Ball” jars, first manufactured in 1884. What year is this? It is 2013, where the mobile device revolution and all things vintage collide.