Bay Baby Produce was founded based on president and founder Michele Youngquist’s passion for farming and marketing.

“I never saw myself at a desk job; I knew I needed something that was dynamic, allowed for creativity and had a great intrinsic reward,” she said. “From those principles, I knew I needed to find a great business partner and start taking steps to make the company come to life.”

Salix Fruits, founded by Juan González Pita and Luis Elortondo, first began importing citrus to the U.S. in 2015, focusing initially on lemons from Argentina. Today, the Argentinian-based company has a portfolio of more than 25 fruit items, although, in the U.S., it focuses on the consistent supply of imported citrus.

The company will be attending Viva Fresh as participants this year and is looking forward to all the show has to offer.

As generative artificial intelligence is integrated into nearly all aspects of business, its presence is also likely to influence diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

CalFlowers, a leading U.S. floral association, announced the launch of its new website, www.cafgs.org. This redesigned website aims to enhance the user experience for floral industry professionals, offering a streamlined interface, improved navigation and expanded resources.

Hy-Vee Inc. hired Jessica Hendrix, most recently president and CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi X, a full-service and shopper marketing agency. She will begin her position at Hy-Vee on April 16.

With Hendrix’s hiring, Anna Stoermer, executive vice president at Hy-Vee, will transition from the chief marketing officer role into leading Hy-Vee’s merchandising efforts as chief merchandising officer.

Fresh Express added an Asian Apple Salad Kit and a Twisted Caesar Creamy Truffle Caesar Chopped Salad Kit to its lineup. The new products support the brand’s ongoing quest to bring new, restaurant-inspired, unique salad flavors and ingredients to the category.

Inspired by flavors from around the world, the new Fresh Express products join the brand’s more than 100 varieties of fresh and healthy salad kits and blends, and enable consumers to take their taste buds on a global adventure from the comfort of their home.