Sun World International LLC, a leading California-based agribusiness firm, is positioning itself for future growth through the realignment of key executives and the establishment of three distinct new business units, Allen Vangelos, president and chief executive officer, announced in an April 3 press release.

The new business units - administration, operations and marketing - will be headed by Chief Administration Officer David Hostetter, Chief Operations Officer Kevin Andrew and Chief Marketing Officer David Marguleas. Their appointments are effective immediately.

A couple of Safeway Inc. executives with produce and floral experience have been promoted within the company's corporate structure.

Safeway has announced the promotion of Kelly Griffith, most recently president of the company's Portland division, to the position of president of perishables, replacing Des Hague, who held the post for about one year. Safeway announced that Mr. Hague was leaving the company to pursue other business opportunities.

NEWPORT BEACH, CA -- By design, the Produce Marketing Association lined up guest speakers for its Consumer Trends '08 conference, held here April 3-5, who are good at punching holes in people's perceptions.

What the industry thinks it knows isn't necessarily so, the speakers said. That's not to say that the sky is falling, just that not enough is being done to hold it up forever.

BOSTON -- The old clich? of good things coming in small packages was certainly an appropriate description of the New England Produce Council's Expo, held here April 9 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.

Now in its eighth year, the expo's 230 booths drew approximately 700 attendees and was "one of the biggest and best yet," Robert McGowan, president of the council, told The Produce News.

A grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture facilitated a collaborative effort among the potato commissions of Washington, Oregon and Idaho to help open potato markets in Central America.

Wada Farms Marketing Group LLC in Idaho Falls, ID, and Farm Fresh Direct LLC in Monte Vista, CO, have announced the formation of a new joint venture marketing organization called Category Partners LLC.

The announcement was made in a jointly issued written statement April 7. According to the statement, the new entity is designed to better enable these two major potato suppliers to support the changing needs of retailers, foodservice operators, wholesalers and, equally important, today's new consumer.