Southern Specialties, which sources asparagus from several regions, utilizes its Peruvian production as a consistent year-round supply to service both foodservice distributors and retailers in the population dense East Coast.

A year ago, Miami-based Advance Customs Brokers International entered into a strategic alliance with a couple of other brokers to help build up their back office and technology capabilities. Little did the principles know that it would pay dividends so quickly.

This year’s Peruvian asparagus deal has been much more consistent than last season featuring better volume and a solid marketing situation, though the tariffs have cut into profits.

During its first year participating in the Fair Trade certification program on its Mexico avocados, GLC Cerritos sold 2 million pounds to U.S. retailers, returning $38,000 to the farmworker committee for its use.

GLC Cerritos, a vertically-integrated Mexican avocado company with a U.S.-based sales operation in Oxnard, CA, is entering its fourth season of importing avocados from the state of Jalisco and it is already among the top six Mexican avocado importers in terms of volume.

Philip Henry, who served as president of the Henry Avocado Corp. in Escondido, CA, since the early 2000s, died on June 30, of cancer.