For its line of high-quality greenhouse vegetables, Heathrow, FL-based Village Farms International Inc. uses sensory-focused appealing trademarked names, high-impact graphics and consumer-friendly packaging.

The combination results in great marketing and promotional opportunities that translate to increased and repeated sales by its customers.

As confirmation, the company’s Love Handles series of grab-n-go snack bags has been nominated as a finalist in this year’s Produce Innovation Awards for the Best New Vegetable Product category at the United Fresh trade show. All finalists will be on display on the show floor June 21-22 in Chicago.

Douglas Kling, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, told The Produce News that the company is proud its exclusive collection of Love Handles Snack Bags has been nominated for the award this year.

There are five varieties, Heavenly Villagio Marzano, Cabernet Estate Reserve, Cherry No. 9, True Rebel Mix and Lip Smack’n Grape.  Each variety packed in a 10-ounce grab ‘n go quick zip pouch are filled with Village Farms’ exclusive, full-of-flavor tomato varieties, said Kling, who added that the company is excited about the opportunity to share the news of its product innovation with visitors to the expo.

“Consumers are looking for tomatoes that are tasty, sweet and healthy, while packaged for convenience,” said Kling. “So the Love Handles series of bags is really helping people get a handle on healthy snacking.”

Village Farms continues expand with new varieties and packs that are fresh and appealing and that draw consumer attention.

In addition to Kling, Michael A. DeGiglio, president and chief executive officer; Bret Wiley, vice president of sales and sales operations; Mike Robinson, vice president of distribution; Lyra Vance, director of strategic business and sales development; Debi Street, director of variety development and innovation; Helen L. Aquino, director of brand marketing and communication; Mike Carr, national field marketing manager; and Krysten DeGiglio, assistant regional sales manager, will be on hand at the company’s business suite (No. 1838) during the show.

”We are also participating in the Fresh Festival for School Foodservice, and cosponsoring the opening reception being held this year at the Museum of Contemporary Art,” said Kling. “There is a lot of excitement going on for Village Farms at the United Fresh event this year.”

The Fresh Festival for School Foodservice is a private, off-the-trade-show-floor tasting reception for school foodservice buyers from the nation’s largest and most influential school districts. The event will be held Tuesday, June 21, immediately after the first day of the show.

Many good things are happening for Village Farms. The company recently announced that it had formed an exclusive distribution agreement with Great Northern Hydroponics in Kingsville, ON.

”We are happy to be able to extend our exclusive specialty tomatoes varieties with additional production capacity,” DeGiglio said in a May 28 press release. “This allows us to expand our entire product line into the Ontario market, eastern Canada, as well as the Midwest and eastern United States to both existing customers and new customers.”

Village Farms announced on April 5 it had entered an agreement to build a two-megawatt solar array adjacent to its 30-acre Permian Basin Division greenhouse in Monahans, TX.  

‘We are excited to announce our next renewable energy development, which not only enhances one of our strategic priorities in supporting our core sustainable growing practices, but also locks in our daytime electricity costs at our Permian Basin facility, one of the world’s most advanced hi-tech greenhouses, for the next 20 years,” DeGiglio said in the press release.