Heartland Produce Co. announced the retirement of Bud Compher, vice president and co-owner, marking the close of an extraordinary career in the produce industry spanning more than five decades.

Pacific Trellis Fruit announced the appointment of Mike Blume as East Coast sales manager, effective Jan. 5.

Blume joins Pacific Trellis Fruit from Keystone Fruit Marketing, a division of its integrated partner company Progressive Produce, where he most recently served as vice president of sales. With more than two decades of commercial and leadership experience in the produce sector — particularly within the East Coast region — he has a proven history of driving growth, strengthening customer partnerships and leading high‑performing teams.

The Southeast Produce Council has a dynamic lineup of educational session speakers for its upcoming conference, Southern Exposure: From Fields to Families, taking place Feb. 26–March 1 at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, FL.

SpartanNash recently celebrated the grand opening of its first small-format Supermercado Nuestra Familia. At nearly 14,000 square feet, the store is designed for fast, easy shopping — offering the authentic Hispanic products and cultural experiences shoppers expect with the added benefit of convenience. 

The Supermercado Nuestra Familia — located in Omaha, NE — is strategically situated near community schools and directly on a bus route, offering families convenient access for quick shopping trips before or after school and work.

As the produce industry settles into the new year, retailers are facing a familiar reality: a crowded inbox full of trend reports, forecasts and predictions released over the past several weeks.

From flavor exploration and global influences to evolving wellness priorities and shifts in consumer behavior, the volume of insight is significant. The challenge now is not access to information, but knowing what to do with it.

The Save Mart Cos. announced that Jim Perkins has been named president and CEO.  

With deep roots in California's Central Valley, The Save Mart Cos. operates more than 200 stores across California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington with over 11,000 associates — more than 30 percent of whom have served their communities for over 20 years.