They say you never forget your first, and for me, Fruit Logistica 2006 will occupy a special place in my memory with the other "firsts" in my life. When I joined The Produce News in February 1995 as an assistant editor, I had been with the publication for about eight months when I attended my first Produce Marketing Association convention. That convention holds a special place in my heart as it was the first time I returned to the city where I had spent most of my 20s as an undergraduate and graduate student at the University of San Diego. I was excited both to see old friends from my former

The Washington State Potato Foundation in Moses Lake, WA, has named the 1956 Washington State Potato Commission winner of the 2006 Industry Leadership Award. Accepting the honor on behalf of the 1956 staff were the two surviving members of the WSPC from that year: Ed McKay (Othello) and Walt LePage (Pasco). The men accepted the honor during the second annual Washington State Potato Foundation Industry Leadership Banquet Feb. 8 at Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake. The Foundation chose to honor the founding WSPC board of 1956 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Washington Potato

Employees of Green Giant Fresh by Growers Express in Salinas, CA, Athan Katsilometes, senior manager of human resources and administration, and Oscar Leal, manager of human resources, earned their certifications as senior professionals in human resources. The certification, which is awarded by the Human Resource Certification Institute, signifies that the recipients possess the knowledge and experience in human resource management necessary to pass a rigorous examination demonstrating mastery in the field. "We are extremely pleased to have two highly knowledgeable human resource professionals

BERLIN -- Fruit Logistica, the international produce trade show and exhibition begun in 1993 and held annually, here, reached new heights with its record-breaking attendance and participation. And while the United States was one of the 112 countries represented among the exhibitors, the two dozen or so U.S. exhibitors paled in comparison to the strong showing by other exhibiting nations. But for those U.S. organizations that did make the journey across the pond to show their wares in Berlin and try to claim a bigger piece of the growing European market, it was a trip worth taking. "We do most

At its Feb. 3 annual board of directors meeting, Washington Asparagus Commission Executive Director Alan Schreiber told board members that forged checks totaling more than $63,000 had been written on the Eltopia, WA-based commission's account throughout 2005, and the organization's former bookkeeper is under investigation by local and state authorities. On Feb. 6, Dr. Schreiber told The Produce News that the forgeries were made public at the annual meeting, and at that time, Jennifer (Jenna) Watkins, 26, was being investigated by the commission's accountants. He added that the Franklin County

Mission Produce Inc. in Oxnard, CA, has announced that the shareholders have purchased a 49 percent interest in Henry Avocado Corp. As a result, the two companies have formed a strategic alliance. "Initially, we are going to be sharing fruit and information and talking everyday," said Steve Barnard, president and chief executive officer of Mission. "The plan right now is to continue to operate the two firms separately as they have in the past," said Phil Henry, president of Henry Avocado. "But we will be looking at how we can create efficiencies in both distribution and marketing." In separate