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Al Gracio of Fresh Network was 61

Albert (Al) Gracio, who worked as a bulk-buying specialist, consolidation dock manager and quality assurance manager for Fresh Network in Salinas, CA, died Jan. 26. He was 61. Mr. Gracio grew up in Spokane, WA, where he graduated from Gonzaga University. In 1965 he began working with his father, Sil Gracio, at Sil?s Produce, a family-owned business. After the death of his father, Mr. Gracio sold the family business but continued to work in the produce industry, moving on to work at Produce Supply and, in Salinas, at Diamond Produce before joining Fresh Network in 1999. Mr. Gracio recently

Nogales celebrates arrival of Mexican avocados

Due to changes in regulations from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the first loads of Mexican avocados are preparing to cross the border through Nogales, AZ. On Nov. 30, the USDA announced the expansion of the Mexican avocado program, allowing avocados from approved municipalities in the state of Michoacan into the United States during all 12 months and into all states except California, Hawaii and Florida. The new regulations became effective Jan. 31. ?The FPAA argued then as it does now that there can be a workable avocado export program that would not present a legitimate pest risk to U

Queen to lead Snappy Apples sales

TPG Enterprises in Othello, WA, has hired Loren Queen as sales and marketing manager for its fresh-cut apple line, Snappy Apples, and as project manager of its tart cherry juice line, Tart is Smart. Mr. Queen has 10 years of experience in the fresh-cut produce industry, most recently as director of marketing for the International Fresh-cut Produce Association. Ivan Taylor, president of TPG, said in a statement, "We are excited to have Loren join our team. We know his level of commitment will take us to the next level." Mr. Taylor said that TPG wants to grow its fresh-cut fruit operations to

Premium Fresh adds key staff members

Four months after its inception, Premium Fresh Farms LLC in Salinas, CA, has announced the appointment of Cynthia Kerr as director of marketing and Craig Long as national accounts manager. The pair represents the first sales and marketing additions for Premium Fresh Farms LLC, a newly formed processing company that purchased the assets of Coronet Foods? Western division in September. Premium Fresh Farms specializes in processed salad and vegetable items for the foodservice industry. Ms. Kerr has assumed the duties of director of marketing and product development after serving as director of

National Apple Month announces 2004 retail display contest winners

VIENNA, VA " The U. S. Apple Association?s National Apple Month program has announced the winners of its fall 2004 NAM retail and military display contests, bringing the apple industry's fall generic apple promotion to a close. ?The National Apple Month retail display contest again provided a jump start to our industry's marketing season," NAM Director Kay Swartz Rentzel said in a Jan. 24 announcement. "The support of our partners " T. Marzetti?s products and the National Peanut Board " and the use of their products provided for increased sales for everyone during the promotional period."

Mountaineer Amy Gates climbing her way to the top

Since her youth, Amy Gates, 28, has made a habit of quickly climbing through the ranks at the companies for which she works. At 15 years old, Ms. Gates "took photographs for a white-water rafting company." By 17, the company owner, who did not realize her young age, promoted her to office manager. ?They paid me really well, and it was seasonal, which worked out really well because I was in college? at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, CA, earning her degree in agriculture business with a concentration in marketing. She maintained the job until her junior year, when
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Albertsons announced a major milestone in its digital transformation journey — the launch of the Albertsons AI shopping assistant, an industry-leading web browser experience designed to make grocery shopping faster, smarter and more personalized. 

As the industry leans into agentic commerce, the Albertsons AI shopping assistant moves beyond search to execute complex end‑to‑end grocery tasks helping customers complete shopping, from recipe to cart, in minutes. Building on the success of the company’s Ask AI tool introduced earlier this year, the agentic shopping assistant is a customer-friendly conversational experience powered by many collaborative agents, now available on all Albertsons Cos. banner websites as Albertsons AI, Safeway AI, Vons AI, Jewel-Osco AI and more.

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