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Connection and customization lead Russo Farms’ strategy at NYPS

At this year’s New York Produce Show & Conference, Russo Farms is looking forward to showcase its core vegetable offerings and connect with retail and foodservice partners from across the Northeast. Thomas Russo, president of the company, views the annual event as one of the most valuable shows of the year, especially given its proximity and ability to draw a strong mix of customers.

Chrysal acquires Spring From Holland, strengthens position in global florist market

Chrysal International announced the acquisition of Spring from Holland, a company known for its high-quality flower and plant care products, spray paints and extensive global network within the florist market. The purchase follows a successful period of strategic collaboration between the two companies. For years, Spring has been a trusted brand among florists worldwide, recognized for its reliability, innovative color solutions and strong understanding of floral professionals’ needs. The company has built a loyal customer base and established itself as a preferred industry partner. Chrysal

Frank Donio Inc. looks to make and strengthen partnerships

Frank Donio Inc., a longtime Jersey Fresh grower, packer and wholesaler, has been a member of the Eastern Produce Council since it was founded and look forward to the New York Produce Show & Conference every year. In fact, the New York Produce Show was the very first trade show that Annie Pape, special projects and brand manager for the Hammonton, NJ-based company, ever attended and the company had a booth for much longer than that.

Maurice Auerbach Inc. gears up for another New York Produce Show

Marice Auerbach Inc., a leading distributor of garlic and specialty produce in the Northeast, continues to make its mark as one of the most recognized names in the industry. Based in Secaucus, NJ, the third-generation, family-owned company sources a wide range of products from around the world under its AuerPak brand, focusing on garlic, shallots and an array of specialty offerings that include tropical and Asian produce, as well as organic garlic, asparagus, ginger and tofu. The company will once again showcase its extensive lineup at the New York Produce Show & Conference, an event that

Functional labels, active packaging materials win top award

Vidre+ — a next-generation technology of smart labels and active packaging materials developed by Fresh Inset and brought to market in partnership with Avery Dennison, a global leader in materials science and labeling technologies — has been named the winner of the 2025 pre-commercialized Packaging Europe Sustainability Awards. Leveraging Avery Dennison’s deep expertise in advanced materials and global converting capabilities, Fresh Inset has integrated its proprietary active-material innovation into functional labels and packaging substrates at scale. Vidre+ transforms standard label and film

PRO*ACT Crop Update: Desert production improves, berries tight, holiday pull winds down

The desert is finally starting to take shape. After a messy stretch of storms that slowed harvests and complicated load times, fields in Yuma are drying out, plants are responding to the warmer days and we’re seeing the first real signs of stability since transition began. Iceberg, Romaine and leaf are all showing steady improvement. Weights are still inconsistent, but quality is notably better than the tail end of Salinas, and processors should see more reliable supplies as we move through the first two weeks of December. If the weather continues to cooperate, most growers expect volume and
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GrubMarket, an AI-powered technology provider for the U.S. food supply chain and one of the world’s largest private food e-commerce companies, announced it has acquired Procurant, a Los Gatos, CA-based software-as-a-service platform that streamlines fresh procurement, order management and regulatory compliance for the fresh food industry.

Founded in 2018 by CEO Eric Peters, Procurant was developed as a modern, cloud-native alternative to legacy procurement systems used across the perishable goods supply chain. The platform supports real-time collaboration, operational efficiency and end-to-end visibility. Its product suite includes Procurant One for procurement; Procurant Open Link for connecting suppliers with retailers and foodservice operators; Procurant Inspect for quality control; Procurant Trace for FSMA 204 compliance; and Procurant SureCheck for food safety management, which processes more than 1 million temperature checks each day and logs over 40 million food safety observations monthly.

Procurant serves more than 850 customers in 14 countries and facilitates $5.5 billion in gross merchandise volume annually. Its network includes national retailers such as Costco, Walmart, Target and Albertsons Cos., along with growers, shippers and distributors globally. Together, its customers represent more than 90 percent of all food sold in the United States. The company’s leadership team will remain in place following the acquisition.

“Since our founding, we’ve focused on modernizing how the industry buys and manages perishables,” Peters said. “Procurant’s expansive network, powerful SaaS tools and central trading platform help retailers and suppliers collaborate in real time, replace costly legacy systems and gain better insights into their partnerships. Joining GrubMarket is an exciting next chapter. With its infrastructure and AI capabilities, we will expand our reach and bring new efficiencies to the fresh food supply chain.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Procurant to the GrubMarket family,” said Mike Xu, CEO of GrubMarket. “Procurant has established itself as a trusted, purpose-built platform for managing perishables, with a robust trading network that connects buyers and suppliers through modern SaaS tools designed for the unique demands of fresh food procurement. This strategic acquisition expands our software portfolio and strengthens our position as the enterprise AI solutions provider for the U.S. food supply chain.”

Xu said integrating Procurant’s platform with GrubMarket’s technology stack — including WholesaleWare, its AI-powered ERP system; GrubAssist AI, its suite of enterprise AI agents; Orders IO, its e-commerce ordering solution; and GrubPay, its digital payments platform — will create powerful efficiencies for both Procurant customers and GrubMarket’s existing network.

The acquisition will also allow GrubMarket’s subsidiary companies to leverage Procurant’s procurement and trading capabilities to improve collaboration with suppliers, reduce costs and adopt new digital tools across the fresh food supply chain.

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