The Bonipak Family of Cos. named Scott Cruciger as its new CEO. Cruciger brings over 20 years of experience in the ingredients industry across food & beverage, industrial, pharmaceutical and agricultural markets. He has held leadership roles in multiple business sectors including operations, supply chain, commercial and strategic management. "I am honored to join Bonipak and lead this incredible organization," said Cruciger. "I look forward to building on the strong foundation established and working with the talented team to drive continued innovation and growth." “As a family-owned company
Market Minute: Promote tomatoes to greatly boost sales
The tomato category is one of the top sales volume contributors in the produce department. Tomato sales for a 52-week period were a whopping $4.8 billion. That’s a whole lot of sales the category provided for retailers. Conventional tomatoes generated $4.5 billion with organic tomatoes at $325 million. The round tomato market is steady out of Mexico. Florida is starting to increase production. A steady supply of on-the-vine tomatoes is available out of Canada. Quality of all tomatoes is excellent. Snacking tomatoes have increased in consumer popularity and have become top sellers in the
Bland and Weber kick off Gameday Sweetness promotion
Bland Farms, a leader in sweet onions, is teaming up with Weber to bring flavor and excitement to football season for this year's Gameday Sweetness promotion. Designed to engage shoppers, inspire game-day meals and drive produce department traffic, this brand-new partnership is designed to help retailers score big sales. The promotion gives shoppers a chance to win exciting prizes all season through Bland Farms’ social media accounts, by scanning QR codes on POS and display materials or by visiting the Bland Farms website to enter the sweepstakes for the grand prize provided by Weber. The
Continental Fresh expands Water For All clean-water efforts ahead of annual trek
The leadership behind Continental Fresh has long believed that fresh produce can — and should — do more than feed people. It can improve lives. That philosophy sits at the center of the company’s Water For All initiative, which directs a portion of proceeds from every labeled box of mangos to fund clean-water and sanitation projects in rural Latin America. For retailers and consumers, it provides a simple way to make a tangible impact, and for the Miami-based importer, it has become a defining part of its brand identity.
Lipman Family Farms is spotlighting its expanding fresh-cut capabilities at New York Produce Show and Conference. Attendees can find its conveniently cut and packaged produce solutions at booth No. 416, Dec. 2-4 at the Javits Center. Lipman is attending the three-day event to celebrate the depth of its fresh-cut lineup and connect with its Northeast partners. From fajita and bruschetta mixes to salsa, Bell peppers, onions and more, Lipman’s fresh-cut products are processed at the peak of flavor and innovatively packed to maximize food safety and shelf life. Since its 2023 acquisition of
Oppy has opened a new, significantly expanded office and warehouse facility in south Calgary, bolstering its service capabilities across the Prairies and strengthening its long-term commitment to western Canada.
The new location, which is 50 percent bigger than Oppy’s previous Calgary facility, was developed in response to the company’s continued business growth and increasing demand for value-added logistics solutions. With its lease expiring at the former site and no option to expand, the company seized the opportunity to move to a space tailored for efficiency, flexibility and innovation.
John Anderson and Stewart Lapage
“Our growing core business, combined with the rise in third-party logistics, meant we needed more room,” said Stewart Lapage, vice president of supply chain and logistics. “This new space allows us to offer enhanced services like packing, bagging, grading and ripening, while improving how we move and store produce.”
The new facility features state-of-the-art packinglines, bagging equipment and specialized ripening and grading technologies that support a wide range of produce. Thoughtfully designed coolers, racking and floor plans contribute to greater operational efficiency, enabling the team to optimize produce flow as volume grows.
As a cold storage and value-added service hub, this Calgary location is uniquely positioned to serve not only Alberta, but all of western Canada with increased agility.
“Oppy is committed to evolving with our customers’ needs and finding new ways to deliver excellence across the supply chain,” said Chairman, CEO and Managing Partner John Anderson, who attended the facility’s grand opening. “This space is a physical expression of our promise to grow in step with the Prairies and invest in long-term partnerships across the region.”
Oppy has already hired nearly half a dozen new team members in Calgary and plans to add six more roles in the near future as its logistics and third-party service offerings continue to scale. The site also supports the growth of Oppy Transport, which is expanding to meet increased demand for storage and distribution solutions.
With LED lighting installed for energy efficiency, EV chargers in parking lots, motion controlled lighting and the capacity to invest in future automation technologies, the new space also supports Oppy’s broader sustainability and innovation goals.
“Our team built this facility with the future in mind,” said Lapage. “It gives us the flexibility to right-size our workforce, improve how we serve existing customers and welcome new business with confidence.”
