Dale Liefer, who joined Westlake Distributors in 1982, became a partner in 1984 and has been instrumental in growing the company from Westlake Distributors to Westlake-Miller-Brooks & Sims to now Westlake Produce Co., received the Norman H (Buz) Bolstad Produce Award Tuesday, July 11. Given annually by the Fresh Produce & Floral Council at the FPFC Expo, a list of previous winners reads like a who's who of the Southern California produce scene. Previous winners of the prestigious award include Roger Schroeder, Frieda Kaplan, Dick Spezzano and Jan DeLyser. Presenter Marty Craner of B&C Produce

With the start of the 2006 New York state produce deal just around the corner, residents of the Empire State are anxiously awaiting the displays of local product that will grace the produce departments of their favorite supermarkets. And for two retailers in particular, it is a time to celebrate local product with Pride of New York promotions. Gristede's, a New York City-based retail chain with 42 locations in the state, is participating in the Pride of New York promotion program for the first time this year. The decision to use the state department of agriculture's program that promotes state

ORADELL, NJ -- John Groh has been promoted to publisher of The Produce News, based here, effective July 10. Mr. Groh, who has served as the newspaper's editor and associate publisher for the past six years, will be in charge of all aspects of the day-to-day operation of The Produce News. He will retain some of his editorial responsibilities, and his new title is editor and publisher. Mr. Groh succeeds Jack Bricker, publisher of The Produce News since 1985. Mr. Bricker will continue as president of The Produce News Inc., the corporation which owns The Produce News. He will work full time for

The advent and proliferation of the value-added category and the refrigerated cases in which they are displayed have brought a new dimension to the produce department reset. Today, it is typical for a "category captain" from the supply side to be responsible for resetting the value-added display case two, three or even four times a year. Experts in the field say that resets in the grocery sections of a supermarket have long been the role of the suppliers. Alan Warburg, who is a produce industry specialist in the Los Angeles office of Acosta Sales & Marketing, a nationwide retail sales and

The Produce Marketing Association is partnering with the Food Marketing Institute, the International Foodservice Distributors Association and GS1-US to implement a four-month pilot program among select buyers and sellers to gauge the impact of utilizing the Global Trade Item Number to improve supply chain efficiency and profitability. Participants are PMA members representing both sides of the supply chain, including Wal-Mart, Sysco and BJ's Wholesale from the buyer side, and Tanimura & Antle, Duda Farm Fresh Foods, The Oppenheimer Group, The Giumarra Cos. and L&M Cos. from the seller side

A rash of extraordinarily wet weather in June from New York south through the mid-Atlantic region has caused spotty crop conditions and uncertain supplies are predicted through the balance of the summer, which is when many of those states typically enjoy a surge in interest from consumers looking for locally grown products. In New York, Steve Reiners, an associate professor of horticulture sciences at Cornell University, said that many of the fresh-market vegetable production regions were swamped by heavy rains that fell the last week of June, with the Capital area between Syracuse and Albany