LOS ANGELES -- Gourmet Trading Co. announced the third week in September that the purple asparagus season in Peru has started. Both 11- pound and five-pound boxes are available and ready for promotion in the retail and foodservice sectors. "We are excited to grow this unique addition to the asparagus category on our own farms in Peru," Chris Martin, president and chief executive officer of Los Angeles-based Gourmet Trading Co., said in a Sept. 21 press release. "The control we have over the growing, packing and logistics ensure that this delicate product arrives to restaurants and retail

Domex Superfresh Growers, based in Yakima, WA, will be unveiling two new product packaging options at this year's Produce Marketing Association convention and trade show, Oct. 2-5 in Anaheim, CA. The company will exhibit at booth No. 3473. With thousands of acres of the hugely popular Honeycrisp apple coming into production, Domex has created a high-graphic Euro box dedicated to marketing the variety. "These boxes will make great displays and will draw attention to the fact that the limited-availability Honeycrisp is in the store," said Loren Queen, communications manager for the company.

Salinas, CA -- River Ranch Fresh Foods LLC recently expanded its senior management team to include two industry veterans, one in the area of sales and marketing and the other in the area of agricultural operations. The company announced the addition of Rick Russo as vice president of sales and marketing. Mr. Russo brings over 20 years of experience in fresh produce sales and marketing with several Salinas Valley produce companies. He started his career with Sysco in foodservice procurement and merchandising, and has retail and foodservice experience with Tanimura & Antle, NewStar Fresh Foods

Bravante Produce, a well-known grower-shipper in the California citrus industry, is the newest member of Sunkist Growers, the grower-owned citrus marketing cooperative headquartered in Sherman Oaks, CA. "We are excited about our affiliation with Sunkist," George Bravante, managing partner of the Reedley, CA-based operation, said in a Sept. 23 press release. "Sunkist has an excellent marketing and transportation network and a brand name that is known worldwide for its premium products. We're looking forward to enjoying the benefits of Sunkist membership, which we believe will enable us to

CORAL GABLES, FL -- Del Monte Fresh Produce Co. N.A. Inc. , a subsidiary of Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc., a leading vertically integrated producer, marketer and distributor of high-quality fresh and fresh-cut fruit and vegetables, launched Sept. 23 its new vending line of healthy snack alternatives at the National Automated Merchants Convention in Chicago. The line, which features specially packaged bananas and fresh-cut fruit and vegetables, offers vending operators a solution to meet society's growing demand for healthy snacks in vending machines. "Research and growing concern over important

About six years ago, Ralph Laderoot III, a salesman and buyer for Ben B. Schwartz & Sons Inc. in Detroit, returned to where he had grown up after living in Arizona for several years. "As I was graduating from high school, my dad was moving to Arizona," said Mr. Laderoot. "I was looking for a change of scenery after spending my life in Michigan, so I moved with him. I tried my hand at several careers for a few years. I was an electrician, and for a while my brother and I had a landscaping company." As a teenager, Mr. Laderoot had worked in produce departments of grocery stores in Michigan