LOS ANGELES -- Independent retailers and small retail chains, particularly those that cater to specific ethnic demographics such as Hispanics or Asians, have managed to compete effectively against major retail chains in Southern California over the last several years and, as a whole, have been gaining market share. Several of the smaller chains have experienced impressive growth, adding several new stores each year. With the current state of the economy, the rate of growth seems to have slowed down. They are still expanding, but not as rapidly as in the past, according to Raul Ramirez Jr., a

LOS ANGELES -- At age 25, Erin Liu has a college degree in psychology, has been working at Coast Produce Co. in Los Angeles for about three-and-a- half years, and has already spent two years on the sales desk. In her spare time, her favorite activity is volleyball, and she admits to being "very competitive." Produce wasn't Ms. Liu's intended career path when she began attending the University of Washington in Seattle. She was actually considering pursuing dentistry, "but that ended up not being my path," she told The Produce News June 4. After graduation she came home to Los Angeles and began

ANAHEIM, CA - More than 165 produce and floral exhibitors showed off their products and services at the annual Fresh Produce & Floral Council expo, held here July 14 at the Disneyland Hotel. Despite the tough economy, nearly 1,300 produce professionals, including scores of retail produce, foodservice and floral buyers, attended the event. Store-level personnel, along with regional, store and department managers, meandered through the aisles to get an up-close glimpse of the latest trends in the produce and floral industry. "We are very excited that so many produce and floral professionals took

Eurofresh Inc., a leader in greenhouse tomato production, has submitted a reorganization plan to the courts and expects to emerge from bankruptcy protection in September, according to Brian McLaughlin, the firm's chief financial officer. Mr. McLaughlin said that the vast majority of the firm's major bondholders have agreed to a restructuring plan that will require an additional investment by at least two key players, including original owner and founder Johan van den Berg, who still owns about one-third of the company. Mr. McLaughlin said that the end result is that the firm will cut its debt

WASHINGTON -- Congress is trying to overturn the Obama administration's latest decision to rescind the controversial "no match" rule, but produce groups believe the rule may stay buried for now. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced July 8 that the agency planned to ditch the current Social Security Administration rule, which has been blocked by a court order, in favor of a regulation that would award federal contracts only to employers who use E-Verify to check employee work authorization. The 2007 no-match rule directed employers to act if they receive SSA no-

Papayas are not one of those items that are often promoted at retail. After all, there is no generic promotion board, the crop is not seasonal, the United States has limited production with most of the U.S. output consumed in Hawaii where it is produced, and the volume is in just enough hands that there is no one dominant player in the marketplace. But Brazilian-born Homero Levy de Barros, who has dedicated the past two decades to the tropical delight, believes retailers are missing a golden opportunity when they fail to put papayas on ad with a good promotional price. "If you drop the retail