Index Fresh, based in Bloomington, CA, announced the appointment of John Dmytriw to the position of sales director. "We welcome John to the team at Index Fresh. I am excited about the enthusiasm he brings to his role in our sales department," Dana Thomas, president of Index Fresh, said in a press release. Mr. Dmytriw spent the last seven-and-a-half years at West Pak Avocado in Temecula. Prior to that, he worked for Buyproduce.com in Irvine, CA. "My job is very rewarding because I supply people with something that they want or need," Mr. Dmytriw said in the press release. "Customers are not all

CHEP, a leader in pallet and container pooling, presented a $10,000 check to the National Watermelon Association during the awards banquet at the group's annual convention in Orange Beach, AL. The money will help fund research, lobbying and consumer promotion activities as well as ongoing operations at the NWA. The donation is the result of a partnership between the two organizations that provides financial support for the association as more members use CHEP pallets to transport watermelons to retail. "We are pleased with the initial progress our members have made with the CHEP partnership

Country Fresh Inc., a Houston-based manufacturer and distributor of fresh- cut produce and ready-to-eat meal solutions, announced the launch of the "Country Fresh Organic" line of whole and fresh-cut produce. More than 70 organic items are now processed through the company's six U.S. Department of Agriculture organic-certified facility locations. Leveraging its group of suppliers and regional presence with a dedicated distribution network, the company's "Country Fresh Organic" line is available for daily shipments to national retail locations. Each whole produce item from the "Country Fresh

Programs geared to food editors by the Chilean Avocado Importers Association resulted in more than 26 pages of coverage in the nation's top food, women's and consumer magazines during the 2007-08 Chilean season. Maggie Bezart, marketing director of the association, met with magazine food editors in New York, Des Moines, IA, and Birmingham, AL, in March of 2007 to present information about the Chilean season, about Chilean quality and the versatility of Chilean Hass avocados. The meetings included a presentation from Chilean chef and author of The Chilean Kitchen, Ruth Van Waerebeeke. In New

Pro*Act, a leading fresh produce supplier to the foodservice industry, announced that Produce Distribution Center LLC in Jacksonville, FL, has joined the Monterery, CA-based company's distribution network. Produce Distribution Center LLC was founded by Larry Movsovitz, who runs the company along with his sons, Seth and Max, both members of the fourth generation of the family's involvement in produce that began in the late 1890s with Max Movsovitz. Operating out of a 45,000-square-foot warehouse with 25,000 square feet of refrigerated dock space, Produce Distribution Center provides fresh

Imagination Farms continues to leverage consumer opportunities with the "Disney" brand by expanding its category reach to include mangos in its comprehensive product offerings. Mangos will be supplied by Progreso Produce, based in Boerne, TX. Mark Haun, West Coast sales manager for Imagination Farms, said in a press release, "A comprehensive category assortment is an important goal for our program to assure that we can offer real opportunities for consumers to increase consumption by trying a variety of fruits and vegetables, including mangos." With the "Disney" brand presence continuing to