John Killeen, vice president of sales and marketing for Salinas, CA-based NewStar Fresh Foods, has left the company to join Tanimura & Antle as its new vice president of business development. Mr. Killeen had worked at Tanimura & Antle several years ago under Ken Silveira, T&A's current president and chief operating officer. Mr. Silveira said that he was sorry to see Mr. Killeen leave the first time and is glad to have him back. "He's a proven resource and a great relationship guy," Mr. Silveira told The Produce News, adding that he plans to have Mr. Killeen working on "at-large" projects as

When Matthew Ecker looks back on his introduction to the produce industry, fond memories flood his mind. "I was three or four years old riding the forklift with my dad, that's what I'd look forward to every weekend," the 23-year-old Mr. Ecker said about his visits to the warehouse of Vineland Growers Co-Operative, where his dad, Michael, serves as vice president of sales and marketing. Mr. Ecker worked with his father for about seven years as a teenager, but when he turned 19 he decided to venture off for a summer and work for one of the members of the cooperative -- Andrewes Farms. "I decided

Switching to more environmentally friendly light fixtures and lighting is a noble gesture for any company. When it saves money, increases the brightness of the facility and adds an element of worker safety as well, it is truly a win-win proposition. "We have a green logo," said Jack Gyben, who is vice president of marketing and development for Progressive Produce Corp. in Los Angeles, as well as one of the company's owners. "But that green logo for us also represents our commitment to the environment and, in this case, the money we will save by making this switch." Just recently the company

WASHINGTON -- Daily headlines questioning the safety of Chinese food exports have fueled more calls on Capitol Hill to resuscitate the 2002 country-of-origin labeling law. Currently, legislation that would fund the U.S. Department of Agriculture sets firm dates for implementing the country-of-origin labeling law for produce, peanuts and meat. Under the bill, which has passed a House of Representatives subcommittee, the USDA would have to meet deadlines to implement COOL by Sept. 30, 2008, for all covered commodities. Proposed regulations would have to be published by Jan. 17, 2008, and a final

As Linda Stine looks back on her 13-year career with the Fresh Produce & Floral Council, she is very proud of the trade association's efforts in reaching out to new constituencies. The FPFC has done this by both expanding its geographical reach as well as its foray into produce industry categories. Ms. Stine, who is retiring at the end of the year, spoke with The Produce News a few days before the council's annual exposition, which was scheduled for July 24 at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, CA. "When I started, I think the expo attracted buyers [and produce personnel] from six different

Interfresh Inc., a national supplier of fruits and vegetables based in Fullerton, CA, unveiled a new corporate identity and web site. The announcement came during the opening day of PMA Foodservice conference in Monterey, CA, where Interfresh showcased its new look and portfolio of products and services. "We are proud to celebrate our 20th anniversary this year. Over the past two decades, we have evolved from a two-man operation into a national distributor," said Chris Puentes, president of Interfresh. "The transformation of the Interfresh corporate logo and web site is one that we felt was