A mid-October merger of Nuchief Sales in Wenatchee, WA, and Elgin, MN- based Wescott Agri Products is anticipated to bring more than 2.5 million cases of tree fruit, primarily apples and pears, under one marketing umbrella in 2007. According to Nuchief President Randy Steensma, the new company, Honey Bear Tree Fruit Co., is based in Wenatchee with offices also in Elgin, and Don Roper has taken the position vice president of sales and marketing. Mr. Steensma added that Honey Bear integrates marketing, growing and packing services for its domestic retail and export customers. The veteran

SAN DIEGO -- KES Science & Technology, based in Atlanta, honored the W. Newell & Co., the specialty produce division of Supervalu Inc., with its inaugural Seal of Air Security Award Oct. 22, here, during the PMA Fresh Summit. The SAS certification signifies the proactive steps members take to address airborne contamination, which is becoming an important issue to industry regulators. Program members are divided into four categories -- retail, distribution, processing-manufacturing and analytical laboratories - and are given tools to promote their air quality efforts to their customers and

SAN DIEGO -- Much like a Super Bowl halftime extravaganza, each year the Produce Marketing Association tries to outdo its previous annual Fresh Summit International Convention & Exposition. Perhaps one day the event literally may blow the lid off the building. Until then, PMA will have to be content with setting attendance records and pleasing attendees with its conference. This year's event, held here at the San Diego Convention Center, drew record attendance and appeared to be somewhat of a healing salve for an industry still reeling from the ripple effects of the Food & Drug Administration

Family Tree Farms in Reedley, CA, has announced a marketing alliance with Shiraz Ranch in Newman, CA, to market a line of specialty citrus products. The announcement was made Oct. 16 in a press release from Family Tree Farms. The company "has been focused on a growth pattern recently, gearing up for a future that will enable them to expand beyond their current line-up of stone fruit," the release stated. According to Family Tree Farms Director of Marketing Don Goforth, "Shiraz Ranch is the first citrus operation we've encountered that we feel meets our rigid standards for product flavor. Given

Jerry Havel, who was previously vice president of sales and marketing at SunFed in Nogales, AZ, as well as a partner in the company, is now director of sales and marketing for a newly formed produce distribution company in Nogales called Fresh Farms. Fresh Farms, which opened in early October, is owned by the Molina Family in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, who are among the larger grape growers in Mexico, Mr. Havel told The Produce News. "They do an outstanding job in farming and in packing grapes." Although known primarily as a grape shipper, the Molina organization also grows watermelons and

SAN DIEGO -- The fresh produce industry tends toward high marks in the areas of marketing its goods but much lower marks in preventing foodborne illnesses, including the rise in those illnesses from consumption of fresh produce, according to a report card on the industry presented as a workshop at the recent Produce Marketing Association's Fresh Summit. Kathy Means, PMA's vice president of government relations, oversaw the workshop with panelists Robert Brackett, director of the Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition at the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, and A.G. Kawamura, California's