Melissa?s/World Variety Produce, the world-renowned specialty produce distributor based in Los Angeles, has a new employee in its ranks. The employee is not unlike other recent college grads in that she has the youthful exuberance and drive that companies look for when taking a chance on new hires. But what sets this candidate apart is that she happens to be the namesake of the company which now employs her. Melissa Hernandez " the "Melissa? for whom the company is named " officially joined Melissa?s/World Variety Produce at the start of 2005 after having graduated from the University of

OVIEDO, FL " A. Duda & Sons, a major grower, shipper and marketer of fresh produce, announced that it will begin shipping iceless broccoli using a new patented system developed by StePac USA, an agri-tech company that specializes in providing post-harvest solutions for the fresh produce industry. The system uses programmable logic controllers that precisely monitor product quality at critical points throughout the cooling process, as well as a total packaging system that extends shelf life. A unique feature of the system is the ability to provide customers with quality-assurance documentation

Encouraged by the prospects of an exceptional table grape harvest, Chile?s fresh fruit industry is expecting another record-setting export season. Unexpected rains in early November that drenched many cherry and early apricot export plans and set back harvest times for most crops by seven to 10 days, are seen as only temporary setbacks, according to a December 2004 press release from the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association in Sacramento, CA. Fresh fruit exports last season grew by 11 percent to a record 217 million cases, led by a 28 percent export surge to the European Union. Fruit exports to the

SALINAS, CA " Rosalie Pollard has called it a career after working 39 years for the Antle family. Ms. Pollard started her lengthy sales career in produce working at the former Bud Antle Inc., here. Now 61, Ms. Pollard started her career in produce in 1966 working for Bud Antle as his receptionist and secretary. This continued for about 18 months until Mr. Antle asked her if she would like to move into sales. Ms. Pollard recalls picking up the phones in those early days in the adjacent sales department as a way of helping out. At the time, there were few women in the produce industry handling

When Tom Sakata died Dec. 14, he didn?t leave a void in the daily functioning of Los Gatos, CA-based broker-distributor Bay Area Produce Inc. But he did leave a void in the hearts of people he?d worked with through a roughly 25-year career with the company. Mr. Sakata died of heart failure, a demise foreshadowed by the major heart attack he suffered eight years ago. He had retired from his position as chief operating officer and salesman at Bay Area Produce in 2003. Then 62, Mr. Sakata had been the one to teach new salespeople the ropes, said Bay Area Produce partner Hank Imwalle. ?He was a

Summeripe Worldwide Inc. of Dinuba, CA, announced the addition of Simonian Fruit Co. of Fowler, CA to the Summeripe Alliance of tree fruit shippers. Simonian is a multigenerational, diversified family-farming company with a long tradition of quality growing and involvement in the California tree fruit industry. Pat Steider, president of Summeripe Worldwide Inc., stated, "The joining of Simonian will further strengthen and expand the Summeripe Alliance to address the increasing demand by retailers and customers for Summeripe ready-to-eat tree fruit. Simonian?s quality and tradition of personal