HURRICANE KATRINA UPDATE: Gulfport banana facilities out of touch
With a stroke of luck, Turbana Corp. in Coral Gables, FL, in recent months moved its Gulf Coast banana-receiving port from Gulfport, MS, to Freeport, TX.
According to national news reports, Gulfport took the worst hit from Hurricane Katrina on Aug. 29. Meanwhile, in Freeport, "We didn't have problems with the hurricane, business wise," said Juan Alarcon, Turbana's chief executive officer.
HURRICANE KATRINA UPDATE: 'Our biggest concern right now is the people,' said Doles Marta Maitles
"I'm really concerned about some people down there. Our biggest concern right now is the people who live down there," Dole's Marta Maitles said in the early afternoon of Aug. 30.
Ms. Maitles, who is director of communications for Dole Fresh Fruit Co. in Westlake Village, CA, was speaking of Gulfport, MS, which took the brunt of the force of Hurricane Katrina and where Dole maintains a large facility to receive fruit imported from Latin America. National news reports at the time indicated that there were at least 55 deaths in Mississippi in the hurricane's wake.
Knutzen renamed to U.S. agricultural committee
Skagit Valley potato grower Roger Knutzen has been renamed to the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Fruits & Vegetables by Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns and U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman.
"American agriculture continues to play a critical role in our agenda of opening markets and expanding opportunities around the world," said Mr. Portman. The advice offered by these committee members will help ensure that Americans are competing on a level playing field and have the opportunity to sell their world class goods in overseas markets.
SALINAS SCENE: Classic Salads prepares to launch new web site
Watsonville, CA-based Classic Salads expects to launch a company web site within a few weeks at www.classicsalads.com.
The company also recently added Jill Lenz to its sales team. Ms. Lenz previously was in sales for Salinas-based Tanimura & Antle.
United's leadership program makes stop in Salinas
Gourmet Veg-Paq ramps up operations
Increased consumer demand for organic products has prompted Gilroy, CA-based Gourmet Veg-Paq Inc. to ramp up operations accordingly.
The company is doubling its square footage in El Centro, CA, with the expected November completion of a 40,000-square-foot facility. The company is also building a new facility in Hollister, CA, near Gilroy. The company plans to move into the Hollister location when it returns from El Centro.
Director of marketing leaves Splendid
Stephen Kaczor announced Aug. 18 that he has left his position as director of marketing for Burlingame, CA-based Splendid Products, a shipper of citrus and a distributor of tropical fruit such as mangos and limes.
The company handles a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Anderson named president and COO of Pro Mach
Cincinnati-based Pro Mach Inc., a leading integrated packaging solutions provider for customers worldwide, has announced the appointment of Mark W. Anderson as president and chief operating officer.
Mr. Anderson will lead operations of Pro Mach's three business units: primary packaging, end-of-line packaging, and identification and tracking. He brings extensive management, marketing and engineering experience in the manufacturing industry to Pro Mach. Mr. Anderson, whose appointment is effective immediately, reports to John W. Paxton Sr., Pro Mach chairman and CEO.
HAB establishes proactive diversity policy
The Hass Avocado Board in Irvine, CA, which conducts generic avocado marketing for foreign and domestic suppliers, has approved a proactive diversity policy to assure that the composition of the board reflects the demographics of the avocado industry while supporting the board's diversity goals.
HURRICANE KATRINA UPDATE: Storm damages southern Florida floral nurseries and avocado crop
Charles H. Bronson, Florida's commissioner of agriculture, will visit the Homestead area of southern Florida Tuesday, Aug. 30, to view the damage that Hurricane Katrina wreaked on the states nursery industry. "The strong winds, heavy rain and loss of power have combined to wallop our nursery industry in south Florida," said Commissioner Bronson. We will do all that we can to assist our growers.
Rice Fruit and Wal-Mart team up again for huge peach displays
August in Pennsylvania can only mean one thing: sweet, juicy and delicious tree-ripened peaches.
Wal-Mart and Rice Fruit Co. in Gardners, PA, teamed up for the second year in a row to recognize Pennsylvania's peach industry with a giant display of Pennsylvania peaches in both the Carlisle, PA, and Chambersburg, PA, supercenters.
The peach displays go hand-in-hand with Wal-Marts Store of the Community effort, which places products that customers want to buy in the stores meaning more local produce, like the Pennsylvania-grown peaches featured in this promotion.