Little carries big message for PMA Foodservice attendees
MONTEREY, CA -- Produce companies pride themselves on providing freshness in their products, but what consumers really care about is taste, Steven Little told his audience at a July 25 session during the PMA Foodservice Conference, Tours & Expo, here.
Mr. Little hit his audience between the eyes with a sprinkling of comments such as the one about taste, telling attendees at the outset that he was not a motivational speaker but a speaker who speaks the truth and has information to impart.
Jalil promoted to managing editor of The Produce News
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, NJ -- Daniel Jalil, assistant editor of The Produce News, based here, has been promoted to managing editor of the publication, effective Aug. 1.
Mr. Jalil, 26, joined The Produce News in May 2002 as assistant editor after graduating from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ, where he earned a bachelor's degree in English.
IN THE TRENCHES: Common sense in short supply these days
Major League Baseball is heading into the best part of its season, as the race for playoff positions gets more competitive. Knowing that I am a baseball fanatic, my wife ordered the MLB cable television package, and I'm now in baseball heaven.
I must admit to being a channel surfer, as I switch from one station to another to try to keep pace with every ball game. We have one of those giant flat screen TVs on the wall, and it actually makes you feel as if you are at the ballpark.
Keith Frosceno leaves Bozzuto's for Supervalu
Keith Frosceno, vice president of produce and floral at Bozzuto's Inc., left that company July 15, and will join Supervalu Inc.
"Keith is a very polished executive and a very knowledgeable guy," Steve Heggelke, senior vice president of merchandising and procurement for Bozzutos, a full-service food distributor based in Cheshire, CT, told The Produce News July 27. Were very happy for him.
PMA foodservice show draws high praise from attendees
MONTEREY, CA If networking truly is the strength of the Produce Marketing Association Foodservice Conference Tours & Exposition held July 23-25, then produce industry professionals have to be gratified by the more than 1,500 attendees who gathered here.
Included among the 1,500 attendees was double the number of foodservice buyers as last year.
Brazilian papayas to get boost in three U.S. markets
A major sampling tour will look to boost consumer awareness of papayas from Brazil and fortify three leading North American markets of the fruit.
Washington potatoes gain ground in dumping dispute
MOSES LAKE, WA Since joining the Washington State Potato Commission in February 2005 as its director of trade, Matt Harris has tackled a number of issues involving foreign trade partners of the United States, and the recent hearing before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal is one of the more prominent.
Ellie Coen proud to follow in her mother's footsteps
Ellie Coen's mother always said that her daughter would love working in the produce industry. It turns out that mom was right. "She was an inspiration to me," the 28-year-old account manager for Dovex Marketing in Wenatchee, WA, said of B.J. Holland, who died just over a year-and-a-half ago. Well known in the Wenatchee Valley fruit business, Ms. Holland had her own pear orchard, which is still managed by her husband, and had worked over the last 12 to 15 years in sales for Dovex as well as for Stemilt Growers and Gwin, White & Prince Inc., also in Wenatchee.
Some 'paperless' transactions require paper PACA Trust notices
Ironically, the effort to go paperless with invoicing has created situations where sellers must fax hard-copy PACA Trust notices to preserve their priority rights under the law.
Bruce Summers, chief of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, recently explained the growing issue to the Fruit & Vegetable Industry Advisory Board and reiterated the quandary in a recent interview with The Produce News.
Prime Produce International relocates to office and cold storage facility near Anaheim
Prime Produce International LLC, an avocado marketing organization in Lake Forest, CA, is relocating its corporate offices to Placentia, CA, near Anaheim, where the company will now also operate its own cold storage facility, according to Prime Produce President and CEO Avi Crane.
The move will allow the company to better serve customers and growers, he said.
Prime Produce, which sources avocados both domestically and globally, was founded in early 2004 by Mr. Crane, an avocado industry veteran.