Latest News From Awards

The Detroit Free Press announced its annual “Detroit Free Press Top Workplaces” list on Sunday. Fifth Wheel Freight (FWF) was honored for the second straight year for its innovative, culture-focused workplace.

Steve Williams, vice president of produce and floral at Southeastern Grocers Inc., won Produce Marketing Association's Retail Merchant Innovation Award.

John D’Arrigo, President, CEO and Chairman for D’Arrigo California has been honored by the University of Arizona, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences as an influential visionary and agricultural leader.

Watch our winning 2021 produce retailer and marketer get accolades. Find out why they won.

Montréal-based Sollum Technologies’ smart LED lighting system won the 2021 Sapphire Award in the horticultural lighting category by LEDs Magazine.

Goldies Onions, the only no-tears, no-onion-breath onion, which was introduced to consumers in 2020, captured three awards in the most-recent National Agricultural Marketing Association.

The first annual Best of SPS Marketing Awards, presented by The Packer, were awarded at the 2021 Sustainable Produce Summit.

Do you know someone who has done significant work to further the fresh produce industry's marketing efforts? Then nominate them for The Packer's 2021 Produce Marketer of the Year award!

CHICAGO — Washington apple grower Sean Gilbert is The Packer’s 2021 Apple Man of the Year.

The Packer’s Sustainable Produce Summit, Sept. 13-17, features industry experts. This year’s event also introduces the Best of SPS Marketing Awards. 

Jac. Vandenberg, Inc.’s SUNRAYS Mandarin BIO bags has been named the 2021 Eco Excellence Award for Best Snack for its innovative, sustainable packaging.

West Pak Avocado is thrilled to announce that its The Avo Effect campaign has won a Silver ADDY at the San Diego 2021 American Advertising Awards.

Fresh Freight LLC, the industry’s premier full-service provider of food transportation services, announced that US Foods has received its first annual Shipper of Choice award for supply chain leadership.

More than 100 chefs from across the United Arab Emirates created history on January 4 by producing 2,209 pies made with USA Pears and setting a Guinness World Record for the longest line of pies.

The USDA National Organic Program today recognized the work of ten organic certifiers with our annual "Data Quality Awards." Organic data reporting advances both market development and robust enforcement.

Food Logistics has named Choptank Transport to its 2020 FL100+ Top Software and Technology Providers list.

To honor Mexican brands that strengthen the country’s image abroad, The Ambassador Brands held its first edition, recognizing Avocados From Mexico and other brands.

Honeybear Growers, Brewster, Wash., recently received the Brewster Chamber of Commerce’s Best Large Business of the Year Award.

Organics Unlimited CEO and president Mayra Velazquez de León has been named the 2020 Global Trade Ambassador – Mexico award recipient from Women in International Trade – Los Angeles.

GDUSA’s 57th American Graphic Design Awards® announced their 2020 award recipients, and The Produce Moms® and Applewood Fresh® won in the category of packaging graphic design for their co-branded apple bags.

While the pandemic certainly changed the course of the year, it has not altered Stemilt’s efforts to partner with the Washington Apple Education Foundation to help students pursue their secondary education goals. 

Loblaw Cos. has chosen Nature Fresh Farms’ Ontario Greenhouse Mixiany Cherry Tomatoes as its President’s Choice Fresh Product of the Year Award.

The Ontario Produce Marketing Association has awarded five industry members during its virtual Award Ceremony.

Peter Quiring, president and founder of Nature Fresh Farms, Leamington, Ontario, is the Ontario Produce Marketing Associaton’s Cory Clack-Streef Produce Person of the Year.

Courtney Lane, Yakima, of Zirkle Fruit Company, is the Washington Apple Education Foundation (WAEF) Individual Volunteer of the Year.

Oppy was recently selected as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers, marking the first time the leading grower, marketer and distributor of fresh produce has been recognized with the award in its 162-year history.

Produce Marketing Association (PMA) announced the “Best of Show” awards this week, a Fresh Summit tradition of recognition that celebrates innovation and creativity in marketing and product promotion. 

Fyffes North America ‘Easy to Eat, Easy to Pronounce’ advertising campaign won Gold at the 2020 Summit Creative Awards in the Integrated Campaign, B2B category.

Congratulations to Produce Manager, Ethan Lohse from New Seasons Market, Portland, OR, for winning a $100 gift card from Shanley Farms for the 2020 Fall Shanley Farms/Tajin seasoning display contest.

Episode 20 of Tip of the Iceberg Podcast features an interview with Alvaro Luque, president and CEO of Avocados From Mexico, on his leadership of the organization and how it has been able to increase avocado consumption.

Get a rundown of the news of the week from Tom Karst, Chris Koger, Ashley Nickle and Amy Sowder on topics from Trevor Suslow leaving PMA to Oleen Smethurst receiving the Canadian Produce Person of the Year Award.

Port Everglades, Broward County, Fla., recently won three national awards recognizing sustainability practices.

Kristin Yerecic, marketing director at Yerecic Label, New Kensington, Pa., is the Southeast Produce Council’s 2020 Next Generation Award recipient.

NSF International has named Jennifer McEntire as the Food Safety Leadership Award recipient.

Veronique Sallin, co-founder of Clermont, Fla.-based IMG Enterprises Inc., parent company of IMG Citrus, is Florida’s 2020 Woman of the Year in Agriculture.

Ryan Carter, executive vice president and co-founder of Scotlynn USA Division Inc. has been chosen as the Small Business Administration’s Florida Small Business Person of the Year.

The Produce Marketing Association recognized four retail leaders Oct. 14 at Fresh Summit with its new Retail Merchant Innovation Award.

Produce departments featured sweet displays promoting Bland Farms Vidalia onions in connection with its promotion with “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run.”

Manny Wong, owner and president of Fullei Fresh, Miami, has been named the Minority-Owned Small Business Person of Year for South Florida by the Small Business Administration.

The Produce Marketing Association and Center for Growing Talent have announced the recipients of four annual awards honoring industry members during virtual Fresh Summit events..

Foodservice distributor Ben E. Keith Foods, Ft. Worth, Texas, has named Lipman Family Farms, Immokalee, Fla., as produce supplier of the year.

Jeff Cady, director of produce and floral for Tops Friendly Markets, is PMG's 2020 Produce Retailer of the Year.

Al Romero, senior merchandising manager for 99 Cents Only Stores, has received the Produce Marketing Association’s Impact Award.

Let’s get the obligatory pun out of the way: This blueberry is berry, berry big.

The Women’s Catalyst Award, which honors an individual’s support for women in the industry, has been renamed the Frieda Rapoport Caplan Women’s Catalyst Award.

Bolthouse Farms, Bakersfield, Calif., celebrated its first anniversary as an independent company by giving employees vehicles and cash awards for going above and beyond their roles during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jose Antonio Martinez, chief operating officer and general manager of Divine Flavor, Nogales, Ariz., is the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas’ 2020 Member of the Year.

Good Housekeeping Magazine is the latest organization to praise Wonderful Pistachios’ No Shells Honey Roasted.

Food Fight GA, established during the COVID-19 pandemic to help Atlanta-area restaurant workers and farmers who supply the restaurants, is being recognized with a Produce Marketing Association Impact Award.

J&C Tropicals, Miami, has been recognized as a Great Place to Work.