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The United Fresh Produce Association has promoted Amanda Griffin to vice president of education and program management.
Seven Seas, Springfield, Ill., has hired Steve Kim as an account manager in the company’s Visalia, Calif., office.
Merritt Bruce has joined Church Brothers Farms, Salinas, Calif., as vice president of retail business development.
Western Growers Insurance Services, Irvine, Calif., has hired Jodi Martin as director of employee benefits account management.
San Miguel Produce Inc., Oxnard, Calif., has hired John Killeen as vice president and general manager.
Jerry D’Amore has joined the Inteligistics Inc. board, with a focus on strategic corporate development.
Fresh-Link Produce LLC, Nogales, Ariz., has hired Diane Ybarra in its sales department.
Seven Seas has hired Brent Young as manager of sales in its Visalia, Calif., office.
Hitchcock Farms, Salinas, Calif., has hired Jill Lenz and Dan Holt to its sales team.
As more produce is offered with a fair trade label and more consumer seek it out, sales are greatly increasing, with Fair Trade USA reporting a 30% jump in 2018.
Applications are open for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee.
Plant-based dips company Good Foods has donated $65,000 to the No Kid Hungry campaign to help fight childhood hunger.
The Fresno, Calif.-based California Table Grape Commission has hired Jodi Devaurs as director of trade policy.
The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council has contracted with the Sterling-Rice Group to lead its integrated foodservice marketing and promotional activities for the council and the blueberry industry.
BrightFarms, Irvington, N.Y., has promoted Abby Prior to senior vice president of sales and marketing, and Matt DiNitto as director of sales — East.
Ippolito International, Salinas, Calif., has added Lara Grossman and Roberto Ornelas to its sales and marketing staff.
The New Jersey Department of Agriculture has promoted Joe Atchison III to director of its marketing and development division.
Packaging company Sev-Rend, Collinsville, Ill., has hired Art Vega as vice president of business development.
Michel Picandet is the new executive vice president and head of Tomra Food, which designs and makes fresh produce sorting and grading equipment.
The Produce for Better Health Foundation has new awards to honor industry leaders, dieticians, influencers and promoters of the group’s new Have a Plant consumptions campaign.
Brighter Bites, Houston, recently elected three new board members.
Watsonville Coast Produce Inc., Watsonville, Calif., has promoted Jerud Manfre to vice president of operations and Adrian Contreras to sales manager.
Kool Logistics LLC, Nashville, has promoted John Druckenmiller to general manager.
Main Street Produce, Santa Maria, Calif., has hired Roger Privett III as sales and business development manager.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking nominations of qualified watermelon importers for four seats on the National Watermelon Promotion Board.
Matt Quiring is now director of sales for Leamington, Ontario-based Nature Fresh Farms.
Aija Paolillo is the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension citrus agent for DeSoto, Hardee and Manatee counties.
LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. – Trailblazer, activist, mentor and marketing genius are a few of the descriptors used to characterize produce industry icon Frieda Rapoport Caplan at a celebration of life Feb. 22.
Kyla Oberman has returned to berries, as California Giant’s director of marketing.
Monterey Mushrooms, Watsonville, Calif., has hired Michael Manson to manage the less than truckload (LTL) sales territory in the eastern region.