LA QUINTA, CA & DURHAM, NC - Sun World International and Pairwise announced the formation of a joint venture to collaborate in specialty fruit, beginning with the development of a pitless cherry. Sun World will have exclusive commercial rights to these genetics as they seek a first-to-market position in high-quality pitless cherries. The partnership leverages Sun World’s fruit breeding and licensing expertise with Pairwise’s Fulcrum® platform. As part of the agreement, Sun World will make strategic investments to fund development.

In addition to maximizing yield and mitigating against climate change, one of Sun World’s north stars is providing a demonstrably superior consumer eating experience in every way, including optimizing convenience. Sun World has long been recognized and invested in convenience traits in produce, first introducing a smaller and seedless watermelon, driving further enhancements in the seedless grape category, and more recently acquiring the variety rights management business responsible for introducing seedless lemons and many of the mandarin varieties being promoted at retail under such brands as Cuties®, Halos®, Peelz® and Clemengold®.

“Our focus has long been on offering truly differentiated genetics to our growers with exceptional new traits, flavors, texture and convenience,” said Bernardo Calvo, Sun World’s CEO, in a recent release. “Developing a high-quality pitless cherry is a natural innovation evolution for us and in Pairwise, we’ve found an extraordinary partner already well down this quite complex path.”

Pairwise, which has developed the world's first seedless blackberry, brings an unmatched platform that accelerates the development of in-demand crop traits. Traditional breeding involves a lengthy process, but this approach creates a faster path to fruits that consumers will enjoy while providing growers with crops that offer greater sustainability, improved disease resistance, and higher yields.

"This is a segment of agriculture where there's tremendous opportunity to bring meaningful innovation," said Dr. Tom Adams, CEO of Pairwise. "Sun World has built one of the most successful commercial pipelines in fruit genetics. Combining that expertise with the precision and efficiency of Pairwise’s Fulcrum platform allows us to address unmet consumer and grower needs in a way that hasn't been possible before."

Pairwise will lead the R&D effort, while Sun World contributes its germplasm, breeding infrastructure, and commercial market access. The joint venture is already advancing development work and may explore additional strategic partnerships. In addition to its focus on consumer traits, the collaboration aligns with broader industry efforts to use advanced plant breeding to support sustainable agriculture, reduce waste and create higher-value outcomes for both consumers and producers.

CORONA, CA - Veg Fresh Farms, a leader in the fresh produce industry, is excited to announce a breakthrough in its PreCut Solutions line, delivering a 14-day shelf life for its fresh Pico de Gallo. This innovation directly addresses the challenge of maintaining fresh, crisp cilantro, ensuring it never becomes soggy. Our process guarantees the cilantro stays vibrant and flavorful, transforming the consumer experience.

This extended freshness is achieved through advanced processing techniques and a partnership with Aptar for a 99.9% pathogen reduction and unparalleled food safety.

"We've invested a significant amount in R&D to solve industry challenges head-on. Our fresh Pico de Gallo mix, for example, is a breakthrough because the cilantro stays crisp and fresh," said Randy Cancellieri, Partner at Veg Fresh Farms, in the recent release. "This is a game-changer for both our retail and foodservice partners. That same commitment to quality extends across our entire line, where we've also built in the flexibility to create custom blends, allowing partners to dial in the exact flavor profile they need—a truly unique value in the market."

Veg Fresh Farms’ PreCut Solutions offers a full line of diced and sliced tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, chilis, zucchinis, as well as shredded ginger, fajita mix, and salsa. Each product is prepared with the same commitment to quality, ensuring that chefs have access to the freshest ingredients without the hassle of extensive preparation.

One of our newest PreCut offerings, whole peeled onions, eliminates a tedious and time-consuming kitchen task. This solution provides consistently sized and peeled onions, reducing labor and waste while providing a uniform, high-quality product that is ready to use the moment it’s delivered.

For a closer look at our state-of-the-art program, watch the PreCut Solutions video on our website.

SPRINGFIELD, MA - The Board of Directors of Big Y Foods, Inc. has announced the following appointments:

• Caroline Cuzeau - Director of Financial Planning & Analysis
• Anita Giroux - Director of IT Infrastructure
• Morgan Spencer - Director of Retail Marketing
• Beth Young - District Director

According to Michael P. D’Amour, Big Y president and CEO, in the recent release, “At Big Y, we take pride in supporting the development and growth of our team members as well as providing opportunities for them to thrive. These promotions are a testament to the hard work, leadership, and passion these individuals bring to our organization. I look forward to seeing how their contributions will continue to shape our future, while supporting our culture of caring.”

Caroline Cuzeau has been appointed director of financial planning & analysis where she focuses on streamlining financial operations, supporting strategic initiatives, and providing actionable insights to leadership. She and her team also drive the budgeting process. Cuzeau reports to Devyn Blais, vice president of finance.

Cuzeau has served as senior manager of finance at Big Y since 2020. She brings over 20 years of experience in Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A), having held key roles at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Thomson Reuters, Dow, Travelers, and Timex. Her expertise spans corporate finance, performance management, budgeting, and forecasting.

Anita Giroux has been appointed director of IT infrastructure where she will continue overseeing the networking and hardware support departments in maintaining and leading the strategic planning of the IT infrastructure, and will have the added responsibility of leading the security and controls department in driving Big Y’s security and data governance posture. She reports to John Damjanovich, senior director of IT.

Giroux has been in the IT field for over 25 years. Prior to joining Big Y in June 2019 as manager of networking & hardware support, she spent 14 years in IT at a local community bank, including nine years as senior network administrator. She was promoted to senior manager of networking & hardware support in January 2023.

Morgan Spencer has been appointed director of retail marketing, where she will oversee the alignment and integration of marketing technology, production workflows, channel initiatives and data-driven strategies to ensure cohesive and impactful execution. She reports to Sarah Steven, vice president of marketing.

Spencer began her career at Big Y in 2006 as a produce clerk at Fresh Acres Market, where she helped open the store. While attending college, she worked across various departments at Fresh Acres before transitioning to the Big Y Store Support Center.

From 2013 to 2015, Spencer served as produce/floral administrative assistant, followed by her role as floral category manager from 2015 to 2017. She joined the marketing department in 2017 as manager of marketing services and was promoted to senior retail marketing manager in 2022.

Beth Young has been appointed district director, overseeing 16 locations across Connecticut. Her focus will be providing a personalized shopping experience while fostering an environment where Big Y employees can grow and thrive. In her new role, Young will be responsible for staffing, training and development, operational execution and driving sales strategies and results. She reports to Christian D’Amour, senior director of supermarket operations.

Young joined the Big Y family in 2021 as a district sales and merchandising mentor, bringing with her over two decades of experience in the retail industry. She began her career at Stop & Shop in 1998 as a part-time cashier and has since held numerous leadership roles including department manager, assistant store manager, store manager, center store manager, regional customer service manager and district director.

To read the full release, click here.