OXNARD, CA - Mission Produce, Inc., a world leader in sourcing, producing, and distributing fresh Hass avocados, announced the expansion of its operations and distribution to Miami, Fla., enabling the Company to directly service customers in Florida with its signature World’s Finest Avocados™ and World’s Finest Mangos™, as well as provide ripening and bagging services. By operating in Miami, Mission is poised to enhance quality, availability, and speed-to-shelf, creating added value for existing customers while expanding its reach in the region.

“Our expansion to Miami demonstrates our commitment to elite customer service and our strategic focus on capturing growth in high-potential markets,” said John Pawlowski, President and Chief Operating Officer, Mission Produce, in a recent release. “This location unlocks our ability to meet the strong demand for high-quality ripe avocados and mangos in Florida with improved quality and efficiency. We are excited to bring Mission’s values and capabilities closer to our customers in the Southeast.”

Miami also serves as a strategic import hub for products sourced from Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, and other offshore origins. By entering Florida directly, Mission can streamline logistics, reduce transit times, and move product seamlessly across its U.S. distribution network. With more than 18,000 retail outlets across the Southeast, the location positions Mission to better service this customer base.

Florida represents one of the strongest growth markets for both avocados and mangos. In the past 12 months, 76% of Florida shoppers purchased avocados and 46% purchased mangos—well above the national average. The state is also the fastest-growing in the U.S., with 8.2% population growth over the last four years, and one in four residents identifies as Hispanic—a core demographic for< both categories. These dynamics create a significant opportunity for Mission to drive category growth in this dynamic market.

To learn more about Mission's distribution capabilities in Miami, contact [email protected].

FOWLER, CA - No news is often good news, unless you’re in marketing. In the business of making waves, no news feels like missing the mark, as Monique Mueller, Director of Communications for Bee Sweet Citrus, recently reminded me when I congratulated her and the team on being the Besties’ 2025 Best Email Ad Campaigns winner.

“Everyone’s audience is different; our goal is to stand out not only to our peers in the industry but to the people who make purchasing decisions. AndNowUKnow and The Snack Magazine do an excellent job of capitalizing on those audiences, so it means a lot that we won the award. It feels good to know that our ads are doing what they’re supposed to do: grabbing the attention of the audience and making an impact for our brand,” Monique shared.

Bee Sweet Citrus has certainly done this, standing out not just to our team—who go over every newsletter, every day, twice a day—but to our trusted panel of judges.

“So much information is constantly shared in the print and digital space, so we’re always asking ourselves, ‘How can we quickly capture the attention of our target audience?’” Monique confirmed, explaining how the team has distilled received feedback and cultivated the strongest points into a simple but successful strategy. “We aim to make our ads bold and memorable, so even if you glance at our ad for only a few seconds, you'll remember it.”

Visually, Bee Sweet focuses specifically on what stands out, putting themselves in the shoes of the buyer, the industry peer, and the general shopper. Something I can say from experience is not as easy as it might sound.

“We never want to reinvent the wheel. Our main priority is to make our ads easy for our audience to remember,” Monique said.

Monique notes that while her team always strives to improve, external validation helps inspire the team to keep moving forward and thinking outside the box.

“The Besties Awards have, and continue, to inspire the next generation of marketers. I think, as a whole, the agriculture industry has stepped up when it comes to marketing the importance of produce,” Monique reflected. “While all produce marketers are working hard to promote their brands, we’re collectively doing vital work because we’re showcasing the benefits of consuming fruits and vegetables.”

Monique’s words echo the profound message behind the Besties. A heartfelt thank you to our Besties Committee for your time, dedication, and insight. Your contributions are deeply valued. Each year, our team compiles the Besties ballot with nominations across all award categories, and our committee votes to determine the winners.

This year, the committee voted on every category except Snack Storyteller, Retailer of the Year, Best Marketer to Work With, and the Lifetime Achievement Award—three honors selected by our leadership team due to their special significance.

Congratulations to the Bee Sweet team on 2025’s Best Email Ad Campaign—a title well earned!

SALISBURY, NC - Leading grocery retail group Ahold Delhaize USA has announced an expansion of its partnership with Instacart to leverage its FoodStorm order management system. The technology will enable participating Ahold Delhaize USA brands to elevate customers’ shopping experience when requesting made-to-order items such as fresh bakery platters, customizable deli meat and cheese trays, dessert flights, floral arrangements, and balloons. The FoodStorm solution is now live at Food Lion, GIANT, and MARTIN’S, operated by The GIANT Company.

“By expanding our partnership with Instacart to enable the FoodStorm platform, we’ve introduced a more seamless, modern way to order catering,” said Keith Nicks, Chief Digital and Commercial Officer, Ahold Delhaize USA, in the recent release. “This collaboration unlocks new digital capabilities for our brands and elevates the omnichannel shopping experience for their customers.”

FoodStorm provides best-in-class functionality that makes it easy for customers to place orders online, by phone, by calling their local store, or directly in-store—and manage their orders through a single system.

With intuitive self-service tools and access to purchase history, the technology enables customers to enjoy greater convenience when ordering fresh, made-to-order items.

“We’re thrilled to deepen our partnership with Ahold Delhaize USA and its brands by making FoodStorm available for deli, bakery, and floral departments,” said Rob Hill, General Manager of Order Ahead at Instacart. “As more customers seek freshly prepared, made-to-order items, FoodStorm helps retailers meet that demand with modern, efficient tools that improve both the customer and team experience. Together, we’re unlocking new ways for Ahold Delhaize USA’s brands to improve the customer experience with added convenience.”

Additionally, FoodStorm’s order management system technology facilitates seamless production workflows and menu management across departments, enabling stores to drive repeat business, expand offerings, and increase sales. By compiling data, such as production logs and inventory metrics, it allows for improved operations management and greater accuracy in forecasting.

Over time, Ahold Delhaize USA brands will evaluate the technology for further integration with and support of e-commerce capabilities like pre-ordering for pick-up or delivery.