LOS ANGELES, CA - Berry Fresh proudly celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, marking two decades of innovation and growth in the berry sector. From its humble beginnings as a blueberry importer, Berry Fresh has evolved into a leading grower and marketer of premium blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries—operating farms in the U.S., Mexico, Chile, Peru, and, most recently, Morocco.

As Berry Fresh looks back over its history, the company sees a clear evolution rooted in its core belief: innovation drives the category. With exclusive varietal programs and a relentless focus on high-quality genetics, Berry Fresh is building on successes like its Sweet Karoline® blackberries, which have impressed retailers and consumers alike with rich sweetness and consistent quality.

“Our growth has always been grounded in a simple mission: grow premium genetics, deliver superior flavor, and support our customers with top-tier service,” said Jyoti Bhogal, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, in the recent release. “As we celebrate 20 years, we also celebrate our roots—grower-led, customer-focused, and innovation-driven.”

Growth Fueled by People and an Entrepreneurial Spirit

Berry Fresh’s success over the past two decades is deeply tied to its team. From the field to the office, the company prides itself on fostering an entrepreneurial culture that adapts fast and stays nimble in an ever-changing industry. This agile mindset is a key driver behind Berry Fresh’s ability to pivot, innovate, and grow.

“Our people are our greatest asset,” said Bhogal. “Their passion, creativity, and willingness to innovate have enabled us to grow—even in challenging markets—without losing sight of the values that define us.”

Looking Ahead

As Berry Fresh enters its third decade, the company remains committed to flavor, customer service, and innovation.

“Twenty years ago, we started with blueberries and big ambitions,” added Bhogal. “Today, we're poised to bring the best berries to more consumers than ever—thanks to our customers, our team, and every person who's believed in what we’re building.”

With IFPA’s Global Produce & Floral Show on the horizon, and some exciting product and variety launches throughout the rest of the year and 2026. Berry Fresh is primed for continued growth in this next decade.

BAKERSFIELD, CA - Few produce events are as family-centric as the Southeast Produce Council’s (SEPC) Southern Innovations, an ethos that aligns perfectly with Pandol Brothers.

“Family has always been at the heart of Pandol Brothers. From our earliest days in the fields to today’s boardroom, our decisions have been guided by the values my great-grandparents instilled: trust, respect, and a commitment to one another,” Stefanie Pandol, Marketing and Sustainability Specialist, recently told me. “This sense of family extends beyond bloodlines—it thrives in the generations of employees, growers, and partners who have stood alongside us. We celebrate milestones and achievements, fostering long-term employee retention and a culture where people feel valued. Their loyalty, hard work, and belief in the Pandol name have shaped who we are and will continue to guide us for generations to come.”

At its core, Pandol Brothers is about people, from the family that founded it to the employees, growers, and communities it continues to serve. While operations may look different today than when it was first founded, Stefanie shared that the heart of the company remains unchanged.

“We believe in respecting one another, acting ethically, and building relationships rooted in trust. With over 75 years of farming in the California Central Valley and nearly 70 years of Pandol Brothers, every harvest reminds us why we do this: to share something delicious, honest, and grown with pride, from our family to yours—and to honor the support of the community that has helped us thrive and grow to where we are today,” she said.

It is this guidance Stefanie observed as the way the company has provided quality both then and now.

“Quality is our legacy. For decades, we’ve walked the fields, tasting fruit to ensure every grape reflects the care we put into growing it. As fourth-generation stewards, my brother and I have walked the same vineyards with our father and uncles that they once walked with their parents. Our dedicated and experienced quality and operations teams work year-round to ensure that, no matter the growing region, all fruit meets the Pandol standard,” she reflected.

While farming techniques and practical know-how are passed down, Stefanie said the passion and love for the tradition that came before her is something that can only be shared, not taught.

“We take pride in the fruit that comes out of our fields and into the hands of people around the world, carrying forward a standard that has defined the Pandol name for decades,” she commented.

But of course, carrying forward also means evolving. And with SEPC’s upcoming show centered around innovations, Stefanie takes time to tell me that it is a critical balance.

“At Pandol Brothers, tradition and innovation work hand in hand. The wisdom of past generations—patience, land stewardship, and respect for relationships—guides us, while innovation allows us to serve customers better and adapt to new markets. We are constantly exploring new technology to create efficiency in our processes and implementing sustainable packaging solutions to support the industry. Innovation is exciting, but every step is thoughtfully considered, not just for today, but for decades to come,” she concluded.

You can shake Stefanie’s hand and meet some of the family that has made this legacy brand at booth #203 in Charlotte, North Carolina, when the show floor opens on Friday, September 12. Hope to see you there!

DALLAS, TX - Logile, Inc., a global leader in AI-powered Connected Workforce solutions, announces the successful implementation of its Fresh Item Management suite at Vallarta Supermarkets, bringing intelligent automation and streamlined execution to its store locations. As one of the first retailers to adopt Logile’s fresh production technology, Vallarta played an instrumental role in shaping and refining these solutions to meet the needs of a high-volume grocery environment in one centralized platform.

These fully integrated solutions are part of Logile’s Connected Workforce Platform and align fresh food operations with store execution management for a seamless in-store experience. Automated workflows and real-time data minimize guesswork and empower store associates to improve execution and customer service.

Vallarta’s transition to Logile’s Fresh Item Management Solutions for fresh food production has helped replace fragmented processes with a data-driven, automated approach. By improving forecasting accuracy and providing real-time insights, Vallarta can better align production with true demand.

“Delivering fresh, high-quality products is at the heart of our operations, and we needed a smarter way to manage production and inventory," said Steve Netherton, Chief Information Officer and VP of Continuous Improvement at Vallarta, in the recent release. "Logile’s technology has helped us modernize our approach, bringing centralization, better structure, and visibility to fresh food management. Vallarta has seen a significant reduction in pitch and donation and now has enterprise visibility into performance compliance. Our associates can work more efficiently within a single seamless platform to reduce waste and ensure customers always find the fresh items they expect."

The solutions behind Vallarta’s fresh production transformation include:

• AI and Machine Learning (ML)-Based Item-Level Forecasting: Logile’s forecasting is comprehensive, including sellable items, production items sold under the same UPC, ingredients, and supplies. Its advanced forecasting models leverage AI and ML to predict demand with unparalleled accuracy of up to 97% by analyzing historical data, seasonality, weather, events, and market trends. These intelligent models continuously learn and adapt, optimizing inventory management, minimizing stockouts, and reducing excess inventory, all while providing real-time insights for more efficient decision making and supply chain management.
• Production Planning: Logile produces production plans for all fresh departments based on item-specific production schedules, on-hand inventory, and minimum display parameters in conjunction with AI-generated forecasts. Both recipe and yield process production are supported. Batch sizes are optimized to consolidate like-items, and plans are tailored by role to guide production efficiency.
• Recipe and Nutrition Management: Logile’s system records ingredient formulations for all recipes and sub-recipes, with step-by-step production process documentation and associated food safety controls, pictures, videos, and training guides. The ability to integrate with the FDC and other nutritional data sources supports the creation of all nutritional labeling content and allergen declarations. The system also supports cost calculation and gross profit management. Multiple costs can be defined, including ingredients, labor, supplies, overhead, transportation, etc. Extensive alerts are supported for merchandising, food safety, nutritional content, or gross profit management.
• Grind Management: Logile provides systematic capture of all grind production batches and grinder cleaning events to comply with USDA regulations. Mobile device interaction is supported by Logile's store execution management system with the same devices used for task management and communications. The system also provides dashboard visibility to monitor compliance across a retail enterprise.
• Yield Management: Logile supports yield-based production where sellable products are created from base ingredients, as seen in meat cutting or fresh-cut fruit and vegetable offerings. The system supports cutting test samples and yield test creation specific to seasonal products (e.g., steaks vs. roasts), special ad/promo mix, and yield % by packer to support accurate product yield and gross profit management.
• Scale Management: Logile's enterprise scale management system allows for efficient host updates to all scale and labeling equipment. It automates the timely synchronization of all devices and provides system alerting and process resolution for efficient corporate oversight. Logile supports host integration with all scale and labeling hardware providers.
• Cookbook: The next phase of Vallarta’s fresh food journey is the planned Q3 implementation of Cookbook. This tablet-based app guides users step by step through food production with full recipe visibility, including ingredients, batch sizes, process steps with visuals, and nutritional info. It replaces paper recipe books to ensure up-to-date, accessible instructions, improving accuracy, efficiency, and consistency across operations.

“Food retailers need more than just a production planning system. They need a holistic, connected approach to fresh food operations," said Purna Mishra, Founder and CEO at Logile. "Integrating accurate forecasting and fresh food management into a single, intelligent platform enables effective planning, enhanced visibility, and simplified execution. Vallarta is a leader in fresh and prepared food innovation, and their pioneering implementation shows how automation and AI-driven insights can help ensure product consistency, quality, and profitability across all store locations while earning customer loyalty.”

With the chain-wide rollout pending, Cookbook now complete, Logile continues to support Vallarta in optimizing fresh food operations, delivering innovative tools that drive more efficient inventory management and production in support of fresher products, improved customer satisfaction, higher sales, and lower shrinkage.

For more information about Logile’s Fresh Item Management Solutions, visit www.logile.com.

BENGALURU, INDIA - Albertsons® Companies, Inc., a leading food and drug retailer in the United States, announced the appointment of Sunil Gopinath as Chief Executive Officer of Albertsons Companies India, the company’s new global technology and innovation center located in Bengaluru.

Albertsons Cos. India marks a strategic investment in developing scalable technology solutions aimed at modernizing core systems; integrating data science and artificial intelligence (AI); and accelerating enterprise-wide retail transformation. As a global innovation hub, the center will enhance Albertsons Cos.’ global technology leadership by collaborating with teams in the U.S. and Manila to deliver impactful solutions that elevate the shopping experience for over 40 million customers each week.

“We’re building the technology solutions and digital products needed for Albertsons Cos.’ growth, and Sunil’s appointment as CEO of Albertsons Cos. India will enable us to extend our global team’s capabilities to support this pivotal moment in our technology strategy,” said Anuj Dhanda, EVP and Chief Technology and Transformation Officer at Albertsons Cos, in a recent release. “His deep expertise in scaling innovation hubs and leading transformative digital initiatives makes him the ideal leader to shape our Bengaluru global capability center into a powerhouse of retail technology. Sunil is not just building a team. He’s cultivating a culture of innovation that will drive our enterprise forward and redefine the grocery experience for millions of customers worldwide.”

As CEO, Gopinath will lead the development of the Bengaluru center, which is expected to onboard associates over the next 18 months. Key areas of focus will include customer experience, e-commerce, merchandising, cloud engineering, security, and advanced data and AI-driven roles.

The strategic investment in India underscores the company’s commitment to modernizing and owning its core technology platforms; building enterprise-grade data and AI capabilities; and leveraging Bengaluru’s robust retail tech talent and vibrant innovation ecosystem.

“Albertsons Cos. India is a strategic investment focused on developing and transforming how technology enhances the customer experience at Albertsons Cos., through the creation of proprietary, AI- and data-driven solutions,” said Gopinath. “Bengaluru’s rich talent pool in retail technology and thriving innovation ecosystem make it an ideal location for this journey. I’m honored to lead our teams in shaping the future of grocery retail.”

Gopinath brings over 25 years of experience in building and scaling global technology operations. Prior to joining Albertsons Cos., he served as CEO of Rakuten India, where he led high-performing technology teams and spearheaded large-scale digital transformation initiatives. His career spans global enterprises and technology innovators, with a strong focus on retail, eCommerce and digital platforms, uniquely positioning him to lead Albertsons Cos. India as a strategic center for innovation and capability development.