CORONA, CA - Structured and deliberate growth. Proven category expertise. And above all—the beloved avocado. Index Fresh wields many strengths as a long-established avocado provider, and those strengths translate directly into advantages for the grower’s retail and foodservice partners.

A Central Focus

“Our greatest strength is that avocados are not just part of our business; they are our business,” John Dmytriw, Vice President of Business Development, begins, explaining how this focus is reflected across the company’s grower relationships, infrastructure, and the way its account representatives operate as true decision‑makers who can act quickly for customers. “In a category that regularly navigates strikes, disruptions, and geopolitical unrest, we rely on experienced people and boots on the ground to provide measured, informed updates to our buyers when they need them most. We do not rush to declare force majeure; we stay consistent, fair, and focused on solutions.”

Such a steady, measured approach translates into fewer surprises and more tailored programs at the retail level. Index Fresh’s new bagged lineup—which includes Avoettes Mini Bags, Jumbo Bags, and Organic Cellulose Bags—gives buyers flexible tools to merchandise avocados by occasion and shopper need, rather than only by size.

Advanced Expertise

Adding to the company’s avocado prowess is its ripening expertise.

With innovative ripening centers strategically located across the United States, the grower effectively manages inventory and customer demand to ensure a consistent supply of ready‑to‑eat avocados.

“When markets get turbulent, having formats, programs, and ripening capabilities that are thoughtfully built and consistently supported becomes a real advantage in maintaining shelf presence and shopper confidence,” John explains.

Growth on the Horizon

As it lays the foundation for its next era of growth, Index Fresh is aligning its plans with what is ahead for the California region.

“While we deliver 52‑week global programs, California‑grown avocados remain a foundational part of our model, and we believe strongly in the quality and reliability they offer,” John says. “Our expansion efforts are focused on building robust year‑round avocado programs that feature the California season across North America.”

As part of this expansion, Index Fresh is concentrating on strategic retail and foodservice accounts, pairing in‑person activations with industry media, targeted digital, refreshed sales resources, and video storytelling that places its people and its promise front and center.

“Index Fresh is proud of its marketing, but we also recognize that a glossy social post or website does not equate to ripening excellence or reliable supply,” John shares. “What truly drives our business forward is day‑to‑day quality and service delivery, investment in global sustainability and social responsibility standards, ripening excellence, and unwavering food safety. As long as we continue to deliver on time and in full and uphold these commitments, our avocado prowess will speak for itself.”

Internally, the company has aligned its marketing and sales efforts around shared, measurable goals, allowing the team to clearly see how their work translates into sustainable avocado category growth.

“Index Fresh is proudly not the biggest—and that’s intentional. We are grower-rooted, avocado-only, and built around human intelligence applied to a single category,” John concludes. “We believe 112 years of consistent grower payments, seven‑country sourcing with California at the center, and 300‑plus retail and foodservice customers speak louder than any earnings report.”

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WASHINGTON, DC - The National Potato Council (NPC) welcomed the announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) amending the federal order regulating potatoes from Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada.

Formally announced at 2:00 p.m. ET, the amendments will require U.S. facilities handling bulk loads (50 lbs or larger) of PEI potatoes to responsibly dispose of waste material from repacking, processing, and other operations in a manner approved by APHIS. This long-awaited action addresses pathways identified by APHIS through which Potato Wart could enter the U.S., as the pathogen can survive the digestive system of cattle and dwell in soil for decades while remaining viable.

“The National Potato Council thanks Secretary Rollins, Undersecretary Hoskins, and APHIS for acting so responsibly to address this potato wart disease threat,” said Kam Quarles, NPC CEO, in the recent release. “This action is another step in ensuring that this virulent disease never becomes established in our country, thereby avoiding billions of dollars in negative economic impact and thousands of job losses to America’s family potato farms and the communities they support.”

Potato wart is a highly destructive disease that is classified by APHIS as a “select agent” due to its severe consequences should it become established in a country. It travels on infected potatoes and contaminated soil. This disease was first found in Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada, in 2000. A series of new detections on PEI in 2021 caused APHIS to completely prohibit shipments of potatoes to the U.S.

“Given our growers’ geographical proximity to this disease threat, the Maine Potato Board is extremely supportive of the action announced by APHIS today,” said Jeannie Tapley, Executive Director of the Maine Potato Board. “This appropriate response will reassure Maine growers that APHIS is committed to preventing this disease from crossing our borders.”

Following the initial export ban, the Biden Administration allowed shipments of PEI potatoes to the U.S. to resume, except for seed potatoes. However, an APHIS analysis in 2022 stated that if disease pathways were not addressed, “it is a matter of when, not if” potato wart will enter the U.S.

The U.S. potato industry has advocated for enhanced mitigation measures for years to protect American family farms. APHIS has spent recent months conducting listening sessions with potentially impacted facilities regarding these changes. The new federal rule does not limit or halt any operations, instead requiring responsible handling of waste that may carry disease. The new regulations will feature a 45-day implementation period.

LOS GATOS, CA - As automation continues to make its way into specialty crop production, California-based Beagle Technology is taking a different approach to agricultural robotics by upgrading equipment growers already have in the field.

The startup’s See and Cut system uses cameras and artificial intelligence to identify crops and determine where to make a cut in real time. Hydraulic cutters then carry out the task as the tractor moves through the field at normal operating speeds.

Rather than requiring growers to invest in a purpose-built autonomous machine, the technology is designed to integrate with existing tractors and equipment. Beagle Technology says the approach can reduce manual labor costs by at least 50 percent while bringing greater automation to labor-intensive field tasks.

 

 

 

 

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The system has been demonstrated in crops including grapes and lettuce, where identifying the correct cutting point requires the technology to continuously interpret what it sees and respond as equipment moves through the field.

The company recently raised $8.2 million to scale its technology as it looks to bring the system to more agricultural operations.

Want to see the technology at work? Watch Beagle Technology’s See and Cut system in action on Instagram.

CARLISLE, PA - The GIANT Company, known locally as GIANT and MARTIN’S, announced that it has named Jim Saccary vice president of human resources. In his new role, Saccary will have responsibility for all human resources functions, including team member relations, learning and development, recruitment, total rewards, and talent and culture. He will report directly to The GIANT Company’s president, John Ruane.

“People are at the heart of everything we do at The GIANT Company, which is why I’m excited to welcome Jim back to the team. With deep expertise across every facet of human resources and a people-first philosophy, Jim is a proven leader who understands that investing in people is essential to building a strong culture and delivering exceptional business results,” said John Ruane, president of The GIANT Company, in the recent release. “Jim’s leadership will help us continue attracting, developing and retaining top talent, cultivating an environment where team members can grow a job into a career. I’m confident he will play an important role in ensuring we remain an employer of choice, strengthening our culture and advancing our mission of delivering value, freshness and kindness every day.”

A seasoned HR professional with more than 30 years of experience, Saccary began his career in store operations at The GIANT Company. Over the next three decades, he held a variety of human resources roles across the company, including training specialist, human resources business partner, director of management development and training, and chief human resources officer. Most recently, he served as vice president of business services at Ahold Delhaize USA, where he led key human resources support services, impacting more than 240,000 associates across its portfolio of local grocery brands along the East Coast.

Saccary earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Connecticut and a master’s degree in human resources management from Saint Francis University. He also holds a Society for Human Resource Management Certification (SHRM-CP) and a Senior Professional in Human Resources Certification from the Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI). Saccary has been recognized as a Central PA Human Resources Professional of the Year in 2004 and a Central PA Forty Under 40 honoree in 2003, and has received the Ahold Delhaize Living Our Values Award in 2022.

BAKERSFIELD, CA - Grimmway Produce Group (GPG) has completed its third annual Back-to-School Drive, rallying employees across departments and locations in California, Georgia, and Washington to support local students and families as they head back to school.

This year, the drive extended to GPG locations across Kern County and in Lake Park, Georgia; Oxnard, California; and Pasco, Washington. Together, employees across these communities filled collection boxes with more than 2,400 backpacks, notebooks, and other vital school supplies, easing the burden of back-to-school expenses so more students walk into the classroom prepared and confident on day one.

In Kern County, employees filled 30 large boxes with supplies for students in the Arvin Union School District, donating 165 backpacks – the highest total since the drive began – along with hundreds of notebooks, binders, pencils, markers, and more. In Lake Park, Grimmway team members collected 230 school items for the Echols County School District, and in Pasco, more than 300 items were donated to students at Three Rivers Elementary School.

In Oxnard, GPG’s San Miguel Produce team collected 208 backpacks and 1,066 classroom items to support 200 local families from Ramona Elementary School through the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Program. Following the unexpected announcement that Ramona Elementary would close for the 2026-2027 school year, San Miguel employees stepped up to support students and their families with donations of both school supplies and fresh local produce.

“This is our third year running this drive, and every year our employees show up in an even bigger way for students and schools in the communities where we live and work,” said Dana Brennan, Grimmway Produce Group Vice President of Corporate Affairs, in the recent release. “This year’s record number of backpacks and learning materials shows how much our Grimmway team members care about setting kids up for success. We’re pleased to partner with districts across our growing regions to provide these supplies to students and families when they need them most.”

WATSONVILLE, CA - Driscoll’s announced that Brie Reiter Smith, vice chair of the company's board of directors, will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Soren Bjorn. Bjorn will continue to support Driscoll's during the transition and assist with key strategic priorities.

Having joined Driscoll’s in 2006 and named CEO in 2023, Bjorn has contributed immeasurably to the growth and success of Driscoll’s over that period of time. His knowledge of berries and produce, in general, is recognized and highly appreciated throughout the industry.

Driscoll’s Executive Chair Miles Reiter notes in the recent release that “Soren’s intelligence, strength of character, and commitment to Driscoll’s mission to ‘continually delight berry consumers through alignment with our customers and our berry growers’ have been a hallmark of his leadership throughout the various positions he has held. We have had a lot of fun and been through plenty of challenges together.”

Smith has held a variety of positions in the company that her grandfather, Joe Reiter, co-founded. She grew blueberries in Chile, oversaw quality and product leadership in the Americas, and has served as a director and vice chair of the Driscoll’s board.

“While I may not have followed the traditional path to this role, no one believes in our company's mission more than me,” Smith said. “The team Soren has assembled is the best we've had, which is a real testament to his leadership and vision. The berries we put on tables around the world are the same berries I feed my three young daughters every day. I am honored to continue the tradition of positively impacting lives by operating with trustworthiness, passion, and humility.”

Smith will assume her new duties effective immediately.

BAKERSFIELD, CA - Sun World International, a global leader in fruit genetics and licensing, welcomed more than 450 growers, marketers, retailers, researchers and industry partners to its 2026 Symposium and Field Days, where the company introduced two new specialty table grape brands, SUMMER BLUSH™ and FLAVORCRUSH™.

Held as Sun World celebrates 50 years of variety development and licensing, the two-day gathering brought together the global network behind the company’s fruit programs to explore how the industry can work more closely to deliver consistent, differentiated premium fruit that earns repeat purchase by providing a delightful eating experience each week.

Guests eagerly sampled the company’s two new brands, both of which are set to become category darlings and fill gaps in both novelty and availability for consumers. SUMMER BLUSH, the brand name under which the new Sugra74 variety will be marketed, is a midseason bi-color seedless grape with a natural ombre coloring, with tones of green to pink and red blush, with a crisp texture and candy-like flavor. FLAVORCRUSH, the brand name under which the new Sugra60 variety will be marketed, is a midseason red seedless grape with large berries, a mildly crisp texture, and a fruity flavor profile with tropical flavor notes.

“SUMMER BLUSH and FLAVORCRUSH reflect the work underway across our program to give growers and commercial partners high-end, differentiated options, while giving retailers a clearer way to communicate eating experiences to shoppers,” said Elena Hernandez, vice president of global marketing at Sun World International, in the recent release. “A successful brand starts with great fruit, as well as the connected work of the people who grow it, market it, merchandise it and bring it to consumers.”

Across the symposium, speakers and panelists dove deep into breeding advances, highlighted consumer preferences, field performance, technology, use of AI, supply management, and shared ideas around retailer collaborations. Discussions reinforced that premium fruit programs depend on more than genetics. They require careful variety selection, disciplined production, reliable supply, consistent quality and close communication across the value chain.

Retail panelists shared the need for fruit with clear consumer relevance, strong branding (at shelf and outside of the store) and dependable execution. Growers and licensees discussed the importance of grapes that can deliver both a differentiated eating experience and practical production benefits. Breeders outlined how sensory data, genomics, field evaluation and ongoing feedback from commercial partners can help guide future development.

Sun World also used the event to showcase its ongoing breeding pipeline and strengthen the relationships that support the company’s global licensing network. The company’s approach is designed to create value throughout the system, connecting technical innovation with the needs of growers, marketers, retailers and consumers.

“Events such as these give us the opportunity to host the full conversation in one place,” said Gerardo Lugo, chief commercial officer at Sun World International. “We can evaluate fruit in the field, hear directly from partners, discuss what is changing at retail and build and strengthen the relationships needed to move programs forward with greater alignment to please consumers every time.”

As Sun World expands its portfolio across table grapes, stone fruit, citrus, cherries, mango, and avocado, the company continues to focus on fruit experiences defined by flavor, texture, consistency, and commercial performance. SUMMER BLUSH and FLAVORCRUSH are the newest examples of that work in table grapes.