VANCOUVER, CANADA - With PMA Foodservice mere days away, the entire produce industry is all atwitter to see what new developments and offerings will be on display. For an event designed to showcase produce, Oppy is bringing out the big guns with an impressive array of fruits and veg that I’m sure I’ll be marveling over come Saturday. But for Oppy, the show is just as much about the people as it is about the produce, and the company intends to take advantage of the opportunity to hobnob with the best in the biz.
“The foodservice show allows us as growers to really highlight the capabilities that we have in our portfolio of products to drive growth in a large sector where Americans consume so much fresh produce,” Chis Ford, Foodservice Category Manager, told me. “The opportunity to network is excellent. It’s great to connect with partners in this small-format show, building relationships and showcasing our offerings.”
Oppy has been a part of PMA Foodservice for decades, so the company isn’t new to this rodeo. Oceanside Pole vine-ripe romas and round tomatoes, Ocean Spray Berries, and a range of table grapes will all be on display at the show. The company will also be emphasizing Sun World Innovations’ proprietary varieties of table grapes that it will be marketing starting in the import season. The range of grapes includes AUTUMNCRISP®, black MIDNIGHT BEAUTY®, and red SCARLOTTA SEEDLESS® among other promising new grape types.
Off-shore citrus will be another focus of Oppy’s displays, as it currently grows citrus in seven countries, with fruit from Argentina, Chile, Peru, Australia, and South Africa arriving now. The company’s citrus offerings include tried-and-true favorites like navels, lemons, and easy-peelers, as well as the more specialty varieties, including Daisy mandarins, blood oranges, and Meyer lemons.
Of course, it’s not always enough for produce to bring the flavor—it has to look good doing it. Oppy will be presenting new packaging this year for products including Ocean Spray cranberries, which will be sporting updated packaging that features more contemporary graphics and an emblem noting that 100 percent of the profits are returned directly to Ocean Spray’s farmers. And cranberries aren’t the only fruit to get special treatment, as the company’s Oceanside Pole tomatoes will be showing off packaging that recognizes its special qualities.
“This is the first full season that Oceanside Pole tomatoes will be packed in updated boxes to reflect their 80th anniversary of growing on the same land in Oceanside, California,” Chris commented. “The brand positioning line is ‘On a Mission since 1939,’ reflecting the Singh family’s enduring commitment to producing excellent tomatoes, as well as their traditional support of the nearby Mission San Luis Rey.”
This is shaping up to be a busy season for Oppy, with a veritable smorgasbord of fruit in its pipeline. Its import citrus season began a month ago and will run into October, while Oceanside Pole vine-ripe round and roma tomatoes began shipping earlier this month and will continue through late November. Oppy has large volumes of blueberries currently shipping from the Pacific Northwest, and raspberries and blackberries are also in season.
With Oppy poised to dazzle at this year’s event, its phenomenal fruit is sure to be a bright spot on the showroom floor. The company can be found at booth #704, so be sure to stop by.
