Publication Date: Saturday, October 01, 2011

From growers to shippers to retailers, the produce industry is once again coming together for one of the biggest shows of the year, the Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) Fresh Summit. Taking over the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta from October 14-17, more than 900 exhibitors will be featuring the latest in fruit and vegetable varieties, snacks and value-added products and packaging innovations.

There a few new aspects to the show that retailers should look out for this year. The “Sensory Experience” contest gives exhibitors the opportunity to demo innovative ways to use their product directly to a panel of buyers and industry leaders. The “Best of Show” exhibitor award will feature a People’s Choice component that will be awarded to the company that receives the most votes through an onsite text poll. The show is also making the most of social media with its continuously updated Fresh Summit Video Wall that allows people to post videos about food industry trends, as well as an on-site news program, PMA TV, highlighting the show’s events.

But when it comes down to it, retailers want to meet the producers. Here is a guide to who is exhibiting and the products they are proudly sharing.

Village Farms
Attendees may not recognize Village Farms at PMA. The Eatontown, N.J.-based grower is debuting its new brand image, complete with new packaging and a new logo. The look was designed to enhance the image of Village Farms and to represent what the company stands for—sustainability, an eco-friendly, premium and safe product and the company’s tagline “good for the earth,” says Douglas Kling, senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “The company is looking to do some very significant expansion over the next five years and we wanted a logo that represented how sustainable the company actually is.”

The company is also announcing the addition of two new facilities at the PMA show. A state-of-the-art greenhouse in Monahans, Texas, will begin production in early 2012 using the company’s proprietary technology, GATES. Launching in September, Village Farms is expanding its presence in the Caribbean with a packing facility in the Dominican Republic.
The company will also be unveiling an exclusive item at the show. “All I can say is that it is an exclusive variety and in a package and format that has never been seen before in North America,” says Kling.

www.villagefarms.com. Booth #5035