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Produce Show Daily Oct. 17 2013 (PMA)

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Thursday, October 17, 2013 Produce Show Daily MEGACORP LOGISTICS WINS SIX AWARDS AT NATIONAL DIVERSITYBUSINESS.COM AWARDS Each year, DiversityBusiness.com collects and compiles the "Top Business List" on a state and national basis. The data is used to determine the top businesses and the most successful entrepreneurs across the United States. These businesses and individuals become part of the Div50 awards program. Making the list provides significant media exposure and puts company names in front of Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and colleges and universities looking to do business with women, diversity and small businesses. MegaCorp Logistics is a womanowned, WBENC certified, national Vested Logistics Firm. MegaCorp is headquartered in Wilmington, N.C. with regional offices in Cincinnati, Chicago, and Elkins, W.Va. MegaCorp Logistics has won six national awards from DiversityBusiness.com for 2012. The full truck load, transportation logistics management firm, which opened their doors for business in March 2009, has seen sustained growth in its first four years, employing over 100 people throughout their four locations. MegaCorp has intro- WORLDWIDE NETWORK CONTRIBUTES TO SUCCESS OF MAF INDUSTRIES The MAF-Roda Group, as well as MAF Industries, Inc. U.S.A., are considered to be world leaders in complete fresh fruit and vegetable packinghouse solutions since 1905. MAF's mission statement: to remain a premier and innovative manufacturer of complete packing systems; to offer technical capabilities that differentiate MAF above other packing line manufacturers; to give customers an efficient, quality value-added product; and to provide a high level of customer service and satisfaction. MAF Industries, Inc. is located in Traver, Calif., situated in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, known for its agricultural production of fruit and vegetables. In 1989, the MAF-Roda Group established their U.S. roots at this location, and it has been thriving ever since. As part of a worldwide network of companies that comprise the MAF-Roda Group (headquartered in Montauban, France), the international exposure and collaboration by the Group has given MAF Industries the ability to provide customers with a variety of options and solutions to meet their needs for their fresh fruit and vegetable operations. MAF Industries, Inc. specializes in offering integrated and complete solutions for its customers. MAF Industries has satellite operations in North America in the state of Washington and Culiacán, Mexico, as well as local service agents based in New MUSHROOMS OFFER GREAT TASTE AND HEALTH BENEFITS By Joe Salvo, Owner and President of Ponderosa Mushrooms The humble mushroom is often the butt of jokes, like "Why do they keep us in the dark and feed us crap?" Its reputation is tarnished by tales of poisonings and mind-altering psychedelic trips. Its character has been sullied by the hookahsmoking caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland. But what is the truth about these misunderstood fungi? The mushroom is the fruiting body of huge underground "trees" of mycelium, some as large as the 2,400acre site in eastern Oregon. It is widely believed that this "tree" is 2,200 years old, and is the largest organism in the world. That's pretty impressive for a fun-guy. Recently, the mushroom has gained huge popularity in foodie circles, largely due to mushroom-loving chefs. The Food Network has been instrumental in bringing these fabulous fungi from a gourmet luxury to a mainstream staple. Mushrooms compliment any dish with their earthy richness, add texture, flavor and healthfulness to any meal, and are a great alternative to meat. If your family is from Europe, your grandmother likely took you into the forest and taught you to forage for chanterelle, morel, porcini, black trumpet and many other wild mushrooms. She brought you home and made you a wonderful dish of creamed morels on toast, a chanterelle omelet, or a lovely bowl of porcini mushroom soup. Fall is a fantastic time for mushroom hunters, and there are guided forages available from local mycological groups in most areas (www.fungi.ca/mycogroups.htm). At this time of year, you can find chanterelle, lobster, hedgehog, cauliflower, blue cluster, chicken-of-thewoods, porcini, and the illusive pine mushroom, or "matsutake" so highly prized by the Japanese. Often given as gifts, the matsutake symbolizes virility, good fortune, fertility and happiness. Popular during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons, the chanterelle is enjoyed in stuffings, as a side dish, and in sauces and soups. Their bright orange duced an innovative service model with its trademarked Xtended Partner Logistic program. MegaCorp Logistics CEO Denise Legg credits the company's commitment to excellence, knowledgeable account managers, great work environment and their supplier diversity initiatives as the key to their success. "Our dedicated employees understand the importance and significance that diversity represents in the business world today, and the company culture of inclusion and diversity from the top to the bottom has significantly impacted our growth. Supplier diversity makes sense, is good for our business and our customers' business," Legg said. MegaCorp Logistics was honored with 6 awards at the National York and Florida. Recent projects include the cherry, greenhouse tomato, apple, stone fruit, citrus, onion, avocado, bell pepper, pomegranate, grape tomato, and lemon lines. Innovative service standards have allowed MAF Industries, Inc. to successfully integrate and educate its customers on the use of VPN connections, where trouble-shooting and repair diagnostics can be accomplished without physically requiring a technician to be on site. Because of the group size, MAF Industries is fortunate to have local R&D teams working on projects such as fruit quality sorting systems for external/internal defects, which have been developed by MAF and are being integrated into new and existing product lines. Systems that have been in high demand include the companies' traceability systems, as well as robots for various sorting, packing and stack- color and nutty, apricot flavor make them ideal for holiday dishes. Spring brings the revered morel mushroom, erupting from the charred earth following last summer's forest fires. Hollow and spongy-looking, these smoky, woodsy-flavored morsels crunch deliciously, even when cooked in a sauce. In India and Pakistan, they are strung together in a kind of necklace and hung over dung fires to dry, and are a source of income for the women in these poor regions. The lobster mushroom is an interesting fellow. It starts its life as an unpalatable white russula mushroom, and upon being attacked by a parasitic fungus which turns it a reddish-orange, it becomes a tasty treat. Like its name suggests, it has a seafoodlike aroma, appearance and flavor when cooked. One thing that wild mushrooms have in common with their cultivated cousins is their many health benefits. High in vitamin D and antioxidants, low in fat and calories, and rich in cancer-fighting agents, the mushroom is arguably in the top 10 "superfoods" today. One of the most important of these medicinal marvels is the shiitake, which contains a natural compound called lentinan, known to 35 DiversityBusiness.com awards ceremony during April 25-27 in Mashantucket, Conn. The awards given to MegaCorp Logistics were: #97 Top 500 Woman Owned Business in the U.S., #2 Top 50 Women Owned Businesses in N.C., #9 Top 100 Diversity Owned Businesses in N.C., #9 Top 100 Privately-held Businesses in N.C., #258 Top 500 Privately-held Businesses in the U.S., #378 Top 500 Diversity Owned Businesses in the U.S. For more information about MegaCorp Logistics, please visit www.megacorp logistics.com, www.facebook.com/mega corplogistics, email info@megacorp logistics.com or call 877-241-1649. ing functions. Due to the capabilities of the overall Group, MAF Industries, Inc. has successfully been able to meet the often tight deadline requirements and challenges that large projects can present. This success is credited to the exchange of ideas between the Group, and the manufacturing capacities at the 11 other full production plants that are part of the Group. Customers from the U.S.A., Canada, Mexico and various countries throughout the world have identified that the MAF-Roda Group's strength in overall size and exposure to extremely large projects have allowed them to become the supplier of choice. At Fresh Summit, visit MAF Industries, Inc. at booth 5739, or go online to www.maf-roda.com. slow or stop the growth of tumors, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and lessen the side effects of cancer treatment. It doesn't hurt that they are also among the most delicious and versatile of the mushroom family. Nothing sends food lovers into raptures like the aroma of truffles. White truffles from northern Italy are available for only a short time each year, and many devoted truffle enthusiasts make the journey to Alba for the annual Truffle Festival each October. These buried treasures have been hunted by domestic pigs since the time of the Roman Empire, and more recently by trained dogs, who are less likely to eat the truffle. Black winter, burgundy and summer truffles are all uniquely aromatic and less expensive. Himalayan and Oregon truffles are beginning to gain popularity as well. They say good things come in small packages, and the humble mushroom is proof of this! Visit Ponderosa Mushrooms at booth 3927 during Fresh Summit. For more information, go to www.ponderosamushrooms.com.

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