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P ro d u c e S h o w D a i l y 8 5 S u n d a y, O c to b e r 1 9 , 2 0 1 4 harvesting the fruits and vegetables that we love. Winter is a major grow- ing and harvest time in Florida, and the spring brings with it even more deli- cious products. In the summer, har- vests slow down as farmers gear up for another start to the amazing cycle of Florida agriculture. Florida's 47,740 commercial arms span over nine mil- lion acres and are continually produc- ing a wide variety of safe and depend- able food products. Learn more about some of the Florida companies: B&W Gourmet Farms specializes in growing/packing and shipping of premi- um quality "distinctive baby leaves ® " including: watercress, wild baby arugula, and B&W's exclusive red watercress for retail and foodservice channels. Bejo is one of the leading companies in breeding, production, processing and sale of premium quality vegetable seeds, Fresh from Florida ( Cont'd. from p. 1) featuring more than 1,000 different vari- eties of seeds, representing some 50 crops. Dependable Packaging Solutions is one of Florida's largest privately owned distributors of corrugated products and packaging supplies including stretch wrap, tape, bubble wrap, poly bags, edge board, strapping and labels. The Florida Strawberry Growers Association is a voice for Florida straw- berry growers, whose mission is to become "partners in research, promotion and member/community service." William G. Roe & Sons Inc. was built on a strong reputation of quality. With 13 different fresh fruit varieties, Noble ® is committed to the longevity of the product and citrus farming. They also feature Seminole Pride™ artisan-crafted juice, the purest, sweetest juice with no added flavors, artificial colors, artificial ingredients or preservatives. For more information, visit www.fresh fromflorida.com. Broker is a full service logistics provider specializing in handling logistics on fresh produce originating in Mexico. "Quality service has always been at the heart of our operations," said Felipe "Phillip" Garcia. "With our new Primus GFS Certification, we can con- tinue to assure our customers that their products received at our facilities will be handled with the highest level of food safety and quality." Phillip Garcia started out his customs brokerage business 20 years ago in a small office in Hidalgo, Texas. The busi- ness has grown considerably over the years as he shifted his focus to fresh pro- duce being exported out of Mexico. That singular focus on fresh produce has allowed him to be recognized as the expert customs broker and freight for- warder in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. "Importing fresh produce from Mexico has never been an easy thing to do, and U.S. Customs, FDA and USDA regulations have gotten more complex as food safety has become a national issue. Our expertise in dealing with these gov- ernment agencies in an efficient and competent manner has allowed our busi- ness to grow," said Garcia. Today, the business is operated out of an 85,000 square foot facility that offers both cold and dry storage, and employs more than 30 international logistics experts. "Each of our eight individual cold rooms can be independently set to differ- ent temperatures," said Garcia. "This not Phillip G arcia ( Cont'd. from p. 1) only allows flexibility in the products we handle, but more importantly, ensures food safety within our customers' supply chain. We also have top icing capabilities to enhance the quality, safety and shelf life of our customers' products." In addition to continued food safety initiatives, Phillip Garcia U.S. Customs Broker has also recently enhanced their IT systems. According to Garcia, they now have the capabilities to offer their customers access to their warehouse management systems through the com- pany website. This allows for real-time information on Mexican customs status, U.S. customs status, FDA status, ship- ping and receiving status, and ware- house inventory. "In this just-in-time era, our cus- tomers expect us to keep them informed on each step within the import process. By giving them direct real-time access to these critical points within their supply chain, we feel they can better control their distribution network. That's essen- tial in today's fresh produce market," said Garcia. One last consideration: use a Border Consolidated Service Provider who can seamlessly move your goods from the Mexican side to the U.S. side, clear your shipment through U.S. customs, cross dock or cold store your shipment and deliver to market. To learn more about Phillip Garcia U.S. Customs Broker, visit Texas Town in row #2264. Visit www.phillipgarcia.com, email phillipgarciachb@yahoo.com or call 956-843-7050. be easier to use counterfeit cards at loca- tions using mag-stripe terminals. Beginning in October 2015, your business could bear much of the financial burden for debit and credit card present fraud. Today, when a card-present (i.e., the card is physically used in the transac- tion) fraudulent purchase is made with a magnetic stripe card, banks are responsi- ble for the losses. Visa, MasterCard and American Express have laid out a time- frame to shift that liability. Beginning in 2015, if the bank and the transaction processor have implemented EMV chip cards and your business cannot accept EMV chip cards, then your business could assume liability for any card-pres- ent fraud losses. Considerations for Your Planning Now is a good time to start upgrading your systems. If yours is a relatively small business with just one location, you may only need to get a new payment process- EMV Chip Cards ( Cont'd. from p. 4) ing terminal that accepts EMV chip cards. But, what if you have multiple loca- tions – say, a small chain of restaurants or hotels with five or 10 or 20 locations? You will need to buy new terminals for all your locations. And, if your terminals are tied to your accounting system, you will need to integrate EMV technology with that system. This will require time and expertise and obviously, money. A retailer with multiple stores could have to install new cash registers and inventory systems, and possibly new computers and servers, test the entire sys- tem and train employees. Given the time involved in each of those steps, I recom- mend businesses start now to be chip- and-PIN enabled by the fall of 2015. Reprinted, with permission, from the Bank of the West Blog. www.blog.bankofthe west.com/business-now-chip-cards. For more information, visit www.bankofthewest.com, call 866-501- 4976 or stop by booth #1166. Wellness Mixes Packed with nutrients, Orchard Valley Harvest Wellness Mixes help promote a healthier lifestyle with three varieties, including Energy Mix, Antioxidant Mix and Omega-3 Mix. Wellness Mixes are packaged in a convenient, re-sealable package. Varieties include: Energy Mix; Antioxidant Mix; and Omega-3 Mix. A brand dedicated to offering prod- ucts with great quality and taste, Orchard Valley Harvest starts with ingredients that are pure and simple. All nuts used are picked at their peak, minimally processed and have no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. All Orchard Valley Harvest products are Non-GMO Project Verified. Orchard Valley Harvest ( Cont'd. from p. 4) Orchard Valley Harvest nuts, dried fruits and trail mixes can be found in the produce section of retail stores among fruits, vegetables and other products that help promote a healthier lifestyle. About John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. John B. Sanfilippo & Son Inc., (NAS- DAQ: JBSS), founded in 1922, is a leading processor, marketer and dis- tributor of baking nuts, snack nuts and nut-based products that are sold in mul- tiple distribution channels. Its products can be found under the Fisher Nuts, Orchard Valley Harvest and Sunshine Country brand names and a variety of private brands. For additional information, visit www.orchardvalleyharvest.com or stop by booth #1160. its Ripe and Easy™ Kiwi as Mighties™ Kiwi, a new name developed to promote the little fruit's powerful nutritious pro- file and delicious taste. "Kiwi is a well-kept secret both in terms of how nutrient-packed it is and how easy it can be to eat," said Victoria Nuevo-Celeste, Vice President of Marketing at Sun Pacific. "Consumers tend to think of kiwi as an exotic fruit that they are not quite sure how to prepare and enjoy. The new name makes kiwi more approachable by encouraging people to 'Be Mightie' and try this surprising, ready-to-eat, little superfood." Sun Pacific is making Mighties available to major retailers in one- and two-pound clamshells, and larger three- and four-pound clamshells for club and warehouse stores. New packaging will feature a Mighties kiwi character and information on nutrition. Select packages will contain a "spife," a combination spoon and knife that allows consumers of all ages to easily slice, scoop and eat kiwi. Berne Evans, Owner of Sun Pacific and produce pioneer, initiated the game- changing process of ripening kiwi in cold storage, so Mighties are ready to eat as soon as they arrive in stores. The new Mighties brand builds on the trusted Ripe and Easy Kiwi name used by Sun Pacific over the past few years, and draws on Sun Pacific's suc- cessful marketing of its beloved Cuties Clementines, the best-selling Clementine Sun Pacific ( Cont'd. from p. 1) brand in the country. The addition of Mighties to Sun Pacific's portfolio is proof of its ongoing commitment to mar- keting fun, healthy snack options for today's health-conscious parents. Cuties and Mighties are options that parents feel great about giving their kids and enjoying themselves. One serving of kiwi is truly "Mightie" when it comes to nutrition, offering: more vitamin C than an orange; more potassium than a banana; more vitamin E and K than a serving of avoca- do; more fiber than a bowl of cereal; and natural fiber and actinidin, nutrients that aid in digestion and intestinal health. About Sun Pacific Mighties As the largest grower of kiwi in the United States, Sun Pacific has provid- ed the highest quality kiwi to since the year 2000, and launched them under the Mighties brand in 2014. Sun Pacific has been family owned and operated in California for more than 40 years, and grows, ships and packs more than 75 million boxes of fresh fruit annually from its land in the San Joaquin Valley. About Sun Pacific Cuties Back in the early 2000s, Sun Pacific pio- neered California grown mandarins. Today, Sun Pacific farms more than 30 thousand acres of fresh fruit and is the exclusive grower and distributor of Cuties Clementines and Mandarins. For more information, visit www.sun pacific.com or stop by booth #544.