This holiday, more than ever, it is important for customers to use time-saving services like pickup and delivery – and Walmart has prepared with more than double the number of personal shoppers versus last year — more than 157,000 associates ready to fill grocery orders for all the big meals, as well as pick holiday gifts and stocking stuffers.

"It makes me proud to think six years ago we started with only a few hundred personal shoppers, and today, they’re crucial to providing services like pickup and delivery that our customers have come to see as essential," said Tom Ward, senior vice

Index Fresh announced Debbie Willmann as the director of sales. In her new role, Willmann will help manage the company’s existing domestic and international account base and set target growth goals, while expanding Index Fresh’s customer network.

“Debbie’s deep knowledge of the business gathered over three decades allows her to add tremendous value to our customers and the Index Fresh team. She will do a great job and I’m very excited to see her flourish in this new role,” said Steve Roodzant, president and CEO of Index Fresh.

She will also support Todd Elder, vice president of sales and

Operating out of the New England Produce Center in Chelsea, MA, those at Garden Fresh Salad Co. are looking forward to better days in 2021 after the uncertainty that surrounded everything as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“When it first hit, it was a shock to the system and we were scrambling around trying to figure out what to do,” said Patrick Burke, co-owner and sales and purchasing representative for the company. “Like everyone, we adapted and are now back to about 90 percent of what we were doing. So, it’s all basically back to normal, but that could change any day as well.”

Garden

Oppy was recently selected as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers, marking the first time the grower, marketer and distributor of fresh produce from around the world has been recognized with the award in its 162-year history.

The esteemed national competition, now in its 21st year, honors industry-leading employers who offer exceptional workplaces for their teams. Companies on the list are evaluated according to eight criteria which assess a variety of metrics including the physical workplace, the work and social atmosphere, health, financial and family benefits as well as others. During the

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has imposed sanctions on four produce businesses for failing to meet contractual obligations to the sellers of produce they purchased and failing to pay reparation awards issued under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act.

The following businesses and individuals are currently restricted from operating in the produce industry:

• First Fruits Holdings LLC, operating out of Wake Forest, NC, for failing to pay a $71,405 award in favor of an Idaho seller. As of the issuance date of the reparation order, John T. Fowler, Mark H. Black and Sean P. Swanson

Officers with U.S. Customs & Border Protection, Office of Field Operations at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility hit the drug-smuggling community hard with the interception of alleged liquid methamphetamine worth $25 million concealed within a tractor/trailer.

“This was a great team effort that resulted in this discovery of hard narcotics in our cargo facility,” said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, port of Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas. “Although an apparent daunting task, our frontline officers continue with their perseverance and commitment towards keeping dangerous drugs from crossing