PMA, USDA Offer Employee Training 'South of the Border'

NEWARK, Del. -- The Produce Marketing Association (PMA) here and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will hold a joint seminar Aug. 31-Sept. 1 in Mexico City, Mexico. The seminar, titled "Training for Greater Profits," is geared toward retail and wholesale executives and will focus on the importance of employee training within the Mexico produce industry and will identify tactics to improve produce handling and merchandising practices.

"This seminar is one example of our efforts to increase PMA's presence globally and ensure the highest levels of excellence and quality worldwide," said PMA president Bryan Silbermann.

After completing an analysis of retailers and wholesalers in Mexico, PMA has identified a critical need for employee training programs to improve competitive advantage and increase return on investment. Designed to be a highly interactive seminar that will facilitate small, intimate group discussions, the benefits of implementing employee training will be explored. Participants will identify and discuss key business challenges and opportunities including areas within their organizations that would benefit most from additional training.

"The intimate nature of the seminar will encourage participants to share useful information and trends that can be included in new or existing business training programs for Mexican produce employees," said Alejandro Larreategui, PMA's representative in Mexico. "We've learned that adequate training will improve employees' efficiency and productivity, while steadily increasing the company's return on investment."

More information about the seminar is available at http://www.pma.com/seminario.