BOCA RATON, FL - It is with a heavy heart that we report the loss of industry veteran Jim Prevor. His enthusiasm for the produce sector was noted by all who met him.

As the Founder of PRODUCE BUSINESS magazine in 1985, Prevor saw an opportunity to connect people across the industry on topics that concern both buy-side and supply-side. He founded the magazine just a few years after he graduated from Cornell University, where he garnered and continued his reputation as a keen intellectual.

“The staff of PRODUCE BUSINESS, our company, Phoenix Media Network, and the global perishable food industry, will feel a tremendous void in his absence,” said Ken Whitacre, Executive Vice President and Publisher. “Jim was larger-than-life and, as such, his spirit will forever be with us, and we will honor his legacy by carrying on his passion and mission to ‘initiate industry improvement.’”

Many knew him from his “Fruits of Thought” column, which earned him more than 100 awards in business journalism, including the Timothy White Award for Editorial Integrity, which recognized Jim’s commanding presence and leadership during the Great Spinach Crisis of 2006. Throughout his career, Prevor was asked to appear on national television news stations, as well as to keynote and speak at industry events. His words about the fresh produce industry were featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Weekly Standard.

Prevor’s entrepreneurial spirit carried forward, and in 2010, he launched the New York Produce Show and Conference. He went on to create a vast international network of industry friends to found the London Produce Show and the Amsterdam Produce Show. Most recently, Jim gathered an international audience of grape breeders, growers, wholesalers, and retailers at the Global Grape Summit.

He is survived by his wife Debbie, sons William and Matthew, and loving extended family and friends.

We here at AndNowUKnow recognize the vision and talent of this industry veteran. He will be deeply missed.