NOGALES, AZ — Divine Flavor LLC is now operating from a sparkling-new 96,000-square-foot distribution center atop a hill very near to the border of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico.

The firm moved in late December from previous operations in nearby Rio Rico, AZ.

Divine Flavor is owned by Grupo Alta, headquartered in Hermosillo, Sonora. Divine Flavor is a major shipper of Mexican grapes, but is also heavily involved in growing and exporting Mexican vegetables, melons and peaches. Divine Flavor distributes and markets these products from Nogales. The firm also operates sales offices in San Diego and McAllen, TX.

Alan Aguirre Ibarra is the director general of Grupo Alta.

In April 2014, his son, Alan Aguirre Camou, became the sales coordinator in the Arizona office and now assists in operations of the Nogales facility.

Standing on the second floor of Divine Flavor’s new distribution center and office facility are Pedro Batiz, vice president of sales, with Alan Aguirre Camou, sales coordinator, and Alan Aguirre Ibarra, director general of the parent company, Grupo Alta. In giving a tour of the distribution center, Aguirre Camou noted 18 cold chain-controlled truck-loading bays and seven storage rooms. Additionally, it has a specialized repacking facility and a precooling tunnel that will cool a variety of produce items as low as 32 degrees.

Aguirre Ibarra said Grupo Alta will celebrate its 25th anniversary this year. The firm started shipping 12,000 boxes of green beans in 1989 and is now shipping 5.5 million boxes of various produce annually.

The firm outgrew its Rio Rico operations and over the last three or four seasons was working out of four or five different warehouses. There was a clear need for a single, modern, efficient new facility. Aguirre Ibarra noted that Grupo Alta controls its production from seeds to transplants and marketing. Quality control is a critical part of the process and a component that will now be very well-served.

Aguirre Ibarra added that Grupo Alta also carefully controls its efforts in social responsibility and food safety. “We needed to do this for ourselves” with the expansion to maximize all functions of business.

In mid-January Aguirre Ibarra indicated, “We are now handling low numbers, with 10 or 15 trailers a day.”

As Mexico’s seasonal production escalates and Divine Flavor handles more volume, there may be days this spring where a normal 50 loads a day can shoot to 100 or even 150 loads. “In April, May and June, this d.c. will be full.”

Aguirre Ibarra said his intention is not to handle third-party product but he has made an exception with his friend David Jackson of Family Tree Farm, based in Kingsburg, CA, using the new distribution center for high-quality Mexican blueberries.

Product rotation will now be well served, started with truck loading. Divine Flavor has set a goal to load customers’ trucks within 30 minutes after the truck arrives.