n rio rico, az — “We are excited about our new programs,” said Omar Losolla, director of sales and marketing for GreenPoint LLC, which is headquartered in Rio Rico.

Citrus is among the new programs and is receiving “tremendous, very positive response” from customers. On Jan. 5, GreenPoint started receiving Murcott Mandarins from Sonora’s Yaqui Valley, which includes the city of Obregon.

Later in January GreenPoint received Minneolas and grapefruit, which will be available until the end of March. In early February, GreenPoint started shipping Navels and Valencias, which will be on the market until the end of May.

Losolla noted that GreenPoint’s citrus is gearing to compete internationally. “It’s a product ready for retail, with UPC and PLU codes.”

Losolla said that Ernesto and Octavio Gutierrez, the owners of GreenPoint, are working with large-scale Sonora and Sinaloa citrus growers, who are their lifelong friends, to source the new program. These growers are veterans in shipping citrus to their national market, but are working for long-term opportunities in citrus exports to the U.S. Ernesto Gutierrez is also planting his own citrus groves.

GreenPoint “is also growing in other programs,” Losolla said. “We have a very big soft squash deal in Guaymas this year that we didn’t have last year. We have a new slicer and English cuke deal in Culiacan that we didn’t have last year. We have additional corn in Los Mochis, Sinaloa.” After a 2011 freeze devastated Sonora, sweet corn production, the Gutierrez’s expanded south to Sinaloa to hedge bets against freeze damage.

GreenPoint ships sweet corn from Dec. 1 until April 1.

The firm also has new honeydew acreage this season. Honeydew shipments began Dec. 20 and will run to April 1.

“We have additional hard squash in Sinaloa and wet veg out of Obregon.” Specifically, the wet vegetable crops are celery, cauliflower and broccoli.

Bulk Iceberg lettuce, Romaine, cauliflower and broccoli started in December but were set back by cold weather. In February, GreenPoint brand celery was to come on the market.

Losolla said GreenPoint will have “a very good spring crop out of Hermosillo,” featuring cucumbers and Romas.

“We are really happy. For us to come through the freeze was big. It hurt us in 2011 and 2012. That was really big. So far we’ve managed to avoid any major hits on corn. It’s been a difficult, challenging season but we continue to service our retail partners and do the best for them.”

Losolla, who began working at GreenPoint in August 2014, said “there are certain practices and principles in distributing produce that are not negotiable. They are the anchor pillars of any business. We have a tremendous sales staff, that is highly qualified, knowledgeable and experienced. It’s the best I’ve ever worked with. We will do great things.”