Miles Fraser-Jones, senior vice president of AMC Direct Inc. in Glassboro, NJ, the North American arm of the AMC Group, explained to The Produce News that the company is separated into three divisions that each has its own expertise and focus.

“AMC Direct is a vertically integrated company, in that we grow, pack and ship into the U.S. from various countries,” said Fraser-Jones. “We have production areas in Peru and Chile in South America, South Africa and in Spain, and product under this division is distributed across the U.S.

“AMC Canada, so named because it is in Toronto, services Canadian retailers with imports from Peru, Chile and Uruguay in South America, South Africa, Israel, Morocco and Spain,” he added. “It, too, focuses on the highest quality produce from all of our growing and shipping regions in the world.”

AMC Fazio, headquartered in Fresno, CA, is another division of the company. This business produces, packs and ships primarily table grapes grown in California and are distributed in the western region of the United States. In the winter months, this division imports summer citrus, which is distributed nationwide.

All three divisions are wholly owned subsidiary of the AMC Group in Murcia, Spain.

“Each of our divisions provides our customers with year-round supplies of fresh citrus, grapes and deciduous fruits from the finest growers around the world,” said Fraser-Jones.”

All three companies are members of a third-generation, family-owned company, the AMC Group, which is now run by Alvaro Munoz, head of all fresh produce operations, and Antonio Munoz Jr., head of juice operations, who are grandsons of the company founder. The AMC Group’s extensive expertise in fruit production, combined with its industry-leading retail programs, has elevated its reputation in the global fresh produce supply chain.

“Solidifying relationships with key retailers and premier growers around the world is the primary focus for all of our divisions,” said Fraser-Jones. “For the entire AMC Group, innovation is the lifeblood of our business, and our customers benefit from the continual improvement of product quality, value and service that our research team and growing partners deliver. The behind-the-scenes innovation brought to life in our fruit’s flavor, texture, and color is due to our vast efforts and expertise in the areas of technology, plant breeding and fruit licensing.”

He added that the main points that set the AMC Group apart are the new varieties it is bringing to table as well as its superior service. The divisions all service predominantly major retail chains and big box stores.

“We are highly consumer focused,” Fraser-Jones stressed. “Retailers want customers who buy product and are so happy with it that they return for more — and repeat buying is paramount to success with any produce product.

“Our company transitioned into North America only seven years ago, and we’ve been on a strong upward growth since then, which we aim to maintain going into the future,” he added.

The AMC website, www.amcna.com, provides a wide range of both trade and consumer information. It offers updates on crop conditions from its growing regions as well as mouth-watering recipes to help entice consumers to its products, which are all labeled with the “AMC” brand.