Crossing a milestone like a business anniversary is always great news for a produce company. But combine that with the 100th birthday of the company’s founding member and you have a year that’s pretty much unbeatable.

That’s exactly what is happening this year at Central American Produce headquartered in Pompano Beach, FL. And there’s even more excitement going on at the company.

Company President Michael Warren told The Produce News that the company, founded by his father, Dave Warren, is celebrating 40 years in business in 2016.

“And, on May 8, my dad will turn 100 years old,” said Warren. “He still comes to the office four or five days a week and stays for four to five hours a day. He simply doesn’t stop. He continues to mentor everyone in the company, including me. He founded this business on the best soil, the best product, best service and ultimately the best overall results, and we proudly continue to do so today and will into the future.”

Central American Produce team members Brad Edmonds, Denise Wilson and Ramon Chavarria at the 2015 PMA Fresh Summit.In celebration of its 40 years in business, the company designed a vibrant new look to build on the success of its CAPCO Farms brand for its mango programs, which is now being extended to the company’s other products.

“Our mango program has grown so strong that in turn it has enabled us to grow our customer base,” said Warren. “We handle all of the major varieties, which are determined by seasonality. We’ve switched from Peru, which is basically Kent varieties, to Tommy Atkins from Central America and Mexico.

“The Ataulfo mango from Mexico is garnering wide and growing acceptance,” he continued. “Movement on this very sweet yellow mango started a few weeks ago and will run into July. I encourage anyone who wants to offer this item to jump on it quickly.”

Warren added that it takes a lot of work to deliver mangos that customers want, and the company has been successful at providing them for about 17 years. He said Central American Produce is working with its main shipper in Mexico to build a new state-of-the-art mango packing and processing facility that is scheduled for completion the end of April.

“We are also proud of our relationships with our producers,” Warren pointed out. “In many cases these relationships have gone on for over 35 years, and we’re now working with second and third generation family members. And we need to give a shout-out to our valued customers in the U.S. and Canada, many of which have been with us during these years.

Central American Produce grows seedless watermelons on its own farm in Guatemala, which will finish the first week of April. It also follows the domestic seasons to ensure consistent supplies to its customers.

“Our hard squash program is also expanding and growing in demand,” said Warren. “We grow these at about 3,000 feet above sea level on volcanic soil, which provides them with rich internal color and very sweet flavor. Our pack draws a xpremium because we pack in a larger box — giving our customers three to four pounds of extra high quality product than from other areas.”