Crown Jewels Produce expanding in Mexico
It was more than 30 years ago that Crown Jewels Produce was started with a company vision to partner with the world’s finest growers to develop a full line of the highest quality fruits and vegetables.
The Fresno, CA-based company has more than lived up to that vision over the past three decades.
“Today, this partnership has resulted in the opportunity to offer our customers a premium collection of the freshest and highest quality fruits and vegetables,” said Jesus A. Gonzalez, general manager of Crown Jewels Produce Co. “We are diversified in that we have some commodities out of Mexico year-round, plus we have a wide selection of fruits during the summer and fall from California.”
One of the ways it has stayed strong is by not resting on its laurels and continually looking for growth opportunities. For instance, Crown Jewels Produce has increased its program from Central Mexico with more commodities and volume.
“Success comes from a combination of many factors, but it’s about building relationship with customers and growers and being transparent in our business dealings,” Gonzalez said. “We keep our relationships strong by visiting growers consistently with our field crews that we have in Mexico, along with monthly visits from our staff in Nogales and California.”
Crown Jewels Produce has a produce roster that includes apples, Bell peppers, cherries, cucumbers, grapes, squash, tomatoes and more. The product list has expanded through the years, and the company looks to provide its customers with everything they want.
The early outlook for 2020 has presented some challenges for the company because of weather issues.
“Crops have had a tough time due to heavy rains in November and December,” Gonzalez said. “They were starting to improve but rain again the first week of February and long-term will have an effect on quality and production.”
Weather has been a big issue the last few years and Gonzalez noted that Mother Nature is the biggest challenge that the company faces every year.
“When weather affects crops, we strive to have the same commodities grown in different growing areas of Mexico to try and eliminate the production gaps due to the problems,” he said.
The company focuses a great deal on its packaging, as well, to ensure that its customers get the very best.
“By designing our packaging with higher quality materials, we can assure our clients that the product inside won’t become damaged goods when it reaches its final destination,” Gonzalez said.
