Fresh Quest goes fully 'new generation' Harper cantaloupe
Fresh Quest goes fully 'new generation' Harper cantaloupe
"Last year was our first large production of the Harper cantaloupe," said Lou Kertesz, vice president of Fresh Quest in Pompano Beach, FL. "It represented about 50 percent of our movement, but it was so successful that we increased our program to 100 percent Harper. It's the 'new generation' of melon."
Mr. Kertesz said that the Harper has several qualities that make it a superior cantaloupe.
"It looks better and tastes better than others, and it has a considerably longer shelf life," he said. "A sugar level of between 10 and 12 percent is average in the cantaloupe category, but the Harper averages between 12 and 16 percent, with 14 percent being the norm. It also has more meat, so processors who use it for fresh-cut items get a better yield. In the past, it has been difficult to offer consistently good melon year in and year out, but the Harper is always great."
Fresh Quest owns and operates the farms in Guatemala and Honduras that produce the Harper, and product is brought into the United States through several major hubs, giving the company key logistical positioning for servicing all areas of North America. In Europe, it sends the melons to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and into the United Kingdom. The European movement makes the Harper's extended shelf life an additional asset.
"The shelf life is about two weeks longer than with conventional melons," said Mr. Kertesz. "That enables us to move it by ship to Europe without a problem. It's also popular there because, until it was introduced, other western-style cantaloupe varieties were not highly demanded. People in Europe, just like in the U.S., shop with their eyes. The Harper has a consistently nice, bright orange color, making it very eye appealing. It retails well whole, cut in half or cut in cubes or slices in value-added packages. Consumers who try it cut typically return to buy it whole."
Mr. Kertesz added that the Harper is a little more difficult to grow, and presents a bigger learning curve than with other melons. It is also more expensive to produce. But how it is performing at market is proof that it is worth the extra effort and expense. The company is among the larger importers in the melon category, and Mr. Kertesz said that Fresh Quest expects to move about 7 million boxes of melons this season.
Fresh Quest also handles a wide range of vegetables, including sno peas, asparagus and cucumbers. And it handles honeydews, watermelons, peaches, grapes, plums, nectarines and mangos.
Fresh Quest's melon program begins in November and extends through the end of May. The company sells to all categories of customers, including processors, retailers, wholesalers and foodservice operators.
The firm has been HACCP-certified for over eight years, and it holds GlobalGAP certification. It is also a participant in the Business Alliance for Secure Commerce, a business-customs partnership created to promote safe international trade in cooperation with governments and international organizations.
The Fresh Quest staff is unusual in that all representatives have fathers who were accomplished professionals in the produce industry. "Our dynamic sales team, Jim Graves, Brad Palmer, Robert Milligan and myself, are highly qualified and experienced produce professionals," said Mr. Kertesz. "Jim's dad, the late J. Richard Graves Jr., was inducted into the Citrus Hall of Fame of Florida this month. My dad, Lou Sr., who is retired, was A&P's Man of the Year in 1980. Brad's father, Charles [Charlie] Palmer, was with Dole Fresh."
Mr. Kertesz explained that the melon season runs for a little over 20 weeks a year, and between 40 and 50 percent of the movement during that time is on early and late product. This means that until the Harper variety was developed, melons were not at their peak perfection for the entire 20-week span, which was not a satisfactory scenario for the company.
Fresh Quest conducts its own research and development at the farm level on about 100 varieties each year. "Of those, we're lucky to find two or three that are worth extended testing," said Mr. Kertesz. "We found the Harper and became very excited about its profile. The fruit stood out enough to test further, and our enthusiasm has grown since. We're calling it the 'new generation' melon, and the 'Fresh Quest' brand is its calling card. Between our staff, our high-quality product and our distribution services, we are well positioned to maintain strong leadership in the melon category across the country and in Europe. We are going to be expanding rapidly in the future, with more opportunities for global marketing.
"Our immediate plan is to double production in the next couple years," he continued. "We created a worldwide demand for the Harper, and now we're stepping up to the plate to fill it."
Mr. Kertesz said that the Harper has several qualities that make it a superior cantaloupe.
"It looks better and tastes better than others, and it has a considerably longer shelf life," he said. "A sugar level of between 10 and 12 percent is average in the cantaloupe category, but the Harper averages between 12 and 16 percent, with 14 percent being the norm. It also has more meat, so processors who use it for fresh-cut items get a better yield. In the past, it has been difficult to offer consistently good melon year in and year out, but the Harper is always great."
Fresh Quest owns and operates the farms in Guatemala and Honduras that produce the Harper, and product is brought into the United States through several major hubs, giving the company key logistical positioning for servicing all areas of North America. In Europe, it sends the melons to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and into the United Kingdom. The European movement makes the Harper's extended shelf life an additional asset.
"The shelf life is about two weeks longer than with conventional melons," said Mr. Kertesz. "That enables us to move it by ship to Europe without a problem. It's also popular there because, until it was introduced, other western-style cantaloupe varieties were not highly demanded. People in Europe, just like in the U.S., shop with their eyes. The Harper has a consistently nice, bright orange color, making it very eye appealing. It retails well whole, cut in half or cut in cubes or slices in value-added packages. Consumers who try it cut typically return to buy it whole."
Mr. Kertesz added that the Harper is a little more difficult to grow, and presents a bigger learning curve than with other melons. It is also more expensive to produce. But how it is performing at market is proof that it is worth the extra effort and expense. The company is among the larger importers in the melon category, and Mr. Kertesz said that Fresh Quest expects to move about 7 million boxes of melons this season.
Fresh Quest also handles a wide range of vegetables, including sno peas, asparagus and cucumbers. And it handles honeydews, watermelons, peaches, grapes, plums, nectarines and mangos.
Fresh Quest's melon program begins in November and extends through the end of May. The company sells to all categories of customers, including processors, retailers, wholesalers and foodservice operators.
The firm has been HACCP-certified for over eight years, and it holds GlobalGAP certification. It is also a participant in the Business Alliance for Secure Commerce, a business-customs partnership created to promote safe international trade in cooperation with governments and international organizations.
The Fresh Quest staff is unusual in that all representatives have fathers who were accomplished professionals in the produce industry. "Our dynamic sales team, Jim Graves, Brad Palmer, Robert Milligan and myself, are highly qualified and experienced produce professionals," said Mr. Kertesz. "Jim's dad, the late J. Richard Graves Jr., was inducted into the Citrus Hall of Fame of Florida this month. My dad, Lou Sr., who is retired, was A&P's Man of the Year in 1980. Brad's father, Charles [Charlie] Palmer, was with Dole Fresh."
Mr. Kertesz explained that the melon season runs for a little over 20 weeks a year, and between 40 and 50 percent of the movement during that time is on early and late product. This means that until the Harper variety was developed, melons were not at their peak perfection for the entire 20-week span, which was not a satisfactory scenario for the company.
Fresh Quest conducts its own research and development at the farm level on about 100 varieties each year. "Of those, we're lucky to find two or three that are worth extended testing," said Mr. Kertesz. "We found the Harper and became very excited about its profile. The fruit stood out enough to test further, and our enthusiasm has grown since. We're calling it the 'new generation' melon, and the 'Fresh Quest' brand is its calling card. Between our staff, our high-quality product and our distribution services, we are well positioned to maintain strong leadership in the melon category across the country and in Europe. We are going to be expanding rapidly in the future, with more opportunities for global marketing.
"Our immediate plan is to double production in the next couple years," he continued. "We created a worldwide demand for the Harper, and now we're stepping up to the plate to fill it."
