The Perishable Specialist Inc. is solely dedicated to the produce industry, and so its business is streamlined to handle perishables exclusively.

Owned by husband-and-wife team Frank and Ana Ramos, the customs brokerage firm in Miami deals repeatedly with the government agencies and departments, vendors and the steamship lines.

Southern Specialties recently completed the expansion project at its headquarters in Pompano Beach, FL.

The company now operates out of approximately 100,000 square feet of warehouse space with expanded office and meeting areas.

The facility has 10 temperature- and humidity-controlled coolers designed to optimize storage conditions for a variety of products. Three computer- controlled ripening rooms have also been added. All staging areas and loading docks are refrigerated, and new energy-efficient lighting has been installed.

Last year, John Moauro, owner of Mor Gro Inc., in Kingsville, ON, bought out his partner in their greenhouse business and consolidated it to the Moauro family. Today he heads up the business with his wife, daughter, son-in-law and brother-in-law on its 50-acre greenhouse.

Mastronardi Produce has a new greenhouse offering year-round tomato production.

“Mastronardi Produce ‘Sunset’ has completed planting close to 27 acres at our Coldwater Greenhouse, our newest facility in Coldwater, Michigan,” said Nancy Pickersgill, marketing coordinator for Mastronardi Produce Ltd., headquartered in Leamington, ON. “This first-of-its-kind greenhouse will be growing year round and is dedicated to tomato production that we will be shipping this year.”

Clifford Produce Sales, headquartered in Kingsville, ON, has started a new greenhouse grower-partner arrangement in Colima, Mexico.

“The Colima volcano and the Pacific Ocean combine to offer the best growing climate in Mexico,” Anthony Totta, marketing and business development consultant, told The Produce News. “Growers there produce at different altitudes according to the season. The average outside temperature is 21-degrees Celsius year round. This allows us to grow in warmth with no carbon emissions 12 months a year.”

Double Diamond Acres in Leamington, ON, increased its acreage in the past year, most of which is dedicated to cucumber production.

“Customer demand is strong, and we needed more cucumber production in order to keep up with it,” said owner Chris Mastronardi. “The regular seedless cucumbers as well as the mini cucumbers are in high demand today. This is a market-driven trend.”