HydroSerre Mirabel, T&A and Next Vegetable join forces on new greenhouse lettuce deal
HydroSerre Mirabel, T&A and Next Vegetable join forces on new greenhouse lettuce deal
MONTREAL -- Three major North American lettuce growers are seeing green in their respective futures.
HydroSerre Mirabel, Tanimura & Antle and Next Vegetable, a Mexican grower that was formerly known as Vegetlan, announced strategic alliances and partnerships, here, at a reception May 9 at the W Hotel.
Martin Desrochers, president of HydroSerre Mirabel, which is also known as Groupe HydroSerre and is renowned for its hydroponic lettuce grown with floating-raft technology, told those assembled that the three companies' first venture would be a $50 million greenhouse operation in Livingston, TN, that will be built in four phases and will eventually add an additional yearly production capacity of 50 million heads of lettuce.
The new facility, which has production slated to start by the spring of 2008 on 12.5 acres, would be known as HydroSerre Tennessee.
"This will open a lot of opportunities and options over the years," Mr. Desrochers said of the new partnership and alliance. "It will secure supply for our customers, create a new category and allow us to market varieties developed over the last few years."
Mr. Desrochers told The Produce News that those new future varieties would include hydroponic red Boston lettuce, green leaf lettuce, Lola Rosa and a mini Romaine, but it was the red Boston variety that most interested the company.
"Red Boston is an item that is difficult for retailers to get year round, and we are thinking with the red varieties that we can achieve the same success as we have with our green Boston," he said.
According to a release issued by Tanimura & Antle, the Salinas, CA-based grower "was making a significant investment in Groupe HydroSerre's capital stock. It is therefore with considerable interest that Tanimura & Antle partners with Groupe HydroSerre, as it will grant it access to the benefits of the technology and, of course, strengthen its leading position in the North American market."
"We've been watching trends and consumer demands over time go from Iceberg to Romaine to bagged to organic, and the trend now is buying closer to home and sustainable products," said Mr. Antle, Tanimura & Antle's chief executive officer. "We looked at the opportunity in hydroponic and we see tremendous growth patterns. It will be able to deliver just what we are looking for. I've known Martin for many years, and his technology is coming to culmination -- it's home."
Cristobal Fox, a member of the board of Next Vegetable, said that the company "wants to be a production leader in food safety, quality and low cost."
In 2004, Next Vegetable purchased the hydroponic technology from Mr. Desrochers' brother Luc, who adapted the method -- which was developed by the University of Arizona -- for commercial production in the late 1980s.
The company has been growing several varieties of hydroponic lettuce on 12 acres under glass in Mexico for the past two years, and Mr. Fox, who is the brother of Vicente Fox, the former president of Mexico, was very proud of its new alliance.
"We know these two companies are the leading companies in lettuce production in the U.S. and Canada," Mr. Fox said. "This strategic alliance will allow us to focus on our lettuce product while they take care of the commercialization. This was the natural step for our company, and we are proud to join the team."
HydroSerre Mirabel, Tanimura & Antle and Next Vegetable, a Mexican grower that was formerly known as Vegetlan, announced strategic alliances and partnerships, here, at a reception May 9 at the W Hotel.
Martin Desrochers, president of HydroSerre Mirabel, which is also known as Groupe HydroSerre and is renowned for its hydroponic lettuce grown with floating-raft technology, told those assembled that the three companies' first venture would be a $50 million greenhouse operation in Livingston, TN, that will be built in four phases and will eventually add an additional yearly production capacity of 50 million heads of lettuce.
The new facility, which has production slated to start by the spring of 2008 on 12.5 acres, would be known as HydroSerre Tennessee.
"This will open a lot of opportunities and options over the years," Mr. Desrochers said of the new partnership and alliance. "It will secure supply for our customers, create a new category and allow us to market varieties developed over the last few years."
Mr. Desrochers told The Produce News that those new future varieties would include hydroponic red Boston lettuce, green leaf lettuce, Lola Rosa and a mini Romaine, but it was the red Boston variety that most interested the company.
"Red Boston is an item that is difficult for retailers to get year round, and we are thinking with the red varieties that we can achieve the same success as we have with our green Boston," he said.
According to a release issued by Tanimura & Antle, the Salinas, CA-based grower "was making a significant investment in Groupe HydroSerre's capital stock. It is therefore with considerable interest that Tanimura & Antle partners with Groupe HydroSerre, as it will grant it access to the benefits of the technology and, of course, strengthen its leading position in the North American market."
"We've been watching trends and consumer demands over time go from Iceberg to Romaine to bagged to organic, and the trend now is buying closer to home and sustainable products," said Mr. Antle, Tanimura & Antle's chief executive officer. "We looked at the opportunity in hydroponic and we see tremendous growth patterns. It will be able to deliver just what we are looking for. I've known Martin for many years, and his technology is coming to culmination -- it's home."
Cristobal Fox, a member of the board of Next Vegetable, said that the company "wants to be a production leader in food safety, quality and low cost."
In 2004, Next Vegetable purchased the hydroponic technology from Mr. Desrochers' brother Luc, who adapted the method -- which was developed by the University of Arizona -- for commercial production in the late 1980s.
The company has been growing several varieties of hydroponic lettuce on 12 acres under glass in Mexico for the past two years, and Mr. Fox, who is the brother of Vicente Fox, the former president of Mexico, was very proud of its new alliance.
"We know these two companies are the leading companies in lettuce production in the U.S. and Canada," Mr. Fox said. "This strategic alliance will allow us to focus on our lettuce product while they take care of the commercialization. This was the natural step for our company, and we are proud to join the team."
