Continental Fresh introduces Juicy the Mango to promote BLUE Missions

Continental Fresh specializes in tropical imports from Latin America, servicing retail, foodservice, wholesale and process customers throughout the United States.

The Miami-based company has been connecting dependable growers with reputable buyers since its beginnings, and customers rely on the company for its broad import knowledge and regular market updates and forecasts ensuring that their products are delivered on time and in peak condition.

“We have been involved in the import business for all 15 years that we’ve been around, and mangos are our No. 1 item, as we provide mangos 52 weeks out of the year,” said Albert Perez, CEO of Continental Fresh. “Currently, we are working the Mexican mango season, which began for us in February and will continue until around September.”

Being in the heart of the mango season at the end of May, Perez characterizes things as “going well” with the company posting some very strong numbers in terms of volume coming in from Mexico.

“Pricing has been somewhat higher than other years due to elevating costs, but demand seems to be really good overall,” he said. “We have a lot of promotions going all over the country and we’ve been able to have product when some other shippers and importers have not.”

Perez credits that to Continental Fresh’s strong presence in the area of Michoacán, which has allowed the company to maintain a steady supply for all retail, foodservice, wholesale and processing customers.

When Mexico ends, the company will continue with all of its offshore programs starting with Brazil, then going into Ecuador, Peru and elsewhere.

In 2022, Continental Fresh is doing a big promotional initiative with its mango program, utilizing the Water For All label, which promotes awareness of water issues globally. With every box of produce sold under the Water For All label, a percent of proceeds will be donated to BLUE (Building Love, Uniting Everyone) Missions to fund clean water and sanitation projects in Latin America.

BLUE Missions is a clean water charity dedicated to connecting rural communities to clean water, which Continental Fresh helped start, with Perez serving as president of the board. The nonprofit, run by its president, Danny Rodriguez, provides a nationwide effort to create student service trips to assist water and sanitation projects in Latin America.

“Albert is a catalyst for doing good and helped to raise more than $100,000 for clean water projects,” Rodriguez said. “He’s really focused on branding, marketing and video content.”

That led to the development of Juicy the Mango as a live mascot for the program.

“He is going to be coming out with different video series throughout the rest of the year to help raise awareness for clean water and spreading joy,” Rodriguez said.

The character will be launched in early June, and the content will be released throughout the year on social media sites such as LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

Perez also will be leading the second annual Water For All trek from Nov. 18-23, a climb where industry professionals are invited to participate in a three-day hike at Pico Duarte, the tallest peak in the Dominican Republic, with the fourth day visiting a community where a water project has been installed. Among those taking part is Patrick Kelly of the Produce Industry Podcast.