Marengo Foods now building from Nogales
Marengo Foods now building from Nogales
rio rico, az — A Nogales produce industry veteran has joined a new team. And Jim Cathey is thrilled to be the vice president of sales for Dallas-based Marengo Foods, LLC.
Marengo Foods is a partnership of three large-volume Sinaloa producers of tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers and eggplant and other mainline vegetables.
Sitting together at the 48th annual Nogales Produce Conference in Tubac on Nov. 4 were Marengo Foods, LLC executives: Luis Hanna, sales manager; Jim Cathey, vice president of sales; and CEO Juan Ibarra.The firm has been shipping Mexican vegetables through McAllen, TX.
On Dec. 2, a new Marengo warehouse in San Juan, TX, will be celebrated with an open house.
Over the last year, Juan Ibarra, Marengo’s chief executive officer, has talked with Cathey about his leading new distribution from Nogales, and training the young members of the highly successful Marengo team.
Cathey, who has 47 years of produce industry marketing experience, joins the firm with the goal of developing “significant growth” through broadening the customer base and appeal of Marengo to the industry.
Marengo has a long-term agreement to work from the Rio Rico warehouse and repacking facility of Veggies, Inc. Cathey credits Veggies for operating with “the same quality standards and customer service” values as Marengo.
“We have all done this for a long time. We think the outlook in the future for us is bright nationally, from the East to the West.” Marengo’s Nogales presence opens the western United States and western Canada.
The first to join Cathey in this Nogales office was Hector Sanchez, a 35-year industry veteran. Pat Lopez, who previously worked with Cathey, is also on the staff.
“For us, the day we walked in, it was good karma,” Cathey said. “We greeted each other, saying, ‘How’s your family?’”
