Mastronardi opens Pepperco USA greenhouse
Mastronardi opens Pepperco USA greenhouse
Mastronardi Produce kicked off the new year by announcing its latest greenhouse venture: Pepperco USA, which will begin harvesting this spring.
As one of the larger greenhouse pepper companies in North America, Mastronardi Produce has quietly grown its acreage and capacity in Coldwater, MI, since completing Phase II of its greenhouse operation this past summer.
“After the recent completion of Phase II, we decided to carry on expanding our Coldwater greenhouses to 100 acres,” Paul Mastronardi, chief executive officer, said in a press release. “We’ve already established a strong demand for our Michigan-grown tomatoes from retailers and were overwhelmed with the response from consumers. We’re anticipating even more enthusiasm for local SUNSET peppers this spring.”
Greenhouse builders Havecon Projects and Stolze wrapped up Phase II this past August and have been working through the winter to complete Pepperco. At 41 acres, Mastronardi’s greenhouse is one of the first large-scale pepper greenhouses in the United States.
Since opening its Coldwater facility in 2012, Mastronardi Produce has been leading the industry with advanced greenhouse technology to combat frigid Michigan winters and bring fresh, summertime flavor to the Midwest in a sustainable way.
“Because of the strategic location of Coldwater, we’re able to reduce food miles and deliver a vine-ripened product,” Joe Sbrocchi, vice president of business development, said in the release. “With such close proximity to a number of distribution centers, we’re able to harvest, pack and ship our produce to our clients’ doors the same day, which ensures our consumers are getting the freshest product possible.”